A 1600km isolation from the mainland ensures that the Andaman Islands have fauna that are significantly different from what we see around home. Even familiar-looking birds turn out to be endemic sub-species. It's quite a humbling experience to keep going back to the field guide to double check every identification.
Friday, 31st December, 2021
Andaman - 2021
Mt. Harriet National Park
Freckle-breasted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos analis)
I initially mistook this for the fulvous-breasted Woodpecker, but some of the other pics that I had taken clarified that this was indeed a lifer for me.
Asian Fairy-bluebird (Irena puella)
Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus)
Isabelline Shrike (Lanius isabellinus)
Long-tailed Parakeet (Psittacula longicauda)
Black-naped Monarch (Hypothymis azurea)
The tytleri subspecies is endemic to the Andaman Islands and is characterised by a mostly blue belly (as opposed to the white of the mainland variant).
Striated Heron (Butorides striata)
Andaman Green Pigeon (Treron chloropteru)
Scarlet Minivet (Pericrocotus speciosus)
Havelock Island
We didn't really spend time birding at Havelock. The pics below are the result of some balcony birding from our beach shack in the mornings.
Red-breasted Parakeet (Psittacula alexandri)
Pacific or Eastern Egret (Egretta sacra)
Asian Glossy Starling (Aplonis panayensis)
