Birds of the Indian Hills Part 6

The grey quail (_Coturnix communis_) is a common bird of the Himalayas during a few days only in the year. Large numbers of these birds rest in the fields of ripening grain in the course of their long migratory flight. Almost as regularly as clockwork do they appear in the Western Himalayas early in October on their way south, and again in April on their northward journey. By walking through the terraced fields at those times with a gun, considerable bags of quail can be secured.

These birds migrate at night. Writing of them, Hume said: "One moonlight night about the third week in April, standing at the top of Benog, a few miles from Mussoorie, a dense cloud many hundred yards in length and fifty yards, I suppose, in breadth of small birds swept over me with the sound of a rus.h.i.+ng wind. They were not, I believe, twenty yards above the level of my head, and their quite unmistakable call was uttered by several of those nearest me as they pa.s.sed."

We must now consider the partridges that patronise the hills. The species most commonly met with in the Himalayas is the chakor (_Caccabis chucar_). In appearance this is very like the French or red-legged partridge, to which it is related. Its prevailing hue is pale reddish brown, the particular shade varying greatly with the individual. The most striking features of this partridge are a black band that runs across the forehead to the eyes and then down the sides of the head round the throat, forming a gorget, and a number of black bars on each flank. The favourite haunts of the chakor are bare gra.s.sy hillsides on which a few terraced fields exist. Chakor are noisy birds.

The note most commonly heard is the double call from which their name is taken.

The black partridge or common francolin (_Francolinus vulgaris_) is abundant on the lower ranges of the Himalayas. At Mussoorie its curious call is often heard. This is so high-pitched as to be inaudible to some people. To those who can hear it, the call sounds like _juk-juk-tee-tee-tur_. This species has the habit of feigning a broken wing when an enemy approaches its young ones. The c.o.c.k is a very handsome bird. The prevailing hue of his plumage is black with white spots on the flanks and narrow white bars on the back. The feathers of the crown and wings are buff and dark brown. A chestnut collar runs round the neck, while each side of the head is adorned by a white patch. The whole plumage of the hen is coloured like the wings of the c.o.c.k.

The common hill-partridge (_Arboricola torqueola_) is a great skulker. He haunts dark densely jungled water-courses and ravines, and so is not likely to be seen about a hill-station; we will therefore pa.s.s him over without description.

THE CHARADRIIDae OR PLOVER FAMILY

In conclusion mention must be made of the woodc.o.c.k (_Scolopax rusticola_). This species, although it breeds throughout the Himalayas, usually remains during the summer at alt.i.tudes above those at which hill-stations are situate. The lowest height at which its nest has been found is, I believe, 9500 feet.

_THE COMMON BIRDS OF THE EASTERN HIMALAYAS_

The majority of the birds which are common in the Eastern Himalayas are also abundant in the western part of the range, and have in consequence been described already. In order to avoid repet.i.tion this chapter has been put into the form of a list. The list that follows includes all the birds likely to be seen daily by those who in summer visit Darjeeling and other hill-stations east of Nepal.

Of the birds which find place in the list only those are described which have not been mentioned in the essay on the common birds of the Western Himalayas.

Short accounts of all the birds that follow which are not described in this chapter are to be found in the previous one.

THE CORVIDae OR CROW FAMILY

1. _Corvus macrorhynchus_. The jungle-crow or Indian corby.

2. _Dendrocitta himalayensis_. The Himalayan tree-pie. Abundant.

3. _Graculus eremita_. The red-billed chough. In summer this species is not usually found much below elevations of 11,000 feet above the sea-level.

4. _Pyrrhocorax alpinus_. The yellow-billed chough. In summer this species is not usually seen at elevations below 11,000 feet.

5. _Garrulus bispecularis_. The Himalayan jay. Not so abundant as in the Western Himalayas.

6. _Parus monticola_. The green-backed t.i.t. A common bird. Very abundant round about Darjeeling.

7. _Machlolophus spilonotus_. The black-spotted yellow t.i.t. This is very like _M. xanthogenys_ (the yellow-cheeked t.i.t), which it replaces in the Eastern Himalayas. It is distinguished by having the forehead bright yellow instead of black as in the yellow-cheeked species. It is not very common.

