PAKHI DEKHUN PAKHI CHINUN # 396 (Observe the Bird and recognize)...LONG TAILED NIGHTJAR ...[From a Photograph of MR. ANANTHA MURTHY] ... WATERCOLOUR ...A4...2014... The Indian Long-tailed Nightjar. Caprimulgus albononotus Tickell, J. A. S. B., ii, p. 580 (1833) (Dhalbhum, Bengal). Caprimulgus macrurus. Blanf. & Oates, iii, p. 188 (part). Vernacular names. Ita-kholi (Assam); Dao-chuck (Cachari). This race is easily separable from the three preceding forms as well as from C. m. macrourus by its much paler, brighter coloration ; the white tips to the tail-feathers are very wide and, in old birds, very pure ; the under surface is more fulvous owing to the dark bars being narrower and wider apart, the white wing-patch is larger, especially on the first primary and is seldom divided on the second primary. It is also much larger than all but bimaculatus. Colours of soft parts. Iris brown; bill dark brown at the tip, fleshy-brown to reddish on base, commissure and gape; legs and feet reddish- to purplish-brown, the soles pinky-flesh colour. Wing 205 to 235 mm.; tail 165 to 179 mm.; tarsus about 19 to 20 mm.; culmen about 9 to 10 mm. . North-West India, North to the North-Western Provinces, Kuman, Simla States and Garhwal; East to Bihar, Calcutta and Orissa, South to Northern Bombay Presidency, Central Provinces and Orissa. Birds from Southern Assam seem to be referable to this rather than to the next race which occurs in the North of the Brahmaputra. Those of the species. This is an exceptionally confiding, tame bird and all my specimens, required as skins, were caught in a butterfly-net. The net, similar in colour to the earth, was laid upon it with a large moth or beetle placed in the centre, the bird settled on this and was then picked up in the net by the man at the other end, six feet away. Whilst watching them in and near my garden in North Cachar they often settled within a foot or two of my feet. I noticed they fed much upon the ground and ran well for a few feet at a time. Twice I noticed a female accept the attentions of two males one after the other, a very unusual proceeding among birds. The beetles these birds will seize and devour are very large and I have taken great staghorn-beetles from their stomachs which would have measured nearly three inches if unbroken. Their call is a monotonous chuck, chuck, chuck, repeated five, seven or nine-times, very seldom an even number and when it is the Hill Tribes consider it very unlucky and an omen of death. Thirteen chucks, on the other hand, is very lucky. Sometimes the final single notes end with a rolling chur-r-r-r. Like most Nightjars they often perch on trees and during the breeding-season their favourite perch is an old stump, a garden post or something similar.[INFO: FES]
Posted on: Fri, 26 Sep 2014 13:21:36 +0000
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