Cock: Head and shoulders slaty grey, lower back deep scarlet, wings black with red bar, tail black with red at tip, chin and throat blackish, breast scarlet; lower plumage orange-yellow.
Hen: Upper parts grey, lower parts creamy white, wing brown with yellow or orange wing-bar, tail black with red tip.
Not found in the N.W. F. P.
42. Campophaga sykesi: The Black-headed Cuckoo-Shrike. (F. 508), (J. 268), (-II.)
Cock: Head, throat, and breast black; rest of plumage grey shading into white on the abdomen; tail black with broad white tip.
Hen: Upper parts grey, lower parts whitish with narrow black cross bars, tail as in cock. This species goes about in small flocks, is strictly arboreal, and has many of the habits of the minivets.
Not found in Punjab or N.W. F. P.
43. Graucalus macii: The Large Cuckoo-Shrike. (F. 510), (J. 270), (+III.)
A large pale slaty-grey bird with a black patch in front of the eye. The lower parts are paler than the upper parts and often exhibit more or less distinct narrow black cross bars; habits as above.
Found all over India, but rare in the N.W. portion of the peninsula.
Neither 42 or 43 are very common birds.
44. Oriolus kundoo: The Indian Oriole, or Mango Bird. (F. 518), (J. 470), (-III.)
Cock: A bright yellow bird with a pink beak and red eyes. There is some black on the sides of the head and in the wings and the tail. During flight this bird looks like a flash of gold.
Hen: Of duller hue than the cock, with greenish back.
A strictly arboreal species. The note is a soft, rich, mellow peeho, peeho.
The nest is a wonderful structure—a large cup slung like a hammock or prawn net on the fork of a bow, usually placed in one of the lower branches of a lofty tree, but out of reach of a human being. This species very frequently builds in the same tree as the King Crow. The eggs are pale pink, with chocolate blotches, which wash off.
This bird is not found in Eastern Bengal, or in the eastern portion of Bengal proper. It is found all the year round in most parts of India, but is merely a summer visitor to the Punjab, N.W. F. P., and the Himalayas.
45. Oriolus melanocephalus: The Black-headed Oriole. (F. 521), (J. 472 and 473), (-III.)
Very much like the last species, but is distinguishable by having the whole head, chin, throat, and upper breast black.
Not found in the Punjab, or N.W. F. P., or in the Himalayas. (Illus. G. B., p. 16; also I. F., p. 128.)
As these birds are almost exclusively confined to hilly and well-wooded regions they can scarcely be numbered among the common birds of the plains of India; but as they are so very frequently seen in cages, I mention them.
They are larger than the common myna, but have a much shorter tail. They are glossy black birds with a conspicuous white wing bar. Beak orange-yellow, legs pale yellow. Their most conspicuous feature is the pair of yellow wattles.
46. Eulabes religiosa: The Southern Grackle. (F. 523), (J. 692), (III.)
Found only in S. India.
47. Eulabes intermedia: The Indian Grackle. (F. 524), (J. 693), (+III.)
Found in the Himalayas and C. P.
48. Pastor roseus: The Rose-coloured Starling, or Jowaree Bird, or Tilyer. (F. 528), (J. 690), (+III.)
Cock: Head, throat, wings, and tail glossy black; rest of plumage rose-coloured pink.
Hens and young cocks: In these the pink is replaced by a pinkish grey, or pale coffee-coloured hue. The great majority of birds one sees in India are hens or young cocks. The head is crested, but the black crest rests flat on the head, so that it is not noticeable.
Rosy starlings do not breed in India, although individuals may be seen in all months of the year. The birds are most abundant in the winter. Preparatory to leaving the country for breeding purposes rosy starlings congregate in huge flocks in April and May. These flocks do much damage to the grain, and hence are known as Jowaree and Cholum birds. They are also very partial to mulberries, and are therefore sometimes known as Mulberry birds. (B. D., p. 86.)
