Woolly-necked Stork and Rufous-backed Shrike

2014-08-12 3

1. Woolly-necked Stork:

The Woolly-necked Stork, Bishop Stork or White-necked Stork (Ciconia episcopus) is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It can also be known as the Episcopos.The Woolly-necked Stork is a large bird, typically 85 cm tall. It is glistening black with black 'skull cap',white neck and white lower belly. The upper parts are glossed dark green, and the breast and belly have a purple hue.It has long red legs and heavy blackish bill.Sexes are alike. Juvenile birds are duller versions of the adult. It is a widespread tropical species which breeds in Asia, from India to Indonesia, and also in Africa. It is a resident breeder in wetlands with trees. The Woolly-necked Stork is a broad winged soaring bird, which relies on moving between thermals of hot air for sustained long distance flight. Like all storks, it flies with its neck outstretched.

2. Rufous-backed Shrike (Lahtora) :

The Long-tailed Shrike or Rufous-backed Shrike (Lanius schach) is a member of the bird family Laniidae, the shrikes. They are found widely distributed across Asia and there are variations in plumage across the range. The species ranges across much of Asia, both on the mainland and the eastern archipelagos. The eastern or Himalayan subspecies, L. s. tricolor, is sometimes called the Black-headed Shrike. Although there are considerable differences in plumage among the subspecies, they all have a long and narrow black tail, have a black mask and forehead, rufous rump and flanks and a small white patch on the shoulder. It is considered to form a superspecies with the Grey-backed Shrike (Lanius tephronotus) which breeds on the Tibetan Plateau.


3. Black-winged Kite :

The Black-winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus) is a small diurnal bird of prey in the family Accipitridae best known for its habit of hovering over open grasslands in the manner of the much smaller kestrels. This Eurasian and African species was sometimes combined with the Australian Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris) and the White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus) of North and South America which together form a superspecies. This kite is distinctive, with long-wings, white, grey and black plumage and owl like forward-facing eyes with red irises. Although mainly seen on the plains, they are sometimes seen on grassy slopes of hills in the higher elevation regions of Asia. They are not migratory, but make short-distance movements in response to weather.

Source : Wikipedia

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