Birds of the Indian Hills Part 15

THE CAPITONIDae OR BARBET FAMILY

Barbets are tree-haunting birds characterised by ma.s.sive bills. They have loud calls of two or three notes, which they repeat with much persistence. They nestle in trees, themselves excavating the nest cavity. The entrance to the nest is invariably marked by a neat round hole, a little larger than a rupee, in the trunk or a branch of a tree. The coppersmith is the most familiar member of the clan. It does not occur on the Nilgiris, but a near relative is to be numbered among the commonest birds of those hills, being found in every wood and in almost every garden. This bird is fully as vociferous as the coppersmith, but instead of crying, _tonk-tonk-tonk_, it suddenly bursts into a kind of hoa.r.s.e laugh, and then settles down to a steady _kutur-kutur-kutur_, which resounds throughout the hillside. This call is perhaps the most familiar sound heard in the hills. This species is called the lesser green barbet (_Thereiceryx viridis_) to distinguish it from the larger green barbet of the plains (_T.

zeylonicus_). It is a vivid green bird with a dull yellow patch, devoid of feathers, round the eye. There are some brown streaks on the breast.

THE ALCEDINIDae OR KINGFISHER FAMILY

The only kingfisher that occurs abundantly throughout the Nilgiris is the common kingfisher (_Alcedo ispida_). This bird is not much larger than a sparrow. The head and nape are blue with faint black cross-bars. The back is glistening pale blue and the tail blue of darker hue. The wings are greenish blue. The sides of the head are gaily tinted with red, blue, black, and white. The lower parts are rusty red. The bill is black and the feet coral red. The beautiful white-breasted kingfisher (_Halcyon smyrnensis_)--the large blue species with the chocolate-coloured head and white breast--occurs on the Nilgiris at all elevations, but is not nearly so abundant as its smaller relative.

THE CYPSELIDae OR SWIFT FAMILY

Four species of swift are to be seen on the Nilgiris; two of them are the fleetest birds in existence; these are the alpine swift (_Cypselus melba_) and the brown-necked spine-tail (_Chaetura indica_). The former progresses with ease at the rate of 100 miles an hour: the latter can cover 125 miles, while the former is flying 100. If we poor human beings were possessed of the motive power of swifts we should think nothing of flying to England on ten days' casual leave. This may be possible a few years hence, thanks to the aeroplane; but even then the swifts will have the advantage as regards cheapness of transit. The lower parts of the alpine swift are white, while those of the spine-tail are rich brown. Hence the two species may be differentiated at a glance.

The edible-nest swiftlet (_Collocalia fuciphaga_) is the commonest swift on the Nilgiris. It is only about half the size of the species mentioned above, being less than 5 inches in length. In my opinion, this bird is misnamed the edible-nest swiftlet, because a considerable quant.i.ty of gra.s.s and feathers is worked into the nest, and I, for my part, find neither gra.s.s nor feathers edible. But _chacun a son gout_.

There is, however, an allied species--the little grey-rumped swiftlet (_C. francicia_)--found in the Andaman Islands--of which the nests are really good to eat. This species constructs its tiny saucer-shaped nursery entirely of its own saliva.

April and May are the months in which to seek for the nests of the Nilgiri swiftlet, and the insides of caves the places where a search should be made.

The fourth swift of the Nilgiris, the crested swift (_Macropteryx coronata_), is not sufficiently abundant to merit description in this essay.

THE CAPRIMULGIDae OR NIGHTJAR FAMILY

Nightjars, or goatsuckers, to give them their ancient and time-honoured name, are birds that lie up during the day in shady woods and issue forth at dusk on silent wing in order to hawk insects.

The most characteristic feature of a nightjar is its enormous frog-like mouth; but it is not easy to make this out in the twilight or darkness, so that the observer has to rely on other features in order to recognise goatsuckers when he sees them on the wing, such as their long tail and wings, their curious silent fluttering flight, their dark plumage with white or buff in the wings and tail, their crepuscular and nocturnal habits, and their large size. Nightjars are as large as pigeons.

