Birds of the Indian Hills Part 8

53. _Siphia strophiata_. The orange-gorgeted flycatcher. A small brown bird with an oval patch of bright chestnut on the throat, and some white at the base of the tail. (This white is very conspicuous when the bird is flying.) This flycatcher, which is very common about Darjeeling, often alights on the ground.

54. _Cyornis melanoleucus_. The little pied flycatcher. A very small bird. The upper plumage of the c.o.c.k is black with a white eyebrow and some white in the wings and tail. The lower parts are white. The hen is an olive-brown bird with a distinct red tinge on the lower back. This flycatcher is not very common.

THE t.u.r.dIDae OR THRUSH FAMILY

55. _Oreicola ferrea_. The dark-grey bush-chat. Not so abundant in the Eastern as in the Western Himalayas.

56. _Henicurus maculatus_. The Western spotted forktail.

57. _Microcichla scouleri_. The little forktail. This is distinguishable from the foregoing by its very short tail. It does not occur commonly at elevations over 5000 feet.

58. _Rhyacornis fuliginosus_. The plumbeous redstart or water-robin.

Not common above 5000 feet in the Eastern Himalayas.

59. _Merula boulboul_. The grey-winged ouzel.

60. _Petrophila cinclorhyncha_. The blue-headed rock-thrush.

61. _Oreocincla molissima_. The plain-backed mountain-thrush. This is the thrush most likely to be seen in the Eastern Himalayas. It is like the European thrush, except that the back is olive brown without any dark markings.

THE FRINGILLIDae OR FINCH FAMILY

62. _Haematospiza sipahi_. The scarlet finch. The c.o.c.k is a scarlet bird, nearly as large as a bulbul, with black on the thighs and in the wings and tail.

The hen is dusky brown with a bright yellow rump. This species has a ma.s.sive beak.

63. _Pa.s.ser monta.n.u.s_. The tree-sparrow. This is the only sparrow found at Darjeeling. It has the habits of the house-sparrow. The s.e.xes are alike in appearance. The head is chestnut and the cheeks are white.

There is a black patch under the eye, and the chin and throat are black. The remainder of the plumage is very like that of the house-sparrow.

THE HIRUNDINIDae OR SWALLOW FAMILY

64. _Hirundo rustica_. The common swallow.

65. _Hirundo nepalensis_. Hodgson's striated swallow.

THE MOTACILLIDae OR WAGTAIL FAMILY

66. _Oreocorys sylva.n.u.s_. The upland pipit. This is not very common east of Nepal.

THE NECTARINIDae OR SUNBIRD FAMILY

67. _aethopyga nepalensis_. The Nepal yellow-backed sunbird. This replaces _aethopyga scheriae_ in the Eastern Himalayas, and is distinguished by having the chin and upper throat metallic green instead of crimson. It is the common sunbird about Darjeeling.

THE DICaeIDae OR FLOWER-p.e.c.k.e.r FAMILY

68. _Dicaeum ignipectus_. The fire-breasted flower-p.e.c.k.e.r.

THE PICIDae OR WOODp.e.c.k.e.r FAMILY

69. Of the woodp.e.c.k.e.rs mentioned as common in the Western Himalayas, the only one likely to be seen at Darjeeling is _Hypopicus hypererythrus_--the rufous-bellied pied woodp.e.c.k.e.r, and this is by no means common. The woodp.e.c.k.e.rs most often seen in the Eastern Himalayas are:

70. _Dendrocopus cathpharius_. The lesser pied woodp.e.c.k.e.r. A speckled black-and-white woodp.e.c.k.e.r about the size of a bulbul. The top of the head and the sides of the neck are red in both s.e.xes; the nape also is red in the c.o.c.k.

71. _Gecinus occipitalis_. The black-naped green woodp.e.c.k.e.r. This bird, as its name implies, is green with a black nape. The head is red in the c.o.c.k and black in the hen. This species is about the size of a crow.

72. _Gecinus chlorolophus_. The small Himalayan yellow-naped woodp.e.c.k.e.r. This species is distinguishable from the last by its small size, a crimson band on each side of the head, and the nape being golden yellow.

73. _Pyrrhopicus pyrrhotis_. The red-eared bay woodp.e.c.k.e.r. The head is brown. The rest of the upper plumage is cinnamon or chestnut-red with blackish cross-bars. There is a crimson patch behind each ear, which forms a semi-collar in the male. This species seeks its food largely on the ground.

In addition to the above, two tiny little woodp.e.c.k.e.rs much smaller than sparrows are common in the Eastern Himalayas. They feed on the ground largely. They are:

74. _Pic.u.mnus innominatus_. The speckled piculet.

75. _Sasia ochracea_. The rufous piculet. The former has an olive-green forehead. In the latter the c.o.c.k has a golden-yellow forehead and the hen a reddish-brown forehead.

THE CAPITONIDae OR BARBET FAMILY

76. _Megalaema marshallorum_. The great Himalayan barbet.

77. _Cyanops franklini_. The golden-throated barbet. About the size of a bulbul. General hue gra.s.s green tinged with blue. The chin and throat are golden yellow. The forehead and a patch on the crown are crimson. The rest of the crown is golden yellow. The call has been syllabised as _kattak-kattak-kattak_.

THE ALCEDINIDae OR KINGFISHER FAMILY

78. _Ceryle lugubris_. The Himalayan pied kingfisher.

THE BUCEROTIDae OR HORNBILL FAMILY

Hornbills are to be numbered among the curiosities of nature. They are characterised by the disproportionately large beak. In some species this is nearly a foot in length. The beak has on the upper mandible an excrescence which in some species is nearly as large as the bill itself. The nesting habits are not less curious than the structure of hornbills. The eggs are laid in a cavity of a tree. The hen alone sits. When she has entered the hole she and the c.o.c.k plaster up the orifice until it is only just large enough to allow the insertion of the hornbill's beak. The c.o.c.k feeds the sitting hen during the whole period of her voluntary incarceration.

Several species of hornbills dwell in the forests at the foot of the Himalayas, but only one species is likely to be found at elevations above 5000 feet. This is the rufous-necked hornbill.

79. _Aceros nepalensis_. The rufous-necked hornbill. In this species the casque or excrescence on the upper mandible is very slight. It is a large bird 4 feet long, with a tail of 18 inches and a beak of 8 inches. The hen is wholly black, save for a little white in the wings and tail. In the c.o.c.k the head, neck, and lower parts are bright reddish brown. The rest of his plumage is black and white. In both s.e.xes the bill is yellow with chestnut grooves. The naked skin round the eye is blue, and that of the throat is scarlet. The call of this species is a deep hoa.r.s.e croak.

THE CYPSELIDae OR SWIFT FAMILY

80. _Cypselus affinis_. The common Indian swift.

81. _Chaetura nudipes_. The white-necked spine-tail. A black bird glossed with green, having the chin, throat, and front and sides of the neck white.