India's Endangered Wonders

 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...

 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...

  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 ...

 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...

 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...

 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...

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...

'' There are few animals as universally maligned, feared and mythologized as vultures ". Readers, we have heard and read such quotes for years, increasing our respect for birds like vultures, but now, I think it is time to show our respect and admiration for these marvellous raptors by helping to save them from extinction.  Egyptian Vulture. Illustrated by: True Indian  The Egyptian Vulture, also known as the White Scavenger Vulture or the Pharoah's Chicken, is considered one of the smallest old world vultures, with a size of approximately 19-26 inches. Characterized by its yellow face, white plumage, black flight feathers and slender hooked beak, this bird is just as eye-catching as its behaviour. These vultures are known mostly because of their social behaviour and queer yet adaptable feeding habits. They are the only old world vultures, who are known to feed on the dung of various animals. These birds are also seen to use a variety of small tools like pebbles to bre...

For readers who are well acquainted with Indian mythology, it is obvious that you have heard of the mythical bird, Garuda, the vahana and servant of Lord Vishnu. Have you ever wondered what species he belongs to ? In this post, I will be providing you with the answer to this question and also give you some information regarding these endangered birds.  The Greater Adjudant, known locally as Hargila , is considered by many to be an ugly bird, which causes the decrease in its population. This hatred, (previously it used to occur more frequently than now) caused many farmers and landowners to allegedly chop down the storks' nesting trees. It was previously considered a pest, even though its diet consists mostly of actual pests like rats, bugs and of course, fish. This bird, characterized by its bare red head, long yellow legs, white-black wings, long beak and astonishing hight of more than 4 feet and wingspan of approximately 8 feet, is often confused with its cousin, the Marabou Sto...

Some people living in big cities may get irritated with the hustle and bustle and of course the pollution and traffic surrounding their localities. Being one of those people, I can understand the desire to take a break from city life and seek shelter in nature. As a wildlifer, I have visited quite a lot of wildlife reserves and national forests in our country.  Last year in July, I had travelled to Hyderabad, where I saw many high-rise buildings, was met with heavily polluted air and and around the city, I could see signs of hillocks and rocks being destroyed for real- estate development. I was quite unhappy to see such occurrences, even though I have been seeing similar stuff in other cities as well. All this actually fuelled my desire to visit a green space in the midst of the city. So, I searched for such a place on the internet and came across quite a new national park in the city, having been established in 1994. Mrugavani National Park isn't the largest forest in India, ...

 In one of my previous posts, I have mentioned that many highly threatened birds can be dull looking, ( See also- Masked Finfoot) but in this post, I shall be talking about a bird that is considered genuinely ugly by many people. Boasting of a height of more than 3 feet and a wingspan of more than 8 feet, this peculiar stork is one of the largest storks in Asia. Also known as the Hair-crested Adjudant, this bird's decreasing population seems more tolerable to many people, than its looks.  .....................................................................................       Lesser Adjudant in Gorumara National Park, West Bengal. Photography by: Rudra Dey. Lesser Adjudants are characterized by their bare head, red face and  blackish upperwings. They are also often seen in an upright position, unlike that of their cousin, the Greater Adjudant. This bird generally feeds on fish, reptiles, frogs, rodents, large invertebrates and occasionally, carrion. Thes...

 Most people who see the Indian Peafowl usually don't believe that a bird, as beautiful as it can exist. If you thought so, then I am extremely sorry to inform you that you are mistaken. The bird that I will be talking about in this post is one of the Peafowl's arch enemies, in terms of beauty. The Himalayan Monal, also known as the Impeyan Monal or the Impeyan Pheasant, is one of the fairly common birds of the Himadri range of the Himalayas. (The Northern Himalayas) The male bird is characterized by its glossy blue wings, orange tail, reddish-brown neck and a greenish crest on its head whereas the female bird has a much dull appearance, with a streaky brown body and a white neck. The juveniles are much less marked. The diet of these birds consists mostly of  insects, seeds, roots, berries and more. The thing which surprises me about this bird is that it is the state bird of Uttarakhand and also the national bird of Nepal!  A notable feature in the behaviour of the male b...

Plastic, a substance which we use in our daily lives, is, as we all know, highly hazardous to our surroundings. Things made from it which are non-recyclable are fatal to plants, animals, human beings and birds. Even though major awareness has been spread about it, people still continue to discard used plastic items instead of reusing them, repeatedly throwing them anywhere. Such places include the soil, which gets contaminated by the chemicals in plastic and the rivers which carry away waste, which ultimately chokes some unlucky land or sea creature. Birds are one of the many creatures which fall victim to such occurrences. In this post, I shall be talking about how plastic can actually wipe off some species from the earth.                                                                       Plastic bags lying out...

