Have you seen birds, butterflies, insects, etc around where you stay.
If so you must have also observed various trees around.
These trees are the prime provider of shelter or food or observation points or all for different life forms.
I have tried below to capture some of the bird species, their habits and the trees on which they were seen around my place.
| Trees | Birds (Updated on 18 Nov 2020 from 2008) |
|---|---|
|
Trees Around
| Mango Tree | |
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I have seen Coppersmith barbet, purple rumped sunbird, magpie robin using this tree to call out during breeding season. |
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| Badam Tree | |
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Birds use it for feasting on insects and as shelter during rains mainly the tailor bird, fantail flycatcher, warbler, sparrows and purple rumped sunbirds. |
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| Imli Tree | |
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This is a big tree providing shelter for all kinds of birds from Crows, mynas, Koel, Drongos to even a golden Orioles and Common Ioras. |
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| Karanj Tree | |
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It flowers in around March and attracts a lot of bees. It also attracts other insects and insect eating birds like fantail, warblers and paradise flycatcher. |
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| Cluster Fig tree | |
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This one has lot of caterpillars breeding on it so it is favorite tree of Tailorbird, Sunbirds especially in breeding, Golden Oriole, Paradise Flycatcher, Oriental White-eye, etc. |
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| Banayan Tree | |
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This is one of the trees which attracts maximum birds and animals anywhere it grows. Not just for food when its fuiting but also for roosting & nesting. |
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| Peepal Tree | |
 |
There is one tree very near but it has grown very tall and there is a banayan tree nearby which is so dense that the peepal tree behind it is not visible from my place. Another peepal tree is in a residential complex visible right in open and hosts a lot of birds like Coppersmith barbet, Koel, Oriental White-eye. |
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| Largerstroemia (Tamhan) Tree | |
 |
A very common tree which flowers in around March-April and is filled in pink / lilac / purple flowers. Its hosts birds which like nectar especially the Purple Rumped sunbird and some bird looking for insects like the warblers, bulbuls and sparrows. |
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| Tabebuia Tree | |
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This is a huge tree around 50-60 feet tall and is completed covered in pink flowers in March. |
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| Copper pod Tree | |
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Its not very near but it provides nesting for Night Herons and hence they are visible around |
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| Rain Tree | |
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Same as Copper pod tree it provides shelter for many birds and sometime also provides a place to nest. |
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| Coconut Tree | |
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There are many coconut trees in dattaguru societs. Kites use them for roosting during the monsoon and some them even nest on it. |
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Its a very common tree planted along building boundaries as it alleviates noise pollution.
It seems to have no branches but if they are allowed to grow without trimming then they can grow like regular tree giving shade. I have seen scaly breasted munia and bulbul using it for nesting and koel enjoying its fruits. Had once seen a black naped oriole using it for roosting for a night.
Drumstick Tree
Purple rumped sunbirds take fancy to the nectar of these flowers and are seen every day almost the whole day.
I have also seen white eyes on it but using it only for resting only.
This tree now no more exists it fell in monsoon of 2017.
Birds Around
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus - 50cm)
Marathi Name: बहिरी ससाणा
Pic Taken: Nov 2020
Red Breasted Flycatcher (Ficedula parva - 12cm)
Marathi Name: लाल छातीचा माशीमार
Pic Taken: Nov 2020
Pic Taken: Nov 2020
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Indian Roller (Coracias benghalensis - 27cm)
Marathi Name: भारतीय नीलपंख
Pic Taken: Jan 2019
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Orange Headed Thrush (Geokichla citrina - 20cm)
Marathi Name: नारिंगी डोक्याचा कस्तूर
Pic Taken: Jun 2019
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Black Hooded Oriole(Oriolus xanthornus - 25cm)
Marathi Name: बुरखाधारी हळद्या
Pic Taken: Feb 2015
Pic Taken: Feb 2015
Pic Taken: Apr 2016 |
Pic Taken: Feb 2017 |
Pic Taken: Mar 2018
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Black Naped Oriole(Oriolus chinensis - 25cm)
Marathi Name: सुरमा हळद्या
Pic Taken: Dec 2011
Pic Taken: Dec 2011 |
Pic Taken: Dec 2011 |
Pic Taken: Feb 2013 |
Brown Breasted Flycatcher (Muscicapa muttui - 13cm)
Marathi Name: रतपकिरी छातीचा माशीमार
Pic Taken: Mar 2018
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Red Breasted Parakeet (Psittacula alexandri - 46cm)
Marathi Name: लाल छातीचा पोपट
Pic Taken: Nov 2020
Pic Taken: Nov 2020
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Black Naped Monarch (Hypothymis azurea - 16cm)
Marathi Name: काळ्या मानेचा आकाशी माशीमार
Female Pic Taken: Aug 2017
Pic Taken: Mar 2017
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Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis - 88cm)
Marathi Name: गाय बगळा
This bird is generally seen along with the grazing cattle. It feed on the insects which are disturbed by the movement of the cattle. They like other egrets and herons nest in huge colonies and there is one such nesting colony on the imli next to our building.
