Bird Wise – think twice nish

Golden Oriole 1.1

Indian Golden Oriole

Scientific name – Oriolus Kundoo

Listen to the calls of Indian Golden Orioles here!

Conservation status – Least concern

The male Golden Oriole is a bright yellow colour bird, jet black plumage, and fully black wings. The picture above is of a juvenile male bird, can be known as the black patch around the eyes is missing which is found in an adult male bird.

As with many other birds, the female of the species is more dull-looking slightly greener in colour. Golden Orioles tend to be between 20 – 24 cm in height, have dark red eyes, and a fairly thick, pink beak that is curved slightly downwards at the end. The call is a screech like a jay, but the song is a beautiful fluting as heard in the link above.

Where are they found?

The Golden Oriole was properly named in the 18th century, it is said that the Romans could have been calling them Orioles as early as the 12th century. They are found throughout Europe and western Asia but also in parts of Africa. The Golden Oriole is a summer migrant which means it migrates north for the cooler summer climates, and flies back south to the tropics when the winter begins. The Golden Orioles is nearly always found in parks, orchards and gardens. They spend majority of time in tree canopies where their distinctive plumage helps them to remain hidden from lurking predators.

How is their living like?

The Golden Oriole breeds in the northern regions during the summer months, where courtship involves them chasing one another from tree to tree. The female Golden Oriole builds her nest, generally in the fork of a tree out of plant fibers and stems, in the shape of a shallow cup.

She lays between 3 and 6 eggs which hatch after an incubation period of between 15 and 18 days, that is conducted by the female. Once hatched, both Golden Oriole parents help to feed and look after their young, which will leave or fly away within 20 days. Golden Orioles usually live around 9 or 10 years.

The Golden Oriole is an omnivorous animal that primarily feeds on insects, fruits and seeds. The relatively thick, slightly curved beak of the Golden Oriole is the perfect shape for picking insects out of holes and plucking fruits off the branches.

The Golden Oriole also has wide, clawed feet which assist the Bird in holding onto the more tricky branches when it is trying to gather food. They also play a vital role in re-distributing the seeds from the fruits, throughout their native eco-systems.

Second in the series of Bird Wise is this Golden Oriole, check out the calls of the bird link for more pictures. All pictures have mainly been clicked before & during my exams in March 2016. Now this is how my study breaks look like! 😉

Pied Myna 1 Pied Myna
Locally Called – Gursal, Ablak, Ablaki Maina
Scientific name – Gracupica contra
Conservation status – Least Concern, instead population on a rise!

Pied Myna is a contrasting black and white bird, with the upper parts, throat and chest being black and the cheeks, lores (areas between the eyes and the bill), wing coverts and rump being white. The bare skin around the eyes are orange to reddish. The bill is yellowish with a reddish bill base. Males and females look alike.

They produce a wide repertoire of calls consisting of whistles, trills, buzzes, clicks and warbling notes. They make well known for their outstanding ability to mimic human speech and imitate tunes.

Where are they found?

Also called as Asian Pied Starlings occur naturally on the plains and low foothills of the Indian Subcontinent (South Asia) and Southeast Asia up to 2,300 feet (700 meters) above sea level. These starlings typically remain in areas with easy access to open water. Their diet mostly consists of insects, worms, spiders, etc. and various fruits. Over the last decades, they have expanded their territories. Populations of them have also established themselves in Dubai.

They have also adapted well to urban living and are often seen in cities and villages, and are generally seen in small groups. In urban environments, they are becoming so abundant that they are considered pests by many human residents. International union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN, 2006) recently listed them as among “100 of the World’s Most Invasive Species”.

How is their living like?

The breeding activities have been recorded between March and October. As the breeding season commences, flocks break up and birds pair up, although several pairs may breed in the same vicinity. The courtship ritual involves calling, fluffing of the feathers and head bobbing.

The nest is placed on a large tree (often banyan, mango, jackfruit or rosewood) or in urban areas, on man-made structures. It is loosely constructed out of straw into the shape of a dome with an entrance on the side.

A clutch consists of 4 – 6 glossy blue eggs, which are laid one every other day. The incubation usually starts after the third or fourth egg has been laid. The young hatch about 14 to 15 days later. The female broods the chicks for about two weeks, with the female staying at the nest during the night. The chicks are fed by both parents until they fledge about three weeks later. One instance of inter-specific feeding has been reported – where a Common Myna fed a young Asian Pied Starling.

I never get hungry while studying nor is mobile a distraction for me as food and tech exist in my life because of their necessity. My study table is right next to our french window and so the sound and view of these beautiful birds becomes my distraction. Pied Myna is just the start, stay tuned many more Birds coming up in this series of Bird WIse

Category: Bird Wise

Bird Wise – Indian Golden Oriole

Bird Wise – Pied Myna