Nerds and Birds
Obviously my nerdy ornithologist tendencies could not be restrained while in India, a country that is rich with life, including bird life.
Egrets, herons, grebes, moorhens, wrens, cormorants, bitterns, sandpipers, hawks and other familiar North American-type birds abound, but here are some of the more unusual winged creatures we came across… that I can identify. Dozens, I could not.
Horn Bill
Okay, this bird should have been easy to figure out given the GIANT HORN on its face and all, but it perplexed me until I got home to Google it. They looked like a cross between an anhingha and a toucan. A couple times these birds awkwardly landed in trees near me, looking all Pterodactyl-like.
Jungle Babbler
These things were kind of like the Indian mockingbird. They were very loud, very abundant, but not nearly as vocally talented or cool. Well, maybe their name…
Rose-Ringed Parakeet
Essentially the pigeons of India
Plum-Headed Parakeet
I only saw two of these fellows, on the last day, in Nathdwara.
Common Myna
They were, in fact, quite common.
Painted Stork
I saw many of these monsters flying and wading. Seemingly more abundant than our endangered Wood Storks
Yellow-Wattled Lapwing
These creatures with the nice paint job looked like shore birds in the wetland fields. They moved along as though they had somewhere very important to be.
Black-Winged Stilt
Plentiful, dainty, little supermodel birds.
Purple Sunbird
Half of a misnomer, these guys are basically black.
Ruddy Shelduck
Like me, these ducks love the Yamuna River
Ashy Drongo
The crossed tail made them really easy to identify.
Indian Peafowl
These gorgeous birds were just as magnificent and surprising to see in the dusty fields as the Indian women working in their colorful, sparkling saris.
White Throated Kingfisher
Indeed beautiful enough to name a mediocre beer after.
Green Bee-Eater
Landed on a branch at Shyamdas’s in Nathdwara just as we were eating lunch. Practically a bird sanctuary, that front yard-garden.
