Grey Wagtails

Grey Wagtail on the roof

Wagtails are fairly common in and around Shimoga, but the Grey Wagtails are special - they are only winter visitors to our parts. As its name says, it  has a grey head and shoulders, dark wings, but most importantly, yellow underbelly. I first got the impression that this might be the Yellow Wagtail, but some help clarified that issue.

Like other wagtails, it keeps wagging its tail continuously, hopping to and fro in search of food. A very active bird, this can be seen closer to gardens and scrubs, most easily during the months of December and January near Shimoga.

Salim Ali notes that these nest only in the Himalayas in India, that too only during the summer. But they descend from the mountains during the winter can be seen throughout India.

Scientific name for these birds is Motacilla cinerea Tunstall

Indian Roller

Indian Roller, in its typical location - electric wires

The state bird of Karnataka. A bird with arguably flashiest of plumages, the Rollers are among the cherished birds of our region.

Their bright blue wings are the most attractive feature - at least for me. Their chest and back tend to be chestnut in color. A flying roller can be a sight to remember - the deep-blue wings make them a very attractive bird :)

Slightly larger than the white-breasted Kingfishers, these are closer to pigeons in size. Generally they feed on insects.


Actually, I have not seen many Indian Rollers near Shimoga. But I see them almost every time I drive to the drier parts of the state, especially the agricultural lands near the capita, Bangalore, and Hassan districts.

Scientific name for these birds is Coracias benghalensis. 

Coppersmith Barbet

With its favorite food

Coppersmith Barbets look more like colorful variants of house sparrows, whom they resemble in terms of size. Strikingly green with red-and-yellow face, it can be somewhat hard to see in the backdrop of bright green leaves, which is its favorite haunt. But definitely much more attractive!!

Most likely places to see these are Banyan and Peepul trees, whose fruits these birds enjoy a lot. They make a lot of noise when they get together, so take a second look if you hear anything. Apart from fruits, Salim Ali mentions that these birds also eat termites occasionally, but I have only seen these on fruit-bearing trees.

Close cousins of White-cheeked Barbets, these tend to be smaller, about the same size as sparrows, but stockier and generally looking stronger, with a marked difference in bills.

Scientific name for this bird is Megalaima haemacephala. 

Pheasant-tailed Jacana

Shot at Gudavi

Close relatives of Bronze-winged Jacanas, Pheasant-tailed Jacanas look spectacular to the first look, with their long tail flashing in the sunlight. Of course, these long tails give the bird its name. Especially in the breeding season, it is easier to identify. Like the other Jacanas, we can find these on the shallow waters and wading on the water vegetation on the surface of the water. I was able to catch sight of these at Gudavi bird sanctuary, where I also saw the Ibises up close.

Salim Ali mentions that these birds have very similar food habits as bronze-winged Jacanas.

Scientific name for these birds is Hydrophasianus chirurgus. 

Black-crowned Night Heron

On the edge of water

As the name suggests, Black-crowned night herons are closely related cousin of pond herons, which I have mentioned in a previous post. Relatively less common than pond herons, the males are very distinguishable from pond herons, with a black coloured shield running from the back of their head. The red-colour of their eyes also stand out like anything.

A little more shy than pond herons, they are usually active around twilight, mostly resting during the day. Hence the name 'night heron'. It's legs are a pale pink in coour, with a shade of brown in its lower parts of the wings.

Food habits are closely related to pond herons, mostly being fishes, frogs, insects etc.

Me and my friend were able to catch sight of this bird in Gudavi bird sanctuary, on the same visit when we saw white ibises.

Scientific name for this bird is Nycticorax nycticorax.

White Ibises and a bird sanctuary

Perched on a branch in Gudavi, Shimoga district

Oriental White Ibises, also called black-headed Ibis,  are birds thriving in marshes. Their white body and completely black neck, head and bill, which is really long along with being black, give these birds a rather funny look - the type known in Kannada as 'Nakali Shyama'. In addition, their bills are kind of curved at the end, adding to the comic looks. Legs are black as well. All in all, one of the easiest birds to identify once you see them.

But to see them, best place is a rather famous bird sanctuary in Shimoga district, called Gudavi bird sanctuary. Gudavi is nearly 120 Kms from Shimoga, and is easily one of the better bird sanctuaries around this place. Every monsoon thousands, and I literally mean thousands, of Ibises come here to build nests and breed. It is a treat for any birding enthusiast to enjoy this sight. Agreed that Monsoon is also the worst time to travel around, as the rain will be nearly non-stop in and around Gudavi.

Salim Ali notes that this bird sometimes feeds with its head submerged momentarily. Also, he points out that this bird does not have real voice-producing organs, and the sound that we hear is kind of ventriloquial grunting.

Scientific name of this bird is Threskiornis melanocephalus.

Visiting Gudavi:
First, reach Shimoga!! From Shimoga, the best route is reaching Sagar, which is en-route to Jog Falls, and the road is excellent till here. At Sagar, you need to turn right towards Sorab, which is a Taluk head quarters. The road kind of goes bad for 5-6 Kms, but then again becomes well-maintained. From Sorab Gudavi is about 15 Kms, and that part of the road is quite manageable in a car.

Sagar is about 70 Kms from Shimoga, whereas Soraba is another 30 Kms.

Bird sanctuary itself is open from morning 6 to evening 6, and there is an entry fee. I have heard that evenings are better because birds will be returning to their nests between 4-6 in the evening, but honestly that did not matter to us because of the sheer number of birds even at mid-afternoon!!!

Black-shouldered Kite

Perched on a wire

A lesser known and much lesser seen kite around Shimoga, Black-shouldered Kite, also called Black-winged Kite, was pleasantly perched on the electric wire when I first saw this. The most striking features of this bird are the black-colored wings on the otherwise mostly white body. But as I got closer, its blood-red eyes stood out. Surprisingly, it allowed me to approach it much closer than most birds.

Salim Ali notes that this bird is rather crepuscular, which means it is active mostly in twilight. He also notes that it has a rather distinctive way of catching preys - apparantly it hovers in mid-air and keeps its wings vertical when bearing down on the prey. Unfortunately I have to wait for another day to catch this behaviour.

Scientific name of this bird is Elanus Caeruleus.