NAME: Aqsa Parvaiz

2016-ag-489
Ecological notes: Golden oriole to Ringed plover
  Golden Oriole
Scientific classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Oriolidae
Genus: Oriolus
Species: O. oriolus

Fig 1.1
Physical appearance:
The male Golden Oriole is an incredibly colored bird, with striking yellow and jet black
plumage, and fully black wings. As with many other birds, the female of the species is more dull-
looking being slightly greener in color. Both however, are hard to spot in the canopy as they are
perfectly camouflaged amongst the leaves. Golden Orioles tend to be between 20 - 24 cm in
height.

Distribution and habitat:

The Golden Oriole is predominantly found throughout Europe and western Asia but also in parts

of Africa. The Golden Oriole is a summer migrant meaning that it migrates north for the cooler
summer climates, and flies back south to the tropics when the winter begins to emerge. The
Golden Oriole is nearly always found in well-timbered forests and woodland, along with parks,
orchards and gardens. They spend the majority of their time high in the tree canopy where their
distinctive plumage helps them to remain hidden from lurking predators.

Feeding:
The Golden Oriole is an omnivorous animals that primarily feeds on insects, fruits and seeds
high up in the tree canopy. 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.

Reproduction:

The Golden Oriole breeds in the more temperate northern regions during the summer months,
where courtship displays involve them chasing one another from tree to tree and through the
canopy. 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 predominantly conducted by the female.
Once hatched, both Golden Oriole parents help to feed and look after their young, which will
have left their nest (fledged) within 20 days. Golden Orioles usually live to be around 9 or 10
years old.

Ecological status:

They are threatened species in IUCN red list.

 Pygmy woodpecker

Scientific classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Order: Aves
Class: Piciformes
Family: Picidae
Genus: Dendrocopos
Species: D. moluccensis

Fig 1.2
Physical appearance:
It is a small sized woodpecker (Size range: 11.5-12.5 cm). Greyish brown capped head; ear
covers dark brown with two rather broad whitish grey bands narrowing towards neck. Upper
parts greyish brown with white wings tipped with white thus appearing striped. Tail short and
blackish with white bands. Lores and throat white leading into dirty white underparts. Upper
breast streaked with brown reducing towards vent. Whitish underwing coverts with pale brown.
Sexes dimorphic. Males have a reddish orange crown which is absent in females.

Distribution and habitat:

This woodpecker is found in Korea, northeastern China, southeastern Siberia, Sakhalin and Japan.

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical mangrove

forest, and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.

Feeding:

The majority of woodpecker species live up to their name and feed on insects and
other invertebrates living under bark and in wood, but overall the family is characterized by its
dietary flexibility, with many species being both highly omnivorous and opportunistic. The diet
includes ants, termites, beetles and their larvae, caterpillars, spiders, other arthropods, bird eggs,
nestlings, small rodents, lizards, fruit, nuts and sap. Many insects and their grubs are taken from
living and dead trees by excavation. The bird may hear sounds from inside the timber indicating
where it will be productive to create a hole.

Reproduction:

Members of Picidae are typically monogamous, with a few species breeding cooperatively and
some polygamy reported in a few species. Polyandry, where a female raises two broods with two
separate males, has also been reported in the West Indian woodpecker. Another unusual social
system is that of the acorn woodpecker, which is a polygynandrous cooperative breeder where
groups of up to 12 individuals breed and help to raise the young. Young birds from previous
years may stay behind to help raise the group's young, and studies have found reproductive
success for the group goes up with group size, but individual success goes down. Birds may be
forced to remain in groups due to a lack of habitat to disperse.

Ecological status:
They are least concern in IUCN red list.

