India's Endangered Wonders

'' 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...