ATIFA AFZAL CHUGHTAI
2018-ag-3694
M.Phil Ist Semester (Morning)
2018-2020
M.Phil. Zoology
Department of Zoology
University of Agriculture, Faisalabad
1. RED HEADED WOODPECKER
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Piciformes
Family: Picidae
Genus: Melanerpes
Species: M. erythrocephalus Melanerpes erythrocephalus
Scientific name, Melanerpes erythrocephalus
Physical Appearance:
Red-headed Woodpecker has bright red head, neck and throat. Underparts are white. Back is
bluish black. It shows a large white patch on the wings, and rump is white. Tail is black, with
white outer feathers. Bill is blue grey. Eyes are dark brown. Legs and feet are bluish grey, with
zygodactylous feet.
Distribution:
This species range extends from southern Canada to the Gulf coast through the eastern and
central United States east of the Rocky Mountains and west of the New England states. Winters
in the southern parts of its breeding range.
Habitat:
Its breeding habitat is characterized by the presence of dead trees for nest sites, snags for
roosting, and open ground for foraging. Prefers river bottoms, wooded swamps, and open
grasslands with scattered trees.
Feeding:
Red-headed Woodpecker feeds on seeds, acorns and beech nuts, sap, corn, insects, bird eggs and
nestlings, adult birds and mice.
Reproduction: Red-headed Woodpecker is a solitary nester. Nest may be situated in utility poles
or underside of roof. To choose a place, male taps out of a cavity, and if female accepts it, she
taps on the tree or pole that contains it. Female lays 4 to 5 white eggs. Incubation lasts about 12
to 13 days, by both parents, male at night. Chicks hatch altricial. They are fed by both adults.
They reach their sexual maturity at one year. This species often produces two broods per season.
Conservation Status: Least Concern.
2. WHITE BREASTED KINGFISHER.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Alcedinidae
Halcyon smyrnensis
Subfamily: Halcyoninae
Genus: Halcyon
Species: H. smyrnensis
Scientific name, Halcyon smyrnensis
Physical Appearance:
The adult has a bright blue back, wings and tail. Its head, shoulders, flanks and lower belly are
chestnut, and the throat and breast are white. The large bill and legs are bright red.. In flight,
large white patches are visible on the blue and black wings.
Distribution:
This kingfisher is widespread and populations are not threatened. Average density of 4.58
individuals per km2. has been noted in the Sundarbans mangroves
Habitat:
it is species of a variety of habitat, mostly open country in the plains (but has been seen at 7500
ft in the Himalayas) with trees, wires or other perches. The range of the species is expanding.
Feeding:
This species mainly hunts large crustaceans,insects, earthworms, rodents, snakes, fish and frogs.
Predation of small birds such as the Oriental white-eye, chick of a red-wattled lapwing, sparrows
and munias have been reported. The young are fed mostly on invertebrates.
Reproduction:
Males perch on prominent high posts in their territory call in the early morning Monsoons. The
tail may flicked now and in its courtship display the wings are stiffly flicked open for a second or
two exposing the white wing mirrors. They also raise their bill high and display the white throat
and front. The female in invitation makes a rapid and prolonged kit-kit-kit... call.. A single clutch
4-7 white eggs The eggs take 20–22 days to hatch while the chicks fledge in 19 days.
Conservation Status: Least Concern
3. INDIAN SAND MARTIN
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Hirundinidae
Genus: Riparia
Riparia riparia
Species: R. riparia
Scientific name, Riparia riparia
Physical Appearance:
The Sand Martin is a small brown-and white swallow. The adult of the nominate race has
brownish to grey-brown upperparts. In fresh plumage, the feathers have pale tips. On upper wing
and tail, flight feathers and rectrices are dark brown with indistinct green sheen. The tail is
slightly notched. Bill, short legs and feet are dark brown to blackish. The eyes are brown.
Distribution:
The sand martin , European sand martin, bank swallow in the Americas, and collared sand
martin in the Indian Subcontinent. Europe, Mediterranean countries, northern Asia and America
in summer. Eastern and southern Africa, South America and the Indian Subcontinent in winter.
Habitat:
The Sand Martin forages over water, grassland and farmland, but it usually avoids the densely
forested and mountainous areas. On migration, it regularly feeds away from water. It often roosts
in reed beds with other swallow species.
