Beautiful Birds from Kerala

It was my wife who made me the habit of watching and reading more on the birds found in Kerala. Actually I was least interested in these types of birds and  didn’t even know the local names of these birds.  My wife has helped me a lot to prepare this post . So let me dedicate this post to my loving wife. To make the post more precise I’ve  filtered the number of  birds to the minimum.

Thattekad Bird Sanctuary in Kerala is one of the world famous birds habitats. It is located in the Ernakulam district of Kerala, occupying an area of 25 sq km.Designed by a famous ornithologist, Dr Salim Ali, the Thattekad Bird Sanctuary is home to a large number of bird species like Bee-eater, Sunbird, Shrike, Black winged Kite, and the Night Heron. Also around 28 species of animals and nine species of reptile can also be spotted in this sanctuary.

The most common birds found around Kerala are Myna, Sandpiper, Blue Kingfisher, Darter, Cattle Egret, Hornbill, Little Green Heron, Spinetail Swift, Emerald Dove, Bluerock Pigeon, Shama, Magpie-Robin, Crow, Indian Treepie, Greater Racket-Tailed Drongo, Lesser Golden-Backed Woodpecker, Koel, Syke’s Crested Lark, Grey Jungle Fowl,  Brown Fish Owl, Pariah Kite, Indian Oriole, Orange Minivet, Weaver Bird, Nilgiri Wrenwarbler, Bulbul, Spotted Dove, Wood Owl, Babbler, Hoopoe.

Myna is one of the most common birds found around Kerala. It is also spelled as Mynah. It’s  scientific name is Acridotheres tristis. It is a species of bird native to Asia with its initial home range spanning from Iran, India and Kazakhstan to Malaysia and China.  The Myna has been introduced in many other parts of the world and its distribution range is on the increase to an extent that in 2000 the IUCN Species Survival Commission (IUCN) declared it as one of the just three birds among the World’s 100 worst invasive species.

The Common Kingfisher also known as Eurasian Kingfisher or River Kingfisher, is a small kingfisher with seven subspecies distributed across Eurasia and North Africa. One of this type is common in Kerala and it’s local name is ‘Ponman’.  This sparrow-sized bird has the typical short-tailed, large-headed kingfisher profile; it has blue upperparts, orange underparts and a long bill. It feeds mainly on fish, caught by diving, and has special visual adaptions to enable it to pursue its prey under water. The glossy white eggs are laid in a nest at the end of a burrow in a riverbank.  If another kingfisher enters its territory, both birds display from perches, and fights may occur, where a bird will grab the other’s beak and try to hold it under water.

‘Kokku’ or Cattle Egret is another common type of bird seen in kerala region. It is a cosmopolitan species of heron (family Ardeidae) found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Bubulcus, although some authorities regard its two subspecies as full species.   Originally native to parts of Asia, Africa and Europe, it has undergone a rapid expansion in its distribution and successfully colonised much of the rest of the world.

Blue rock pigeon is a familiar slaty grey bird with glistening metallic green, purple and magenta sheen on neck and the upper breast. It has two dark bars on wings and a band across the end of tail. Both the sexes are alike. It can be see in flocks and colonies moving about cliffs and human inhabitations. It feeds on cereals, pulses, groundnuts etc. Their nesting season is undefined. Its nest is a flimsy collection of a few sticks on a ledge or in a fissure or cliff, or on rafters and ceilings of dwelling houses.

Indian Treepie is a common bird found in Kerala slightly smaller than the European Magpie (Pica pica) and has somewhat shorter, more rounded wings and a proportionately longer tail. The bill is shorter and thicker too, and slightly downcurved, and the legs are shorter. The head, neck and breast are a deep slate-grey colour, sometimes slightly brownish. It is extremely agile while searching for food, clinging and clambering through the branches and will sometimes travel in small mixed hunting parties with unrelated species such as drongos and babblers.