49. Sturnus menzbieri: The Common Indian Starling. (F. 532), (J. 681), (+II.)
Very like the common English starling in appearance. Glossy black with numbers of small yellow or buff spots; in certain lights it shows a green or bronze sheen.
A winter visitor to Northern India. Abundant in the Punjab during the cold weather, where it is usually seen in flocks.
50. Sturnia malabarica: The Grey-headed Myna. (F. 538), (J. 688), (II.)
Head pale grey, chin almost white, rest of upper plumage dark grey with a reddish tinge, throat and breast reddish grey with a white shaft to each feather; remainder of lower plumage rusty red. Beak greenish blue with yellow tip.
Not found in Sind, N.W. F. P., or the Punjab. In the other parts of India it undergoes local migration. I have seen it in Madras only in the cold weather.
This is the most arboreal of the mynas, rarely if ever descending to the ground, and frequenting the topmost branches of trees. It associates in small flocks. Its note is a harsh chuckle.
51. Temenuchus pagodarum: The Black-headed or Brahminy Myna, or Pawai. (F. 544), (J. 687), (+II.)
Head, neck, and lower plumage rich buff; wings black and grey; tail feathers brown with white tips; crest black. The long crest rests flat on the neck and looks like a pig-tail, having a silky hair-like appearance. Beak blue with yellow tip. Legs bright yellow.
Like most other mynas this species nests in a hole. In this case the nest-hole is usually in some building or tree. An unpleasant odour emanates from the nest.
This bird and No. 50 are very alike in shape and colouring, the most noticeable difference being in the colour of the head and crest and of the legs.
Not found in Eastern Bengal, the N.W. F. P., or the western portion of the Punjab. (Illus. B. D., p. 82; also B. B., p. 124.)
52. Acridotheres tristis: The Common Myna. (F. 549), (J. 684), (III.)
One of the most familiar of our Indian birds. Head, neck, and upper breast black; rest of body plumage rich brown; wings black, showing a very conspicuous white bar during flight. Tail feathers black with broad white tips, visible during flight. Beak and legs bright yellow; bright yellow patch of skin behind eye.
This bird is found in every garden in India. It feeds largely on the ground.
It is a noisy bird. Eha describes its notes as “Keeky, keeky, keeky . . . churr, churr, kok, kok, kok. Each time it says kok it points to the ground with its beak and bobs its head.” (Illus. B. D., p. 84; also F. I., p. 516, and B. C., p. 44.)
53. Acridotheres ginginianus: The Bank or Well Myna. (F. 551), (J. 685), (-III.)
Very like 51 in shape, but its prevailing tint is grey instead of brown. The wing bar and the tips of the tail feathers are buff instead of white, and the patch of skin behind the eye is crimson instead of yellow.
Not found in S. India.
It goes about in flocks and nests in holes in river banks or wells, hence its popular name.
54. Sturnopastor contra. The Pied Myna. (F. 555), (J. 683), (-III.)
A black bird, white cheeks and rump, and white bar at base of wing; lower parts grey. Beak orange with white tip; orange patch of skin behind the eye.
This bird differs from the other mynas in that it builds a large nest in a tree, usually at no great altitude.
Occurs only in U. P., C. P., the Bengals, and Assam. (Illus. G. B., p. 16.)
Flycatchers are birds which feed exclusively on insects, which they catch upon the wing. Their habit is to make, from some perch, little sallies into the air after their quarry. It must, however, not be forgotten that birds other than flycatchers, as, for example, the king crow and the wagtails, also hunt for insects in this manner; so that it is not safe to set down a bird as a flycatcher merely because it makes little sallies into the air after insect quarry.
A considerable number of species of flycatcher occur in India, but the great majority of them are confined to the hills. The following, however, are likely to be seen in the plains, Nos. 57-60 being especially abundant.
55. Alseonax latirostris. The Brown Flycatcher. (F. 588), (J. 297), (-I.)
An ashy-brown bird; tail darker than body, lower parts white, inconspicuous ring of white feathers round the eye. Not a very common bird.
