SIZE; Grey Partridge; length 40 cm (16 in).
FIELD CHARACTERS; an ashy gray-brown sandpiper with black facial mask and breast-band, and long down curved red bill. Sexes alike. In flight, resembling stone Curlew's, outstretched neck and long curved red bill give truncated look to short-tailed body. White wing-patches (concealed at rest), and black breast-band are additional pointers.
STATUS, HABITAT, ETC; Resident, between 1700 and 4400 m, descending partly to the foothills in winters. Affects shingle banks islets in placid reaches of clear fast-flowing streams. Pairs or small parties, 6 to 8. Feeds like typical sandpiper, often wading in breast deep and ducking head completely to thrust specialized bill under and around stones. On alarm, bobs head and wags posterior very like Greenshank.
FOOD; Insects, worms, mollusks, crustaceans.
CALL; loud ringing sandpiper like single whistle quickly repeated in flight.
SIZE; Pigeon; length (including long pointed tail) 40 cm (16 in).
FIELD CHARACTERS;overall yellowish green with long pinpointed tail and two conspicuous yellow bars in the black wings. Male with broad olive-green collar on hind neck and orange-pink wash on breast. Female without either, and with shorter tail.
STATUS, HABITAT, ETC; Resident, subject to local nomadism governed by fruiting season. Duars and foothills up to least 2500 m. Exclusively frugivouous and arboreal, only rarely descending to ground to drink. Flocks of 10 to 30 clamber about and feed among fruit-laden twigs, their plumage perfectly camouflaged in the foliage.
FOOD: Drupes and berries; largely wild figs.
CALL; A range of mellow musical whistles similar to those of the Wedge tailed species.
WEDGETAILED GREEN PIGEON
SIZE; Pigeon; length 35 cm (14 in).
FIELD CHARACTERS; Yellowish green, similar to pin tailed green pigeon but with tapering wedge-shaped tail instead of pinpointed and parakeet-like. Male. Above, crown tinged with orange-rufous; mantle largely maroon. Below, chin and throat yellow, breast pale orange-pink. Female like male but without rufous crown or maroon mantle.
STATUS, HABITAT, ETC; resident, subject to spatial and altitudinal nomadism depending on fruiting season: duars and foothills, up to 2500 m. Affects broad-leaved forest. Gregarious, frugivorous, arboreal. Flocks of 6 to 15 or so, sometimes in feeding association with Pin tailed. Habits and food of the two very similar.
CALL: also similar-a series of mellow, musical, wandering whistles roughly rendered as ko-kla-oi-oi-oilli-oilli-kia.
Go To Page: 1
