Eagles, birds of prey were always an attraction to me. Their their flight, wings, wings span, keen senses especially sight, talons, beak and power to terrify other birds etc. Birds of preys are also called as raptors, which is derived from a Latin word rapere meaning to seize or take by force.
On the way a to a village called Vellari Combai, in the eastern slopes of the Nilgiri hills facing Mettupalayam.
A Crested Serpent Eagle was looking for a prey in a moist deciduous forest. It came to a huge albesia tree where there were nests of a White cheeked Barbet and a Plum Headed Parakeet are found. Next to the albesia tree there was ficus tree which was fruiting to attract seeds carriers to disperse next generation to other regions. copper smith barbet, fairy blue bird, yellow browed bulbuls, red vented & whiskered bulbuls and brown crowned pygmy wood pecker were feasting on this five star tree. As soon as the eagle came to albesia, one of the bulbuls made alarm calls. With in a minute 3 Ashy Swallow Shrikes joined the bulbuls. I did not notice a single myna in the close vicinity but as soon as ashy swallow shrikes started the attack two jungle mynas also arrived. Those mynas and swallows heard the alarm call gave by bulbul? I do not know how!! It was amazing to see 3 Red whiskered bulbuls, 2 Jungle Mynas, 3 Ashy Swallow Shrikes attacking a common enemy, relatively a much larger predator. Swallows were the best, they attacked like a boomerang with a shirrr... shirrr...call and they were really aiming at the head of the eagle but eagle hardly bothered they were attacking. But this attitude continued only till the mynas joined to party. Jungle mynas were wild in the onslaught, they crackled and pecked with fury. I don't know by what this eagle got disturbed but there was a change in eagle's attitude and it turned to the other direction to take off and with the next attack from myna the raptor took off.
Team work, I would call it.
On the way a to a village called Vellari Combai, in the eastern slopes of the Nilgiri hills facing Mettupalayam.
A Crested Serpent Eagle was looking for a prey in a moist deciduous forest. It came to a huge albesia tree where there were nests of a White cheeked Barbet and a Plum Headed Parakeet are found. Next to the albesia tree there was ficus tree which was fruiting to attract seeds carriers to disperse next generation to other regions. copper smith barbet, fairy blue bird, yellow browed bulbuls, red vented & whiskered bulbuls and brown crowned pygmy wood pecker were feasting on this five star tree. As soon as the eagle came to albesia, one of the bulbuls made alarm calls. With in a minute 3 Ashy Swallow Shrikes joined the bulbuls. I did not notice a single myna in the close vicinity but as soon as ashy swallow shrikes started the attack two jungle mynas also arrived. Those mynas and swallows heard the alarm call gave by bulbul? I do not know how!! It was amazing to see 3 Red whiskered bulbuls, 2 Jungle Mynas, 3 Ashy Swallow Shrikes attacking a common enemy, relatively a much larger predator. Swallows were the best, they attacked like a boomerang with a shirrr... shirrr...call and they were really aiming at the head of the eagle but eagle hardly bothered they were attacking. But this attitude continued only till the mynas joined to party. Jungle mynas were wild in the onslaught, they crackled and pecked with fury. I don't know by what this eagle got disturbed but there was a change in eagle's attitude and it turned to the other direction to take off and with the next attack from myna the raptor took off.
Team work, I would call it.
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| Crested Serpent-eagle |
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