The Brahminy Kite also known as the Red-backed Sea-eagle, is a medium-sized bird of prey . They are found primarily in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Australia.The Brahminy Kite is distinctive and contrastingly coloured, with chestnut plumage except for the white head and breast and black wing tips. The Brahminy Kite is about the same size as the Black Kite and has a typical kite flight, with wings angled, but its tail is rounded unlike the Milvus species, Red Kite and Black Kite, which have forked tails.

Another beautiful bird seen around Kerala is Magpie-Robin, a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but now considered an Old World flycatcher. They are distinctive black and white birds with a long tail that is held upright as they forage on the ground or perch conspicuously. Distributed in many parts of tropical South and Southeast Asia, they are common birds in urban gardens as well as forests. They are particularly well known for their songs and were once popular as cagebirds.This magpie-robin is a resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from Bangladesh, interior India, Sri Lanka and eastern Pakistan east to Indonesia, Thailand, south China and the Philippines.

My pet dogs

There are varieties of pet animals. But the real and most popular pet is, no doubt, dog. I wonder why people love dogs more. May be, this animal is the one which love men more. If you are interested to have a pet dog, there are many important things to notice. Especially their breed, nature and like so. In dogs there are different kinds of breeds like companion dogs, guard dogs etc. Each breed is different from other in appearance and habits. I hope this post may help you to go deep in these things.

Breeds are usually categorized by the functional type from which the breed was developed. The basic types are Companion dogs (does not work, providing only Companionship as a pet. Example Pomeranian), Guard dogs (employed to guard against, and watch for, unwanted or unexpected people or animals. Eg Bulldog, Boxer, Chow Chow, Doberman, German shepherd,Rottweile Shar Pei. Hunting dogs (assists humans in hunting. Example Retriever,Poodle), Pastoral dogs (to work livestock. Example Bearded Collie) and Sled dogs (used to pull a wheel-less vehicle on runners over snow or ices. Example Chinook).

Shar Pei hunting dog known for its Distinctive features of deep wrinkles and a blue-black tongue. Schnauzer is a German dog. Basset Hound is a short-legged dog. Chihuahua is the smallest dog in the world. Boston Terrier is a breed of dog of the Terrier dog type, originating in the United States of America. Poodle is regarded as one of the most intelligent breeds of dog. Basenji is a hunting dog

German shepherd is a large-sized dog that Developed originally for herding sheep. Their strength, intelligence and obedience often see them employed in police and military roles in forces around the world. Boxer is stocky, medium-sized, short-haired dog. Bulldog is a type of dog which traces its ancestry to England.

Doberman is a domestic dog. Doberman is well known as an intelligent, Alert and loyal companion dog. Labrador retriever is the most popular breed of dog in the world. St. Bernard is a working dog from the Swiss Alps, for rescue. Chow Chow -It is believed that the Chow Chow was the original model for the Chinese guardian lion. Dalmatian is noted for its white coat with either black or liver spots. Greyhound is a hunting dog, a soft and intelligent, fastest breed. That often becomes attached to its owners. Bearded Collie is a herding breed of dog, once used primarily by Scottish shepherds, but now mostly a popular family companion.

Amidst all these dogs, I like Pomeranian dogs more. In my opinion Pomeranian dogs are better than most of the dogs in many ways. The most important features of the Pomeranians are following. Pomeranian is characterized by long, thick, and often white fur, and pointed ears and muzzles. The tail is usually curled over the dog’s back. Pomeranians are typically very friendly, playful and active. The breed is very protective of their owners and loves to be around them. They are very intelligent and are easily housebroken and trained. Pomeranians socialize well with other dogs,animals and people. Although many people believe Pomeranian to be a lap dog, the breed
typically does not like to be held or sit on a person’s lap for very long periods of time.

Elephant

Elephants are mammals, and the largest land animals alive today.  There are three living species: the African Bush Elephant, the African Elephant and the Asian Elephant (also known as the Indian Elephant).

The word “elephant” has its origins in the Greek ,meaning “ivory” or “elephant”. The elephant’s gestation period is 22 months, the longest of any land animal. At birth it is common for an elephant calf to weigh 120 kilograms. An elephant may live as long as 70 years, sometimes longer. The largest elephant ever recorded was shot in Angola in 1956. This male weighed about 12,000 kg , with a shoulder height of 4.2 m , a metre taller than the average male African elephant. The smallest elephants, about the size of a calf or a large pig, were a prehistoric species that lived on the island of Crete during the Pleistocene epoch.