In my previous posts, I have talked about the Bengal Florican and the Great Indian Bustard. In this post, I will be talking about the last member of the trio, the Lesser Florican.  The Lesser Florican may be mistaken by some people to be the Bengal Florican but the two birds actually have some differences in their appearences. These birds have much slimmer necks and stand out mostly due to their crests. This critically endangered bird mainly inhabits the grasslands of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Nepal (during the Summer). It is known in various names in different places such as 'Kharmor', meaning grass peacock, in Gujarat and 'Likh' in Nepal. It feeds mainly on dung beatles, insects, shoots, berries and more. However, habitat loss is posing as one of the major threats to these birds, mostly because in India, there is a lack of national policies for grassland ecosystems. Also, even though poaching is illegal, hunting still continues, mainly in...

 In my previous post, I had talked about the Bengal Florican, a critically endangered bird of the Bustard order. Today, I shall be talking about a close cousin of this bird. The Great Indian Bustard, also known as the Indian Bustard, is one of the heaviest flying birds in the Indian subcontinent. Characterized by its pale head and neck, brownish body and long legs, this critically endangered bird faces many threats like poaching, habitat loss and collisions with power lines. It feeds mostly on insects, small rodents, berries and grass seeds. Previously, this bird was found all over western, central and peninsular India but now, two of the largest populations of this species are  found in the Thar Desert in Rajasthan and in the coastal grasslands of Kutch in Gujarat. As we all know, the Indian Peafowl is the national bird of India, but did you know that the Great Indian Bustard was also a strong contender for that position? It was mainly because of the renowned ornithologist, S...

 I don't know how many of the readers here know this, but out of all the species of the Bustard order, three are considered highly threatened, in India. In this post, I will be talking about one of those three birds. The Bengal Florican, also known as the Bengal Bustard, is considered one of the most vulnerable birds in India, with a conservation status of "Critically Endangered". It got its name from its discovery in the food plains of the Ganga and Brahmaputra, at the foothills of the Himalayas. There are two distinct populations of this bird, one in the Terai regions of India and Nepal and another in Cambodia. Previously, this bird was also found in Bangladesh and Vietnam but is now considered extinct from there. This bird feeds mostly on seeds, insects, berries, grasses and more. However, the number of individuals in both the populations are decreasing, mostly due to the shrinking of the grasslands, the habitat of these birds. While the male bird is known for its athl...

 Amongst all the birds in this world, there are some which are highly attractive and brightly coloured and others which are dull looking. Here I want to add that not all endangered birds are that eye-catching and in this post, I will be talking about one such bird, hiding itself in the thick mangroves of the Sunderbans. Sunderban delta, situated in the middle of Bangladesh and West Bengal is home to a very dull looking yet critically endangered  bird– the Masked Finfoot. This bird is vulnerable to extinction because of the rise in the sea level, which is leading to the drowning of the islands and also the loss of its habitat. These semi-aquatic birds bear the resemblance of cormorants, but are actually members of the Crane order. They feed mostly on insects, shrimps and small fish. The sad part though is that the local fishermen often hunt these birds or collect their chicks and eggs, which is further decreasing their population. The expansion of farming lands and construction...

 When I was around 6 years old, I started to develop a keen interest in birds, which I seem to have kept alive. I am from India, a land with so many species of birds.I have observed and created observation charts on many of them. Even though I am proud to see the number of many birds increase, there are also many endangered birds not only in my country but all over the world. From my point of view, this should be considered a major problem globally, not mentioning that many animals have become extinct during the last century. There are many birds and animals, about whom many people have never even heard of, such as the Bugun Liocichla, a bird in the small, yet wild Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh. This species 's conservation status is "critically endangered" and there are only about 25-250 mature individuals in the area. The only way to save these creatures, according to me, is spreading awareness about the dangers they are facing. These innocent creatur...

 India has many strange yet intriguing creatures, living amidst the wilderness, but, one of my favourite is a bird called the Sclater's Monal. This proud beauty is endemic to the eastern Himalayas and has been sighted many times in Arunachal Pradesh in India. Along with its glossy wings and orange-tipped tail, the looks of the male bird  rivals that of its cousin, the Himalayan Monal. The bird has been named in memory of a british zoologist named, Philip.L.Sclater. These pheasents feed mostly on seeds, small mamals, leaves and more. These folk, however, make a sound which may seem alarming when compared with its looks. It gives out a line of shrill chattering and a high pitched shriek at the end. However, even though this bird's conservation status is that of least concern, its population is decreasing mainly due to the loss of its habitat. As a birdwatcher myself, this is very unhappy news for me and that's why I am urging all the readers here to spread this information.