Feeding:
It feeds on small insects, mainly gnats and other flies, normally over water
Reproduction:
Sociable in nesting habit, from between dozen and several hundred pairs nest close together.
Nests are at the end of tunnel up to 4 feet in length,bored into sand pits, gravel pits, sea cliffs.
They will keep coming back to sites for years and will build new tunnels as and when necessary.
Conservation Status: Least Concern
4. THE GREAT TIT
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Paridae
Genus: Parus Parus major
Species: P. major
Scientific name, Parus major
Physical Appearance:
Great Tits are easy to recognize, large in size at 14 cm, with a broad black line (broader in the
male) down its otherwise yellow front. The neck and head are black with white cheeks and ear
coverts. Upper parts are olive. It has a white wing bar and outer tail feathers. In young birds the
black is replaced by brown, and the white by yellow.
Distribution:
The Great Tit occurs in all counties throughout the UK and Ireland. Great Tits are happy to nest
in manmade nest boxes, these should be placed 2-4 meters up and facing North / East. This will
protect overheating from direct sunlight from and the rain that predominately comes from he
West.
Habitat:
Great Tits occur in all habitat types throughout the UK, woodlands, parks, gardens, farmland,
hedgerows indeed any open country habitat with suitable scrub
Feeding:
In the garden Great Tits love Peanuts, Insects, Seed Mixes, Mealworms, Suet and Fat Balls ,
they are not to fussy and will happily take whatever is on the Bird Table.
Reproduction:
Great tits are monogamous breeders and establish breeding territories. These territories are
established in late January and defence begins in late winter or early spring. Territories are
usually reoccupied in successive years, even if one of the pair dies, so long as the brood is raised
successfully.
Conservation Status: Least Concern
5. WAXWING
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Bombycillidae Bombycilla garrulus
Genus: Bombycilla
Species: B. garrulus
Scientific name, Bombycilla garrulus
Physical Appearance:
Starling-sized, having sleek crests, gray overall, with face washed in chestnut. The tip of the tail
has a yellow band. Adult males have a throat patch that is larger than that of females and a
broader yellow tip to the tail.. Juvenile Bohemian waxwings have plumage that is more gray than
that of adults, with a whitish throat, and streaked underparts.
Distribution:
Widespread throughout Europe, Asia, and North America from Alaska across northern Canada.
Breeds in the northern regions of Alaska and Canada. Winters south of its breeding range across
the southern territories and northern states
Habitat:
Preferred habitats include open and coniferous woodlands.
Feeding:
Bohemian waxwings are frugivorous and insectivorous. The main source of food is sugary fruits
When preferred food sources are less abundant, they feed on flowers and sap from trees.
Reproduction:
The male bohemian waxwing courts the female by perching next to her on a branch. The male
and the female hop towards each other and exchange food and then hop away from each other.
Breeding season can run anytime from March to late May. The female bohemian waxwing lays
four to six eggs in a nest located high in a pine tree. She incubates the eggs for about 14 days.
Both the male and the female feed the chicks.
Conservation Status: Least Concern
6. GOULDIAN FINCH
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Estrildidae
Genus: Erythrura
Erythrura gouldiae
Species: E. gouldiae
Scientific name, Erythrura gouldiae
Physical Appearance:
Both sexes are brightly coloured with black, green, yellow, and red markings. The females tend
to be less brightly coloured. One major difference between the sexes is that the male's chest is
purple, while the female's is a lighter mauve
Distribution:
The Gouldian Finch is patchily distributed in tropical northern sub-coastal areas from Derby,
Western Australia, to the Gulf of Carpentaria and thinly to central Cape York Peninsula, but is
locally common in the north and north-western parts of its range
Habitat:
As with most other grassfinch species, the Gouldian Finch is seldom found far from water, and
needs to drink several times during the day. Throughout its range the species inhabits the edges
of mangroves and thickets, and savannas dotted with trees.
Feeding:
The Gouldian finch is a seed eater. They eat 30% of their bodyweight each day.During the
breeding season, Gouldian finches mainly feed on ripe and half-ripe grass seeds of sorghum
Reproduction:
They usually breed in the early part of the dry season, when there is plenty of food around.
When a male is courting a female, he bobs about and ruffles his feathers in an attempt to show
off his bright colors. He will expand his chest and fluff out the feathers on his forehead. After
mating, the female will lay a clutch of about 4–8 eggs. Both parents help brood the eggs during
the daytime, and it is the female who stays on the eggs at night.