Elephants are symbols of wisdom in Asian cultures, and are famed for their memory and high intelligence, and are thought to be on par with cetaceans and hominids. Aristotle once said the elephant was “the beast which passeth all others in wit and mind.”

Elephants are increasingly threatened by human intrusion and poaching. Once numbering in the millions, the African elephant population has dwindled to between 470,000 and 690,000 individuals. The elephant is now a protected species worldwide, with restrictions in place on capture, domestic use, and trade in products such as ivory. Elephants generally have no natural predators, although lions may take calves and occasionally adults. In some areas, lions may regularly take to preying on elephants.

African elephants

The Elephants of the genus Loxodonta, known collectively as African elephants, are currently found in 37 countries in Africa. African elephants are distinguished from Asian elephants in several ways, the most noticeable being their ears. Africans’ ears are much larger. The African is typically larger than the Asian and has a concave back. Both African males and females have external tusks and are usually less hairy than their Asian cousins.

African elephants have traditionally been classified as a single species comprising two distinct subspecies, namely the savanna elephant and the forest elephant , but recent DNA analysis suggests that these may actually constitute distinct species. While this split is not universally accepted by experts a third species of African elephant has also been proposed.

The Asian elephant

The Asian elephant is smaller than the African. It has smaller ears, and typically, only the males have large external tusks. The world population of Asian elephants – also called Indian Elephants or Elephas maximus – is estimated to be around 60,000, about a tenth of the number of African elephants. More precisely, it is estimated that there are between 38,000 and 53,000 wild elephants and between 14,500 and 15,300 domesticated elephants in Asia with perhaps another 1,000 scattered around zoos in the rest of the world.The Asian elephants‘ decline has possibly been more gradual with the causes primarily being poaching and habitat destruction by human encroachment.

Body characteristics

Trunk

The proboscis, or trunk, is a fusion of the nose and upper lip, elongated and specialized to become the elephant’s most important and versatile appendage. African elephants are equipped with two fingerlike projections at the tip of their trunk, while Asians have only one. According to biologists, the elephant’s trunk may have over forty thousand individual muscles in it, making it sensitive enough to pick up a single blade of grass, yet strong enough to rip the branches off a tree. Some sources indicate that the correct number of muscles in an elephant’s trunk is closer to one hundred thousand.

Tusks

The tusks of an elephant are its second upper incisors. Tusks grow continuously; an adult male’s tusks will grow about 18 cm a year. Tusks are used to dig for water, salt, and roots; to debark trees, to eat the bark; to dig into baobab trees to get at the pulp inside; and to move trees and branches when clearing a path. In addition, they are used for marking trees to establish territory and occasionally as weapons.

Teeth

Elephants’ teeth are very different from those of most other mammals. Over their lives they usually have 28 teeth. These are:

* The two upper second incisors: these are the tusks.
* The milk precursors of the tusks.
* 12 premolars, 3 in each side of each jaw.
* 12 molars, 3 in each side of each jaw.

Unlike most mammals, which grow baby teeth and then replace them with a permanent set of adult teeth, elephants have cycles of tooth rotation throughout their entire life. After one year the tusks are permanent, but the molars are replaced six times in an average elephant’s lifetime.

Skin

Elephants are called pachyderms, which means thick-skinned animals. An elephant’s skin is extremely tough around most parts of its body and measures about 2.5 centimetres thick. However, the skin around the mouth and inside of the ear is paper thin. Normally, the skin of an Asian is covered with more hair than its African counterpart. This is most noticeable in the young. Asian calves are usually covered with a thick coat of brownish red fuzz. As they get older, this hair darkens and becomes more sparse, but it will always remain on their heads and tails.

