Nagpur: City birder Narendra Shankar Nikhare has sighted and recorded a rare Tickell’s Thrush female at Seminary Hills. This is said to be the first record of the bird in the district.
As reported by TOI, the bird was sighted in Yavatmal district in April 2016. Nikhare said the bird was recorded from his CPWD quarters terrace at Seminary Hills recently.
Bird expert Pushkar Kulkarni said, “There is no last record available in Nagpur district of this bird. It may be the first sighting of this bird in the district. Some well-known bird watchers have also confirmed the identity.”
As per the records, this bird is commonly seen in the open forests of the Himalayas and North-East. It migrates seasonally into Peninsular India. In Maharashtra, it has been previously sighted in Yavatmal and Konkan, and Jalgaon regions.
This bird is omnivorous and mostly feeds on earthworms and insects. Its size is similar to that of the common myna. While males of this species have bluish upper parts and a white belly, females have brown upper parts. “Its sighting in our area signifies the healthy biodiversity at Seminary Hills, which has been the hotspot for birders of Nagpur,” said Nikhare.
“This year I’ve recorded some rare and uncommon birds in Seminary Hills. These birds include the grey-headed canary flycatcher, greater racket-tailed drongo, crested goshawk and many more,” he added.
FLYING HIGH
* Commonly seen in open forests of Himalayas & North-East
* Migrates seasonally into Peninsular India
* In Maharashtra, previously sighted in Yavatmal and Konkan, and Jalgaon regions
* Omnivorous, it mostly feeds on earthworms and insects
* Size similar to common myna
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