The Near Threatened Great Stone-Curlew/ Great Thick-knee (Esacus recurvirostris) is an odd looking, large wader & a resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh into South-east Asia. They’re found on the banks of flowing rivers and lakes with rocky or sandy shores & usually seen standing still on shore, though they can be quite shy, often flushing even at a distance.

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A medium-sized ibis with a dark body, often showing a bluish-green sheen. The crown and nape are covered in bright red warts. A white patch is usually visible near the shoulder of the wing. The bill is long and downcurved. This species can be confused with the similar-looking Glossy Ibis, but Glossy Ibis is smaller and lacks the red warts and white shoulder patch. In flight, the legs of Red-naped Ibis don’t extend beyond the tail, unlike in Glossy Ibis. Unlike most other ibis, Red-naped favors drier habitats, such as rye fields. It is usually found singly or in loose groups.

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The brown-headed gull is a small gull breeding in the high plateaus of central Asia from Tajikistan to Ordos in Inner Mongolia. It is migratory, wintering on the coasts & large inland lakes of the Indian Subcontinent. Its pale button eyes give it a somewhat fearsome appearance. The breeding adult’s head is the color of milk chocolate, lightening towards the bill. Non-breeding & first-winter birds have a dark ear patch and faint traces of the dark hood. All plumages may be confused with the smaller Black-headed Gull, but note the pale eyes and more extensive black on the primaries in all plumages. Breeds on high-altitude lakes on the Tibetan Plateau and winters on marshes, estuaries, lakes and rivers, most often in coastal areas.

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The final chapter of the eagles of Kumbhargaon is about the rare Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca), which is quite a large eagle. With its two metre wingspan, the flight of the Eastern imperial eagle is a striking sight.

After decades of persecution by humans, the Eastern imperial eagle is now one of Europe’s rarest raptors with a small and declining global population, loss of habitat and prey. It has therefore been IUCN Red Listed as Vulnerable since 1994.

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Continuing my series on the eagles of Kumbhargaon, this second post is about the Greater Spotted Eagle (Clanga clanga), seen in the shallow wetlands area around Bhigwan and the River Bhima. This area is vast and unique with diverse habitats ranging from the shallow wetland ecosystem of the Ujni backwaters to the surrounding rich farmlands and dry deciduous scrub forest with interspersed grasslands. 

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Kumbhargaon is a nondescript village in the Satara district to the south of Bhigwan, a quaint, small and rugged town on the border of the Pune and Solapur districts in Maharashtra, in India. But during its mild winters, Kumbhargaon, Bhigwan and its surrounding areas become the home of countless migratory birds making it the “Bharatpur of Maharashtra”. The area around Bhigwan and the River Bhima is vast and unique with diverse habitats ranging from the shallow wetland ecosystem of the Ujni backwaters to the surrounding rich farmlands and dry deciduous scrub forest with interspersed grasslands. 

This blog on the Steppe Eagle is the first of a three eagle series from Kumbhargaon.

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