Legs and Feet

An elephant’s legs are great straight pillars, as they must be to support its bulk. The elephant needs less muscular power to stand because of its straight legs and large pad-like feet. For this reason an elephant can stand for very long periods of time without tiring. In fact, African elephants rarely lie down unless they are sick or wounded. Indian elephants, in contrast, lie down frequently.

The feet of an elephant are nearly round. African elephants have three nails on each hind foot, and four on each front foot. Indian elephants have four nails on each hind foot and five on each front foot. Beneath the bones of the foot is a tough, gelatinous material that acts as a cushion or shock absorber. Under the elephant’s weight the foot swells, but it gets smaller when the weight is removed. An elephant can sink deep into mud, but can pull its legs out readily because its feet become smaller when they are lifted.

Ears

The large flapping ears of an elephant are also very important for temperature regulation. Elephant ears are made of a very thin layer of skin stretched over cartilage and a rich network of blood vessels. On hot days, elephants will flap their ears constantly, creating a slight breeze. This breeze cools the surface blood vessels, and then the cooler blood gets circulated to the rest of the animal’s body. The hot blood entering the ears can be cooled as much as ten degrees Fahrenheit before returning to the body. Differences in the ear sizes of African and Asian elephants can be explained, in part, by their geographical distribution. Africans originated and stayed near the equator, where it is warmer. Therefore, they have bigger ears. Asians live farther north, in slightly cooler climates, and thus have smaller ears.

Elephant calves

Elephant social life revolves around breeding and raising of the calves. A female will usually be ready to breed around the age of thirteen, at which time she will seek out the most attractive male to mate with. Females are generally attracted to bigger, stronger, and, most importantly, older males. Such a reproductive strategy tends to increase their offspring’s chances of survival.

After a twenty-two-month pregnancy, the mother will give birth to a calf that will weigh about 113 kg and stand over 76 cm tall. Elephants have a very long childhood. They are born with fewer survival instincts than many other animals. Instead, they must rely on their elders to teach them the things they need to know. Today, however, the pressures humans have put on the wild elephant populations, from poaching to habitat destruction, mean that the elderly often die at a younger age, leaving fewer teachers for the young.

All members of the tightly knit female group participate in the care and protection of the young. Since everyone in the herd is related, there is never a shortage of baby-sitters. In fact, a new calf is usually the centre of attention for all herd members. All the adults and most of the other young will gather around the newborn, touching and caressing it with their trunks. The baby is born nearly blind and at first relies, almost completely, on its trunk to discover the world around it.

African v. Asian Elephants

African elephants have long been reputed to not be domesticable, but some entrepreneurs have succeeded by bringing Asian mahouts from Sri Lanka to Africa. In Botswana, Uttum Corea has been working with African elephants and has several young tame elephants near Gaborone. African elephants are more temperamental than Asian elephants, but are easier to train. Because of their more sensitive temperaments, they require different training methods than Asian elephants and must be trained from infancy hence Corea worked with orphaned elephants. African elephants are now being used for  safaris. Corea’s elephants are also used to entertain tourists and haul logs.

A tale from my God’s Own Country

You may have definitely heard of kerala, the God’s own country. If you wonder what else you can do beside cruising on the backwaters, getting an ayurvedic massage and messing with the sands, you should reshuffle your thoughts, because aptly you are in God’s own country. You will always find something or the other to elevate your spirits – be it mist-clad mountains or handsomely decorated elephants at Thrissur. ‘Puram’, the most colourful temple festival of Thrissur (or Trichur, as is known locally), attracts thousands of people to witness the grand elephant procession. Apparantly, no celebration in Kerala is complete without an elephant pageant. The gentle pachyderm has been revered a noble position and accorded the privilege of fetching numerous gods and goddesses of this land. Interestingly, many well-to-do families in Kerala, until a few years ago, owned an elephant which was considered as a member of the household.

A Festival For The People, By The People And With The People

Considered to be a people’s festival, the ‘Pooram’ is held at the Thekkinkadu Maidan outside the Vadakkunathan Temple in the Malayali month of Medam (April-May). Beautifully caparisoned elephants in two processions representing the Thiruvambadi and Paramekkavu temples, compete to create impressive sights and sounds. The celebration eventuates in the early hours of the dawn and continues till the break of the next day. Each group is allowed to perform with a maximum of fifteen elephants and extensive efforts are made by each party to insure the best elephants of South India and the most colourful and artistic cloaks, several kinds of which are raised on the elephants during the display.

