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Thattekad Reservoir
The Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary, covering an area of barely 25 km2, and located about 12 km from Kothamangalam, Kerala, Kothamangalam (Kerala state, India), was the first bird sanctuary in Kerala. Salim Ali, one of the best known Ornithology, ornithologists, described this sanctuary as ''the richest bird habitat on peninsular India.'' Thattekkad literally means flat forest, and the region is a deciduous but generally moist low-land forest surrounding the Periyar River, the longest river in Kerala. Species The Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary has a rich and varied birdlife. Several species of birds, both forest birds as well as water birds, visit the sanctuaries; notable ones include the following: The Indian pitta, which visits the sanctuary during winter and spends almost six months here. *Orange-headed thrush *Large-billed leaf-warbler *Jerdon's nightjar *Indian cuckoo *Oriental darter *Cormorants *Whiskered terns *Collared scops owl *Ceylon frogmouth *Grey-fronted green p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Malabar Grey Hornbill
The Malabar gray hornbill (''Ocyceros griseus'') is a hornbill endemic to the Western Ghats and associated hills of southern India. They have a large beak but lack the casque that is prominent in some other hornbill species. They are found mainly in dense forest and around rubber, arecanut or coffee plantations. They move around in pairs or small groups, feeding on figs and other forest fruits. Their loud cackling and laughing call makes them familiar to people living in the region. Description The Malabar grey hornbill is a large bird, but at in length it is still the smallest of the Asian hornbills. It has a tail and pale or yellowish to orange bill. Males have a reddish bill with a yellow tip, while the females have a plain yellow bill with black at the base of the lower mandible and a black stripe along the culmen. They show a broad whitish superciliary band above the eye, running down to the neck. They fly with a strong flap and glide flight and hop around heavily on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Collared Scops Owl
The collared scops owl (''Otus lettia'') is an owl which is a resident breeder in south Asia from northern Pakistan, northern India, Nepal, Bangladesh, the Himalayas east to southern China, and Taiwan. It is partially migratory, with some birds wintering in India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. This species was formerly considered to be included within what is now separated as the Indian scops owl (''Otus bakkamoena''). This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owls, Strigidae, which contains most species of owl. The other grouping is the barn owls, Tytonidae. The collared scops owl is a common breeding bird in forests and other well-wooded areas. It nests in tree hollows, laying 3-5 eggs. The collared scops owl is a small (23–25 cm) owl, although it is the largest of the scops owls. Like other scops owls, it has small head tufts, or ''ears''. The upperparts are grey or brown, depending on the subspecies, with faint buff spotting. The underparts ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brown-backed Needletail
The brown-backed needletail (''Hirundapus giganteus''), or brown needletail, is a large swift. These birds have very short legs which they use only mainly for clinging to vertical surfaces. They never settle voluntarily on the ground and spend most of their lives in the air, living on the insects they catch in their beaks. These swifts are resident breeders in hill forests in southern Asia from India east to Indonesia and the Philippines. They build their nests in rock crevices in cliffs, laying 3-5 eggs. The flight is impressively fast, even compared to other swifts. The brown-backed needletail is a very large swift, and at 23 cm is bigger than the Alpine swift and the white-throated needletail. It has a similar build to the latter species, with a heavy barrel-like body. They are dark brown except for a white undertail, which extends on to the flanks. The ''Hirundapus'' needletailed swifts get their name from the spined ends of their tail, which is not forked as in the ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brown-cheeked Fulvetta
The brown-cheeked fulvetta (''Alcippe poioicephala'') is a babbler-like bird belonging to the family Alcippeidae found in the forests of South and Southeast Asia. It was formerly called the quaker babbler in India and common nun babbler in Malaya. They forage on trees for insects, sometimes hanging from the branches in a tit-like manner, and visiting flowers for nectar. They are often hard to see in vegetation but they have loud multi-note whistling calls in the morning and afternoon. Description The brown-cheeked fulvetta is a small dull coloured bird measuring 15 cm from beak to tail tip. The grey bill is short and weak and the upper mandible is curved. The genus ''Alcippe'' has the bill widest at the nostrils which are long and has a membrane overhanging it. The tail feathers are all nearly of the same length. The wings are brownish, the underside is buff and the crown is grey. The crown is not demarcated from the rest of the head in the nominate subspecies but in some, ther ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rhopocichla Atriceps
The dark-fronted babbler (''Dumetia atriceps'') is an Old World babbler found in the Western Ghats of India and the forests of Sri Lanka. They are small chestnut brown birds with a dark black cap, a whitish underside and pale yellow iris. They forage in flocks in the undergrowth of forests constantly making calls and uttering alarm calls when disturbed. Taxonomy The dark-fronted babbler was formally described in 1839 by the English naturalist Thomas Jerdon under the binomial name ''Brachypteryx atriceps''. He specified the range as Thrissur, Wadakkancherry, Coonoor and the Wayanad of southwest India. The type locality was restricted to Wayanad by Hugh Whistler in 1935. The dark-fronted babbler was formerly placed in the monotypic genus ''Rhopocichla''. It was moved to '' Dumetia'' with the tawny-bellied babbler based on the results of a large molecular phylogenetic study published in 2019. The genus ''Dumetia'' was introduced in 1852 by the English zoologist Edward Blyth. Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mountain Hawk-eagle
