Common Tailorbird

This bird is resident breeder in India and quite common in XLRI campus. They are around 5 inches long with brightly coloured, with bright green upperparts and whitish underparts. The crown of the head is chestnut/reddish. They have short rounded wings, a short tail, strong legs and a long decurved beak. The tail is typically held upright.

The Common Tailorbird is insectivorous. The song is a loud cheeup-cheeup-cheeup.

This bird is typically found in open woodland, scrub and gardens. Tailorbirds get their name from the way their nest is constructed. The edges of a large leaf are pierced and sewn together with plant fibre or spider's web to make a cradle in which the actual grass nest is built.

In XLRI they can be spotted around trees near hostel.

Tickell's Flower pecker

Tickell's Flower pecker also known sometimes as the Pale-billed Flower pecker is a tiny frugivorous bird found in India. The species is quite common and is easily seen in urban gardens with fruit trees. The call of this flower pecker is a short tick call. Length is about 3 inches, upper plumage is ashy olive in colour. It has a curver beak, which resembles similar to female sunbird.

The bird is very restless and flies from tree to tree. Most of the time it utters an inceassant squeak chik-chik-chik.

Scaly Breasted Munia

Scaly-breasted Munias are among the most common Munias found in XLRI campus. It is about 10-12 cm in length. Generally found in flocks. They roost in smaller groups or pairs within nests, even outside the breeding season. Sometimes, up to a dozen birds may squeeze into a nest. These roosting nests are spread far apart. They may also roost with other Munias or even with weaver birds.

This bird could be found around MDP building. They nest in overhangs of MDP or spaces between drainage pipes.

References:
http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/birds/Lonchura_punctulata.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scaly-breasted_Munia

Black Headed Munia

Munias are small gregarious, extremely restless and playful birds. These birds are generally very sociable and hence popular as captivity bird. Amongst various species of Munia, Black headed Munia had been spotted in XLRI campus.

The Black-headed Munia is 11-12 cm in length. The adult has a stubby pale grey bill, black head, and brown body. The sexes are similar, but immature birds have uniform pale brown upperparts, lack the dark head and have white to pale buff underparts. The Black-headed Munia is also known as Chestnut Munia due to it’s body colour. This specie is distributed throughout India, Ceylon and some parts of Bengal.

They are generally seen in small flocks in gardens, open grassland, cultivated fields and light forest. It feeds mainly on grass seeds, grain and other seeds. Their nests are large domed grass structure built in a bush or tall grasses with a small side entrance visible to outside. They lay 4-7 white eggs and the chicks are raised by the flock not the parent alone. Black headed Munias are constantly on the move and somewhat nomadic, although they don't migrate. They fly close together in groups, in an undulating flight.

In XLRI campus, this bird can be spotted around MDP campus. It was also spotted near GH3 hostel and Learning Centre lawns. (last sightings July-August 2008)

Photo credits: Flickr user cheer2