A Sykes’s Nightjar Caprimulgus mahrattensis, and a summer...
1
vols. Pp. 1–378; 1–683. Waraich, J., 2017. Snapshot sightings: Chestnut-headed Bee-eater from Okhla, Delhi NCR. Indian BIRDS 13 (4): 112A. – Aman Sharma Class X, Modern School, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi E-mail: [email protected] A Sykes’s Nightjar Caprimulgus mahrattensis, and a summer record of Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis from Delhi-NCR Region On the morning of 23 November 2018, I photographed a Sykes’s Nightjar Caprimulgus mahrattensis near Kheda Jhanjraula on the outskirts of Sultanpur National Park, Haryana (28.51°N, 76.87°E). The bird flushed when a Long-billed Pipit Anthus similis landed close to it. It flew and landed a few feet away, at the edge of an agricultural field. I clicked several photographs [34] of the bird (Nanda 2018a). The habitat consisted of open flat land with short dry grass. Noticeable features of the bird were the overall sandy colouration, white spots on the primaries, white throat patch, and a buff nuchal collar. The species’ identification was confirmed on the basis of the following diagnostic features, which were either noted in the field or subsequently confirmed by experts on the basis of my photographs. 34. Sykes’s Nightjar at Kheda Jhanjraula. 1. Uniform sandy-grey plumage finely marked with black and grey specks and vermiculations. 2. Relatively short tail not extending beyond closed wings. 3. Absence of dark streaks on a grey crown, no marked face pattern, and no whitish/buff tips to scapulars or wing coverts forming buff lines across closed wing, which helped in eliminating Eurasian C. europaeus, Jungle C. indicus, Indian C. asiaticus, and Large-tailed C. macrurus nightjars. 4. Absence of darker greyer plumage and buff ‘V’ across scapulars, which is present in the more uniform plumaged Savanna Nightjar C. affinis. 5. The tail tips had broad white edges, which helped in confirming that it was a male bird. 6. The habitat was also right, as Sykes’s Nightjar typically roosts in open flat land with eyes almost closed to avoid contrast and add to camouflage. On the afternoon of 18 June 2018, I photographed a Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis [35] at Basai wetland, Gurgaon District, Haryana (28.47°N, 76.98°E) (Nanda 2018b). On the field, the bird caught my attention as it seemed a little different from the more common Oriental Skylark A. gulgula and had an overall pale colouration. Notable features that were either observed in the field, or later confirmed by experts based on the available photographs, and that helped in confirming its ID were: Both pics: Kavi Nanda 1. The bird showed clear white outer-tail feathers and white trailing edge to secondaries. 2. Long primary projection, which extended almost halfway down the tail. The tail also seemed relatively longer compared to the Oriental Skylark’s. 3. Ear coverts were not noticeably warmer and there was no rufous on closed wing panel. 4. Sharper dark markings on upper breast with creamy buff tones on sides were visible (not visible in the attached photograph). 5. The overall pale coloration seemed to match with the likely wintering race dulcivox of Central Asia. 35. Eurasian Skylark at Basai wetlands. Sykes’s Nightjars diffuse into western India in winter (October– March) from their breeding areas in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Vagrants have reached Delhi, usually appearing in dry sandy flats: two historical records from scrub country near the Yamuna River in October (Hutson 1954), one was caught at Okhla Barrage in December 1978 (Nigel Redman, in Harvey et al. 2006); one on 03 February 2016 at Dighal, Haryana by Rakesh Ahlawat in 2016 (Sudhir Vyas, pers. comm., in e-mail dated 03 December 2018). Thus, this is the fourth record of the bird in the Delhi-NCR region and also the third record for the state of Haryana with an earlier sighting along the Yamuna at Kalesar (Harvey et al. 2006) and the 2016 sighting at Dighal. Though Eurasian Skylark is an irregular winter visitor to the Delhi-NCR region, with most sightings occurring in mid-winter during December-January (Harvey et al. 2006), it is very unusual to see it in the peak of summer. Acknowledgments My sincere thanks to Bill Harvey, Sudhir Vyas, and Nikhil Devasar for confirming the previous records of Sykes’s Nightjar for Delhi-NCR. References Harvey, B., Devasar, N., & Grewal, B., 2006. Atlas of the birds of Delhi and Haryana. 1st ed. New Delhi: Rupa & Co. Pp. 1–352. Hutson, H. P. W., 1954. The birds about Delhi, together with a complete list of birds observed in Delhi and the surrounding country. Delhi: The Delhi Bird Watching Society. Pp., i–xxxix, 1–210. Nanda, K., 2018a. Website URL: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S50253372. [Accessed on 16 December 2018.] Nanda, K., 2018b. Website URL: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S46631058. [Accessed on 16 December 2018.] – Kavi Nanda DLF Phase 5, Gurgaon, Haryana, India E-mail: [email protected] 27 Correspondence
Transcript of A Sykes’s Nightjar Caprimulgus mahrattensis, and a summer...
