Chhari Dhand Wetland Reserve Part IX: Birds I : तीतर (Teetar), बटेर (Bater) and more

  Chhari Dhand is a seasonal marshy wetland in Banni grasslands (see the intro post explaining about Banni and Chhari Dhand here) on the southern edge of the Great Rann of Kutch. The seasonal lake is home to a large number of birds in winter including Pheasants and Partridges (See previous posts on Great White Pelicans, Common Cranes, Water Birds, II, Cormorants, Oriental Darter and Painted Stork). This post contains pics of few such birds.

Grey Francolin (तीतर)

    Grey Francolin:   Francolins are plump game birds with rounded tails and wings. The Grey Francolin is a species of francolin found in the plains and drier parts of the Indian subcontinent and Iran. They are normally found foraging on bare or low grass covered ground in scrub and open country. They are rarely found above an altitude of 500 m above sea level in India.

   Gray francolins, however, are able to survive for long periods of time without drinking free-flowing water; they rely heavily on dew and moisture obtained from consumption of succulent vegetation and insects.

   Their Hindi name of 'teetar' is based on their calls, a loud and repeated 'Ka-tee-tar...tee-tar' which is produced by one or more birds. The term 'teetar' also refer to other partridges; quails and pheasants.

   During the breeding season calling males attract challengers, and decoys were used to trap these birds especially for fighting. The species has long been domesticated in areas of northern Indian subcontinent where it was used for fighting. They were hunted using low nets and easily caught using calling decoy birds. these francolins were introduced for recreational hunting to several U.S. states during the 1950s and 1960s.

   They are weak fliers and fly short distances, escaping into undergrowth after a few spurts of flight. They prefer to run for cover rather than to fly !!!

'Teetar ke do aagey teetar'

(Refers to a Hindi tongue twisting riddle made famous by a Bollywood song)

Range: Endemic to Indian Sub-continent and southern Iran coast.

Gear: Nikon D7200 with AF-S Nikkor 200 - 500mm F/5.6E ED VR

Exif: 480mm, f/5.6, 1/1600 sec, ISO 400

DoP: Nov 22

Loc: Chhari Dhand, Kutch, Gujarat, India

   An extremely interesting poetry by Sridhar Pathak, an Indian Poet, which very aptly describes the Grey Francolin. The line by line transliteration for the benefit of non-hindi readers is by yours truly.

लड़को, इस झाड़ी के भीतर,                   Boys, inside this bush,

छिपा हुआ है जोड़ा तीतर।                      is hidden a pair of Teetar;

फिरते थे यह अभी यहीं पर,                    roaming were they here right now,

चारा चुगते हुए जमीं पर।                        feeding on seeds on the ground;

एक तीतरी है इक तीतर,                        There's a Teetari (female) and a Teetar,

हमें देखकर भागे भीतर।                        Seeing us they ran inside;

आओ, इनको जरा डराकर,                    Come, lets scare them a little,

ढेला मार निकालें बाहर।                        and flush them out by throwing a stone;

यह देखो, वह दोनों भागे,                        Look here, they both are running, 
खड़े रहो चुप, बढ़ो न आगे।                     Keep standing silently, do not move ahead;

अब सुन लो इनकी गिटकारी,                  Now listen to their tweeting,
एक अनोखे ढंग की प्यारी।                     Lovely in an unique way;

तीइत्तड़-तीइत्तड़-तीइत्तड़-तीइत्तड़,           Tee ee Tar(d) - Tee ee Tar(d) - Tee ee Tar(d) - Tee ee Tar(d)
नाम इसी से इनका तीतर।                      Named that's why they are Teetar.

Common Quail (बटेर)

    Common Quail:    The common quail or Bater (in Hindi) is a small ground-nesting game bird of the pheasant family. It is mainly migratory, breeding in the Europe, Russia etc and wintering in Africa and southern India.

    Birds that winter in C & S India migrate through NW Pakistan, before dispersing throughout Indian Subcontinent. With its characteristic call of three repeated chirps (repeated in quick succession), this species of quail is more often heard than seen.

    It is notoriously difficult to see, keeping hidden in crops, and reluctant to fly, preferring to creep away instead. Even when flushed, it keeps low and soon drops back into cover. Often the only indication of its presence is the distinctive "wet-my-lips" repetitive song of the male.

    The below pic is of a female. The female is generally slightly heavier than the male.

Common Quail (Female), a bird more heard than seen, at Chhari Dhand

Range: Endemic to Indian Sub-continent and southern Iran coast.

Gear: Nikon D7200 with AF-S Nikkor 200 - 500mm F/5.6E ED VR

Exif: 500mm, f/5.6, 1/1600 sec, ISO 450

DoP: Nov 22

Loc: Chhari Dhand, Kutch, Gujarat, India

Hoopoe

   Hoopoe:   The species is highly distinctive, with its erectile crest which is fan shaped when erect, long gently curved thin tapering bill, black and white zebra markings on its back, wings and tail contrasting with its fawn colour. Surprisingly I have seen many an urban people in India, excitedly declaring it a Woodpecker!

   It has a tall erectile crest and spends most of the time on the ground probing for grubs and insects.  The strengthened musculature of the head allows the bill to be opened when probing inside the soil.

   They were considered sacred in Ancient Egypt, and were "depicted on the walls of tombs and temples". The hoopoe also appears in the Quran and is known as the "Hudhud", which is its Hindi name too.

   

   In the Torah, hoopoes were listed among the animals that are detestable and should not be eaten. i.e. as not kosher, but however (or maybe therefore), the hoopoe was chosen as the national bird of Israel. Interestingly, the incubating and brooding female and the glands of nestlings as well, produce a foul-smelling liquid. These secretions are rubbed into the plumage. The secretion, which smells like rotting meat, is thought to help deter predators, as well as deter parasites and possibly act as an antibacterial agent. Its nest is also notorious for its filthiness besides the stench. 

   Did this foul smell like rotting meat land up the Hoopoe as 'not' Kosher ?!, 🤔

A Hoopoe in morning light at Chhari Dhand

Gear: Nikon D7200 with AF-S Nikkor 200 - 500mm F/5.6E ED VR

Exif: 460mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec, ISO 1250

DoP: Nov 22

Loc: Chhari Dhand, Kutch, Gujarat, India

Greater Short-toed (?) Lark

Greater Short-toed Lark:   This species is a fairly common wanderer to northern and western Europe in spring and autumn. All but some southernmost populations are migratory, wintering south to the southern edge of the Sahara and India. The subspecies which winters in South Asia mainly in the drier zone of north-western India, breeds in Ukraine, Mongolia and Manchuria. Reported as causing damage to cultivations of pearl millet on wintering grounds in NW India (Rajasthan). They visit parts of South Asia in large flocks during winter and are sometimes attracted to short grass areas along aerodromes and become a bird strike risk to aircraft.

A Lark (Greater Short-toed Lark ?) with incriminating evidence on its beak at Chhari Dhand

Gear: Nikon D7200 with AF-S Nikkor 200 - 500mm F/5.6E ED VR

Exif: 500mm, f/5.6, 1/1600 sec, ISO 400

DoP: Nov 22

Loc: Chhari Dhand, Kutch, Gujarat, India

That's all in this post folks, stay tuned for more...