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Gymnoris Xanthocollis
The yellow-throated sparrow or chestnut-shouldered petronia (''Gymnoris xanthocollis'') is a species of sparrow found in southern Asia. It is a species mostly of the dry savannah. They forage on the ground for grain and for berries in bushes. They are often seen perched atop bare branches on trees while calling. Description It has a finer bill than typical sparrows of the genus '' Passer'' and unlike them has no streaks on the plumage. The white double wing bar on the shoulder is diagnostic on the otherwise dull grey-brown sparrow. Males have a chestnut shoulder patch which can sometimes be hard to see. They also have a pale yellow spot on the throat in fresh plumage. Females are duller and lack the chestnut shoulder patch. The yellow spot is much reduced or lacking in females. This species is tree-loving although sometimes seen on wires and on the ground, where it has a hopping gait. The usual call is a ''chirrup'' but the song is distinctive and repetitive '. It has a bo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Edward Burton (zoologist)
Edward Burton FRS FLS (1790 – 11 March 1867) was a British Army surgeon and a zoologist. He was also a magistrate for Kent. Life Little is known of Burton's life. He may have studied at St. George's Hospital, London. The earliest record of his military career is in 1813, when he was attached to the 12th Foot, and was promoted from Hospital-Mate to Assistant-Surgeon. In 1818, he transferred between units. In 1826, he was attached to the 9th Light Dragoons, and was promoted Surgeon to the Forces. In 1837, he retired on half-pay. Burton was stationed at Fort Pitt, Chatham from 1829 to 1837. In 1838, he compiled ''A Catalogue of the Collection of Mammalia and Birds in the Museum of the Army Medical Department at Fort Pitt, Chatham''. He wrote in its Preface, "This task has been undertaken at such broken and uncertain periods as his professional duties left at the disposal of its author". He described several species of bird, for some of which he is the valid binomial au ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Madhuca Indica
''Madhuca longifolia'' is an Indian tropical tree found largely in the central, southern, north Indian plains and forests, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. It is commonly known as madhūka, mahura, , mahuwa, Butter Tree, mahura, mahwa, , Iluppai, Mee or Ippa-chettu. It is a fast-growing tree that grows to approximately 20 meters in height, possesses evergreen or semi-evergreen foliage, and belongs to the family Sapotaceae. It is adaptable to arid environments, being a prominent tree in tropical mixed deciduous forests in India in the states of Maharashtra, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. Uses It is cultivated in warm and humid regions for its oleaginous seeds (producing between 20 and 200 kg of seeds annually per tree, depending on maturity), flowers and wood. The fat (solid at ambient temperature) is used for the care of the skin, to manufacture soap or detergents, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Birds Of South Asia
''Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide'' by Pamela C. Rasmussen and John C. Anderton is a two-volume ornithological handbook, covering the birds of South Asia, published in 2005 (second edition in 2012) by the Smithsonian Institution and Lynx Edicions. The geographical scope of the book covers India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, the Chagos Archipelago and Afghanistan (the latter country had been excluded from previous works covering this region). In total, 1508 species are covered (this figure includes 85 hypothetical list of biota, hypothetical and 67 'possible' species, which are given only shorter accounts). Two notable aspects of ''Birds of South Asia'' are its distribution evidence-base — the book's authors based their distributional information almost completely on Zoological specimen, museum specimens — and its taxonomic approach, involving a large number of species-level splits. The books Volume 1 is a field guide. A nine-page in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Birds Of The Middle East
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweight skeleton. Birds live worldwide and range in size from the bee hummingbird to the common ostrich. There are over 11,000 living species and they are split into 44 orders. More than half are passerine or "perching" birds. Birds have wings whose development varies according to species; the only known groups without wings are the extinct moa and elephant birds. Wings, which are modified forelimbs, gave birds the ability to fly, although further evolution has led to the loss of flight in some birds, including ratites, penguins, and diverse endemic island species. The digestive and respiratory systems of birds are also uniquely adapted for flight. Some bird species of aquatic environments, particularly seabirds and some waterbirds, have furth ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Passeridae
Old World sparrows are a group of small passerine birds forming the family Passeridae. They are also known as true sparrows, a name also used for a particular genus of the family, '' Passer''. They are distinct from both the New World sparrows, in the family Passerellidae, and from a few other birds sharing their name, such as the Java sparrow of the family Estrildidae. Many species nest on buildings and the house and Eurasian tree sparrows, in particular, inhabit cities in large numbers. They are primarily seed-eaters, though they also consume small insects. Some species scavenge for food around cities and, like pigeons or gulls, will eat small quantities of a diversity of items. Description Generally, Old World sparrows are small, plump, brown and grey birds with short tails and stubby, powerful beaks. The differences between sparrow species can be subtle. Members of this family range in size from the chestnut sparrow (''Passer eminibey''), at and , to the parrot ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary
Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary or Male Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected Wildlife sanctuary in the Eastern Ghats and is located in the state of Karnataka in India. It is named after the presiding deity "Lord Male Mahadeshwara" of the famed ''Male Mahadeshwara Hills Temple'' located within the sanctuary. The sanctuary lies in the Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka. It is at a distance of from Mysuru and from Bangalore. The sanctuary was established in 2013 with an area of out of the total area of . The sanctuary is pending notification as a tiger reserve. The sanctuary is part of a contiguous tiger habitat, located very close to the tri-junction of the states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The sanctuary has Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary (Karnataka) to its North and East, Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (Tamil Nadu) to its South, and Biligirirangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve (Karnataka) to its West. Flora The predominant forest type of the sanctuary is d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gir Forest National Park
Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, also known as Sasan Gir, is a forest, national park, and wildlife sanctuary near Talala Gir in Gujarat, India. It is located north-east of Somnath, south-east of Junagadh and south-west of Amreli. It was established in 1965 in the erstwhile Nawab of Junagarh's private hunting area, with a total area of , of which is fully protected as a national park and as wildlife sanctuary. It is part of the Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion. The 14th Asiatic Lion Census 2015 was conducted in May 2015. In 2015, the population was 523 (27% up compared to previous census in 2010). The population was 411 in 2010 and 359 in 2005. The lion population in Junagadh District was 268 individuals, 44 in Gir Somnath District, 174 in Amreli District, and 37 in Bhavnagar district. There are 109 males, 201 females and 213 cubs. Gir National Park is closed from 16 June to 15 October every year, throughout the monsoon season. History In the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bombay Natural History Society
The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), founded on 15 September 1883, is one of the largest non-governmental organisations in India engaged in conservation and biodiversity research. It supports many research efforts through grants and publishes the '' Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society''. Many prominent naturalists, including the ornithologists Sálim Ali and S. Dillon Ripley, have been associated with it. History British hunters in Bombay organized a hunting group around 1811, their activities included riding with foxhounds and shooting. A Bombay Hunt was supported by Sir Bartle Frere from 1862. A natural history society was begun, possibly as spinoff from the Bombay Geographical Society, in 1856 by Doctors Don (of Karachee), Andrew Henderson Leith (surgeon), George Buist, and Henry John Carter along with Lawrence Hugh Jenkins, then a registrar of the Supreme Court. The group did not last more than three years. On 15 September 1883 eight men interested in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Walter Samuel Millard
Walter Samuel Millard (1864–1952) was a British entrepreneur and naturalist who was honorary secretary of the Bombay Natural History Society, editor of the '' Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society'' from 1906 to 1920, co-author (with Ethelbert Blatter) of the classic, ''Some Beautiful Indian Trees'', and the driving force behind the Mammal Survey of the Indian subcontinent conducted by the society between 1911 and 1923. Early life Millard, the seventh son of Rev. J.H. Millard, was born in Huntingdon, England in 1864. He came out to Bombay at age 20 to assist in the wine business of Herbert (Musgrave) Phipson, then Honorary Secretary of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and the editor of its journal. Joining the Society in 1893, he was made assistant editor of the Journal. Upon Phipson's retirement in 1906, Millard became editor and remained so until 1920. Millard was married to a woman named Sybilla, who had a species of flying squirrel named after her, the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ornithology
Ornithology, from Ancient Greek ὄρνις (''órnis''), meaning "bird", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study", is a branch of zoology dedicated to the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds. It has also been an area with a large contribution made by amateurs in terms of time, resources, and financial support. Studies on birds have helped develop key concepts in biology including evolution, behaviour and ecology such as the definition of species, the process of speciation, instinct, learning, ecological niches, guild (ecology), guilds, insular biogeography, phylogeography, and bird conservation, conservation. While early ornithology was principally concerned with descriptions and distributions of species, ornithologists today seek answers to very specific questions, often using birds as models to test hypotheses or predictions based on theories. Most mo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Salim Ali
Sálim Moizuddin Abdul Ali (12 November 1896 – 20 June 1987) was an Indian ornithologist and naturalist. Sometimes referred to as the "Birdman of India", Salim Ali was the first Indian to conduct systematic bird surveys across India and wrote several bird books that popularized ornithology in India. He became a key figure behind the Bombay Natural History Society after 1947 and used his personal influence to garner government support for the organisation, create the Bharatpur bird sanctuary (Keoladeo National Park) and prevent the destruction of what is now the Silent Valley National Park in Kerala. Along with Sidney Dillon Ripley he wrote the landmark ten volume '' Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan'', a second edition of which was completed after his death. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1958 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1976, India's third and second highest civilian honours respectively. Several species of birds, Salim Ali's fruit bat, Salim Ali's dwarf gec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bassia
''Bassia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Amaranthaceae. They are distributed in the western Mediterranean to eastern Asia. Some occur outside their native ranges as introduced species. Description The species of genus ''Bassia'' are annuals or perennial subshrubs. Their leaves are variable. The flowers are normally inconspicuous, in spike-like inflorescences without bracteoles. The fruits are achenes. The seed contains an annular, horseshoe-shaped or folded embryo that surrounds the perisperm. The fruiting perianth remains either unappendaged or develops 5 wings. The wings are spiny in '' Bassia hyssopifolia''. According to its most recent description, the genus is defined by its three types of C4 "kochioid" leaf anatomy. Many other characters cannot be used to differentiate species from one another, because they are variable among individuals within the species. Habitat The genus mainly occurs in steppe and desert ecosystems. Some species can be found in rudera ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