 Common cuckoo

Scientific classification:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Cuculiformes

Family: Cuculidae

Genus: Cuculus

Species: C. canoru
Physical appearance:

The common cuckoo is 32–34 centimetres long from bill to tail (with a tail of 13–15 centimetres
and a wingspan of 55–60 centimetres. The legs are short.[6] It is greyish with a slender body
and long tail and can be mistaken for a falcon in flight, where the wingbeats are regular. During
the breeding season, common cuckoos often settle on an open perch with drooped wings and
raised tail. There is a rufous colour morph, which occurs occasionally in adult females but more
often in juveniles.

Distribution and habitat:

Essentially a bird of open land, the common cuckoo is a widespread summer migrant to Europe
and Asia, and winters in Africa. Birds arrive in Europe in April and leave in September. The
common cuckoo has also occurred as a vagrant in countries including Barbados, the United
States of America, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Indonesia, Palau, Seychelles, Taiwan
and China.

Feeding:

The common cuckoo's diet consists of insects, with hairy caterpillars, which are distasteful to
many birds, being a specialty of preference. It also occasionally eats eggs and chicks.

Breeding and reproduction:

The common cuckoo is a brood parasite; it lays its eggs in the nests of other birds. At the appropriate
moment, the hen cuckoo flies down to the host's nest, pushes one egg out of the nest, lays an egg and
flies off. The whole process takes about 10 seconds. A female may visit up to 50 nests during a breeding
season. Cuckoo eggs mimicking smaller eggs, in this case of reed warbler Common cuckoos first breed at
two years old.

Ecological status:

Least concern in IUCN red list.

 Laggar falcon
Scientific classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Falconidae
Genus: Falco
Species: F. jugger

Fig 1.4
Physical appearance:
Laggar falcons, sometimes called “Lugger falcons”, are mid-sized birds of prey, about 39
to 46 cm long, with a wingspan of 110 to 112 cm. Their backs, wings and tails are grey-
 brown to rusty-brown. Their white chests and bellies are speckled (not barred) with black
or dark brown spots. Their faces are white, with a dark stripe from their eyes downwards
across each cheek, and they have a dark rusty-brown to black cap. Beaks are greyish blue,
legs and feet are yellow. Females are slightly larger than males. Young birds are mostly
brown with white chins and throats and some white on the breast. The brown coloration
gradually disappears as the birds grow and moult. Laggar falcons are sometimes mistaken
for their cousins, Lanner falcons. However, Laggar falcons are larger. Their wings, long
and pointed, are aerodynamic in design and allow the birds to specialize in vertical dives. 
Distribution:
 Laggar falcons are found in southern Asia, in the northern and central parts of the Indian
sub-continent, from south-east Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan and
Bangladesh.
Habitat:
They are non-migratory, and tend not to stray from their territory in open country-sides,
sparsely wooded plains, or other fairly arid open areas. They can also be found in
cultivated or urban areas anywhere from sea-level to 1,000 m altitude. 

Food: 
Their primary food source is other birds which they usually catch in flight, as they do with
insects. They will also eat lizards, small mammals, and even occasionally carrion. Pairs will
sometimes hunt together, with one bird flushing out the prey, and the other bird catching it.
Reproduction and Development:
 
Pairs often stay together throughout the entire year, not just at breeding time. Breeding season
occurs from January to March, after which the hen will lay three to five, normally four, eggs that
are reddish brown and covered with speckles and splotches of darker hues. The nest is often in an
abandoned nest of a kite, eagle, or vulture. No renovations are done - the nest is used as it is
found. Nests are also built in tree cavities, on cliffs or even on buildings. The eggs incubate
approximately 30 days, and the chicks usually take their first flight at about 42 to 49 days old.
Ecological status:
Near threatened in ICUN red list.
 Black Cap
Scientific classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sylviidae
Genus: Sylvia
Species: S. articapilla

