Yellow-rumped Honeyguide, Kedarnath, Uttarakhand

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The Yellow-rumped Honeyguide (Indicator xanthonotus) is a sparrow-sized bird found in the Himalayas of India, Pakistan, Bhutan and Nepal and is a resident breeder. It is rare and is easily overlooked due to its inconspicuous behaviour and colouration. This particular individual is a female, and was found near a village at 2100m in the Kedarnath Wildlife division, Uttarakhand. She was perched on a leafless tree and hawking insects. Five individuals, three males and two females were seen at 1900m on … Read More

Eurasian Woodcock, Kedarnath, Uttarakhand

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The Eurasian Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) is a large migratory wader found throughout Eurasia. It breeds in the high latitudes of Europe and Asia and between 2000m and 3600m in the Himalayas. Although there are many winter records of these birds from all over peninsular India, especially the western ghats, there are few records of this species over wintering in its breeding range. While doing a bird survey in the Kedarnath Wildlife Division in January 2014, I flushed this bird while … Read More