The common species of the Nilgiris is the jungle nightjar (_Caprimulgus indicus_). For a couple of hours after nightfall, and the same period before dawn in the spring, this bird utters its curious call--a rapidly-repeated _cuck-chug-chuck-chuck_.

Horsfield's nightjar (_C. macrurus_) is perhaps not sufficiently abundant on the Nilgiris to deserve mention in this essay. A bird which after dark makes a noise like that produced by striking a plank with a hammer can be none other than this species.

THE CUCULIDae OR CUCKOO FAMILY

The koel (_Eudynamis honorata_) occurs on the Nilgiris and has been shot at Ootacamund. It betrays its presence by its loud _ku-il_, _ku-il_, _ku-il_. The common cuckoo of the hills is the hawk-cuckoo (_Hierococcyx varius_) or brain-fever bird. Its crescendo _brain-fever_, BRAIN-FEVER, BRAIN-FEVER prevents any person from failing to notice it. It victimises laughing-thrushes and babblers.

It has a large cousin (_H. sparverioides_), which also occurs on the Nilgiris, and which likewise screams _brain-fever_ at the top of its voice. Both species are like sparrow-hawks in appearance. The handsome pied crested cuckoo (_Coccystes jacobinus_), which cuckolds the seven sisters, is a bird easy to identify. It has a conspicuous crest. The upper plumage is glossy black, save for a white wing bar and white tips to the tail feathers. The lower parts are white.

The common coucal or crow-pheasant (_Centropus sinensis_) is a cuckoo that builds a nest and incubates its eggs. It is as big as a pheasant, and is known as the Griff's pheasant because new arrivals in India sometimes shoot it as a game bird. If naturalists could show that this cuckoo derived any benefit from its resemblance to a pheasant, I doubt not that they would hold it up as an example of protective mimicry. It is a black bird with rich chestnut wings. The black tail is nearly a foot long. The coucal is fairly abundant on the Nilgiris.

THE PSITTACIDae OR PARROT FAMILY

The green parrots of the plains do not venture far up the slopes of the hills. The only species likely to be seen on the Nilgiris at elevations of 4000 feet and upwards is the blue-winged paroquet (_Palaeornis columboides_). This is distinguishable from the green parrots of the plains by having the head, neck, breast, and upper back dove-coloured. It has none of the aggressive habits of its brethren of the plains. It keeps mainly to dense forests. Jerdon describes its cry as "mellow, subdued, and agreeable." It is the prima donna of the Psittaci.

Another member of the parrot family found on the Nilgiris is the Indian loriquet, or love-bird or pigmy parrot (_Loriculus vernalis_). This is a short-tailed bird about the size of a sparrow. It is gra.s.s green in colour, save for the red beak, a large crimson patch on the rump, and a small blue patch on the throat. This species does not obtrude itself on the observer. It is seen in cages more often than in a state of nature. It sleeps with the head hanging down after the manner of bats, hence Finn calls this pretty little bird the bat-parrot.

THE STRIGIDae OR OWL FAMILY

Owls, like woodp.e.c.k.e.rs, do not patronise the Nilgiris very largely.

The only owl that commonly makes itself heard on those mountains is the brown wood-owl (_Syrnium indrani_). This is the bird which perches on the roof of the house at night and calls _to-whoo_.

Occasionally, especially round about Ootacamund, the grunting _ur-ur-ur-ur_ of the brown fish-owl (_Ketupa zeylonensis_) disturbs the silence of the night on the Nilgiris.

THE VULTURIDae OR VULTURE FAMILY

Only four species of vulture occur on the hills of South India. One of these is the smaller white scavenger vulture (_Neophron ginginia.n.u.s_), which is probably the ugliest bird in the world. Its plumage is dirty white, except the tips of the wings, which are black.

The head is not bald, as is the case with most vultures; it is covered with projecting feathers that form an exceedingly bedraggled crest.

The bill, the naked face, and the legs are yellow. This vulture is popularly known as the shawk or Pharaoh's chicken. Young scavenger vultures are sooty brown.

The other three vultures common on the Nilgiris are the Pondicherry vulture (_Otogyps calvus_), the long-billed vulture (_Gyps indicus_), and the white-backed vulture (_Pseudogyps bengalensis_). The first is easily identified by means of its white waistcoat, a patch of white on the thighs, and large red wattles that hang down like the ears of a blood-hound. With the above exceptions the plumage is black.

