Birds-2!

Continues from Birds!

I am back from my hometown, Surathkal with pictures of more birds that visit there. This time around, I took along my niece and nephew on a 2 Km trek along the paddy fields near my house. As we followed the cry of peacocks; we were lucky to find several other species of birds. Some are known, some are not, so again please help me find the names!

Some interesting observations about the birds –

The Koel was rubbing its feathers on the ground. This is perhaps the process called anting, where the birds rub the feathers over ants or millipedes that in defense, secrete liquids containing chemicals such as formic acid, that act as insecticide, fungicide and bactericide, or to make them edible by removing the distasteful acid.

Cattle egret - During the breeding season, the cattle egrets develop orange-buff plumes on the back, breast and crown, and the bill, legs and irises become bright red for a brief period prior to pairing.

Male Asian Koel (Probably Anting)

Cattle Egret (Breeding Plumage)

Rufous Treepie (Thanks to Arun for identifying this)

Asian Openbill Stork

Indian Peacock

Jungle Myna (Thanks to Arun for identifying this)

Crow Pheasant Or Greater Coucal (Thanks to my sis Anu for identifying this)

White-throated Kingfisher

Great Racket - Tailed Drongo

Common Myna

White Breasted Waterhen (Thanks to Arun for identifying this)