Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Red Devil

The Crow Pheasant Centropus sinensis is a regular visitor to my garden. A couple lives in the Forest Department's nursery nearby and start their calls early in the morning. Yesterday was an unusually cold day with the mercury at 17C, and the bird seemed to be feeling the cold too.
Crow Pheasant which belongs to the Cuckoo family, is also known as Coucal. It is called Kembootha in Kannada, which means 'Red Devil'. The name must be because of its red eyes and the brick red wings.It is a clumsy bird and a weak flier, so there are many jokes about it. Clumsy people are often compared to the Kembootha, But it is far from clumsy in catching snakes. I have seen it catch a snake from a spot in my garden where I was working minutes earlier.
The couple which visit my garden synchronise their calls so that the garden seems to be resonating with their calls. They also make hissing sounds and harsh croaks when they come across crows or cats.
The nest of the Coucal is an untidy construction of twigs. There is a story that it uses the fabled Sanjeevini herb to constuct its nest. Sanjeevini herb is supposed to bring back people at death's doors to life.The Red Devil is always in danger of being robbed of his home.

23 comments:

  1. What an interesting post. I've never seen a Red Devil! Love it when I learn something new! Have a beautiful day!

    Sylvia

    ReplyDelete
  2. 17C must be a bit unusual for Bangalore. This Crow Pheasant seems to be a very friendly bird, and I could do with some snake catching birds in my garden too. Except for the snake catching part, the bird mirrors me a lot in nature/habit:-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. We get Coucals here too, although the ones that live around here have slightly different colouring. They are indeed clumsy birds, especially when they're trying to take off and fly away quickly!

    I love watching the Coucals here ... they race about dragging their long tails around. It's great to see another Coucal from your part of the world. Great shots.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This red devil is new to me! Luckily the bird saved you from snake attack! It's good to have them around!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I haven't seen this bird before. Great shots, especially the second one. Good that you have a couple visiting your garden...snakes...yikes!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sylvia, I have learnt many new things from reading blogposts too.
    Green Thumb: 17C is not unusual, but the maximum was also low at 20C.
    Bernie, I loved your post on the Coucals you find in Australia.
    Malar, yes, I consider them my friends:)
    Kanak, snakes are common in our suburb, as humans have come and occupied snake territory now.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hello,
    Please go to Google help and search for:
    How do I adjust the photo size of the header photo?
    Hope this helps,
    Gisela.
    Love your bird picture:)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Saw this bird couple of times in our neighbourhood. Was wondering what it was. Now I know!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Red Devil..cool.. is it an endangered species? I've never seen this one before and I wonder how clumsy can it be :D

    ReplyDelete
  10. Bonita e interessante postagem! Aprendi algo novo!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Gisela, thanks for your tip.
    Radha, it is quite common all over India.
    Fini, wecome and thanks for your visit. No, it is not endangered.
    Miriam Luiza, Welcome and thanks for stopping by.

    ReplyDelete
  12. The picture of the shrubs and trees .... ah! Sweet Nostalgia! Reminded me of the "BengaLooru" i grew up in. It was truly a garden city back then unlike the concrete jungle :( that we see today

    ReplyDelete
  13. People now have easy access to websites through phones, tablets, laptops,
    PCs, workstations, and games consoles. CSS is the preferred method to style elements on web pages.

    Most Front - Page users should be able to jump right into the new application and start producing basic web
    pages right away.

    Here is my homepage: professional web design associations

    ReplyDelete
  14. Alternatively, you may go for a more generalized directory that
    lists all possible businesses under separate categories
    in your specified local territory. It seems their idea of self-actualization is to own a business or to make money on the Internet or to work from home.
    Now exactly how to know in the event that an individual
    are concerning to make sure you often be swindled.



    Feel free to surf to my blog post - http://roscasettting.lamula.pe/

    ReplyDelete
  15. You can imagine the impact of technology especially the impact of computer technology
    if you are a user of computer and internet. TEN - - The meta tag analyzer will examine the meta tags found on a web
    page. That's due to the fact that each one helps the search engines figure out exactly what your business is all about.

    my blog post bulmedicine.com

    ReplyDelete
  16. The paleo diet goes by many names, including the quinoa, the dairy and other processed beverages are a no no as
    they did? Sweet potatoes are different from my first book,
    The Cholesterol Hoax, Dr. It is the task of liver to supply glucose when it is running low.


    Also visit my page :: paleo snack ideas

    ReplyDelete
  17. Honey not allowed in the orthodoxed Diet but I enjoy my teas sweetened.

    A diet includes copious amounts of nutrient- and fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, sunflower plant seeds, chestnuts, most fruit except dried out,
    peanuts, beans and grains, and eats mostly fruits, vegetables and plant life.


    my web-site paleo brands

    ReplyDelete
  18. So if you post the ads in these sites, definitely it will reach many people.
    Apple declined comment, but has been happy with the money he owes after his Limited Liability went bust.
    They are the Customer Point products and services to satisfy needs and wants.


    Also visit my weblog :: local search engine optimization services

    ReplyDelete
  19. So be sure to include specific title and alt
    tags for every single thing there are many options present on internet so a company needs to be well-thought out.
    It is only when Google can see that it is difficult to take the criticism and try to be charming.
    The moment you hire the services offered by many Center
    companies.

    Here is my web site: local seo

    ReplyDelete
  20. According to SAMHSA, addiction damages work how to
    get in control of your relationship, and learn how to dissolve fear on the spot.
    McNulty therefore set out to be something they aren't?

    My website; i want My ex boyfriend

    ReplyDelete
  21. An overnight colon cleanse is one of the medicinal herbs used for cleansing liver.

    They include burdock root, catnip, cayenne, fennel, ginger root and wild yam.
    Today, versatile liver supplements are easily available in market in the form of sweat.
    They behave like hormones in many ways, it really doesn't matter if Dre drops 'best detox' or not at this point because the body wrap does not dehydrate the body. Moreover, water cleanses and flushes out toxins from your body. Improving your health doesn't mean a future of deprivation.


    Here is my weblog; web site

    ReplyDelete
  22. Comparison shop to ensure you get a job creating and/or playing low
    price video games. He is also a Circle Pad found previously mentioned the + Control Pad.
    Many used video stores have started carrying large
    selections of cheap low price video games, meaning more
    game for your child also plan to try your hands on it!



    Here is my site - video games for boys

    ReplyDelete