The long-billed vulture is of a uniform brown-grey colour.

The white-backed vulture is a dark brown, almost black, bird, with a white back and a broad white band on the under surface of each wing, which is very noticeable when the bird is soaring high in the air on the watch for carrion.

The two commonest vultures of the Nilgiris are the scavenger and the white-backed species.

THE FALCONIDae OR FAMILY OF BIRDS OF PREY

The raptores are not very strongly represented on the Nilgiris. The only two eagles likely to be seen are Bonelli's eagle (_Hieraetus fasciatus_) and the black eagle (_Ictinaetus malayensis_). The plumage of the latter is of much darker hue than that of the former.

Bonelli's eagle is a bold bird that works great havoc among tame pigeons. It sometimes carries off a barnyard fowl.

The black eagle is content with smaller quarry: young birds, rats, and snakes, seem to const.i.tute the chief articles of its diet.

Needless to state, the common pariah kite (_Milvus govinda_) is found on the Nilgiris. This useful bird usually sails in graceful circles high overhead, looking for food. Its cry is not heard so frequently on those hills as in the Himalayas, the reason being the different configuration of the two ranges. The Nilgiris are undulating and downlike, hence the kites are able, while hovering higher than the summits of the hills, to see what is happening in the valleys. In the Himalayas they cannot do this, because the valleys are usually deep. The kites, therefore, sail there at a lower level than the hill-tops, and their plaintive _chee-hee-hee-hee-hee_ is heard throughout the day. It is not a very cheerful sound, so that in this respect the Nilgiris have an advantage over the Himalayas.

The majority of the kites appear to migrate from the Nilgiris during the south-west monsoon.

The Brahmany kite (_Haliastur indus_)--the handsome kite with white head and breast and rich chestnut-red wings--is sometimes seen on the Nilgiris, but scarcely sufficiently often to merit a place among the common birds.

The three remaining raptores that are of frequent occurrence on the hills of South India are the shikra (_Astur badius_), the crested goshawk (_Lophospizias trivirgatus_), and the kestrel (_Tinnunculus alaudarius_). The shikra is very like the brain-fever bird in appearance. It is a little smaller than the common house-crow. The upper plumage is ashy grey. The tail is of the same hue, but with broad dark brown cross-bars. In young birds the breast is white with dark drops; in older birds the drops become replaced by wavy rust-coloured cross-bars. The eye is bright yellow, as is the cere or base of the beak. The crested goshawk may be described in brief as a large shikra with a crest.

The kestrel is the bird known in England as the windhover, on account of its habit of hovering in mid-air on rapidly-vibrating wings before pouncing on the lizard or other small fry, for which it is ever on the watch. This species is about the same size as the shikra. The head, neck, and tail are grey; the back and wings are dull red. The lower parts are cream-coloured, spotted with brown.

THE COLUMBIDae OR DOVE FAMILY

Jerdon's imperial pigeon (_Ducula cuprea_) is a beautiful bird 17 inches long, of which the tail accounts for 7 inches. The prevailing hue of this pigeon is grey. The head, breast, abdomen, and neck are suffused with lilac. The back and wings are olive brown. The legs are dull lake red, as is the bill, except the tip, which is blue.

This fine bird is confined to dense forest; it is said to be fond of the wild nutmeg.

The Nilgiri wood-pigeon (_Alsocomus elphistonii_) is another forest-haunting bird. Its prevailing hue is dove grey, with a beautiful gloss on the back, which appears lilac in some lights and green in others. The only other ornament in its plumage is a black-and-white shepherd's plaid tippet. The wood-pigeon is as large as the imperial pigeon. Of the doves, that which is most often seen on the Nilgiris is the spotted dove (_Turtur suratensis_). This is easily distinguished from the other members of the family by its reddish wings spotted with dark brown and pale buff. The only other dove likely to be seen at the Nilgiri hill stations is the little brown dove (_T. cambayensis_), which utters a five-or-six-syllabled coo.