The mountain hawk-eagle (''Nisaetus nipalensis'') or Hodgson's hawk-eagle, is a large bird of prey native to Asia. The latter name is in reference to the naturalist, Brian Houghton Hodgson, who described the species after collecting one himself in the Himalayas. A less widely recognized common English name is the feather-toed eagle. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae. Its feathered tarsus marks this species as a member of the subfamily Aquilinae. It is a confirmed breeding species in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, from India, Nepal (hence the epithet ''nipalensis'') through Bangladesh to Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam and Japan, although its distribution could be wider still as breeding species. Like other Asian hawk-eagles, this species was earlier treated under the genera of ''Spizaetus'' but genetic studies have shown this group to be paraphyletic, resulting in the Old World members being placed in ''Nisaetus'' (Hodgson, 1836) and separated from the Ne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rajamala
Rajamala is a hill station in Eravikulam National park located about 15 kilometers from Munnar, Kerala, India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since .... It is 2000 meters above sea level. References Hill stations in Kerala Populated places in the Western Ghats Villages in Idukki district Munnar {{Kerala-geo-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Malakkappara
Malakkappara or Malakhappara is a small hill station in Thrissur district of the state of Kerala, India. This place is situated on the border between Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Etymology The place gets its name from the Malayalam word ''Malakha-Para'' (മാലാഖപ്പാറ), meaning "Rock of the Angel", referring to a popular legend among Saint Thomas Christians of central Kerala. Geography left, Tea Plantation at Malakkappara left, Malakkappara Road The area consists of a tea estate owned by Tata Tea, forest area under the Kerala Forest Department belonging to both Vazhachal Forest Division and Malayattur Forest Division. Many endangered and endemic species of flora and fauna are found in the forests of Malakkappara area. It is situated at a distance of 86 km from Chalakudy along State Highway 21, passing through Thumboormuzhi, Athirappilly, Vazhachal, Sholayar. Malakkappara is 89 km away from Pollachi via Attakatti, Valparai, Solaiyar Dam etc. Shola ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Idamalayar Dam
Idamalayar Dam is a multipurpose concrete gravity dam located at Ennakkal between Ayyampuzha and Bhoothathankettu in Ernakulam district of Kerala on the Idamalayar, a tributary of the Periyar River in Kerala, South India. The dam however extends east as far as Malakkappara. Completed in 1985, with a length of and a height of , the dam created a multipurpose reservoir covering in the scenic hills of the Anamalais. The reservoir storage is utilized by a Hydroelectricity, hydroelectric power station which has an Nameplate capacity, installed capacity of 75 Watt, MW with two units of 37.5 MW capacity, producing an annual energy output of 380 Kilowatt hour#Watt hour multiples and billing units, GW·h. The large reservoir created by the Idamalayar Dam is operated by the Kerala State Electricity Board to augment its Peaking power plant, peak power generation requirements. The dam will benefit the Idamalayar Irrigation Development Project by diverting water released from the tail ra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Large Hawk Cuckoo
The large hawk-cuckoo (''Hierococcyx sparverioides'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It has a wide breeding distribution from temperate Asia along the Himalayas extending to East Asia. Many populations winter further south. They are known for their loud and repetitive calls which are similar to that of the common hawk-cuckoo but do not rise in crescendo. They are also somewhat larger and adults can be readily told apart from the smaller common hawk-cuckoo by the black patch on the chin. They are brood-parasites of babblers and laughing-thrushes. Distribution It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ..., China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Common Hawk-cuckoo
The common hawk-cuckoo (''Hierococcyx varius''), popularly known as the brainfever bird, is a medium-sized cuckoo resident in the Indian subcontinent. It bears a close resemblance to the shikra, even in its style of flying and landing on a perch. The resemblance to hawks gives this group the generic name of hawk-cuckoo; like many other cuckoos, these are brood parasites, laying their eggs in the nests of babblers. During their breeding season in summer males produce loud, repetitive three-note calls that are well-rendered as ''brain-fever'', the second note being longer and higher pitched. These notes rise to a crescendo before ending abruptly and repeat after a few minutes; the calling may go on through the day, well after dusk and before dawn. Description The common hawk-cuckoo is a medium- to large-sized cuckoo, about the size of a pigeon (ca. 34 cm). The plumage is ashy grey above; whitish below, cross-barred with brown. The tail is broadly barred. The sexes are alike. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Drongo Cuckoo
'' Surniculus '' is a small genus of birds in the cuckoo family. Its four members are found in tropical Asia and the Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot .... They are: References *Grimmett, Inskipp and Inskipp, ''Birds of India'' Cuculidae Bird genera Birds of Southeast Asia Taxa named by René Lesson {{Cuculiformes-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