8. _aegithaliscus erythrocephalus_. The red-headed t.i.t. Very common at Darjeeling.

9. _Parus atriceps_. The Indian grey t.i.t.

THE CRATEROPODIDae OR BABBLER FAMILY

Since most species of babblers are notoriously birds of limited distribution, it is not surprising that the kinds common in the Eastern Himalayas should not be the same as those that are abundant west of Nepal.

10. _Garrulax leucolophus_. The Himalayan white-crested laughing-thrush. This is the Eastern counterpart of the white-throated laughing-thrush (_Garrulax albigularis_). This species has a large white crest. It goes about in flocks of about a score. The members of the flock scream and chatter and make discordant sounds which some might deem to resemble laughter.

11. _Ianthocincla ocellata_. The white-spotted laughing-thrush.

This is the Eastern counterpart of _Ianthocincla rufigularis_. It has no white in the throat, and the upper plumage is spotted with white. It is found only at high elevations in summer.

12. _Trochalopterum chrysopterum_. The eastern yellow-winged laughing-thrush. This is perhaps the most common bird about Darjeeling. Parties hop about the roads picking up unconsidered trifles.

The forehead is grey, as is much of the remaining plumage. The back of the head is bright chestnut. The throat is chestnut-brown. The wings are chestnut and bright yellow.

13. _Trochalopterum squamatum_. The blue-winged laughing-thrush.

This is another common bird. Like all its clan it goes about in flocks.

Its wings are chestnut and blue.

14. _Grammatophila striata_. The striated laughing-thrush. A common bird, but as it keeps to dense foliage it is heard more often than seen. Of its curious cries Jerdon likens one to the clucking of a hen which has just laid an egg. The tail is chestnut. The rest of the plumage is umber brown, but every feather has a white streak along the middle. These white streaks give the bird the striated appearance from which it obtains its name.

15. _Pomatorhinus erythrogenys_. The rusty-cheeked scimitar-babbler.

16. _Pomatorhinus schisticeps_. The slaty-headed scimitar-babbler.

This is easily distinguished from the foregoing species by its conspicuous white eyebrow.

17. _Alcippe nepalensis_. The Nepal babbler or quaker-thrush. This is a bird smaller than a sparrow. As its popular name indicates, it is clothed in homely brown; but it has a conspicuous ring of white feathers round the eye and a black line on each side of the head, beginning from the eye. It is very common about Darjeeling. It feeds in trees and bushes, often descending to the ground. It utters a low twittering call.

18. _Stachyrhis nigriceps_. The black-throated babbler or wren-babbler. This is another small bird. Its general hue is olive brown. The throat is black, as is the head, but the latter has white streaks.

It is common about Darjeeling and goes about in flocks that keep to trees.

19. _Stachyrhidopsis ruficeps_. The red-headed babbler or wren-babbler. Another small bird with habits similar to the last.

An olive-brown bird with a chestnut-red cap. The lower parts are reddish yellow.

20. _Myiophoneus temmincki_. The Himalayan whistling-thrush. Common at Darjeeling.

21. _Lioptila capistrata_. The black-headed sibia, one of the most abundant birds about Darjeeling.

22. _Actinodura egertoni_. The rufous bar-wing. A bird about the size of a bulbul. It a.s.sociates in small flocks which never leave the trees.

Common about Darjeeling. A reddish brown bird, with a crest. There is a black bar in the wing.

23. _Zosterops palpebrosa_. The Indian white-eye.

24. _Siva cyanuroptera_. The blue-winged siva or hill-t.i.t. A pretty little bird, about the size of a sparrow. The head is blue, deeper on the sides than on the crown, streaked with brown. The visible portions of the closed wing and tail are cobalt-blue.

This species goes about in flocks and has all the habits of a t.i.t.

It utters a cheerful chirrup.

25. _Liothrix lutea_. The red-billed liothrix or hill-t.i.t, or the Pekin-robin. This interesting bird forms the subject of a separate essay.

26. _Ixulus flavicollis_. The yellow-naped ixulus. A small t.i.t-like bird with a crest. Like t.i.ts these birds a.s.sociate in small flocks, which move about amid the foliage uttering a continual twittering.