Not found in N.W. F. P., Punjab, Sind, or Rajputana.
A little brown bird with a short tail, that makes a sally into the air after an insect, and then returns to its perch, is probably this species.
56. Culicicapa ceylonensis: The Grey-headed Flycatcher. (F. 592), (J. 295), (-I.)
Head, neck, and breast ash-coloured. Back greenish yellow; wings and tail dark brown. Lower plumage dull yellow.
A winter visitor to the plains. Not likely to be seen in N.W. India.
57. Terspiphone paradisi: The Indian Paradise Flycatcher, also known as the Ribbon Bird and the Widow Bird. (F. 598), (J. 288), (II, but the cock has a very long tail.)
One of the most beautiful birds in India.
Hen and young cock: Like a bulbul in size and form. Rich chestnut plumage with metallic black crest and head; lower parts white. Bill bluish black. Legs slate-coloured.
Second year cock: Similar to above, except that the two median tail feathers are much longer than the others, being 16 inches in length.
Old cocks: The chestnut parts of the plumage turn white.
This bird undergoes a certain amount of local migration. It visits the Punjab in great numbers in summer for nesting purposes. The nest is like an inverted cone in shape, and is usually placed on one of the lower branches of a tree. The white cock shares the duties of incubation, and as he sits, his long white tail feathers hang down several inches beyond the bottom of the nest.
The bird frequently utters a sharp note something like the twitter of a sparrow. The cock has also a sweet little song.
In Burma this species is replaced by an allied species—the Burmese Paradise Flycatcher (T. affinis). (Illus. F. II., p. 1; also B. B., p. 76, and G. B. frontispiece.)
These are blackish-brown birds, with a conspicuous white eyebrow. There are some white spots in the wing. The tail feathers are tipped with white, and as the bird continually spreads its tail into a fan the white is very conspicuous. The lower plumage is white. These birds have a striking and very cheery song of about six notes, which they utter constantly. They are easily recognised by their “tinkling” song and by the manner in which they continually fan the tail, drop the wings, and dance; or, to use Eha’s words, “waltz and pirouette among the lower branches of a shady mango tree.” Three species are common, and have similar manners and appearance. The nest is either a neat cup or an inverted cone, built largely of cobweb on one of the lower branches of a tree. When they have a nest these flycatchers are very bold. They will set upon and drive away birds much larger than themselves, and will even offer to attack an intruding human being. The three species are distinguished as follows:
58. Rhipidura albifrontata: The white-browed Fantail Flycatcher. (F. 604), (J. 292), (+I.)
Distinguished by its very broad white eyebrow and forehead. The common species of N. India. Nest a cup.
59. Rhipidura albicollis: The White-throated Fantail Flycatcher. (F. 605), (J. 291), (+I.)
Distinguished from 58 by the black forehead and narrow white eyebrow, and from 60 by the black abdomen. Nest an inverted cone. The common fantail of S. and E. India.
60. Rhipidura pectoralis: The White-spotted Fantail Flycatcher (F. 607), (J. 293), (+I.)
Distinguished from 58 by the black forehead and narrow white eyebrow, and from 59 by the whitish abdomen. Nest cup-shaped. The common fantail of S.W. India. (Illus. B. B., p. 76.)
61 and 62. The Pied Bush Chats.
The cock is a black bird (brownish in early winter), with a conspicuous white wing patch and a white rump.
The hen is a reddish-brown bird (greyish in winter), with a black tail with a reddish patch over the tail. The hen may be distinguished from other brownish birds by the peculiar colouring of her mate.
The nest is in a hole in the ground at the base of a tussock of long grass.
61. Pratincola caprata: The Common Pied Bush Chat, or White-winged Black Robin. (F. 608), (J. 481), (-I.)
Found in N. and C. India.
62. Pratincola atrata: The Southern Pied Bush Chat. (F. 609), (J. 482), (I.)
Found in S. India.
The above two species may perhaps be regarded as local varieties.