Fig 1.5
Physical appearance:
The blackcap is a mainly grey warbler with distinct male and female plumages.
The nominate subspecies is about 13 cm (5.1 in) long with a 7–8 cm wing length. The
weight is typically 16–25 g, but can be up to 31 g for birds preparing to migrate. The
adult male has olive-grey upperparts, other than a paler grey nape and a neat black cap on
the head. The underparts are light grey, becoming silvery white on the chin, throat and
upper breast. The tail is dark grey, with an olive tint to the outer edge of each feather. The
bill and long legs are grey, and the iris is reddish brown. The female resembles the male,
but has a reddish-brown cap and a slightly browner tone to the grey of the upperparts.
Juveniles are similar to the female, but their upperparts have a slight rufous tinge, and the
breast and flanks have a more olive tone; young males have a darker brown cap than their
female counterparts.
Distribution and habitat:
The continental breeding range of the blackcap lies between the 14–30° July isotherms,
and is occupied by the nominate subspecies, the other forms being restricted to islands or
fringe areas in the Caucasus and eastern Iberia. Birds on the Mediterranean and Atlantic
islands and in the milder west and south of the main Eurasian distribution often winter
within the nesting range, but populations elsewhere are migratory. The blackcap is a leap-
frog migrant; birds from the north of the breeding range travel furthest south, whereas
Mediterranean breeders move much shorter distances. The wintering areas overlap with
the breeding range, but also include extensive areas in West Africa, East Africa south
to Lake Malawi, and further north in Ethiopia, South Sudan and Eritrea.
Feeding habit:
The blackcap feeds mainly on insects during the breeding season, then switches to fruit in
late summer, the change being triggered by an internal biological rhythm. When migrants
arrive on their territories they initially take berries, pollen and nectar if there are
insufficient insects available, then soon switch to their preferred diet. They mainly pick
prey off foliage and twigs, but may occasionally hover, flycatch or feed on the ground.
Blackcaps eat a wide range of invertebrate prey, although aphids are particularly
important early in the season, and flies, beetlesand caterpillars are also taken in large
numbers. Small snails are swallowed whole, since the shell is a source of calcium for the
 bird's eggs. Chicks are mainly fed soft-bodied insects, fruit only being provided if
invertebrates are scarce.
Reproduction and development:
Blackcaps first breed when they are one year old, and are mainly monogamous, although
both sexes may sometimes deviate from this. A male attracts a female to his territory through
song[38] and a display involving raising the black crown feathers, fluffing the tail, slow wingbeats,
and a short flapping flight. He also builds one or more simple nests (cock nests), usually near his
songpost. The final nest, which may be one of the cock nests or built from scratch, is a neat cup
of roots, stems and grasses lined with fine material such as hair. The nest is typically 5.5 cm deep
and 10 cm across, and is built in the cover of bramble, scrubs or trees.[16] It is constructed mainly
by the female, and may be up to 4.5 m above the ground, although lower than 1 m (3.3 ft) is
more typical. The clutch is typically 4–6 eggs, which are usually buff with grey and brown
blotches and a few dark brown spots.
Ecological status:
Least concern in IUCN red list.

 House Martin
Scientific classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Hirundinidae
Genus: Delichon
Species: D. urbicum
 Fig 1.6
Physical appearance:
The adult common house martin of the western nominate race is 13 cm (5.1 in) long, with
a wing span of 26–29 cm (10–11 in) and a weight averaging 18.3 g (0.65 oz). It is steel-
blue above with a white rump, and white underparts, including the underwings; even its
short legs have white downy feathering. It has brown eyes and a small black bill, and its
toes and exposed parts of the legs are pink. The sexes are similar, but the juvenile bird is
sooty black, and some of its wing coverts and quills have white tips and edgings. D. u.
lagopodum differs from the nominate race in that its white rump extends much further
onto the tail, and the fork of its tail is intermediate in depth between that of D. u.
urbicum and that of the Asian house martin.
Distribution and habitat:

The preferred habitat of the common house martin is open country with low vegetation, such as
pasture, meadows and farmland, and preferably near water, although it is also found in
mountains up to at least 2,200 m altitude. It is much more urban than the barn swallow, and will
nest even in city centres if the air is clean enough. It is more likely to be found near trees than
other Eurasian swallows, since they provide insect food and also roosting sites. This species does
not normally use the reed-bed roosts favoured by migrating barn swallows. It uses similar open
habitats on the wintering grounds, but the common house martin is less conspicuous than
wintering barn swallows, tending to fly higher and be more nomadic. In the tropical parts of its
wintering range, like East Africa and Thailand, it appears to be mainly found in the higher areas.

