Bangalore, one the fastest growing cities in India, has been known as the Garden City. The city boasts of congenial climate that birds thrive in. Three hundred or more varieties of birds have been identified around Bangalore and its peripheries. With exponential growth of the IT hub of India, the city has seen rapid changes and this has affected its bird population. Some birds have shifted their nesting areas, some have become mere visitors and some have found a place on the endangered species list.

In this series on 'Birds of Bangalore', we will talk about some of the birds seen in the city and its gardens and lakes. We will give an introduction to the birds, tips on how to identify them and other interesting facts and observations. We hope you will find our article helpful in getting you started on bird watching.

Ashy Prinia (Prinia socialis)

Characteristics and identification: Smaller in size than the regular sparrow, this bird has a short bill. It gets its name from its ash-coloured top body. An interesting characteristic of this bird is the constant shaking of its tail. There are no differences between the sexes. It is usually seen in pairs around grasslands and gardens. It has a sharp call, which gets shriller as it flies higher.

Ashy Prinia. I shot this picture at Madivala lake when I spotted the Ashy Prinia in the midst of some undergrowth on the lake side. I had to wait for some 15 minutes to get a good view, as it moves around quite fast. The photo clearly shows its strong legs, red eyes, and ashy upper body.

Areas to sight it around Bangalore: It is fond of well watered areas. So the best places to sight it are Lalbagh, Cubbon park, Hebbal and Madivala lakes. The bird frequents localities with lots of green cover and marshy surroundings. Its small size helps it go unnoticed, even at close quarters.

Saurabh Mittal, an avid reader, writer and hobby photographer, has been in Bangalore for the past 3 years. He loves the free spirit of Bangalore that inspires him to write about it.

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