63. Pratincola maura: The Indian Bush Chat. (F. 610), (J. 483), (-I.)
Cock: The upper parts are reddish brown in winter (black in summer owing to the brown edges to the feathers being worn away). Large patch of white on each side of neck; breast orange-red, lower parts pale reddish brown.
Hen: Reddish brown all over; no white neck patch.
A winter visitor to all parts of Northern India; occurs usually in open fields.
The hens of these species of robin-like birds are very difficult to distinguish; but as they are usually found in company with the cock it is not as a rule difficult to assign them to their proper species.
64. Cercomela fusca: The Brown Rock Chat—the Desi shama of Indians. (F. 629), (J. 494), (+I.)
A dull inconspicuous brown bird. It frequents buildings and is robin-like in its habits. As it hops about it continually bobs its head. The cock sings a sweet little lay. The nest is made up of dried grass and placed in a niche or on a ledge in an outhouse, or a mosque, or even an inhabited room. It is made of dried grass and roots, and falls to pieces if lifted from its foundation. The eggs are pale blue blotched with reddish yellow.
Found in Punjab, Rajputana, U. P., and C. P.; very common at Lahore.
65. Ruticilla rufiventris: The Indian Redstart. (F. 644), (J. 497), (I.)
Cock: Each feather of the head, breast, and upper plumage is black, fringed with grey, so that after the autumn moult the cock is dark grey in these parts; but gradually the grey edges wear away, so that by the spring the head, neck, and upper parts of the cock look black. The rump and the feathers over the tail are reddish chestnut. The abdomen is orange-red. All the feathers of the tail are reddish except the two median ones, which are brown.
Hen: Reddish brown when the cock is grey or black; otherwise like the cock, except that the red in her plumage is duller.
The redstart is an easy bird to identify, it behaves as though it had St. Vitus’ dance in the tail. As it flies away all the red in its plumage shows, so that the bird looks like a ball of fire. It feeds largely on the ground, taking cover in bushes when alarmed. It frequents gardens.
A winter visitor to India. Very common in the north and rarer in the south.
66. Thamnobia cambaiensis: The Brown-backed Indian Robin. (F. 661), (J. 480), (+I.)
Cock: A glossy black bird with a brown back, a narrow white bar in the wing, and a conspicuous patch of brick-red under the tail.
Hen: A sandy brown bird with a brick-red patch under the tail.
A familiar bird which haunts gardens and is very partial to dry sandy localities. It builds a neat cup-shaped nest on window-ledges or in holes in walls, banks, etc. It usually carries the tail raised almost vertically and so displays the red patch. Occurs all over Northern India. South of the Godaveri it is replaced by 67.
67. Thamnobia fulicata: The Black-backed Indian Robin. (F. 662), (J. 479), (+I.)
The hen of this species is scarcely distinguishable from the hen of T. cambaiensis (66). The cock differs in having the back black instead of brown. Occurs only in S. India. (Illus. B. D., p. 294.)
68. Copsychus saularis: The Magpie Robin, or Dayal. (F. 663), (J. 475), (-II.)
A very familiar garden bird.
Cock: A glossy black bird, with a white abdomen sharply marked off from the black throat and breast. Outer tail feathers white. A conspicuous white wing bar.
Hen: Marked like the cock, but greyish brown where he is black. This species, like the last, frequently elevates the tail.
The cock has a fine song in spring. This and the magpie pattern of its plumage cause it to be readily identified. The cock and hen pair for life. They frequent gardens and are robin-like in habits. It nests in holes in trees or buildings. The nest is frequently found in stables and outhouses. (Illus. F. II., p. 56; also G. B., frontispiece, and B. B., p. 97.)
69. Cittocincla macrura: The Shama. (F. 664), (J. 476), (II, but with a tail six inches long.)
A fine songster.
Cock: Upper plumage glossy black. Lower back white. Wings black and white. Lower plumage chestnut red.
Hen: Like the cock, save that the black is replaced by slaty brown and the reddish lower parts are much paler than in the cock.
