PIGEON

Blue rock pigeons

Pigeons are very common in Goa. You can find their nests under roofs of houses because they find lots of grains to eat. 

Their nests are built out of twigs in a corner. Sometimes the baby pigeons fall out of their nests and sometimes we find baby pigeons in front of our house. There are many types of pigeons in our campus like blue rock pigeon, green pigeon etc.

Spotted Dove

Green Pigeon

 - Mrinmayee Heblekar

Grey-headed mynahs! are they migratory?

On 13 August we walked around the campus with Vipul Bhaiyya and saw a flock of  these wonderful birds on the wires!

Grey-headed Mynahs

 

We also saw a rose-ringed parrot sitting on a tree. We'll ask bhaiyya for the pic of that!



-Kshipra

Bird-watching trip to Cansaulim

16 August 2015

OUR TRIP TO CANSAULIM

To day we went to Cansaulim to watch birds. On the road side near two paddy fields there were two coconut trees filled with baya weaver bird nests! In some of the nests there were baby birds! And we saw a white-breasted  kingfisher sitting on a pole. We also saw a Coot in the marshes and a pair of large Egrets. There was a Cormorant swimming in the water. We saw a couple of Tree pies flying across the sky. A pond heron was sitting on the wire over the field.

Baya Weaver birds' nests

We then went up to the Three Kings Chapel. On the drive up the hill we saw many green bee-eaters and swallows sitting on the wires. A chloropsis flue over our car. When we reached we saw a female Golden-Oriole an a Kingfisher sitting on a tree. We heard the sound of a Coper smith barbet. We saw a female Magpie robin and a Red vented bulbul. There was a huge flock of Swallows and it looked like they were building a nest. It was a really exciting trip!

Red-vented bulbul

Kingfisher

Green Bee-eater

 

 

swallows

 Female Golden Oriole

This spotted dove was cooing when I clicked this.



- Parth

BIRD FACTS

Hiranmayee : I’ve heard that animals hibernate. Do birds also hibernate?

Parth : Birds do not hibernate. Some species of birds migrate to warmer places.

Mrinmayee : Do all birds make their own nests?

Kshipra : All birds make their own nests but Cuckoos. They lay their eggs in other birds nests.The Crow-pheasant or Coucal is the only one in the cuckoo family which makes its one nest.

Fiona : Do all birds make the same kind of nests?

Hiranmayee : No, every species make different kinds of nests. Sunbirds and Weaver birds make nests hanging from branches. Bulbuls and Crows make twiggy nests between the branches of trees. Lapwings lay their eggs on a few twigs put to gather on the ground.

Fiona: How many species are there in BITS?

Kshipra: There are more than 100 species in BITS!

Sunbirds of BITS Goa

my drawing of a purple sunbird

SUNBIRD

Sunbirds are cute little twittering birds with long curved beaks to suck nectar from flowers.  They can even hang upside down holding on to a flower while they put their beaks inside! Male sunbirds have very glossy feathers. They shine in many colours especially in the breeding season. the female is paler than the male. They build their nests hanging from a tree out of fibres and thin dried grass. Sunbird are called so because they shine in the sun in brilliant colours.

Purple rumped sunbird in its nest just outside my window!

- Kshipra

Red-wattled Lapwing hatchling... one of three little ones staggering around near the new children's park (21 June 2015)

Isn't she cuuuuute!
- Kshipra

momma lapwing

Timmy also wants to come birding these days!

Last sunday...

How to identify birds-


Today Amar uncle taught us how to identify birds. First you have to compare the size with a bird you know, e.g robin. If the bird is smaller than the robin it is robin-. If it is bigger than the robin then it is robin+. Then we have to look at the beak. E.g sunbirds have a long curved beak to suck necter from flowers. Vultures and eagles have Sharp curved beaks for tearing meat. These birds are called raptors. Parrots have hard fat beaks to crack nuts.Then you have to look at the shape. Some birds have a crest like bulbuls. Some birds have long tails like racket tailed drongos and paradise fly catchers. And then we have to look at the colours of it's feathers. That is how you identify birds.

Introduction-


Our club is for children who want to observe and learn about birds on our campus. Haven't you seen the cute little little birds building their nests? Haven't you heard the baby birds twittering and learning how to fly? Did you know that there are more than HUNDRED species of birds in our campus! Sometimes we go on field trips to extend our our bird knowledge. Even dogs come birdwatching with us! We love watching birds twittering about catching their breakfast.

Birds we've seen so far on campus

1. Indian robin
2. Black Drongo
3. Racket-tailed Drongo
4. Magpie robin
5. Pied crested cuckoo
6. Green bee eater
7. Red whiskered bulbul
8. Red-vented bulbul 
9. Lesser Goldenbacked Woodpecker
10. Indian lark
11. Red/yellow wattled lapwing
12. Peacock
13. Red rumped swallow
14. Wire-tailed Swallow
15. House Swift
16. Brahmini kite
17. White bellied sea eagle
18. Black Kite
19. Shikra
20. Purple rumped sunbird
21. Vigor's  sunbird
22. Purple sunbird 
23. Golden Oriole
24. Common Iora
25. Green pigeon
26. Blue rock pigeon
27. Spotted Dove
28. Jungle myna
29. Common Myna 
30. Chestnut-tailed starling
31. Paddyfield pipit
32. Indian sky lark
33. White-breasted King fisher
34. House Crow
35. Spotted munia 
36. Black headed munia
37. Tailor bird
38. Common rock chat
39. Spotted Owlet
40. Barn owl
41. Ashy wren warbler 
42. Rose-ringed Parakeet
43. Pond Heron 
44. Coppersmith Barbet 
45. White-cheeked Barbet
46. House Sparrow
47. Crow-pheasant or Coucal
48. White Wagtail
49. Common Nightjar 
50. Lesser Flame-back wood pecker
51. White naped wood pecker