Asian Palm Swift

The Asian Palm Swift (Cypsiurus balasiensis) is a small swift the size of a Swallow. It is a common resident in Tiruvannamalai District where there is a profusion of palm trees. 

Bow like wings, with tail held closed

The Palm Swift is only a little less in length than the House Swift, but is really a much smaller bird, being more slender, with a fairly long and well forked tail; in colour it is drab without any conspicuous markings. It has a narrow deeply forked tail and long slender bow-like wings. The tail is usually held closed but the fork is particularly noticeable when the bird wheels or banks in flight. 

Bird of the open skies

These Swifts spend most of the day hawking tiny winged insects in the vicinity of the palms where it roosts. When in the air it turns and twists to the accompaniment of a loud, shrill joyous triple note ti-ti-tee. Asian Palm Swifts often feed near the ground, and drink on the wing. 

Feeds and drinks in the air

This bird of open country and cultivation is associated with the fan or toddy palm as the rigid folds and furrows of the palm leaves provides the bird with suitable roosting and nesting sites. Its nest is a tiny half-saucer of feathers and vegetable down agglutinated with the bird’s saliva, and attached in a fold on the underside of a tad palm leaf. The bird’s saliva is also used to secure the eggs. This species of Swift generally lays 2 or 3, pure white long pointed oval eggs. 

Notice the Swift's sharp right claw

Sexes are similar, and young birds differ mainly with a shorter tails. The Asian Palm Swift has very short legs which it uses only for clinging to vertical surfaces, since swifts never settle voluntarily on the ground. 

Young nestlings in fronds of Palm Leaf

The Swift has only ten tail feathers and its first toe is not directed backwards as in Swallows, instead all its four toes spread out like the finger on a hand, falling into right and left pairs. The Asian Palm Swift does not perch or walk, but can cling and climb well as its claws are very strong and sharp. 

Feeding its young

Purple Rumped Sunbird

The Purple-rumped Sunbird (Leptocoma zeylonica) is common in Tiruvannamalai District. This species is found in a variety of habitats with trees, including scrub and cultivation and is usually absent from dense forest. Males are brightly coloured but females are olive above and yellow to buff below. Their call is ptsiee ptsit, ptsiee ptsswit or a sharp twittering tityou, titou, trrrtit, tityou. I currently have a number of these beautiful birds visiting my garden and its in bloom Coral Tree.

Male Sunbird

The Purple-rumped Sunbird is small in size, and feeds mainly on nectar, sometimes taking insects, particularly when feeding young. They can hover for short durations but usually perch to feed. When the flowers are too deep to probe, they sometimes pierce the base of the flower and rob the nectar. It has been noted that they maintain special scratching posts, where they get rid of pollen and nectar sticking to their head 

Male Sunbird with Distinctive Colouring

Duller Female Sunbird in Flight

Female Preening

Female Sunbird constructing nest

This bird breeds through the year and may have two broods. Its nest is made up of fine plant fibres and lined with soft fibres from seeds of the Calotropis, cobwebs and is studded on the exterior with lichens, bark pieces, flying seeds and other materials. The nest is constructed by the female alone although the male may fly alongside her. The nest is placed on the end of branch and the entrance usually faces a bush. Nests may sometimes be built close to buildings or under open porches.

Video of female Purple Rumped Sunbird feeding chicks

The clutch consists of usually two eggs which are oval pale greenish and white with spots and streaks becoming more dense at the broad end. The eggs are incubated by both the male and female. The chicks fledge in about 17 days and continue to be fed by the male for a few days. Old nests are sometimes reused. Nests are sometimes parasitised by the Grey-bellied Cuckoo.

The Purple-rumped Sunbird may indulge in dew-bathing, or bathing by sliding in drops of rain collected on large leaves. Sunbirds are a confusing species with overlapping range. To learn more about the differences between the types of beautiful Sunbirds go to this link here. 

Male Sunbird on Feeding Duty

Immature male Sunbird

My Junior Francolin

The Grey Francolin (Francolinus Pondicerianus) is very common in scrubland throughout this area. This bird can also be found in large numbers in grasslands and in cultivated areas near villages. To read my previous posting go to this link here.

