Behind the Lens

a blog every Friday on a specific species of animal or bird and stories of photos

Search for a specific species, genre or even a location or use the directory for a complete list of species I have photographed and written about till date.

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Wildlife, Bird Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee Wildlife, Bird Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee

Red Junglefowl

This “original chicken” is smaller than its domestic descendants, and is widespread throughout South & Southeast Asia and can also be found as an introduced species in many regions around the world (especially prevalent on many Pacific Islands, including Hawaii). In its introduced range and some areas of its native range it has interbred widely with feral and domestic chickens, producing intermediate hybrids. Many of these birds cannot be distinguished from genuine wild-type birds. Within native range calls are useful for ID: the wild male’s crowing is hoarse and choked off towards the end, unlike the loud, vibrant calls of the domestic rooster.

#wildartworks, #wildlifephotography, #jungle, #Wild, #forest, #Wildlife, #conservationphotography, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, #windsornaturetrail, #Kabini, #pench, #Tadoba, #tipeshwar, #BishanAngMoKio, #KaengKrachan, #redJunglefowl, #junglefowl, #fowl, #pheasant,

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Wildlife, Bird Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee Wildlife, Bird Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee

Indian Nightjar

The Indian nightjar (Caprimulgus asiaticus) is a cryptically -coloured small nightbird which is a resident breeder in open lands across South Asia and Southeast Asia. Note the white “moustache” streak, golden-brown collar, and pointed buff-and-black feathers above the wing. The male shows bright white patches near the wingtips and on the tail-tips in flight. They are found in a range of wooded habitats, from hilly dry forest to garden edges.

Like most nightjars it is crepuscular and is best detected from its characteristic calls at dawn and dusk that have been likened to a stone skipping on a frozen lake - a series of clicks that become shorter and more rapid. There is considerable plumage variation across its range and can be hard to differentiate from other nightjars in the region especially in the field.

#wildartworks, #Canon, #Bird, #Birdinginthewild, #BirdWatching, #Wildlife, #WildBirds, #naturephotography, #your_best_birds, #planetbirds, #earthcapture, #photo_pond, #earthpix, #naturyst, #conservationphotography, #yesbbcearth, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, #india, #telanganabirds, #ananthagiri, #ananthagiriforestrange, #vikarabad, #IndianNightjar, #nightjar, @wildtelangana, #Damagundam, #chincholi,

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Wildlife, Wildlife Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee Wildlife, Wildlife Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee

Eurasian Hoopoe

An unmistakable cinnamon coloured bird with a zebra-striped wings, a Chinese fan of a crest (usually held closed, but often raised just after landing), and a rapier of a bill. The hoopoe favours semi-open habitats such as heathland, farmland, orchards, grassy lawns, where it feeds on the ground, probing with its long bill for insects.

#wildartworks, #wildlifephotography, #kabini, #jungle, #Wild, #nagarholetigerreserve, #nilgiribiosphere, #nagarhole, #kabinibackwaters, #conservationphotography, #indian_wildlifes, #indianwildlifeofficial, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, #nammakarnataka, #tipeshwar, #Tadoba, #tadobaandharitigerreserve, #yawatmal, #penchnationalpark, #pench, #telanganabirds, #Manjeera, #AmeenpurLake, #ananthagiriforest, #NarsapurForest, #bhigwanbirdsanctuary

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Wildlife, Bird Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee Wildlife, Bird Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee

Paddyfield Pipit/ Oriental Pipit

The Paddyfield or Oriental pipit is a small passerine bird in the pipit and wagtail family. It is a resident breeder in open scrub, grassland and cultivation in southern Asia east to the Philippines.

A sparrow-sized, resident pipit with brown plumage that varies in tones in different parts of its range. All birds have a bi-coloured bill with a curve to the tip of the upper bill. The breast is streaked and the upperparts have variable amounts of streaking. It is common in open habitats such as wetlands, farms, fields & even large parks. Very similar to Blyth’s and Richard’s Pipits, but relatively compact and has a more distinct eyebrow, fainter or no streaking on the back of the neck, a larger head, and a shorter tail than either Blyth’s or Richard’s.

