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has been recorded from Khandesh but there have been no recent reports
about its occurrence.
The Mottled Wood Owl Strix ocellata and the slightly larger brown
wood Owl Strix leptogrammica are found in forests in well wooded
country. The Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus is a winter migrant to
Maharashtra.
(14) Order Caprimulgiformes.—Nightjars are Crepuscular and
nocturnal and are found singly or in pairs in scrub country. They inhabit
the warmer regions of the world and produce a “cherring” call note from
which they get their name ‘nightjar’. During the day the birds sit quietly
on the ground and their protective coloration matching the shades of dry
fallen leaves makes them invisible. They fly silently and have an
enormous gape which enables them to hawk insects. Of the seven species
recorded in India six occur in Maharashtra.
The Common Nightjar Caprimulgus asiaticus it about the size of a
myna. Its plumage is a rich mixture of yellow, grev, brown, black and
fulvous; white patches on the wing show up well in flight. This bird is
found in scrub country in light jungle and in compounds and is a resident
species. T he Indian Jungle Nightjar C. indicus is not very common except
in the hilly area of the Deccan and the European Nightjar C. europaeus is a
migrant. The Syke’s Nightjar C. mahraltensis and Franklin’s Nightjar C.
affinis are frequently found in the wooded areas of the Deccan.
(15) Order Apodiformes.—Due to their superficial resemblance
Swifts are often confused with Swallows, but they are quite unrelated. In
Swifts all the four toes are turned forwards and the feet are so weak that
unlike Swallows they cannot perch on telegraph wires. They are highly
gregarious birds and they live mostly on the wing. Capturing insects,
bathing, copulating and even collecting nesting material is done in the air.
They are usually sooty or brown in colour with white or pale-green
markings on the thorat, rump and tail. The mouth opens widely and helps
the bird to capture many insects at a time. The tail takes many forms and
can be either deeply forked, soft-tipped or with needle like spines. Unlike
FAUNA 567