Checking for Seeds

I intentionally prevent thorny bushes around the side of my cottage being felled by wood cutters in order to provide a safe sanctuary for the large number of Francolins that rummage and nest near my cottage. 

Sharing the table with Babblers

Some time back a Francolin nesting at the back of my cottage, started to visit my compound with her six chicks, and my dogs and I got quite used to Mother and her young brood wandering around the compound looking for nice eatables. Glad to see that Mother’s tuition has had positive results, and her chicks, now grown to be juveniles have enough confidence to pay regular visits to my compound and to the eating table. 

My Junior

I can talk -- can you fly? Common Mynah

The Common Mynah (Acridotheres tristis) is a member of the family of Sturnidae (Starlings and Mynahs) native to Asia.

The Mynah is the size of a Pigeon. It’s a familiar dark brown bird with bright yellow bill, legs and a yellow peri-orbital skin around the eye. The Mynah displays a conspicuous white wing patch during its flight. The sexes are similar and birds are usually seen in pairs. With the Crow and Babbler, the Mynah is probably the most common bird at Arunachala.

Yellow peri-obital skin around eye

The range of the Common Mynah is increasing at such a rapid rate that the IUCN Species Survival Commission has declared it one of the world’s most invasive species and is one of only three birds in the top 100 species that pose an impact to biodiversity. The other two birds on the list are the Red-vented Bulbul and the European Starling. The Common Mynah is regarded as a pest in South Africa, North America, the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand and many Pacific islands. It is particularly problematic in Australia. Several methods have been tried to control the bird's numbers and protect native species.

Close up of yellow skin around eye

This Bird favours open woodland but has adapted well to urban environments. Like most Starlings, the Common Mynah is omnivorous. It feeds on insects, arachnids, crustaceans, reptiles, small mammals, seeds, grain and fruits and discarded waste from human habitation. It forages on the ground among grass for insects, and especially for grasshoppers, from which it gets the generic name Acridotheres, "grasshopper hunter". It however feeds on a wide range of insects, mostly picked from the ground. It is a cross-pollinator of flowers such as Salmalia and Erythrina. It walks on the ground with occasional hops and is an opportunistic feeder on the insects disturbed by grazing cattle as well as fired grass fields.

Conspicuous wing patch during flight

This bird breeds for life and its nesting season is April to August. Its nest is comprised of a collection of twigs, roots, paper and rubbish in a hole in a tree, wall or ceiling. It lays around 4 or 5 glossy blue eggs with both sexes sharing domestic duties.

Nesting in Tree Hollow

The Common Mynah uses the nests of woodpeckers, parakeets and other birds and easily takes to nest boxes; it has been recorded evicting the chicks of previously nesting pairs by holding them in the beak and later sometimes not even using the emptied nest boxes. This aggressive behaviour is considered to contribute to its success as an invasive species.

Nest with eggs and first hatchling

The Mynah has a number of sharp calls and chatter. The call of this bird includes croaks, squawks, chirps, clicks, whistles and 'growls', and the bird often fluffs its feathers and bobs its head in singing. The Common Mynah screeches warnings to its mate or other birds in cases of predators in proximity or when its about to take off flying. Common Mynahs are popular as cage birds for their singing and "speaking" abilities. Before sleeping in communal roosts, Mynahs vocalise in unison, which is known as "communal noise". 

Young Mynah Bird

The Mynah is a superb imitator, as this charming and amusing video shows.

I can talk - can you fly?

Erythrina Indica Bird Visitors

Currently I have a beautiful Erythrina Indica -- Coral Tree, in bloom outside my front door. This tree with its lovely, striking scarlet flowers is daily attracting a large number of feathered friends. Just in a few short moments sitting on my steps, I took photos of the below bird visitors to the tree. Erythrina Indica is one of the indigenous trees in this country that the famed Ornithologist Salim Ali in his, “Book of Indian Birds,” positively identifies as a tree (with its seeds and brightly coloured leaves) that is strongly favoured by birds. To find out more about the Erythrina Indica tree, go to this link here. 

 

Common Babber

Loten Sunbird

Mynah Bird

Brahminy Starling

Purple Sunbird

White Breasted Kingfisher