Found only in thick jungle. (Illus. G. B., p. 40.)
Weaver birds are sparrow-like birds of gregarious habits. They build, or rather weave, wonderful flask-shaped or retort-shaped nests which hang from trees, the entrance being from below. They breed in the rains. Four species are found in India, these are:
70. Ploceus baya: The Baya, or Common Weaver Bird, or Bottle Bird. (F. 720), (J. 694), (I.)
At most seasons of the year the cock and hen are reddish-brown birds with a faint, fawn-coloured eyebrow, and look very like the hen house sparrow, having, like her, a thick bill. The hen baya retains this plumage throughout the year. In the hot weather, however, the head and neck of the cock become a beautiful golden yellow, as does the breast, and the chin turns almost black. In this plumage the cock baya is very easily recognised.
This species occurs in all parts of India except Bengal, Assam, and Burma. In these places it is replaced by an allied species (71). (Illus. F. II., p. 173; also B. B., p. 131.)
71. Ploceus megarhynchus: The Eastern Baya. (F. 721), (J. 694), (I.)
This species differs so little from (No. 70) P. baya, that I am inclined to regard it as a local race of the latter species.
72. Ploceus bengalensis: The Black-throated Weaver-bird. (F. 722), (J. 696), (-I.)
This species is very like 70 and 71 in appearance, but may be distinguished by (1) a yellow patch on the side of the neck, (2) the black breast, (3) by the fact that the tubular entrance to the nest is short and not long like that of P. baya and P. megarhynchus.
This is a comparatively rare species and is not found in S. India.
73. Ploceus manyar: The Striated Weaver-bird. (F. 723), (J. 695), (I.)
This species is distinguishable from Nos. 70, 71, and 72, by having the feathers of the breast streaked longitudinally with black.
It is found all over India, but is not nearly so commonly seen as P. baya.
Munias are diminutive birds, considerably smaller than the sparrow, characterised by very thick bills. Except when breeding they usually go about in flocks. The nest, which is rarely situated at any great distance from the ground, is a large, ball-like structure, having an entrance at the side. The eggs are white.
74. Munia malacca: The Black-headed Munia. (F. 725), (J. 697), (-I.)
Head and breast black, back wings and tail rich chestnut, tinged with maroon. Abdomen white, rest of lower plumage black. Bill very pale slate colour.
This handsome species is confined to S. India; in the north it is replaced by a closely allied species (75).
75. Munia atricapilla: The Chestnut-bellied Munia. (F. 726), (J. 698), (-I.)
This differs from 74 only in having the abdomen chestnut instead of white.
76. Uroloncha malabarica: The White-throated Munia (called the Chiruka in N. India). (F. 734), (J. 703), (-I.)
Jerdon’s name for this bird—the Plain Brown Munia—is much more appropriate than that given it by Oates, for the white of the throat is rarely, if ever, pure, being usually cream-coloured.
This is the species of munia most commonly seen, and is found in all parts of the plains of India, save Eastern Bengal and Burma.
It is a plainly-coloured bird, the upper plumage being earthy brown save for a white patch on the rump. The lower plumage is dirty white. It has a twittering, sparrow-like note, syllabised by Sykes as “cheet, cheet, cheet.” The feathers of the tail are graduated. This, the small size of the bird, the white patch on the rump, the thick bill, and the note should serve to enable the observer to identify this inconspicuous little munia. (Illus. B. B., p. 137.)
77. Uroloncha punctulata: The Spotted Munia. (F. 735), (J. 699), (-I.)
This is known by bird fanciers as the Nutmeg Bird and the Spice Bird. It, like No. 79, is one of the common cage birds of India.
Head, neck, upper plumage, wings, and tail are rich chocolate brown, that of the head being darkest. The lower breast and abdomen are white, but most of the feathers have each a narrow black semicircular bar, so that the lower parts of the bird have the appearance of a nutmeg-grater: hence one of the popular names of the bird. Bill dark slaty blue.
