Behind the lens

a blog every Friday on a specific species of animal or bird and jungle lore

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

Greater Coucal

In the rich tapestry of Indian folklore, the Greater Coucal occupies a dual space as both a mysterious shaman of the forest and an omen of impending change. Across several rural communities in Telangana and central India, the bird is known as the Chemooka or Koti-pitta. It is deeply tied to traditional weather lore. Because its deep, resonant coop-coop-coopcalls intensify during periods of high humidity, local farmers view the bird as an infallible rain prophet. Hearing a coucal call repeatedly from the highest branch of a tree is considered a direct signal from nature that the monsoon is about to break over the dry Deccan fields.

#WildArtWorks #AmrabadTigerReserve #TelanganaTourism #WildlifeConservation #NallamalaHills #EcoTourism #IndiaBiodiversity #AchampetRange #GreaterCoucal #Coucal

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Common Bronzeback Tree Snake/ Daudin’s Bronzeback Tree Snake

The undergrowth of Telangana’s forests is a complex, multi-layered environment shaped by the harsh semi-arid climate & rugged sandstone terrains. A soft rustle stirs the leaf litter before transitioning into a fluid, almost weightless ascent up a low-hanging tree. Moving like a ribbon of liquid metal is the Common Bronzeback Tree Snake (Dendrelaphis tristis). This arboreal master of stealth navigates the fragmented dry woodlands of the Eastern Ghats, serving as a vital link in the region's rich biodiversity

#WildArtWorks #AmrabadTigerReserve #TelanganaTourism #WildlifeConservation #NallamalaHills #EcoTourism #AnanthagiriHills #Vikarabad #IndiaBiodiversity #CommonBronzeback #Bronzebacksnake #Snake #Bronzeback #TreeSnake

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

Indian Pitta

As the first spear of golden sunlight pierces the dense deciduous canopy of Telangana’s wilderness, a sound breaks the stillness—a sharp, clear, musical two-note whistle. It is the unmistakable whistle of the Pitta brachyura, the Indian Pitta, locally celebrated in Telugu as the Poda Pitta (the spotted bird).

#WildArtWorks #AmrabadTigerReserve #TelanganaTourism #WildlifeConservation #NallamalaHills #EcoTourism #IndiaBiodiversity #AchampetRange #endemic #Pitta #IndianPitta

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

Indian Blackbird

The morning mist in the Nallamala Hills weaves a silver shroud over the rugged valleys of the Amrabad Tiger Reserve. In this quiet theater of the Eastern Ghats, a melody begins—a series of clear, fluting whistles that seem to mimic the very spirit of the forest. This is the call of the Indian Blackbird (Turdus simillimus nigropileus), a bird that carries the essence of India’s wild highlands in its soot-coloured wings.

#WildArtWorks #AmrabadTigerReserve #TelanganaTourism #WildlifeConservation #NallamalaHills #EcoTourism #IndiaBiodiversity #AchampetRange #IndianBlackbird, #Blackbird #endemic

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

Brown Shrike

The story of the Brown Shrike in India is one of seasonal migration. Unlike the resident shrikes of the Deccan, this species is a winter visitor. Arriving in September and departing by April, it spreads across the subcontinent, favoring the humid, wooded regions of the south and northeast.

#wildartworks, #Canon, #Bird, #birdinginthewild, #wildlifeonearth, #KawalTigerReserve, #AmrabadTigerReserve, #wildtelangana, #telanganawildlife, #shrike, #BrownShrike

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

Indian Robin

While some may mistake the male Indian Robin for a Drongo due to its black plumage, the differences are clear: drongos possess a deeply forked tail and an arboreal lifestyle, hunting insects in flight, whereas the Indian Robin remains grounded with its cocked, square-ended tail and terrestrial foraging.

#wildartworks, #Canon, #Bird, #birdinginthewild, #wildlifeonearth, #KawalTigerReserve, #AmrabadTigerReserve, #wildtelangana, #telanganawildlife, #robin, #indianrobin

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

Ashy Drongo

A slim, medium-sized drongo with bright red eyes and gray plumage that is almost black in the western parts of its range and quite pale in the eastern parts of its range. It has a long slim tail with a deep fork. Common in wooded habitats where it sallies for insects and aggressively chases other birds that may compete for food or nectar.

#wildartworks, #Canon, #Bird, #birdinginthewild, #wildlifeonearth, #KawalTigerReserve, #AmrabadTigerReserve, #wildtelangana, #telanganawildlife, #drongo, #ashydrongo,

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

White-bellied Drongo

A small drongo with a dull-black back & a relatively short, distinctively forked tail. The “white-bellied” form has an extensively white belly diffusely demarcated from the dark gray throat and breast. It is found in dry and open forests across the Indian subcontinent.

#wildartworks, #Canon, #Bird, #birdinginthewild, #wildlifeonearth, #KawalTigerReserve, #AmrabadTigerReserve, #wildtelangana, #telanganawildlife, #drongo, #whitebellieddrongo,

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