Mother Nature

The white-cheeked barbet or small green barbet (Megalaima viridis) is a species of barbet found in southern India. It is similar to brown-headed barbet (Megalaima zeylanica). It is endemic to the forest areas of the Western Ghats and adjoining hills, in south India. Photograph taken by Mohan Kumar Kalaiah White-cheeked barbet is about 16 to 18 cm long, and have green body, brownish streaked head. It has a distinctive supercilium and a broad white cheek stripe below the eye. Like other barbets it mainly feeds on fruits, sometimes may eat insects. Like woodpeckers, White-cheeked barbets are primary cavity nesters. Both sexes excavate the nest and it can take about 20 days to complete the nest. Barbets begin breeding in December and continue to nest until May. It play an important role in forests as seed dispersal agents.

Deepavali is one of the festivals celebrated in India. It signifies victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorence, good over evil. Photograph taken by Mohan Kumar Kalaiah Happy Deepavali !

The red-whiskered bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus) is native to India, Burma, Cambodia, China, Malaysia, Java and Sumatra (islands in Indonesia), North and South Vietnam. Photograph taken by Mohan Kumar Kalaiah Red-whiskered bulbul is about 20 centimeters long, and have brown back wings, white breast and long tail. It has a prominent tall pointed crest, white cheeks with red whiskers behind their eyes and thin black moustach. It feeds on variety of fruits (berries etc.), nectar and small insects. Both sexes work together for several days to weave an open cup nest. Red-whiskered bulbuls weave the nest using leaves, twigs, root, bark strips etc. Both birds incubate the eggs and care for the young birds. Its life span is about 11 years.