The breeding adults have a beautiful brownish golden plumage and reddish yellowish beak and red eyes.
Pic Taken: June 2008
Pic Taken: June 2008 |
Pic Taken: May 2008 |
Black-Crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax - 55cm)
Marathi Name: रात ढोकरी
Pic Taken: Jul 2013
Pic Taken: Jul 2013 |
Pic Taken: Sep 2010 |
Indian Pitta (Pitta brachyura - 18cm)
Marathi Name: नवरंग
Pic Taken: Jun 2019
Pic Taken: Jun 2019
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Indian Paradise Flycatcher(Terpsiphone paradisi - 50cm)
Marathi Name: स्वर्गीय नर्तक
Male Juvenile Pic Taken: Jul 2013 |
Male Juvenile feeding on common Jay Pic Taken: Apr 2017 |
Adult Male with streamers Pic Taken: Dec 2017 |
Female Pic Taken: Oct 2019 |
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Indian Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus - 25cm)
Marathi Name: हळद्या
One of my favorite bird because of its vibrant yellow color like that of turmeric (called Halad in marathi) giving it the marathi name.
It also has a very sweet note but at the same time its defending call is very harsh.
Pic Taken: Oct 2019
Female Pic Taken: Sep 2009
Pic Taken: Feb 2015
Pic Taken: Jan 2016 |
Male Pic Taken: Feb 2008 |
Juvenile Pic Taken: April 2020
Blyth's Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus dumetorum - 12cm)
Marathi Name: ब्लिथचा बोरू वटवट्या
Pic Taken: Dec 2007
Pic Taken: Dec 2011
Pic Taken: Jan 2012
Ashy drongo (Dicrurus leucophaeus - 29cm)
Marathi Name: राखी कोतवाल
This is a migratory drongo seen after september. Golden orioles are generally seen with these drongos. Drongos are called kotwal as it keeps a watch out does not allow raptors and crows
Pic Taken: Feb 2009
Pic Taken: Oct 2014
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Greenish Warbler (Phylloscopus trochiloides - 12cm)
Marathi Name: हिरवट वटवट्या
Pic Taken: Feb 2014
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Green Beeeater (Merops orientalis - 16cm)
Marathi Name: वेडा राघू
Pic Taken: Nov 2020
Oriental White eye (Zosterops palpebrosus - 10cm)
Marathi Name: चष्मेवाला
They feed on insects found on the bushes and are seen many times upside down looking for insects. Sometimes they also feed on nectar.
Pic Taken: May2009
Pic Taken: April2010
Pic Taken: May 2010
Common Iora (Aegithina tiphia - 25cm)
Marathi Name: सुभग
A very beautiful singer but its call is heard only during the breeding season.
A very beautiful bird.
Pic Taken: March 2012 |
Pic Taken: March 2012 |
Crow pheasant (Centropus sinensis - 48cm)
Marathi Name: भारद्वाज
A bharadwaj one rainy evening was being chased away by a pair of fantail flycatchers. It is known fact that Bharadwaj steal small bird eggs and flycatchers are known to nest around.
Pic Taken: July 2009
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Alexandrine parakeet (Psittacula eupatria - 53cm)
Marathi Name: करण पोपट
This is much bigger than the normal Rose ringed parakeet. Also the red patch on the wing is very prominent. The mainly feed on fruits and are responsible dispersion of seeds like most of the fruit eating birds. Have seen them eating badam fruits.
