Thattekad, Munnar and the Nilgiris: an Expedition Through Parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Part-4

 Part-4 Thattekad and the Nilgiris

1.    Jerdons Nightjar

A weird looking nightbird which we saw along the banks of the Periyar river. Its eyes shine red when a light shone on it. It has good camouflage and we were only able to see it because of the eye shine.

2.    Nilgiri Pipit

A bird which we saw from our car while driving up to Doddabetta peak. It is a very streaky pipit which is endemic to the western ghats. It looks similar to Tree and Olive Backed Pipits but they are not found where we saw the Nilgiri Pipit. We saw it sitting on a rock surrounded by a grassland in the Nilgiris.

3.    Nilgiri Sholakili

A bird which we have near missed multiple times because we frequently visit the Nilgris. It is found around forest streams north of the Palghat gap. It is separated from White Bellied Sholakili (no overlapping range) because its white belly spans from breast to tail unlike the White Bellied Sholakili whose belly is mostly only below the tail.

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