1. BLACK WINGED KITE
SIZE: house crow, length 35cm (14 in).
FIELD CHARACTERS: A small Grey and white hawk with a black line through the eyes (blood red) and prominent black patches on wings extend beyond short (almost square cut) white tail. This constantly raised and lowered, opened and shut while the bird is perched. In flight resembles pale harrier (which also has black primaries), but smaller size, black shoulders and pure white tail diagnostic. Sexes alike.
STATUS, HABITAT, ETC:
Resident. Duars and foothills upto 1600 m: Savannah country, open scrub jungle and grassland inter-spread with cultivation. FLIGHT: Sluggish with deliberate wing beats, alternated with bouts of sailing. Hovers like kestrel to locate ground prey and make parachute-like desert in steps to seize it in a final rush. FOOD: large insect's lizards, field mice, etc.
2.BLYTH'S BAZA OR LIZARD HAWK:
SIZE; Jungle crow; length 50 cm (20 in).
FIELD CHARACTERS: A brown hawk with rufous head and erect black occipital crest (depressed in flight). A black mesial stripe down rufous and white throat. Underparts conspicuously barred roofs brown and white. Tail brown with three dark bands, the terminal one broadcast and darkest. On a casual sighting confusable with crested Goshawk (10) at rest; in flight shape and wing action reminiscent of a small buzzard. Female paler above and below.
STATUS, HABITATE, ETC: Resident, confined to evergreen biotope in the foothills between 350 and 1800m, with some seasonal altitudinal movement's pairs or family parties of 3 to 5. Rather crepuscular and rarely seen except when soaring in circles, often at treetop height. Call: screams, sometimes confusingly like palm squirrel's calls, pounces on prey from ambush in leafy trees, carrying it off in the bill. FOOD: Lizards, frogs, large insects, etc.
3. BLACKCRESTED BAZA OR LIZARD HAWK:
SIZE: Pigeon; length 35cm(14 in).
FIELD CHARACTERS: A handsome, crested black-and-white hawk, easily identified by black throat it, boldly chestnut-barred lower breasty and flanks, and blank abdomen. Sexes alike. In overhead flight paler underside of the tail contrasting with black abdomen and white breast diagnostic.
STATUS, HABITAT, ETC: Status uncertain-breeds upto 1200 m (April-June) possibly migrating south to Kerala and Srilanka (Ceylon) in winter to augment the local population. Affects the neighborhood of streams and clearing in evergreen foothill forest. Somewhat crepuscular. Solos or small parties, often seen soaring in circles above treetops. FLIGHT: Sluggish crow-like flapping with short bouts of sailing. CALL; A shrill squeal recalling pariah kite. FOOD: Lizards, frogs, large insects-the last sometimes taken by aerial sortie.
