Observations

1. Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis

   Number observed: 3

2. Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) Columba livia (Feral Pigeon)

   Number observed: X

3. Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis

   Number observed: X

4. Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis

   Number observed: X

5. Chestnut-winged Cuckoo Clamator coromandus

   Number observed: 4

   Media:

6. Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopaceus

   Number observed: X

7. Large Hawk-Cuckoo Hierococcyx sparverioides

   Number observed: 1

   Media:

8. Common Hawk-Cuckoo Hierococcyx varius

   Number observed: X

   Details: None were calling

9. Asian Palm-Swift Cypsiurus balasiensis

   Number observed: X

10. White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus

    Number observed: 1

11. Yellow-wattled Lapwing Vanellus malabaricus

    Number observed: 4

    Media:

12. Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus

    Number observed: 8

13. Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans

    Number observed: 1

    Details: Dead bird was seen.

14. Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala

    Number observed: 1

15. Little Cormorant Microcarbo niger

    Number observed: X

16. Indian Cormorant Phalacrocorax fuscicollis

    Number observed: 2

17. Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis

    Number observed: 1

    Details: Seen at kk tank briefly

18. Black Bittern Ixobrychus flavicollis

    Number observed: 7

    Details: All over the national park
    Three birds seen at kk tank , 1 in the bamboo bush areas , three more seen in kannikovil area

19. Intermediate Egret Ardea intermedia

    Number observed: 1

20. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis

    Number observed: 1

    Details: Seen flying

21. Indian Pond-Heron Ardeola grayii

    Number observed: X

22. Malayan Night-Heron Gorsachius melanolophus

    Number observed: 1

    Details: The bird flew across to the near by tall trees inside the tank. Heard at kathankulam tank . All the members present heard the bird very distinctly. However we were unable to record the call. The call matched the call on xeno canto. The bird is an expert in hiding well inside the tank as the calls were not very far away from us.
    The reaction of the other birds to call was : a pond heron flew away from us , it flushed out 2 black bittern
    We waited for around in vein. The bird was neither seen nor heard after the initial call.The call was heard 8:30am.
    The bird was rufous brown in colouration when it flew ... i havnt heard the call before that well and that was new for me ... Malayan night heron glimpses have been regular for the past month...
    We have been seeing this bird for a while ...
    It inhabits a forest pool in Guindy national park, near kanthankulam tank.
    The bird has a distinct black cap which I could see well.
    It is extremely shy and never let us photograph it
    Infact I even got bitten by all sorts of stuff just to photograph that bird .
    We have waited for hours ( once 2 hrs almost) for photographing this bird
    It was seen regularly from 6.2.16 till about March end !
    It's a very large bird
    The bird is not new to guindy ... It has been seen by Santharam uncle during 1980s... Infact the place I saw it and he saw it aren't very far away !
    I even wrote an email to uncle asking him about my sighting and he said that my behavioural notes suggested that it could be the Malayan night heron
    
    This bird has been seen by many people ( Mahathi , tanmai, Rama ,Dr. Prasanna and me) and all of us have got a good look ...
    
    The call also matched the Malayan night heron .
    
    Ruling out similar species :-
    Body structure made me narrow it to bittern/heron
    The large size, black Cap and rufous brown colouration made me narrow it to the Malayan night heron.
    Chesnut bittern is to small and doesn't have a black cap to be this bird .
    
    
    Prior experience with bird -
    I have seen this bird in North Bengal in that same year and saw it a years ago in Sikkim .

23. Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus

    Number observed: 21

    Details: Flying over, one particular individual flying separately

24. Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus

    Number observed: 2

25. Shikra Accipiter badius

    Number observed: X

26. Black Kite Milvus migrans

    Number observed: X

27. Spotted Owlet Athene brama

    Number observed: 9

    Details: Extremely active around forested patches near water bodies.

28. White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis

    Number observed: X

29. Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis

    Number observed: 1

30. Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis

    Number observed: 3

31. Blue-tailed Bee-eater Merops philippinus

    Number observed: X

32. Coppersmith Barbet Psilopogon haemacephalus

    Number observed: X

33. Black-rumped Flameback Dinopium benghalense

    Number observed: X

34. Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri

    Number observed: X

35. Indian Pitta Pitta brachyura

    Number observed: X

36. Black-headed Cuckooshrike Lalage melanoptera

    Number observed: 4

37. Indian Golden Oriole Oriolus kundoo

    Number observed: 10

38. Black-naped Oriole Oriolus chinensis

    Number observed: 1

39. Common Iora Aegithina tiphia

    Number observed: X

40. Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus

    Number observed: 2

41. Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus

    Number observed: X

42. Black-naped Monarch Hypothymis azurea

    Number observed: 2

43. Indian Paradise-Flycatcher Terpsiphone paradisi

    Number observed: 4

44. Rufous Treepie Dendrocitta vagabunda

    Number observed: X

45. House Crow Corvus splendens

    Number observed: X

46. Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos

    Number observed: X

47. Jerdon's Bushlark Mirafra affinis

    Number observed: X

    Details: Seen on flight at lower appalankulam

48. Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius

    Number observed: X

49. Blyth's Reed Warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum

    Number observed: X

    Details: Heard

50. Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer

    Number observed: X

    Details: Heard

51. Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus

    Number observed: X

    Details: Heard

52. White-browed Bulbul Pycnonotus luteolus

    Number observed: X

53. Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides

    Number observed: 2

    Details: Heard

54. Large-billed Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus magnirostris

    Number observed: 1

55. Tawny-bellied Babbler Dumetia hyperythra

    Number observed: 2

    Details: Seen at same spot as last Sunday. Very vocal birds

56. Yellow-billed Babbler Turdoides affinis

    Number observed: X

57. Common Myna Acridotheres tristis

    Number observed: X

58. Orange-headed Thrush Geokichla citrina

    Number observed: X

59. Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa dauurica

    Number observed: X

    Media:

60. Indian Robin Copsychus fulicatus

    Number observed: X

61. Oriental Magpie-Robin Copsychus saularis

    Number observed: X

62. Ultramarine Flycatcher Ficedula superciliaris

    Number observed: 1

    Details: Seen at Kanthankulam tank along with few orioles and a monacrh flycatcher. Call also matched .

    Media:

63. Pale-billed Flowerpecker Dicaeum erythrorhynchos

    Number observed: 1

    Details: Call heard at Kathankullam.

64. Purple-rumped Sunbird Leptocoma zeylonica

    Number observed: X

65. Purple Sunbird Cinnyris asiaticus

    Number observed: X

66. Loten's Sunbird Cinnyris lotenius

    Number observed: X

67. Yellow-throated Sparrow Gymnoris xanthocollis

    Number observed: 1

68. Forest Wagtail Dendronanthus indicus

    Number observed: X

69. pipit sp. Anthus sp.

    Number observed: 1

    Details: Seen flying .