Sarus Crane : Indias Largest bird in Van Vihar

Jan 14, 2007 Sunday | 7:30 AM to 10:30 AM

Pair of Sarus Crane spreading their wings to scare a Ghariyal. Photo : Mohd. Khaliqu	Bay Backed Shrike in the Gariyal Bada. Also known as Butcher Bird Photo : Mohd. Khalique

Birders were delighted to see Sarus Crane, Indias largest bird and the tallest flying birds of the world in Van Vihar National Park, Bhopal. This is the first sighting of Sarus Cranes in Van Vihar this season. Previously they have been sighted in the area opposite to Van vihar ie the village of Bisenkhedi. Initially a pair was seen very close to the inner boundary of ghariyal bada inside the VVNP. Later one more joined making a count of three.

For more information on Sarus Cranes Click here
For Sarus Crane Description Click here
For Sarus Crane Photo Gallery Click here

Birders that gathered in VVNP today Photo : Mohd. Khalique

Birdwatchers from IIFM & Extol College and BhopalBirds members were witness to an exciting Birding today as a wide variety of birds were seen today. Red breasted flycatcher was commonly seen with a patch of reddish-orange in throat that was absent in the previous sightings of this bird. Comb duck, Common teal and an unidentified duck and unidentified dove were also seen. Beautiful Small Minivet seem to be preparing for their nesting period that lies between feb-april.

 

Pied Kingfisher hovering above the water looking for a prey. Photo : Mohd. Khalique

Pied kingfisher are very common in van vihar and were hovering in the air to catch the prey. Black shouldered kite also is expert in this kind of hovering flight. Khalique managed to get a snap of this Kingfisher that you can see in the right hand side. They seem to breed in this water body along with wire tailed swallows.

At any time of the day, these two species can be seen here with comfortable ease. Other two species of kingfishers, white breasted and the little blue kingfisher are the other breeding birds of Van Vihar.

 

Checklist of Jan 14, 2007
SNo.	Common Name	Scientific Name
1	ASHY PRINIA	Prinia socialis
2	ASIAN PIED MYNA	Sturnus contra linnaeus
3	BAY BACKED SHRIKE	Lanius vittatus
4	BLACK DRONGO	Dicrurus macrocercus vieillot
5	BLACK REDSTART	Phoenicurus ochruros
6	BLACK WINGED STILT	Himantopus himantopus
7	BOOTED WARBLER	Hippolais caligata
8	BRAHMINY SHELDUCK	Tadorna ferruginea
9	BRONZE WINGED JACANA	Metopidious indicus
10	CATTLE EGRET	Bubulcus ibis
11	COMB DUCK	Sarkidiornis melanotos
12	COMMON MYNA	Acridotheres tristis
13	COMMON SANDPIPER	Actitis hypoleucos
14	COMMON TEAL	Anus creeca linnaeus
15	EURASIAN COLLORED DOVE	Streptopelia decaocto
16	GREATER COUCAL	Centropus sinensis
17	GREY HERON	Ardea cinerea linnaeus
18	HOOPOE	Upupa epops
19	INDIAN CORMORANT	Phalacrocorax fusicollis stephens
20	INDIAN ROLLER	Coracias benghalensis
21	JUNGLE CROW	Corvus macrorhyncos wagler
22	LARGE CORMORANT	Phalacorax carbo
23	LARGE EGRET	Cosmerodius albus
24	LAUGHING DOVE	Streptopelia Senegalensis
25	LESSER WHISTLING TEAL	Dendrocygna javanica
26	LESSER WHITE THROAT	Sylvia curruca
27	LITTLE CORMORANT	Phalacrocorax Niger
28	LITTLE EGRET	Egretta garzeta
29	LONG TAILED SHRIKE	Lanius schach linnaeus
30	MEDIAN EGRET	Mesophoyx intermedia
31	NIGHT HERON	Nyticorax nyticorax
32	ORIENTAL MAGPIE ROBIN	Copsychus saularis
33	PAINTED STORK	Mycteria leucocephala
34	PARIAH KITE	Milvus migrans
35	PIED BUSHCHAT	Saxicola caprata
36	PIED KINGFISHER	Ceryle rudis
37	POND HERON	Ardeola grayii
38	PURPLE SUNBIRD	Nectarinia asiatica
39	RED BREASTED FLYCATCHER	Ficedula para
40	RED VENTED BULBUL	Pycnonotus cafer
41	RED WATTLED LAPWING	Vanellus indicus
42	SARUS CRANE	Grus antigone
43	SILVER BILLED MUNIA	Lonchura malabarica
44	SMALL BLUE KINGFISHER	Alcedo atthis
45	SMALL GREEN BEE-EATER	Merops orientalis
46	SMALL MINIVET	Pericrocotus cinnamomeus
47	SPOT BILLED DUCK	Anus poecilorhyncha
48	SPOTTED DOVE	Streptopelia chinensis
49	WHITE BREASTED KINGFISHER	Halcyon smrnensisy
50	WHITE BREASTED WATERHEN	Amourornis phoenicurus
51	WHITE BROWED WAGTAIL	Motacilla maderaspatensis gmelin
52	WIRE TAILED SWALLOW	Hirundo smithii leach
53	YELLOW FRONTED PIED WOODPECKER	Dendrocopos mahrattensis

Report and Documentation By : Parag Bakshi
Photographs By : Mohd Khalique
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