Does not occur in N.W. F. P. or Sind. (Illus. G. B., p. 16.)
78. Stictospiza formosa: The Green Munia, or Green Waxbill. (F. 737), (J. 705), (-I.)
This beautiful little bird, which is barely two-thirds the size of the sparrow, is frequently caged. The upper plumage and wings are light green, brighter in the cock than in the hen; the tail is black, the lower parts are yellow, brighter in the cock than in the hen. Bill bright red.
Distribution: Central India and Southern Bengal.
79. Sporæginthus amandava: The Indian Red Munia, or Red Waxbill, or Lal, or Amadavat. (F. 738), (J. 704), (-I.)
Every aviary in India boasts one or two amadavats.
This is a tiny little bird with a bright red beak and red eyes. The general hue of the plumage is reddish brown with patches of the richest crimson and some tiny white spots. There is more crimson in the cock than in the hen, and in the former in the breeding season than at other times of the year. But in both sexes there is always a patch of crimson on the lower rump. In full dress the cock has the whole head, upper plumage, breast, and sides of the body crimson. As, however, the wing feathers are brown, the little birds look brown, and not crimson, during flight. In order to perceive the crimson they must be watched when at rest in the sunlight.
They are highly gregarious and are found all over India. In Burma this bird is replaced by an allied one (S. flavidiventris), having the abdomen yellowish red instead of black. (Illus. G. B., frontispiece.)
These are seed-eating birds, characterised by a thick, stout bill. The canary and the house sparrow are the most familiar examples of this family.
80. Carpodacus erythninus: The Common Rose-Finch. (F. 761), (J. 738), (+I.)
Cock: A crimson bird, with brownish-green wings. The crimson is bright on the breast, throat, and rump. There are two yellowish-brown bars on the wing.
Hen: A greenish-brown sparrow-like bird with two conspicuous whitish bars on the wing.
This bird is a winter visitor to the plains of Northern and Central India, and, to some extent, S. India. Natives call it the Tuti. It has a pleasing song, but is not a bird that obtrudes itself on the observer. Unless carefully watched for it is apt to be overlooked.
Jerdon writes of this species, “It visits the plains during October, and leaves in April. In March many are taken in fine breeding livery. In the extreme south I have chiefly seen it in bamboo jungle, feeding on the seeds of bamboos on several occasions, and so much is this its habit that the Telegu name signifies ‘Bamboo sparrow.’ In other parts of the country it frequents alike groves, gardens, and jungle, feeding on various seeds and grain; also not infrequently on flower buds and young leaves.”
Eha does not include this species in his Common Birds of Bombay. Cunningham says it is fairly common in the gardens of Calcutta during the winter months. Jesse states that it is fairly common at Lucknow. At Lahore I observed it only in March and April.
81. Gymnorhis flavicollis: The Yellow-throated Sparrow. (F. 775), (J. 711), (I.)
A near relative of the common house sparrow. In appearance it is like a particularly tidy and slenderly built hen sparrow. It may be readily distinguished by its having a pale yellow patch on the throat, bright in the cock and dull in the hen.
This species frequents gardens, but is far less familiar in its behaviour than Passer domesticus. It nests in holes, usually in trees.
Not found so far east as Calcutta. In the Punjab it is a summer visitor, whither it repairs for breeding purposes.
82. Passer domesticus: The Common Sparrow or House Sparrow. (F. 776), (J. 706), (I.)
Description of this familiar and ubiquitous bird is quite superfluous. I give it merely for the sake of completeness.
Cock: Top of head and lower back ashy grey, throat black, cheeks and sides of neck pure white, streak over the eye and upper back chestnut, wings and tail brown, the former with a white bar; lower plumage dirty white.
Hen: A dull brown bird with dirty white under parts; reddish-white eyebrow and white wing bar.
The yellow-hammer, with its song of “A little bit of bread and no che-e-e-ese,” has rendered the bunting clan familiar to every Englishman. Buntings are finch-like birds with conical bills, mostly rather larger than the sparrow.
