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colour and their favourite haunts are rock cliffs along the sea coast. They
are powerful fliers and can dive from a height of about 100 ft.
Only one straggler, the masked booby (Sula dactylatra) has been
recorded in Maharashtra. This was at Nasik in 1958.
Family Phalacrocoracidae—Cormorants and Darter: This family is
represented by four species in India and all these are resident in
Maharashtra, namely the cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo), the Indian
Shag (Phalacrocorax fuscicollis), the little or pigmy cormorant
(Phalacrocorax niger), and the darter (Anhinga rufa). These are aquatic
birds living mainly on fish and are normally seen on lakes and rivers. They
have long necks and bills and stiff rounded tails. They sometimes hunt in
groups driving the fish before them and gulping them down when they are
brought to bay. Surprisingly their loose plumage is not water repellant and
often they come out of water to dry themselves. Their main colours are
grey-black and white. Cormorants and the Indian shag have hooked beaks
while the darter has a straight sharp beak. The darter is known as “the
snake bird” because of its long neck which looks very much like a snake
when the bird swims with its body submerged.
Family Fregatidae—Frigate Birds or “Man O’War Birds”: There is
only one record of a frigate bird (Fregata ariel) from Maharashtra State in
1956. These birds inhabit tropical seas far away from land. They feed on
flying fish and also parasite on other sea-birds whom they chase and force
to disgorge their food.
(4) Order Ciconiiformes.—Many species of birds of this Order are
found all over Maharashtra State. These are mainly large birds with long
necks and bills. Their legs are well adapted for wading and feeding in
shallow water. The feet are webbed at the base of the three front toes; the
hind toe is well developed and helps in perching on trees and among reed
beds. The majority of these species breeds in colonies, except the bitterns
and the little grey heron. They feed on molluscs, insects, frogs and fish.
There are four families with 34 species of this Order occurring in India out
of which 27 species are found in Maharashtra. All these are resident birds
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