A Bird Calendar for Northern India | Page 7

of the bird's bill. Both sexes take part in

nest construction. A neatly-cut circular hole, about the size of a rupee,
on the lower surface or the side of a branch is assuredly the entrance to
the nest of a coppersmith, a green barbet, or a woodpecker.
As the month draws to its close many a pair of nuthatches (_Sitta
castaneiventris_) may be observed seeking for a hollow in which to
nestle. The site selected is usually a small hole in the trunk of a mango
tree that has weathered many monsoons. The birds reduce the orifice of
the cavity to a very small size by plastering up the greater part of it
with mud. Hence the nest of the nuthatch, unless discovered when in
course of construction, is difficult to locate.
All the cock sunbirds (Arachnechthra asiatica) are now in the full
glory of their nuptial plumage. Here and there an energetic little hen is
busily constructing her wonderful pendent nest. Great is the variety of
building material used by the sunbird. Fibres, slender roots, pliable
stems, pieces of decayed wood, lichen, thorns and even paper, cotton
and rags, are pressed into service. All are held together by cobweb,
which is the favourite cement of bird masons. The general shape of the
nest is that of a pear. Its contour is often irregular, because some of the
materials hang loosely from the outer surface.
The nursery is attached by means of cobweb to the beam or branch
from which it hangs. It is cosily lined with cotton or other soft material.
The hen, who alone builds the nest and incubates the eggs, enters and
leaves the chamber by a hole at one side. This is protected by a little
penthouse. The door serves also as window. The hen rests her chin on
the lower part of this while she is incubating her eggs, and thus is able,
as she sits, to see what is going on in the great world without. She
displays little fear of man and takes no pains to conceal her nest, which
is often built in the verandah of an inhabited bungalow.
As the month nears its end the big black crows (_Corvus
macrorhynchus_) begin to construct their nests. The site selected is
usually a forked branch of a large tree. The nest is a clumsy platform of
sticks with a slight depression, lined by human or horse hair or other
soft material, for the reception of the eggs. Both sexes take part in
incubation. From the time the first egg is laid until the young are big

enough to leave the nest this is very rarely left unguarded. When one
parent is away the other remains sitting on the eggs, or, after the young
have hatched out, on the edge of the nest. Crows are confirmed
egg-stealers and nestling-lifters, and, knowing the guile that is in their
own hearts, keep a careful watch over their offspring.
The kites (Milvus govinda) are likewise busy at their nurseries. At this
season of the year they are noisier than usual, which is saying a great
deal. They not only utter unceasingly their shrill chee-hee-hee-hee, but
engage in many a squabble with the crows.
The nest of the kite, like that of the corby, is an untidy mass of sticks
and twigs placed conspicuously in a lofty tree. Dozens of these nests
are to be seen in every Indian cantonment in February and March. Why
the crows and the kites should prefer the trees in a cantonment to those
in the town or surrounding country has yet to be discovered.
Mention has already been made of the fact that January is the month in
which the majority of the tawny eagles nest; not a few, however, defer
operations till February. Hume states that, of the 159 eggs of this
species of which he has a record, 38 were taken in December, 83 in
January and 28 in February.
The nesting season of the white-backed vulture is drawing to a close.
On the other hand, that of the black or Pondicherry vulture (_Otogyps
calvus_) is beginning. This species may be readily distinguished from
the other vultures, by its large size, its white thighs and the red wattles
that hang down from the sides of the head like drooping ears.
The nest of this bird is a massive platform of sticks, large enough to
accommodate two or three men. Hume once demolished one of these
vulturine nurseries and found that it weighed over eight maunds, that is
to say about six hundredweight. This vulture usually builds its nest in a
lofty pipal tree, but in localities devoid of tall trees the platform is
placed on the top of a bush.
February marks the beginning of the nesting season of the handsome
pied