Birding around Dechu : Rajasthan

Having spent a good time at Khuri, it was time for another outing with birds this time around the Manvar resort where we stayed. Religiously we spent our early mornings and evenings in birding. After knowing our interest in birding, our driver ChandaRam, enthusiastically stopped the jeep whereever he spotted one, and explained us with lot of local details about the bird. I wish we could have followed the way it was taught to us in NTP, nI just have go back to photos to id the birds. A good lesson learnt, better late than never!

Black Shouldered Kite

Common Raven, locals believe that, if this bird enters a house during Deepavali, it is considered as good omen and its believed that the house will be blessed with lot of fortune :-)
Little Brown Dove

Indian Peafowl: These are so common, across the country side in Rajasthan, you are guaranteed to spot a few every time you venture out!


Indian Roller


Rose Ringed Parakeet (Male &Female)

Red collared dove
Variable Wheatear

Id needed for the following! the first two should be some female Wheatear, but we weren't able to ID them yet.
Common Babbler.

Rosy Pastor or Starling.

Birding around Khuri: Rajasthan

Vacation mixed with your hobby is a real pleasure!!! Having said that, we had a real good experience of birding in the desert land. One thing which I was really happy about was seeing a colony of sparrows, that’s has become so uncommon in Bangalore these days (except for BIAL). Our idea was to do birding as much as possible, and I must say Khuri didn’t disappoint us.
As per the locals, there was a good monsoon and good crops this season and so are the birds. Khuri has 3 small lakes, if I may call so! Lakes are abuzz with birds during morning and evenings.

Here is Sparrow’s family.
House Sparrow Baby (imm)


House Sparrow Female



House Sparrow Male



Desert Wheatear




Indian Courser
This one is the fav shot, this is bit of a shy bird:-) The only issue I found in birding in deserts was that, you have limited choices for camouflaging yourselves in desert.


Red Wattled Lapwing, We found these were more tolerant to humans around them than the ones we have spotted around here in Bangalore.



Red Vented Bulbul



Hoopoe



Blue Rock Pigeon



Black Winged Stilt



Green Bee Eater



Long legged Buzzard, Sum shot this while having Camel ride :-) Even though we spotted look alikes of buzzards and kites, but we were unable to capture or identify them.



Bristled Grass Warbler



Black Headed Cuckoo Shrike Variable Wheatear



Black Headed Cuckoo Shrike- Female Not very sure, Must be some female wheatear


Great Grey Shrike

Locals call it "Shagun Chidi". As the belief goes this bird brings good omens. Typically when the camel/cow or goats are lost in the desert and locals begin their search get them back, they follow the the direction in which "Shangun chidi" is found.



Rusty Tailed Fly catcher May be Jerdon's buschat female, but not too sure..



Colony of Sparrows, It's just amanzing to sit and watch them flying , grouping and regrouping in tandem creating beautiful patterns in the sky.




White eared bulbul, even though we spot so many bulbuls around home here, this trip could spot at least 3 different varietes of bulbuls and capture them.




Footsteps of the bird on the sand, It's just great to watch it.



Red Collared Dove



White Throated Kingfisher, You really cannot miss this one any where! Can you?




Please note that, if you find that ID'g of the birds are not correct, please do let us know.