The commissioning of elephants and parasols is done while maintaining an utmost secrecy by each party to surpass the other. The mammoths decorated with gold ornaments, each ridden with three priests, are a splendid sight to behold. Tourists can crowd at the maidan with their loved ones and see the elephants stand still, ears flapping nonchalantly. Soon a magnificent work of fireplay will enchant you as hundreds of cylindrical drums of the Chenda Melam orchestra rise to a deafning crescendo. The procession of the Thiruvambadi Pooram to the grounds of Vadakkunnatha Temple and back is not only fascinating, but much more than that. Listen to the magical euphony of the ‘Panchavadyam’, a combination of five percussion and wind instruments, a joy to the ears that is to be felt to be described. The revelry continues all night with the Vadakkunathan Temple act as a backdrop in a blaze of coloured lights.

Choose Your Way

The Thrissur ‘Puram’ being one of the most celebrated festivals of this southern state of Kerala, attracts thousands of spectators during the festive time. Special KSRTC buses are also regulated between Thrissur and other destinations like Guruvayur, Ernakulam, Palakkad, Coimbatore, Kozhikode and Trivandrum. The nearest airhead is the Cochin International Airport at Nedumbassery, 45 km from Thrissur. One can fly upto there, then get a cab to reach the festive destination. However, if you are planning to come from Ernakulam (79 km) or Trivandrum (275 km), you have to drive on NH 47 that links Salem to Kanyakumari.

Love Birds

I think the word love birds itself makes some sort of lovely feeling to us. My friend Faizal is very interested in love birds. He has a beautiful nest and  three or four pairs of love birds. Some days ago ,I just went there. Since then I was searching on the subject. I think you people can help me by providing more beautiful pictures , text etc.

Lovebirds are small, stocky versions of parrots, with a large hooked upper beak . The most common lovebird species here (and maybe worldwide) is the charming Peach-faced Lovebird. Although the striking-looking black-masked lovebirds are also widely available.

Their voice apparatus allows a wide range of articulations, including the imitation of the human voice. Although they are not known to be great talkers; and most never learn to talk at all. Eight of the nine lovebird species come from Africa, the remaining one from Madagascar.

Lovebirds make lively and energetic pet birds. They are available in a variety of colors and are playful and often boisterous birds. African Love Birds require an owner who is willing to provide the care and attention this animated bird adores. Birds that do not receive this attention become prone to behavioral problems, including feather picking.

Description

Lovebirds are about 13-17 cm in size, 40-60 grams in weight, which puts them among the smallest parrots in the world. They are characterized by a small, stocky build and a short, blunt tail. The beak is rather large for their overall size.

Many lovebirds are green, although color mutations can feature many different colors. Some lovebird species, like the Black-masked Lovebirds, Fischer’s, black cheeked, and the yellow-collared lovebird, have a white ring around the eye. Their average life span is between 10-12 years with some living even longer. The oldest recorded lovebird lived 17 years, and we have had one person state that their lovebird has lived for 25 years.
Lovebirds are some of the most fascinating little parrots! They are active, cheerful and beautifully decorative!

The petite ‘pocket parrots’ are very intriguing! Though lovebirds are not going to learn a lot of tricks or necessarily want to have a lot of handling, they are very flamboyant, very social with both their keepers and their mate, and are wonderful birds to observe and enjoy.

Lovebirds are very suited to captivity. Not only do they have a good disposition, these charming, brilliantly colored little pets are very hardy and easy to care for. They can also provide you with a successful breeding experience.

The different species of lovebird are identifiable by their colors and markings. They vary greatly in their coloring, and each species can be viewed for their unique combinations. Younger birds are duller in color and they have black in their beaks. The young birds coloring intensifies as they reach maturity. Regardless of the species, mature lovebirds are gorgeous parrots!