Pic Taken: May 2009 |
Pic Taken: Feb 2008 |
Tickell's Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis tickelliae - 12cm)
Marathi Name: टिकेलची निळी माशीमार
Pic Taken: Jun 2016
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Barn Owl (Tyto alba - 39cm)
Marathi Name: गव्हाणी घुबड
Pic Taken: Mar 2007
Scaly Breasted Munia(Lonchura punctulata - 10cm)
Marathi Name: ठिपकेवाली मनोली
Pic Taken: Nov 2010
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Purple Sunbird (Cinnyris asiaticus - 10cm)
Marathi Name: जांभळा शिंजीर
Pic Taken: Apr 2020
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Shikra (Accipiter badius - 30cm)
Marathi Name: शिक्रा
Pic Taken: Mar 2016
Oriental White Ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus - 75cm)
Marathi Name: काळ्या डोक्याचा शराटी
Pic Taken: Dec 2011
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Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus - 60cm)
Marathi Name: मोर शराटी
Pic Taken: Dec 2011
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Coppersmith barbet (Psilopogon haemacephalus - 17cm)
Marathi Name: तांबट
It is famous for his call tuk-tuk-tuk which sounds like metal striking against metal giving it the name coppersmith barbet or tambat in marathi.
Pic Taken: Sep 2009
Pic Taken: Sep 2010
Pic Taken: Apr 2019
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White Throated kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis - 28cm)
Marathi Name: पांढऱ्या छातीचा धीवर
Pic Taken: Jun 2014
Pic Taken: Oct 2020
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White-Spotted Fantail (Rhipidura aureola - 17cm)
Marathi Name: पांढऱ्या ठिपक्यांचा नाचण
As the name suggests it feeds on flies and is very skillful in catching flies in flight. Also as per its first name its tails is fan like.
This bird is one of the most vocal but the most difficult one to click mainly because of the fact that it never sits still.
They are known to be very aggressive defenders. I have many times seen the pair make a huge noise when a crow comes near their tree hosting the nest and even ones seen them plucking at a bhardwaj consistently till it gave up and flew away.
Pic Taken: Sep 2009
Pic Taken: Dec 2012
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Purple rumped sunbird (Leptocoma zeylonica - 10cm)
Marathi Name: जांभळ्या पुट्ट्याचा शिंजीर
Sunbirds mainly feed on nectar. The beaks are down turned with a long tongue so that they can suck the nector out of the flowers. I have seen them many times bathing in the water collected on the leaves. The
Pic Taken: Aug 2009
Pic Taken: Aug 2009
Pic Taken: Aug 2009 |
Pic Taken: Aug 2009 |
Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis - 20cm)
Marathi Name: दयाळ
Pic Taken: May 2009
Juvenile Pic Taken: Aug 2013
Red whiskered bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus - 20cm)
Marathi Name: शिपाई बुलबुल
Pic Taken: Oct 2014
Pic Taken: Sep 2018
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Red vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer - 20cm)
Marathi Name: लाल बुड्या बुलबुल
Pic Taken: Feb 2007
Pic Taken: Dec 2012
Rose Ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri - 42cm)
Marathi Name: पोपट
Pic Taken: Dec 2007
Pic Taken: May 2008 |
Pic Taken: May 2008 |
Black Kite (Milvus migrans - 61cm)
Marathi Name: घार
Pic Taken: Sep 2009
Pic Taken: July 2009 |
Pic Taken: July 2009 |
Common Tailor (Orthotomus sutorius - 13cm)
Marathi Name: शिंपी
Pic Taken: Feb 2008
Pic Taken: Dec 2012
Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis - 23cm)
Marathi Name: साळुंकी
Pic Taken: June 2010
Pic Taken: Oct 2020
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Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus - 45cm)
Marathi Name: कोकीळ
A member of a cuckoo family popularly known as Kokila in marathi.
The sweet calls of these are heard a lot during the summer.
Like any other cuckoo its a parasite and lays eggs in other birds nests. Have seen crows raising koel kids around a lot.
Female Pic Taken: Oct 2017 |
Male Pic Taken: Oct 2017 |
Female Pic Taken: Oct 2017 |
Female Pic Taken: Oct 2017 |
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House sparrow (Male) (Passer domesticus - 15cm)
Marathi Name: चिमणी
Pic Taken: Nov 2007 |
Pic Taken: May 2009 |
Male Pic Taken: May 2009
Female Pic Taken: Aug 2009
Pic Taken: Oct 2013
Large Billed Crow(Corvus macrorhynchos - 50cm)
Marathi Name: डोमकावळा
Pic Taken: Sep 2012
House Crow(Corvus splendens - 40cm)
Marathi Name: कावळा
Pic Taken: Dec 2017
Rock Pigeon(Columba Livia - 33cm)
Marathi Name: कबुतर
Pic Taken: Dec 2009