Feeding:
 The common house martin is similar in habits to other aerial insectivores, including other
swallows and martins and the unrelated swifts, and catches insects in flight. In the
breeding areas, flies and aphids make up much of the diet, and in Europe, the house
martin takes a larger proportion of aphids and small flies than the barn swallow. As with
that species, hymenopterans, especially flying ants, are important food items in the
wintering area.
Reproduction:
The common house martin tends to breed colonially, and nests may be built in contact with
each other. A colony size of less than 10 nests is typical, but there are records of colonies
with thousands of nests. Four or five white eggs are usually laid, which average 1.9 cm in
size, and weigh 1.7 g (0.060 oz). The female does most of the incubation, which normally
lasts 14–16 days. The newly hatched chicks are altricial, and after a further 22–32 days,
depending on weather, the chicks leave the nest. The fledged young stay with, and are fed
by, the parents for about a week after leaving the nest. Occasionally, first-year birds from the
first brood will assist in feeding the second brood
Ecological status:
Least concern in IUCN red list.

 The barn owl

Scientific classification:

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Tytonidae
Genus: Tyto
Species: T. alba
 Fig 1.7
Physical appearance:

The barn owl is a medium-sized, pale-coloured owl with long wings and a short, squarish tail.
There is considerable size variation across the subspecies with a typical specimen measuring
about 33 to 39 cm in overall length, with a full range of 29 to 44 cm across the species. Barn
owls have a typical wingspan of some 80 to 95 cm (31 to 37 in), with a full range of 68 to
105 cm. Adult body mass is also variable with male owls from the Galapagos weighing
approximately 260 g (9.2 oz) on average while male eastern barn owls average 555 g (19.6 oz).
The full known weight range for the barn owl species can range from 224 to 710 g (7.9 to
25.0 oz).[17] In general, owls living on small islands are smaller and lighter, perhaps because they
have a higher dependence on insect prey and need to be more manoeuvrable.
Distribution and habitat:
The barn owl is the most widespread landbird species in the world, occurring in every continent
except Antarctica. Its range includes all of Europe (except Fennoscandia and Malta), most of
Africa apart from the Sahara, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Australia, many Pacific
Islands, and North, Central and South America. In general it is considered to be sedentary, and
indeed many individuals, having taken up residence in a particular location, remain there even
when better foraging areas nearby become vacant. In the British Isles, the young seem largely to
disperse along river corridors and the distance travelled from their natal site averages about
9 km.
feeding:
The diet of the barn owl has been much studied; the items consumed can be ascertained from
identifying the prey fragments in the pellets of indigestible matter that the bird regurgitates.
Studies of diet have been made in most parts of the bird's range, and in moist temperate areas
over 90% of the prey tends to be small mammals, whereas in hot, dry, unproductive areas, the
proportion is lower, and a great variety of other creatures are eaten depending on local
abundance. Most prey is terrestrial but bats and birds are also taken, as well
as lizards, amphibians and insects. Even when they are plentiful and other prey
scarce, earthworms do not seem to be consumed.
Reproduction:
Barn owls living in tropical regions can breed at any time of year, but some seasonality in
nesting is still evident. Where there are distinct wet and dry seasons, egg-laying usually takes
place during the dry season, with increased rodent prey becoming available to the birds as the
vegetation dies off. In arid regions, such as parts of Australia, breeding may be irregular and may
happen in wet periods, triggered by temporary increases in the populations of small mammals.
In temperate climates, nesting seasons become more distinct and there are some seasons of the
year when no egg-laying takes place. In Europe and North America, most nesting takes place
between March and June when temperatures are increasing.
Ecological status:
Barn owl are listed as endangered species in IUCN red list.
 Colibri:
Scientific classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
 Genus: Colibri
Species: C. coruscans