Conservation Status: Near Threatened
7. WATER RAIL
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Gruiformes
Family: Rallidae
Rallus aquaticus
Genus: Rallus
Species: R. aquaticus
Scientific name, Rallus aquaticus
Physical Appearance:
Head shows slaty-grey face and chestnut median-line on the crown. The long, slender bill is red.
Eyes are dark red. Legs and feet are pale brown. Female is similar in plumage, but she has
shorter bill and she is smaller than male.
Distribution:
Water Rail is found in most parts of Europe, except Scandinavia and northern parts of Russia.
It is sedentary in Western Europe where the birds coming from central and east Europe join them
for wintering. Most of them winter in the Mediterranean Basin.
Habitat:
Water Rail frequents thick reedbeds and marshes, and numerous kinds of wet habitats with
aquatic vegetation and slow-moving water. It often forages in muddy soils and it is frequently
hidden in small or narrow wet areas within other type of habitat.
Feeding:
.It also consumes worms, fish, molluscs, crustaceans, spiders, grubs, amphibians and small
rodents, but it also takes carrion and killed small vertebrates, and even small birds, plant matter
such as roots, seeds, berries and fruits, mainly in autumn and winter.
Reproduction:
.Water Rail nests in reedbeds. The nest is a bulky cup made with dead leaves and plants stems. It
is often concealed in thick vegetation on the ground near water, or on water, rarely in open area.
It may be built up to avoid flooded water. Both mates build the nest.Female lays 6-11 eggs at
daily intervals. Both parents incubate during 19-22 days.
Conservation Status: Least Concern
8. RED BREASTED TOUCAN
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Piciformes
Family: Ramphastidae
Genus: Ramphastos
Species: R. dicolorus Ramphastos dicolorus
Scientific name, Ramphastos dicolorus
Physical Appearance:
Red-breasted toucans are small toucans with black upper parts and red belly with a yellow-
orange bib. The rather short (four inch / 10.2 cm) bill is green (sometimes referred to as the
Green-billed toucan), with highlighted maxillar “teeth.” The skin around the eye is red while the
feet are blue. The Red-breasted derives its name from the large area of red feathers, which are
actually on the abdomen; breast is orange, with yellow at the sides.
Distribution:
Found in southern and eastern Brazil, Pantanal of Bolivia, eastern Paraguay and far north-
eastern Argentina. It is primarily found in the Atlantic Forest.
Habitat:
Inhabits subtropical and tropical montane and submontane forest
Feeding:
Diet consists of fruit, nuts and animal prey.
Reproduction:
Three to six white eggs are laid in hollow spaces in trees, previously formed by other animals.
Both sexes incubate for a period of 16 to 18 days; feathers appear after the first month and will
be fully developed at four months. It is noted that the male will feed the hen, while she incubates
eggs. Both parents feed the chicks, often by regurgitating food items.
Conservation Status: Least Concern
9. BLACK RUMPED FLAMEBACK
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Piciformes
Family: Picidae
Genus: Dinopium
Species: D. benghalense
Dinopium benghalense
Scientific name, Dinopium benghalense
Physical Appearance:
. It has a typical woodpecker shape, and the golden yellow wing coverts are distinctive. The
rump is black and not red as in the greater flameback. The underparts are white with dark
chevron markings. The black throat finely marked with white immediately separates it from
other golden backed woodpeckers in the Indian region. The head is whitish with a black nape
and throat, and there is a greyish eye patch.
Distribution:
This flameback is found mainly on the plains going up to an elevation of about 1200m in
Pakistan, India south of the Himalayas and east till the western Assam valley and Meghalaya,
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Habitat:
It is associated with open forest and cultivation. They are often seen in urban areas with wooded
avenues. It is somewhat rare in the Kutch and desert region of Rajasthan.
Feeding:
They feed on insects mainly beetle larvae from under the bark, visit termite mounds and
sometimes feed on nectar. As they make hopping movements around branches, they often
conceal themselves from potential predators..
Reproduction, The breeding season between February and July.. Sometimes birds may usurp
the nest holes of other birds. Nests have also been noted in mud embankments.The eggs are laid
inside the unlined cavity. The normal clutch is three and the eggs are elongate and glossy white.
The eggs hatch after about 11 days of incubation. The chicks leave the nest after about 20 days.
Conservation Status: Least Concern
