Sexes alike. Chestnut-brown head, neck and underbody below breast; bright turquoise-blue above, often with greenish tinge; black flight feathers and white wing-patch in flight; white chin, throat and breast distinctive; coral-red beak and legs. Solitary or scattered pairs atop overhead wires, poles and tree-tops;
frequently found far from water; drops on to ground to pick up prey.
Sexes alike. Pale greenishbrown above; rufous-brown breast; deep blue tail has light blue subterminal band; in flight, bright Oxford-Blue wings and tail, with
Cambridge-Blue bands distinctive. Solitary or in pairs; perches on overhead wires, bare branches, earthen mounds and small bush tops; either glides and drops on prey or pounces suddenly; batters prey against perch before swallowing.
Sexes alike. Fawn-coloured plumage; black and white markings on wings, back and tail; black and white-tipped crest; longish, gently curved beak. Solitary or in scattered pairs; small, loose flocks in winter; probes ground with long beak, sometimes feeding along with other birds; flits among tree branches; crest often fanned open; becomes rather aggressive with onset of breeding season.
Grey-brown plumage; large, curved beak with casque diagnostic; long, graduated tail, tipped black and white. Casque smaller in female. The Malabar Grey Hornbill O. griseus (58cm), restricted to the W Ghats, south of Khandala, lacks casque on beak; dark tail tipped white, except on central feathers. Pairs or small parties; sometimes large gatherings; mostly arboreal, but descends to pick fallen fruit or lizards; feeds along with frugivorous birds on fruiting trees; noisy, undulating flight.
Sexes alike. Grass-green plumage; brownish head, neck and upper back, streaked white; bare orange patch around eye. The White-cheeked Barbet M. viridis (23cm) of S India, has a white cheek-stripe. Solitary or in pairs; occasionally small parties; strictly arboreal; keeps to fruiting trees, often with other frugivorous birds; difficult to spot in the canopy; noisy in hot season; strong, undulating flight.
Sexes alike. Grass-green plumage; yellow throat; crimson breast and forehead; dumpy appearance. The Crimson fronted Barbet M. rubricapillus of the W Ghats, south of Goa, has a crimson chin, throat, foreneck and upper breast. Solitary, in pairs or small parties; strictly arboreal; feeds on fruiting trees, often with other birds; visits flowering Erythrina and Bombax trees for flower nectar; often spends early morning sunning itself on bare branches.
Male: shining golden-yellow and black above; crimson crown and crest; black throat and sides of head, with fine white streaks; white underbody, streaked black, boldly on breast. Female: black crown spotted with white; crimson crest. Usually pairs, sometimes half a dozen together; widespread and common; moves jerkily up and around tree stems or clings on undersides of branches; taps out insects; often associates in mixed hunting parties; may descend to ground, picking off ants and other insects.
Sexes alike. Grey-brown and rufous above, barred and blotched; buffy-rufous below; narrow cross-bars on throat and upper breast; fine black markings on abdomen and flanks; black loop around throat encloses bright rufous-yellow throat; female smaller, with indistinct spur. Small parties, digging and moving amidst scrub and grass; seen on country roads, dust bathing or feeding; quick to take to cover on being alarmed, scattering over the area.
Glistening blue neck and breast; wire-like crest and very long tail distinctive. Female lacks blue neck and breast; browner plumage; lacks the long train. Familiar bird of India; solitary or in small parties, several feales with one or more males; waryin the forested parts, rather tame and confiding in many parts of W
and C India around human habitation; ever-alert, gifted with keen eyesight and hearing. National bird of India. Tail feathers often illegally sold to tourists
Sexes alike. White plumage; blackish-green and white wings; blackish-green breast-band and black tail; rich rosy-pink wash on greater wing-coverts; large, slightly curved orangish-yellow bill. Young: pale dirty brown, the neck feathers edged darker; lacks breast-band. Common and gregarious; feeds with beak partly submerged, ready to grab prey; when not feeding, settles hunched up outside water; regularly soars high on thermals.