vols. Pp. 1–378; 1–683.Waraich, J., 2017. Snapshot sightings: Chestnut-headed Bee-eater from Okhla, Delhi
NCR. Indian BIRDS 13 (4): 112A. – Aman Sharma
Class X, Modern School, Vasant Vihar, New DelhiE-mail: [email protected]
A Sykes’s Nightjar Caprimulgus mahrattensis, and a summer record of Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis from Delhi-NCR RegionOn the morning of 23 November 2018, I photographed a Sykes’s Nightjar Caprimulgus mahrattensis near Kheda Jhanjraula on the outskirts of Sultanpur National Park, Haryana (28.51°N, 76.87°E). The bird flushed when a Long-billed Pipit Anthus similis landed close to it. It flew and landed a few feet away, at the edge of an agricultural field. I clicked several photographs [34] of the bird (Nanda 2018a). The habitat consisted of open flat land with short dry grass. Noticeable features of the bird were the overall sandy colouration, white spots on the primaries, white throat patch, and a buff nuchal collar. The species’ identification was confirmed on the basis of the following diagnostic features, which were either noted in the field or subsequently confirmed by experts on the basis of my photographs.
34. Sykes’s Nightjar at Kheda Jhanjraula.
1. Uniform sandy-grey plumage finely marked with black and grey specks and vermiculations.
2. Relatively short tail not extending beyond closed wings.3. Absence of dark streaks on a grey crown, no marked face
pattern, and no whitish/buff tips to scapulars or wing coverts forming buff lines across closed wing, which helped in eliminating Eurasian C. europaeus, Jungle C. indicus, Indian C. asiaticus, and Large-tailed C. macrurus nightjars.
4. Absence of darker greyer plumage and buff ‘V’ across scapulars, which is present in the more uniform plumaged Savanna Nightjar C. affinis.
5. The tail tips had broad white edges, which helped in confirming that it was a male bird.
6. The habitat was also right, as Sykes’s Nightjar typically roosts in open flat land with eyes almost closed to avoid contrast and add to camouflage.
On the afternoon of 18 June 2018, I photographed a Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis [35] at Basai wetland, Gurgaon District, Haryana (28.47°N, 76.98°E) (Nanda 2018b). On the field, the bird caught my attention as it seemed a little different from the more common Oriental Skylark A. gulgula and had an overall pale colouration. Notable features that were either observed in the field, or later confirmed by experts based on the available photographs, and that helped in confirming its ID were:
Both
pic
s: Ka
vi N
anda
1. The bird showed clear white outer-tail feathers and white trailing edge to secondaries.
2. Long primary projection, which extended almost halfway down the tail. The tail also seemed relatively longer compared to the Oriental Skylark’s.
3. Ear coverts were not noticeably warmer and there was no rufous on closed wing panel.
4. Sharper dark markings on upper breast with creamy buff tones on sides were visible (not visible in the attached photograph).
5. The overall pale coloration seemed to match with the likely wintering race dulcivox of Central Asia.
35. Eurasian Skylark at Basai wetlands.
Sykes’s Nightjars diffuse into western India in winter (October–March) from their breeding areas in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Vagrants have reached Delhi, usually appearing in dry sandy flats: two historical records from scrub country near the Yamuna River in October (Hutson 1954), one was caught at Okhla Barrage in December 1978 (Nigel Redman, in Harvey et al. 2006); one on 03 February 2016 at Dighal, Haryana by Rakesh Ahlawat in 2016 (Sudhir Vyas, pers. comm., in e-mail dated 03 December 2018). Thus, this is the fourth record of the bird in the Delhi-NCR region and also the third record for the state of Haryana with an earlier sighting along the Yamuna at Kalesar (Harvey et al. 2006) and the 2016 sighting at Dighal.
Though Eurasian Skylark is an irregular winter visitor to the Delhi-NCR region, with most sightings occurring in mid-winter during December-January (Harvey et al. 2006), it is very unusual to see it in the peak of summer.
AcknowledgmentsMy sincere thanks to Bill Harvey, Sudhir Vyas, and Nikhil Devasar for confirming the previous records of Sykes’s Nightjar for Delhi-NCR.
ReferencesHarvey, B., Devasar, N., & Grewal, B., 2006. Atlas of the birds of Delhi and Haryana.
1st ed. New Delhi: Rupa & Co. Pp. 1–352.Hutson, H. P. W., 1954. The birds about Delhi, together with a complete list of birds
observed in Delhi and the surrounding country. Delhi: The Delhi Bird Watching Society. Pp., i–xxxix, 1–210.
Nanda, K., 2018a. Website URL: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S50253372. [Accessed on 16 December 2018.]
Nanda, K., 2018b. Website URL: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S46631058. [Accessed on 16 December 2018.]
– Kavi NandaDLF Phase 5, Gurgaon, Haryana, India
E-mail: [email protected]
27Correspondence
