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Birds of Punjab

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All about birds of Punjab. @batmankafan

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Shikra ਸ਼ਿਕਰਾ Accipiter badius also called the Indian Sparrowhawk is a small, but powerful predator. It is a member of the Family Acciopitridae, which includes eagles, hawks, kites, and osprey.
Its name has been derived from Urdu & Hindi word, shikari.
Size & structure - The female is larger than the male and has dark orange/yellow eyes, whereas the male has red eyes. They have a long barred tail that helps them with balance during hunting. The coloring is gray on the head and down the back and pale reddish-orange to white underbelly.
Diet - Its diet consists of lizards, frogs, grasshoppers and small birds, but it is sometimes brazen enough to go for bigger birds like pigeons (shown in picture 2), Spotted Owlet and even bats.
The talents of the Shikra have long been known. Great courage, coupled with intellect as a hunter, making it one of the easiest to train and tame made it the most common bird used in the art of falconry across Punjab and the art is still prevalent in Pakistan and Gulf countries.
Breeding - Their nesting season lasts from April to June. Female lays 3-7 eggs. Both males and females incubate the eggs but males are the primary food-bearers.
Nest- Their nest looks like a loosely built cup of twigs and sticks, untidy, much like that of crows.However, they do take precautions by building their nests usually in trees, well screened by leaves in order to reduce any kind of outside disturbance. In cities, they can be aggressive, defending their nest from crows and other creatures.
Shiv Kumar Batalvi is considered a stalwart in modern Punjabi poetry who wrote a poem (picture 3) One of his love poems was inspired by a woman who married someone else. After the birth of her first child he is said to have written a poem titled ‘Main Ek Shikra Yaar Banaya’ (I fell in love with a sparrow-hawk)
Pic credit - @batmankafan @naturewithtanvir #birdsofpunjab #mypunjab #shikra #birdsofinstagram taken in Jalandhar, India by @birdsofpunjab

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6 years ago

Woolly-Necked Stork. Jalandhar, Punjab. The large wading bird, which is approximately 3-4 feet tall, has distinct features with black head and body with an iridescent sheen, and white neck and underbelly. The large bill is grey with a reddish tip and the bird has deep red eyes. The legs and feet are also prominently red in colour. They are known to inhabit marshes, rivers, ponds, chappar a and wetlands along with black-headed ibis and egrets, which are commonly found in similar places. Both genders of the species are similar in appearance, while the juveniles are duller and lacked the iridescence that is notable in mature ones.

They are predominantly carnivorous with their diet consisting of fish, frogs, toads, snakes and lizards. Woolly-necked storks have been categorised as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In fact, these storks are now likely to be one of the few species in the world that will have their Red List status improved from ‘vulnerable’ to ‘near-threatened’. In India, the woolly-necked stork’s impending status-change from ‘vulnerable’ to ‘near-threatened’ didn’t owe itself to conservation efforts but to improved scientific understanding that showcased the conservation value of India’s agricultural landscapes. #birdsofpunjab #woollyneckedstork #MyPunjab #birdsofinstagram #storks taken in Jalandhar, India by @birdsofpunjab

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6 years ago

Indian Pitta- clicked by @bhatti.garry A colorful stubby-tailed bird, also known as “Navrang,” translated as “nine colors.” Colors are most striking when the bird is in flight. This bird has long, strong legs and a stout bill, a buffy crown with a black stripe in the middle, a black eye-stripe, and and buffy underparts with bright red on the vent. Upperparts are green, with a blue shoulder patch. It is usually seen foraging on forest floors with thick undergrowth, catching insects in leaf litter. This bird is vocal, giving its characteristic two-noted whistle call at dusk and dawn.#birdsofpunjab #punjab #birdsofinstagram #birdphotography taken in Anandpur Sahib by @birdsofpunjab

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6 years ago

Oriental Honey Buzzard is a bird of prey in the family of kites, eagles and harriers. Breeds in woodlands, it appears long-necked with a small head and soars on the flat wings. Long tail with short head crust the buzzard is brown in colour. Usually seen perched on forest trees and often enters villages and outskirts of small towns. Photo credits @singhswarn #BirdsofPunjab #birdsofinstagram #birdsofprey #Forests #nationalgeographic #birds_nature #birdshots by @birdsofpunjab

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8 years ago

Like the page suggests’Birds of Punjab’, what better way to start the first post with the state Bird of Punjab: Eastern/Northern Goshawk, ‘baj’ or ‘baaz’ in Punjabi, the majestic bird that you see in the portraits of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the tenth Sikh guru, is also a symbol of strength and tenacity. The plumage of an adult is brownish-grey to slaty grey above, with a black or dark brown cap on the head. Their backs, the tops of their wings, and their heads are usually dark brown with black appearance. Legs are short, strong and yellowish in color. Can be spotted across forests of Punjab perched on high branches either alone or in pairs. Pic credit @tsdeogan #birdsofpunjab #birdsofindia #birdsofinstagram #birdsoftheworld #birder #goshawk #Punjab #MyPunjab #Jalandhar taken in Punjab (region) by @birdsofpunjab

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8 years ago