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Birds of Kadamakkudy – Great Egret (Ardea Alba)
The great egret (Ardea alba), also known as the common egret, large egret, or great white egret is a large, widely distributed egret with four subspecies found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and southern Europe. Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world, it builds tree nests in colonies close to water.
Birds of Kadamakkudy – Lesser whistling duck (Dendrocygna javanica)
The lesser whistling duck (Dendrocygna javanica), also known as Indian whistling duck or lesser whistling teal, is a species of whistling duck that breeds in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. They are nocturnal feeders that during the day may be found in flocks around lakes and wet paddy fields. They can perch on trees and sometimes build their nest in the hollow of a tree. This brown and long-necked duck has broad wings that are visible in flight and produces a loud two-note wheezy call.
Lesser whistling duck are usually in fond of company. They feed mainly on plants taken from the water as well as grains from cultivated rice apart from small fish, frogs and worms.They dabble as well as dive in water. They will often waddle on the land and common mynas have been noted to follow them. Courtship involves the male facing the female and dipping and raising its bill in the water and swimming around the female.They breed during the rainy season and may vary locally in relation to the food availability. The nest site may be a tree hole lined with twigs and grass or built in the fork of a large tree, sometimes reusing an old nest of a kite or heron or even on the ground. The clutch varies from 7 to 12 white eggs that are incubated by both the parents. The eggs hatch after about 22–24 days. More than one brood may be raised in a single season.Young birds may sometimes be carried on the back of the parents.
In Malayalam, the local language of Kerala, they are called ‘Eranda’.
Birds of Kadamakkudy – Egret at Kadamakkudy Islands
Birds of Kadamakkudy – Gull
Gulls range in size from the little gull, at 120 g (4.2 oz) and 29 cm (11 in), to the great black-backed gull, at 1.75 kg (3.9 lb) and 76 cm (30 in). They are generally uniform in shape, with heavy bodies, long wings, and moderately long necks. The tails of all but three species are rounded; the exceptions being Sabine’s gull and swallow-tailed gulls, which have forked tails, and Ross’s gull, which has a wedge-shaped tail. Gulls have moderately long legs, especially when compared to the similar terns, with fully webbed feet. The bill is generally heavy and slightly hooked, with the larger species having stouter bills than the smaller species. The bill colour is often yellow with a red spot for the larger white-headed species and red, dark red or black in the smaller species.
Exploring Kadamakkudy Islands on a cycle 