Fig 1.8

Physical appearance:

Sparkling Violetears measure in length from 5.1 to 5.5 inches (13 to 14 cm) - including their tail
of about 2.2 inches (5.6 cm). Its black, down-curved bill is about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long. Males
weigh between 0.27 to 0.3 ounces; females weigh between 0.24 to 0.26 ounces.They were named
for their sparkly bluish purple feathers from their beaks, to their ear feathers, which are long and
stiff. Its upper plumage is glossy green and the lower plumage is mostly green, except for a blue
belly. Its tail is aniridescent green with a blue band. Males and females look alike.

Distribution and habitat:

The sparkling violetear (Colibri coruscans) is a species of hummingbird. It is widespread in

highlands of northern and western South America, including a large part of
the Andes (from Argentina and northwards), the Venezuelan Coastal Range and the Tepuis. It
occurs in a wide range of semi-open habitats, even in gardens and parks within major cities such
as Quito, and is often the most common species of hummingbird in its range. The sparkling
violetear is most abundant near coniferous or evergreen eucalyptus forests. It is highly vocal
and territorial.

Feeding:
Hummingbirds may be popular summer visitors at nectar feeders, but they eat many other things.
Just as a good backyard feeding station will provide different types of birdseed and other suitable
foods, providing different hummingbird foods ensures that these beautiful birds never leave your
yard hungry.
Reproduction:
The beginning of the reproductive season varies according to the species and region. As a
general rule, the peak in reproduction occurs when flowers are the most abundant. The nesting
period of North American hummingbirds usually extends from the spring to the end of summer,
except for the Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna), which generally nests in the winter. The
female of this species can incubate its eggs when the temperature is low and there is snow in the
area. This early nesting period (from November to May) is explained as a strategy that allows the
species to avoid competition with other hummingbird species in temperate zones, especially in
the bush growth of the California coast.
Ecological status:
Least concern in IUCN red list.

 Ringed plover
Scientific classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Charadriidae
Genus: Charadrius
 Species: C. hiaticula

Fig 1.9
Physical appearance:

Adults are 17–19.5 cm (6.7–7.7 in) in length with a 35–41 cm (14–16 in) wingspan. They have a
grey-brown back and wings, a white belly, and a white breast with one black neckband. They
have a brown cap, a white forehead, a black mask around the eyes and a short orange and black
bill. The legs are orange and only the outer two toes are slightly webbed, unlike the slightly
smaller but otherwise very similar semipalmated plover, which has all three toes slightly
webbed, and also a marginally narrower breast band; it was in former times included in the
present species. Juvenile ringed plovers are duller than the adults in colour, with an often
incomplete grey-brown breast band, a dark bill and dull yellowish-grey legs. This species differs
from the smaller little ringed plover in leg colour, the head pattern, and the lack of an obvious
yellow eye-ring.

Distribution and habitat:

The common ringed plover's breeding habitat is open ground on beaches or flats across northern
Eurasia and in Arctic northeast Canada. Some birds breed inland, and in western Europe they
nest as far south as northern France. They nest on the ground in an open area with little or no
plant growth.

Feeding:

These birds forage for food on beaches, tidal flats and fields, usually by sight. They eat insects,
crustaceans and worms.
Reproduction:
If a potential predator approaches the nest, the adult will walk away from the scrape, calling to
attract the intruder and feigning a broken wing. Once the intruder is far enough from the nest, the
plover flies off.

Common ringed plovers are migratory and winter in coastal areas south to Africa. In Norway,
geolocators have revealed that adult breeding birds migrate to West Africa. [3] Many birds
in Great Britain and northern France are resident throughout the year.

Ecological status:

Least concern in IUCN red list.