Care and feeding:

Most lovebirds love a bath either in a flat earthenware dish or by spraying them with a light mist of lukewarm water. If you use a bathing dish, you will see the birds perch on the edge and dip their heads and upper bodies in the water and beating their wings. They prefer this kind of bath to getting into the water.

Lovebirds generally maintain their nails and beaks on their own through climbing and chewing. Another good use they make of their tree branches.In the wild, lovebirds feed on seeds, berries, fruits, grains, grasses, leaf buds, and agricultural crops of corn, maize and figs.

Foods available for Lovebirds include formulated diets, either pelleted or extruded, seed only diets, and small parrot mixes which offer a mixture of both. There are pros and cons to feeding only a formulated diet as well as feeding only a seed diet. A formulated diet provides a good nutritional base so does not require the addition of vitamins, however many parrots become bored with it due to the lack of variety. A seed only diet offers much more variety but requires additional vitamin and calcium supplements. Lovebirds need not only nutritional requirements met but also variety for psychological enrichment.

A love birds’s diet will consist of 1 1/2 to 2 ounces (45-60 grams) of feed daily for a single bird. A diet consisting of a small parrot mix along with a variety of supplements and vitamins is generally regarded as suitable; also a formulated diet along with greens, fruits, and vegetable supplements but without additional vitamins is also regarded as suitable, and is a more current trend.

Supplements include fresh vegetables, greens, tree branches for the bark, some fruits, and millet spray. Some of the fruit supplements include berries, apples, grapes, pears, bananas, and kiwi. Some of the greens and vegetable supplements include spinach, endive, watercress, chickweed, radish,parsley, dandelions, carrot tops, corn on the cob, peas, endive, field lettuce, and various garden herbs. Additional proteins can be offered such as nuts, try some unshelled peanuts as well as hazelnuts, walnuts, Brazil nuts, and chestnuts. Vitamins can be added to the food or drinking water. A cuttlebone, or gravel and oyster shell in a separate dish can be offered to provide calcium. Do not feed avocado as it can be toxic to birds!

Their food and water dishes are best if earthenware or porcelain as they will get gnawed if plastic. Lovebirds drink a lot of water, so will need fresh drinking water every day.

Housing:

Lovebirds are very active birds, so a cage best suited to adequately house them must provide a lot of space. A minimum of 32 x 20 x 20 (81 x 50 x 50 cm) per pair of birds is recommended with about four perches, feed and water dishes and an area for a bath. When you use a small cage, you must let your pet out daily to fly around.

If you are housing pairs of lovebirds here are a few guidelines: Try to house only one species of lovebird as mixing species can cause serious fights. House either one pair of lovebirds or three pairs, never two pairs or there will be fighting. Each pair needs about 35 cubic feet of space.

A roomy indoor aviary, a bird room, or an outdoor aviary (depending on your area) are all good choices. The aviary needs plenty of light and fresh air. The outdoor aviary needs to have a protected shelter that can be heated and cooled where necessary. Flights are recommended to be a minimum of 6′ x 6′ x 3′ (183 x 183 x 91 cm) with plenty of perches or branches at least 1 1/2″ (15 cm) thick.

Lovebirds like special resting places. Nest boxes placed up high, all at the same level and all of the same type work well and help prevent fights. A nest box for a lovebird is 8″ x 8″ x 8″ (20 x 20 x 20 cm) or 10″ x 6″ x 6″ (25 x 15 x 15 cm).

Maintenance:

The basic cage care includes daily cleaning of the water and food dishes. Weekly you should clean and disinfect the cage. Wash and completely dry the perches and toys whenever they become soiled. Sand floors should be renewed annually.

Social Behaviors:

Lovebirds are very social birds. Generally is thought that it is essential for their good health and happiness that they be kept in pairs, not singly. If you have a single lovebird, you must provide the necessary social interaction that it is missing from another bird. These birds develop fierce loyalties to their keeper or their mate.

Hello friends, me and friends are really interested in love birds,so if you can provide more information please write back . And if this post help you in some way to improve your nursing in love birds , please do comment.