#wildartworks, #Canon, #Birdinginthewild, #BirdWatching, #WildBirds, #naturephotography, #your_best_birds, #planetbirds, #earthcapture, #photo_pond, #earthpix, #naturyst, #conservationphotography, #yesbbcearth, #indian_wildlifes, #indianwildlifeofficial, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, @globalcapture, #TelanganaBirds, #Narsapur, #ammavaripetacheruvu, #warangalbirding, #Bhattupalle, #ameenpurlake, #BhigwanBirdSanctuary, #Kumbhargaon, #UjniBackwaters, #paddyfieldpipit, #orientalpipit, #pipit,

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Wildlife, Bird Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee Wildlife, Bird Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee

Glossy Ibis

The Glossy Ibis is a medium-sized wading bird with a distinctive long, curved bill and dark plumage that can appear glossy in good light. It is a widespread species, breeding in scattered sites in warm regions of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Atlantic and Caribbean regions of the Americas.

#wildartworks, #Canon, #Birdinginthewild, #BirdWatching, #WildBirds, #naturephotography, #your_best_birds, #planetbirds, #earthcapture, #photo_pond, #earthpix, #naturyst, #conservationphotography, #yesbbcearth, #indian_wildlifes, #indianwildlifeofficial, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, @globalcapture, #TelanganaBirds, #ammavaripetacheruvu, #ammavaripeta, #warangalbirding, #Bhattupalle, #BhigwanBirdSanctuary, #Kumbhargaon, #UjniBackwaters, #shorebirds, #waders,

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Wildlife, Bird Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee Wildlife, Bird Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee

Spur-winged Lapwing/ Spur-winged Plover

The Spur-winged Lapwing or Spur-winged Plover (Vanellus spinosus) is a lapwing species, one of a group of largish waders in the family Charadriidae. Native to North Africa, the Middle East & Mediterranean regions; it has never been sighted in the sub-continent. It breeds around the eastern Mediterranean, and in a wide band from sub-Saharan west Africa to Arabia. The Greek and Turkish breeders are migratory, but other populations are resident. The species is declining in its northern range, but is abundant in much of tropical Africa, being seen at almost any wetland habitat in its range. The Spur-winged Lapwing is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds applies.

#wildartworks, #Canon, #Bird, #Birdinginthewild, #BirdWatching, #Wildlife, #WildBirds, #naturephotography, #your_best_birds, #planetbirds, #earthcapture, #photo_pond, #earthpix, #naturyst, #conservationphotography, #yesbbcearth, #indian_wildlifes, #indianwildlifeofficial, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, @globalcapture, #spurwingedlapwing, #lapwing, #TelanganaBirds, #ammavaripetacheruvu, #ammavaripeta, #warangalbirding, #Bhattupalle, #raremigrant, #rare, #firstsighting,

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Wildlife, Bird Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee Wildlife, Bird Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee

Bay-backed Shrike

The Bay-backed Shrike is a brightly-colored small shrike, reminiscent of the Long-tailed Shrike in overall coloration. It has a black mask, rufous flanks & back, a clean white throat, and its small size makes it distinctive within its range. It prefers open areas, often in dry regions, with scattered vegetation. Often perches up on exposed snags, fenceposts, or telephone lines.

#wildartworks, #Canon, #Bird, #Birdinginthewild, #BirdWatching, #Wildlife, #WildBirds, #naturephotography, #your_best_birds, #planetbirds, #earthcapture, #photo_pond, #earthpix, #naturyst, #conservationphotography, #yesbbcearth, #indian_wildlifes, #indianwildlifeofficial, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, @globalcapture, #TelanganaBirds, #HyderabadBirds, #Tellapur, #GHMCUrbanForestryNursery, #TelanganaUrbanForestry, #Nallagandla, #baybackedshrike, #shrike

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Wildlife, Bird Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee Wildlife, Bird Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee

Blue-tailed Bee-eater

The blue-tailed bee-eater (Merops philippinus) is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae. It is widely distributed across South and Southeast Asia where many populations are strongly migratory, and seen seasonally in many parts but breeding colonially in small areas across their range, mostly in river valleys, where they nest by tunnelling into loamy sand banks. They are seen mostly in open habitats close to water.

#wildartworks, #Canon, #Bird, #Birdinginthewild, #BirdWatching, #Wildlife, #WildBirds, #naturephotography, #your_best_birds, #planetbirds, #earthcapture, #photo_pond, #earthpix, #naturyst, #conservationphotography, #yesbbcearth, #indian_wildlifes, #indianwildlifeofficial, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, @globalcapture, #bluetailedbeeeater, #beeeater, #TelanganaBirds, #ammavaripetacheruvu, #ammavaripeta, #warangalbirding, #loronghalus, #singaporebirds, #singaporebirding,

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