Several species visit the plains of India in large numbers every cold weather and wax fat on the grain crops. They occur in large noisy flocks, making merry among the various cereal crops and taking refuge in trees when disturbed. The species most commonly seen are E. buchanani, E. melanocephala, and E. luteola.
83. Emberiza buchanani: The Grey-necked Bunting. (F. 795), (J. 716), (+I.)
There is nothing striking in the appearance of this bird. The upper plumage is ashy brown, the shaft of each feather being darker than the web, giving the bird a streaked appearance. The lower parts are reddish brown. There is some white in the tail visible only during flight. There is an inconspicuous white ring round the eye.
This occurs only in the N.W. parts of India.
84. Emberiza melanocephala: The Black-headed Bunting. (F. 799), (J. 721), (+I.)
Cock: The feathers of the head are black with a grey border, so that the head looks grey when the bird first reaches India in the autumn, but gets blacker as the grey edges of the feathers become worn away. The back and shoulders are rich chestnut, the wings and tail are brown, the cheeks and lower plumage are deep bright yellow.
Hen: A brownish bird with dull yellow breast and abdomen and a bright yellow patch under the tail. This species looks rather like a large long-tailed weaver-bird.
Found in winter, and only in N.W. F. P., Punjab, C. P., and Bombay. It is the species of bunting most abundant in the neighbourhood of Bombay, where, as Eha says, it “about takes the place in India of the yellow-hammer at home, swarming about fields and hedges and singing with more cheer than music.” (Illus. B. B., p. 142.)
85. Emberiza luteola: The Red-headed Bunting. (F. 800), (J. 722), (+I.)
A greenish-brown bird, with the head in the cock a colour between that of chestnut and old gold. Rump yellow, lower plumage yellow, bright in male and duller in female.
Winter visitor to N.W. and Central India.
N.B.—None of the above buntings occur in Madras.
Swallows and martins form a well-marked and familiar group of birds. The only other family with which it is possible to confound them is that of the swifts. Anatomically the two families are far removed from one another; but similarity of profession has brought about similarity in outward appearance. Nevertheless, the representatives of the two families may be distinguished at a glance as they dash through the air. “As a swallow darts along,” writes Eha, “its wings almost close against its sides at every stroke, and it looks like a pair of scissors opening and shutting. Now a swift never closes its wings in this way. It whips the air rapidly with the points of them, but they are always extended and evenly curved from tip to tip, like a bow, the slim body of the bird being the arrow.” Jefferies likens a flying swift to an anchor with enormous flukes. Another difference between the swifts and the swallows is that the former never perch on trees or wires or on the ground, while the latter habitually seat themselves on branches of trees and telegraph wires.
A small bird that dashes with great speed through the air, frequently changing its course, flying now high up, now just skimming the ground, and seeming never to tire, can be nothing other than a swift or a swallow. By the tests given above it is easy to determine whether any particular bird is a swift or a swallow, but having got thus far it is a matter of greater difficulty to determine the species. (Illus. F. II., p. 267; also B. B., p. 35.)
Twenty-two species of swallow are found in India; of these the following are most commonly seen:
86. Cotile sinensis: The Indian Sand-martin. (F. 809), (J. 88), (-I.)
A tiny swallow, only about two-thirds the size of the sparrow. Upper plumage greyish brown. Chin and breast greyish white, rest of lower plumage white.
It nests in sandbanks, frequently in company.
Occurs only in N. India.
87. Ptyonoprogne concolor: The Dusky Crag-martin. (F. 811), (J. 90), (-I.)
Upper plumage dark brown. Some white spots on the tail. Lower plumage dark brown, paler on the breast. The most dull-coloured of the swallows. It builds a nest like that of the common martin—a saucer of mud stuck on to some vertical surface, usually a cliff or the wall of a cave.
88. Hirundo rustica: The Common Swallow (F. 813), (J. 82), (I, but with a deeply forked tail 4½ inches in length.)
Upper plumage glossy steel blue, wings and tail black; some white in tail. Lower plumage reddish yellow; forehead, chin, and throat chestnut red.
