Almost every evening during the monsoons, there's a spectacle that unfolds at our farm. Winged termites come out of through holes in the ground. They spark off a feeding frenzy among the local birds. Here are the ones that partook in the bounty.
Monday, 12th August, 2019
The Termite Feast
Purple-rumped Sunbird (Leptocoma zeylonica)
This sunbird took a break from feeding on nectar to get some protein.
Oriental White-eye (Zosterops palpebrosus)
This Oriental White-eye managed multiple helpings in a short time. It probably knew this wasn't going to last forever.
Small Minivet (Pericrocotus cinnamomeus)
This female was part of a 5 member flock of opportunistic Small Minivets.
White-browed Bulbul (Pycnonotus luteolus)
By this time there was quite a commotion all around. A few Red-vented Bulbuls came to check out what the fuss was about. While the other bulbuls sat demurely waiting for their turn, the White-browed Bulbuls proved pretty enterprising. They walked up straight to the termite nest and got their share.
Rufous Treepie (Dendrocitta vagabunda)
A Rufous Treepie, a species I've never spotted before this in our farm, decided to join the inter-species orgy.
Common or Indian Myna (Acridotheres tristis)
How can you keep the Mynas out of a party like this? True to their style, most of them walked straight up to the nest and raided it.
Surprisingly some others chose to fish the insects out from the air.
Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis)
When it comes to plucking insects out of the air, there's one expert that was around to show how it's done.
House Crow (Corvus splendens)
By now, there was enough ruckus to attract the bigger boys. This house crow made repeated raids, each time picking up 6-7 insects in its beak. Probably had young ones to feed in its nest.
Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus)
A couple of Brahminy Kites came along. They proved surprisingly deft in the air. If you'd seen the amount of energy they were willing to spend on these tiny insects, you would know how nutritious they really must be.
It was delightful to watch them catch the insects, strip off the wings, and eat them, and almost immediately turn back for the next sally.
Shikra (Accipter badius)
A juvenile Shikra did repeated sorties over the nest, each time sending all the other species scampering away in fear. It flew too fast to capture in flight, and I only managed to get a few shots of it between the attacks.
Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus)
And finally, this Red-wattled Lapwing, though late to the party, proved to be the biggest bully of them all. It came in repeatedly yelling its characteristic did-you-do-it calls, chased all the other birds, settled down near the termite hole, and had its fill.
