Fishes - Home

is too wellknown to need a description. Its breeding season is from April
to June. The Jungle Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos) is a larger bird entirely
black and is now invading areas nearer human habitation. Its breeding
season commences earlier than that of the House Crow, and is normally
from December to April. The Jungle Crow is a great destroyer of young
birds and their nests.
Family Bombycillidae: Representatives of two sub-families,
Bombycillinae (Waxwings) and Hypocolinae (Silky Flycatchers) occur in
India, and only the species belonging to the latter sub-family is found in
Maharashtra. The Grey Hypocolius (Hypocolius ampelinus) has been
recorded only once in Kolaba District by Dr. Salim Ali in 1930. It was
apparently a straggler. The nearest breeding ground is in Afghanistan.
Family Campephagidae: This family consists of 80 species of
Cuckoo Shrikes. Fourteen of these are found in India and nine have been
recorded from Maharashtra. Most of them are drab-coloured birds except
the minivets. As in the true shrikes, their beaks are hooked at the tip but
they are exclusively arboreal and insectivorous birds and search their food
among the leaves and barks of trees. In the non- breeding season they are
gregarious and hunt in big parties.
The Pied Flycatcher Shrike (Hemipus picatus) resembles a flycatcher
with its short flat bill, black and white upper plumage, black tail and white
underparts. It is found in forest tracts and is well distributed in the State.
The Common Wood Shrike (Tephrodornis pondicerianus) is found
throughout the State. The Large Cuckoo Shrike (Coracina
novaehollandiae) is fairly common in many districts of the State. The male
is grey above and white below while the female is barred grey with white
below. The bill is strong and crow-like. The smaller Grey Cuckoo Shrike
(Coracina melaschistos) is smaller than the preceding species, is uniformly
dark-grey above and barred with white on the underside. The Blackheaded
Cuckoo Shrike (Coracina melanoptera) is a small bird which frequents
orchards and groves.
FAUNA 578