Birding at Nandi Hills - Part 3 - Nilgiri Wood Pigeon

Its been so long, that I almost forgot what was supposed to be the third species in this list. :)

Well, here it is, the Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, another commonly found and photographed bird in this region.

Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, Columba elphinstonii

The Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, Columba elphinstonii , is a large pigeon found mainly in the Western Ghats and Nilgiri region of Southern India. They are mainly frugivorous, i.e, their diet mainly consists of fruits. They have a distinctive checkerboard pattern on the nape. They are closely related to the Ceylon Wood pigeon and the Ashy Wood Pigeon. They forage singly or in groups usually up in the fruit trees, but are seen foraging on the ground for fallen fruits as well. They play a vital role in dispersing seeds of the fruits they consume.

Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, Columba elphinstonii

Part - 1 of this series: Tickell's Blue Flycatcher
Part - 2 of this series: Blue-capped Rock Thrush EQUIPMENT USED:

Nikon D3S / Canon EOS 20D
AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4G ED VR / CANON EF 600mm F4L IS
Gitzo + Wimberley

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For tailored wildlife photography trips please get in touch at: angadachappaphotography@hotmail.com

All Images are Copyrighted Angad Achappa and may not be used in any form, website or print/online media without written permission of the Photographer. For any inquiry for the photographs please contact: angadachappaphotography@hotmail.com

Birding at Nandi Hills

A place where id previously gone and struggled turned out to be a heaven for birding this Feb.

Nandi Hills is situated approximately 60kms from Bangalore, a little beyond the International Airport. Nandi Hills is very rich in bird-life, making it a very popular birdwatching spot.

The images from the first day are:

Indian Pitta
Canon EOS 7D, Canon EF 600mm F4 L IS USM, Gitzo tripod with ball head

Eurasian Blackbird
Canon EOS 7D, Canon EF 600mm F4 L IS USM, Gitzo tripod with ball head

Nilgiri Wood Pigeon

Orange-headed Thrush

Tickell's Blue Flycatcher

Tickell's Blue Flycatcher

We also saw a pair of Common Kestrels and a pair of Peregrine Falcons towards the end of the trip.

A note to photographers: Nandi Hills usually has very poor light, so be prepared to use a high ISO and a tripod if possible.

All the above images were shot using a Canon EOS 7D, Canon EF 600mm F4 L IS USM, and a Gitzo tripod with ball head for support.

The second day was a day well spent with raptors. We saw a staggering 8-9 Tawny Eagles, a pair of Bonelli's Eagles, a lone Egyptian Vulture and a lone Black Eagle.

It was just awesome watching the eagle fight amongst themselves. I have a lot more images of the eagles, but will upload the later.

Tawny Eagle in flight
Canon EOS 500D, Canon EF 600mm F4 L IS USM, hand-held

Since i had borrowed my friends Canon EOS 7 D on the first day, i decided to try out the HD video option on it. I short a very short clip of the Indian Pitta. Hope you guys like it!! :)

Indian Pitta from Angad Achappa on Vimeo.

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All Images are Copyrighted Angad Achappa and may not be used in any form, website or print/online media without written permission of the Photographer. For any inquiry for the photographs please contact: angadachappaphotography@hotmail.com