89. Hirundo smithii: The Wire-tailed Swallow. (F. 818), (J. 84), (-I, with the two outer feathers of the tail, the ends of which look like wires, 7 inches in length.)
Head chestnut, upper plumage glossy steel blue, lower plumage pure white.
Not found in Madras or east of the U. P. Builds cup-shaped nest of mud, usually under a bridge or culvert; sometimes in a verandah. Eggs white with small red splashes.
90. Hirundo erythropygia: Sykes’s Striated Swallow, or the Red-rumped Swallow. (F. 823), (J. 85), (-I, with a forked tail over 3 inches in length.)
Upper parts glossy steel blue, except for the sides of the head and the lower back; which are chestnut red. Lower plumage pale reddish yellow.
Not found in Madras, Eastern Bengal, or Burma. Nest of usual swallow type; eggs white.
This family includes the wagtails and pipits. These are slenderly built birds, whose line of flight is an undulating curve. They feed on the ground, sometimes making little sallies into the air after their quarry, and run with great speed. They never hop. They constantly “wag the tail,” hence their popular name. The wagtails are distinguished from the pipits by their brighter colouring and longer tails. Pipits are earth-coloured birds with dark stripes along the vein of each feather.
All the wagtails except M. maderaspatensis are merely winter visitors to the plains of India.
91. Motacilla alba: The White Wagtail. (F. 826), (J. 591), (-II.)
General colour of plumage grey. Face, chin, and throat white, back of head and nape black; a black patch on the breast, the remainder of the lower plumage is white. The wings are black with much white in them. The middle tail feathers are black, the outer ones white. [In all wagtails the outer tail feathers are white, and show up very distinctly during flight.]
Not found in S. India. (Illus. B. B., p. 111.)
92. Motacilla maderaspatensis: The Large Pied Wagtail. (F. 831), (J. 589), (II.)
A black bird with a conspicuous white eyebrow. The breast and lower plumage are white. There is a broad white bar in the wing. The outer tail feathers are white.
The only bird with which this wagtail can possibly be confounded is the cock magpie-robin or Dhayal (68) (q.v.), but the two are easily distinguishable by—
(1) The magpie-robin lacks the white eyebrows.
(2) The magpie-robin carries his tail erect; the wagtail never erects its tail.
Not found in Eastern Bengal, Assam, or Burma. A permanent resident. Nests in a hole in an old boat, a roof, a bridge, etc. The eggs are greenish white, blotched with brown.
This wagtail is a fine songster, and may sometimes be seen sitting on a telegraph wire pouring forth its melody. (Illus. B. D., p. 14.)
93. Motacilla melanope: The Grey Wagtail. (F. 832), (J. 592), (-II.)
This bird is misnamed. It has a large amount of yellow in its plumage. For this reason Jerdon calls it the grey and yellow wagtail.
The upper parts are bluish grey, marked with yellowish green on the lower back. Throat white, lower plumage bright yellow, wings brown, middle tail feathers black, outer ones white.
94. Motacilla borealis: The Grey-headed Wagtail. (F. 833), (J. 593), (-II.)
This species is so like M. melanope (No. 93) that it is not easy to differentiate between them. It is, however, generally possible to distinguish them by the fact that in this species the chin is yellow, and the breast is sometimes mottled with black.
95. Anthus maculatus: The Indian Tree-Pipit. (F. 841), (J. 596), (I.)
A dull-coloured bird like a wagtail in shape, but with a shorter tail, which it sometimes wags in a half-hearted manner.
The upper parts are earthy brown with dark streaks. The lower parts are creamy white with black streaks. There is a little white in the tail, visible only during flight. It feeds on the ground, but takes refuge in a tree when disturbed. It frequently goes about in flocks. There is nothing striking in its appearance or habits, and so it is not easy to describe satisfactorily.
A winter visitor. Not found in Madras. (Illus. B. B., p. 111).