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White-bellied Heron

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 Most people think that birds like herons are extremely common....Well, we have to keep in mind that there are many species of Heron...like the one we are talking about today, the White-bellied Heron, a bird that is considered one of the rarest birds in the world. White-bellied Herons are usually found in the swamps, wetlands and river valleys of North-east India, Bhutan and Eastern Myanmar. They are large birds, measuring about 4 feet, and having a long snake-like neck, strong beak, black upper feathers, and, as is pretty obvious from the name of the bird, a white belly. This bird is often confused with the Grey Heron; The most notable differences between the two birds include the difference in size, as the White-bellied Heron is a larger bird, and the difference in colour, the Grey Heron being a much lighter shade of grey than the White-bellied Heron. Also, the conservation status of the White-bellied Heron is critically endangered, while the Grey Heron is a common bird, found wo...
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Yellow-breasted Bunting

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 A major reason that why I am so keen on trying to spread awareness on endangered creatures is that various factors which lead to the critical condition of birds and animals, do not even spare the most innocent creations of nature. The bird I will be talking about today is a migratory species, that is an example of how destruction of greenery and poaching has caused this once common bird to become so rare. Let me bring forth the cries of the Yellow-breasted Bunting. The Yellow-breasted Bunting is a passerine songbird that is known to breed in the Taiga, or Boreal forests of Eurasia, forests which include Coniferous trees and shrubs and experience long winters and short summers. They migrate to South and Southeast Asia during the Winter. In India, they are found mostly in the North-east region during this period. The male birds are characterized by their black face, chestnut-brown back and bright yellow underparts with black streaks. The females are much dull comparatively, with str...
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Some Thoughts.....

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  Image of dead fish in a polluted canal. Photography by: True Indian.  In many newspapers or magazines, we may be reading about pollution, what harm excess usage of fossil fuels is doing to our environment .e.t.c, but after thinking it over for a few minutes, we may toss the book away, thinking, "Well, it's not affecting me right now, maybe it isn't as harmful as this article is saying". Well, this was once part of my thoughts. I would constantly be seeing programs on Television or read articles in newspapers but after thinking about these dangerous causes of pollution for a long time, I would easily forget or think, "I'm such a small person in this big world, who knows about me? How am I supposed to make a change?". But then I found out that I can spread awareness about pollution and endangered creatures through my writing. Similarly, all of you who read this post should try to make a difference. All around, quite frequently, we can see the effects of ...
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Forest Owlet

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 To many people, owls are a symbol of wisdom and knowledge. In many places, these birds are actually quite common, but we should keep in mind before going into detail that the Typical owl family has 13 endangered species, 24 vulnerable species and 3 critically endangered species, along with the Barn owl family's 4 vulnerable species and 1 endangered species.... Today's subject is the adorable Forest Owlet, an endangered species of the Typical owl family. This voracious predator is characterized by its brown feathers, white belly, yellow beak and, of course,  fierce talons. Its big round eyes are always on the lookout for a meal. This term can be used for a wide variety of prey in this bird's case, including rodents, lizards, skinks, frogs and insects. Unlike most owls, the Forest Owlet is diurnal , meaning they are active during the day, though they aren't spotted much after 10 a.m. It is found in the Central and West-cental region of India. The Forest Owlet also has q...
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Great Hornbill

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 How many of you know what the state bird of Kerala is? It is the Great Hornbill, the beauty who is my subject for today's article....but, before we go into detail about this bird, I sincerely apologise for not being able to post for more than a month, so anyway, let's get started! The great Hornbill is known by multiple names all over the country, such as " Malamuzhakki Vezhambal " in Kerala, "Raj Dhanesh" in West Bengal and " Homrai" or " Banrao" in the Himalayan region. It is a peculiar beauty with a black body, whitish tail and underwings and its iconic horny yellow beak, from which it got its name. Its unique appearence and strange habits have also got it associated with a few myths.  In Nagaland, the people there believe that the Hornbill was created when a sad and orphaned boy, abused by his stepmother, was pursued by a young girl. Even though the girl wanted to improve his way of living, he didn't desire any pity and so borrow...
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Amur Falcon

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 Welcome back readers! I just thought that since I haven't really focused on birds of prey in my posts, I'll write one article on a quite mysterious, yet very intelligent and rare bird. This lucky raptor is none other than the Amur falcon.  The Amur falcon is one of India's rarest Autumn-visitors. These birds start their journey typically from mid-October to November, to journey to Southern Africa, to spend the Winter. On the way there, they stop in North-eastern India, to refuel themselves with winged-termites, that arrive in states like Nagaland, during this time. These birds have got their name from their breeding grounds near the Amur river, a river that lies between the Russian far-east and North-eastern China. Many other species of animals and birds, like the Amur leopard, are well-known from that region. These birds are often mistaken as similar looking birds called, Red-footed falcons. The difference between these birds are that male Amur falcons have white underwin...
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Let's Celebrate Nature Together!

Nature is a very strange and beautiful thing created by god. Sometimes it is calm and sometimes it is dangerous. Sometimes it is the rasping of a tree snake's scales or the fluttering of a sunbird's tiny wings and sometimes it is the roaring of a Bengal tiger or the harsh blowing of the monsoon winds. In this blog post, I shall not be talking about any one bird in particular... I shall be sharing some of my encounters with Mother Nature.......... From a very young age, I have been interested in nature and have spent my entire toddlerhood visiting woods and picking wild flowers growing alongside ponds and lakes. I even knew the names of many of the colourful birds which I often spotted around our locality by the age of seven. For my eighth birthday, I had received a field guide on the birds of India and its neighbouring countries, as a gift. So, you may have already guessed that by the time I was ten years old, I was accompanied by my binoculars whenever I visited any birdwatchi...
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