widespread Resident

Bronze-winged Jacana

A lily-trotter with unmistakable long legs and very long toes; glossy black head, neck, underparts; glossy bronzegreen upperparts; prominent white supercilium; yellow bill with blue/ red frontal shield; rump, tail, undertailcoverts chestnut; sociable, except in breeding season; fairly tame but wary; will feed in open, often hides partially under water among aquatic plants; walks on floating vegetation; active diurnal feeder.

Pheasant-tailed Jacana

Sexes alike. Male: breeding plumage chocolate-brown and white; goldenyellow on hind-neck. Dull brown and white; when not breeding, also has blackish necklace and lacks long tail; very long toes diagnostic. Solitary or in pairs when breeding; small flocks in winter; purely aquatic, moving on vegetation-covered pond surfaces; unusually long toes enable it to walk on the lightest of floating leaves; quite confiding on village ponds.

Common Moorhen

Sexes alike. Dark grey head and neck; dark brownish-olive above; slatygrey below, white centre of abdomen; fine white border to edge of wing; bright red frontal
shield and base of beak with greenish-yellow tip diagnostic; greenish legs. Usually in small parties; most common in winter; moves amidst marsh vegetation, jerking tail; good swimmer; jerks head as it swims. The larger Eurasian Coot Fulica atra is a widespread resident.

White-breasted Waterhen

Sexes alike. White forehead and sides of head; dark slaty-grey above; silky white below; slaty-grey sides of breast and flanks; rufous on vent and under tail-coverts. Solitary or in small parties; often around village ponds and tanks, occasionally derelict patches in towns; jerks stumpy tail as it walks with long strides; climbs trees easily, especially when breeding.

Yellow-footed Green Pigeon

Male ashy olive-green above; olive-yellow collar, band in dark slaty tail; lilac-red shoulder-patch (mostly absent in female); yellow legs and underbody. Female slightly duller than male. The nominate (northern) race has grey lower breast and belly. Small flocks; mostly arboreal, rarely coming to salt-licks or cropland; remains well hidden in foliage but moves briskly; has favourite feeding trees.

Red Collared Dove

Male: deep ashy-grey head; black hind-neck collar; rich wine-red back; slaty grey-brown lower back, rump and uppertail; whitish tips to all but central tail feathers. Female: much like Eurasian Collared Dove, but smaller size and more brownish colouration distinctive. Solitary, in pairs or small parties; associates with other doves but is less common; feeds on ground, gleaning on harvested croplands; perches and suns on leafless branches and overhead wires.

Eurasian Collared Dove

Sexes alike. Greyish-brown plumage; lilac wash about head and neck; black half-collar on hind-neck diagnostic; broad whitish tips to brown tail feathers,
seen as a terminal band when fanned during landing; dull lilac breast and ashygrey underbody. Small parties when not breeding; often associates with other doves; large gatherings glean in cultivated country; strong flier, chases intruders in territory.

Spotted Dove

Sexes alike. Grey and pinkbrown above, spotted white; white-spotted black hind-neck collar (chessboard) diagnostic; dark tail with broad white tips to outer feathers seen in flight; vinous-brown breast, merging into white on belly. Young birds are barred above and lack chessboard. Pairs or small parties on ground; frequently settles on paths and roads, flying further on intrusion; quite tame and confiding in many areas; drinks often; at harvest times, seen along with other doves in immense gatherings.

Laughing Dove

Sexes alike. Pinkish grey-brown plumage with black-andwhite chessboard on sides of foreneck; white tips to outer-tail feathers and broad grey wing-patches best seen in flight; small size distinctive. Pairs or small flocks; associates freely with other doves in huge gatherings at harvest time; feeds mostly on ground, walking about silently.

Large-tailed Nightjar

Large brownish buff, cryptically marked, forest nightjar, with large head, long, pointed wings, long, broad tail; warmer colours, stronger markings than
Grey; bold black streaking down brownish grey crown; white moustache and throat patch; buff nape collar; prominent black-centred scapulars; buff-edged coverts; male has white spots on four primaries and tips of two outermost tail feathers; crepuscular and nocturnal; gregarious; roosts and nests on ground on leaf-litter; settles on forest paths, roads.

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