Flight of the Eurasian spoonbill. Reminds one of early propeller craft which used to have wings on the nose. Note the yellowish colouring on the fore-neck extending to the base of the beak. Some may find a resemblance with a F-1 car, especially the nose-cowl. Flocks usually fly in stately fashion, either in a V-formation or in diagonal straight lines sweeping across the sky.
Eurasian spoonbill : Platalea
leucorodia
Hindi: Chamach baza; Sanskrit: Shwet aati; Telugu:
Gante mukku konga
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Main features: Tall bird, white feathered;
during breeding season sports orangish-rust like chest feathers, yellowish-rust
coloured front of neck, and a crest on the back of its head and upper neck; and
has black long legs. Its distinctive feature is a long black and yellow flat
bill, striped across its length and flared at its end – like tongs or spoon –
and often yellow-tipped.
Found usually near marshes and shallow lakes in flocks but may be
found individually too.
Generally utters low baritone grunts and ‘clacks’ its bill to
communicate.
Nests usually between July to November. Nests are made of sticks
and mud atop trees along water bodies.
Feeds by plunging its spoon/tongs shaped bill under water and
moving it side-to-side in a stirring motion to sift for snails, molluscs, fish,
tadpoles, frogs, insects and random veggie stuff found there.
It is threatened by activities of man through loss of habitat,
overfishing in lakes, air and water pollution and destruction of eggs. Also, it
is vulnerable to avian viral diseases.
Photographed at Keoladeo Ghana
National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India on 29.12.2013
Camera used: Nikon D5100 DSLR
with AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm VR Lens.
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