Birds

Drongos belong to the family Dicruridae and are found across the entire Indian Subcontinent. Whether it’s a mountain or desert, island or jungle, they are practically omnipresent; you can find at least one species in almost any habitat. I didn’t start with a specific target of photographing all 9 species of drongos found in India, but along my bird-watching journey, it came together nicely. One might say drongos are “easy” birds to get, but sometimes the easy ones become the toughest to find. If I had to rank the Indian drongo species by difficulty—from hardest to easiest—my list would look like this: ...

Introduction The Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher (Ficedula strophiata) is a small, active passerine native to the montane forests of the Himalayas and Southeast Asia. This bird possesses a hidden beauty from which it gets its scientific name “strophiata,” derived from the Ancient Greek word strophios, referring to a breastband or chest cord. Identification Male birds have olive-brown or slate-grey upperparts, a black face mask, a white supercilium and forehead, a prominent rufous-orange throat gorget (expandable in displays), white underparts, and a black tail with white outer bases. Females are comparatively duller, with a paler gorget, a less distinct white brow, and a slate-grey lower breast. ...

Barn owls are among the most widespread birds on Earth, found almost everywhere except Antarctica 🌍. In India, however, the one you often notice gliding silently over fields at dusk or perched in an old ruin 🏚️ is not just any barn owl—it’s a distinct subspecies, the Eastern Barn Owl (Tyto javanica stertens). 🌾 Meet the Indian Barn Owl If you’ve ever caught sight of a pale owl with a heart-shaped face ❤️ drifting low over farmland, you’ve likely encountered the Indian barn owl. This subspecies ranges across most of the Indian subcontinent and extends into Sri Lanka 🇮🇳🇱🇰. ...