Kingfishers of India- Caricatures

Their exquisite coloration and royal demeanour make kingfishers an object of every bird lover’s admiration. India has 12 species, of which the commonest are the White-throated and the Common Kingfishers. The Sunderbans are thought to be the richest zone in kingfisher diversity. Contrary to what the name suggests, most kingfishers do not subsist entirely on fish but are versatile and fearless hunters, taking everything from frogs, small birds, rodents and even snakes.

Read along and introduce yourselves to these twelve dazzling delights-

                                     
                         

Crested Kingfisher-

Also known as the Himalayan Kingfisher, the Crested Kingfisher is the largest kingfisher in India. It is black and white and appears like the larger version of the more common Pied Kingfisher. It inhabits mountain rivers and hunts along fast flowing streams.

Stork-billed Kingfisher-

Large and robust, characterized by the heavy stork-like bill, this bird is a resident of well-wooded habitats. Its loud cackling call often gives it away. 

Brown-winged Kingfisher-

The Brown-winged Kingfisher is a specialist hunter of the mangroves, and quite naturally, has been reported in great numbers from the Sunderbans. I nests in holes along river banks and preys on fish, frogs and crabs.

Black-capped Kingfisher-

A striking looking bird, the Black-capped Kingfisher is also a resident of mangroves and coastal waters. Like other tree kingfishers, it prefers tree holes to nest and hunts a wide range of prey including frogs, fish, crabs and young birds.

Pied Kingfisher-

The Pied Kingfisher is one of the most handsome birds found in the region. An extremely agile fisherman, the bird is renowned for its dives. The kingfisher hovers in mid-air on locking its tagret and performs a steep, vertical, swift dive to procure it- a spectacular sight etched in the memory of every bird lover. 

Collared Kingfisher-

This glossy blue jewel inhabits mangroves and estuaries, and is easily identifiable by its white collar. Several sub-species of the Collared Kingfisher have been described, occurring over a wide range across Eurasia and Africa.

Ruddy Kingfisher-

The Ruddy Kingfisher is another tree kingfisher seen around mangroves and islands. It has an extensive range through South-east and East Asia. The rusty red colour and brilliant red bill and legs serve as pointers for identification.

White-throated Kingfisher-

One of the commonest kingfishers in India and probably the least dependent on water among all kingfishers here, this spectacular looking bird is well known to birders and laymen alike. Its loud ki-ki-ki-ki call often gives it away. A fearless predator, it can take absolutely anything within its grasp, including rodents and snakes!

Common Kingfisher-

The Common or the Small Blue Kingfisher is a small, exclusively fish-eating kingfisher seen commonly around ponds, lakes and rivers. It can often be seen speeding like a bullet parallel to the water surface. It hunts by hovering and diving.

Blue-eared Kingfisher-

A close relative of the Common Kingfisher, the Blue-eared Kingfisher occurs along streams and rivers in dense forests. The blue ear coverts separate the species from the Common Kingfisher.

Blyth’s Kingfisher-

Named after Edward Blyth (an English zoologist and Curator of the Museum of the Asiatic Society of Bengal), this bird is also closely related to the Common Kingfisher and occurs along streams in evergreen forests at relatively higher elevations. 

Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher-

Like always- the best for the last! Sporting an entire colour wheel on its body, the dwarf or the three-toed kingfisher is one of the world’s most striking birds. It is a very shy resident of rainforests and nests along streams amid dense forest cover and breeds with the onset of the south-western monsoons. It feeds on a wide range of prey including frogs, lizards and crabs.  

The prints of both the individual species as well as the compilation are available as A3 posters, along with a hoard of collectibles- fridge magnets, coffee mugs and coasters. Mail me your orders on rohanchakcartoonist@gmail.com (don’t forget to mention your complete postal address and contact details) Here’s a price list of kingfisher goodies-

A2 Posters (loose)- Rs. 1200 each
Mounted Posters (A3- Individual species and compilation)- Rs. 2000

Loose Posters (A3- Individual species and compilation)- Rs. 500 for the first copy and Rs. 200 for the second copy onwards

Fridge Magnets (3" x 4", Printed in sets of 4)- Any 4 kingfishers for Rs. 1200

Coffee Mug (Compilation)- Rs. 850

Coasters (3.5" x 3.5", Printed in sets of 6)- Any 6 kingfishers for Rs. 800

(Please note that I am shipping only within India at the moment)

The kingfisher mug and magnet set (you can pick any four of your favourites for the magnets and any six for the coasters).

Black-bellied Terns

One on birds and pollution published in my fortnightly in The Hindu's BLink last week. 

Santa versus Climate Change

A Christmas special from my fortnightly in The Hindu's BLink. Merry Christmas!

Know your Elephants

There are three species of elephants in the world recognized today, after recent genetic studies showed that the Bush and the Forest Elephants, earlier considered sub-species of the African Elephant, might actually be separate species. The Forest Elephant differs from the Bush Elephant in having rounder ears, straighter tusks and a different number of toenails. No, their names have nothing to do with pubic hair!

I'll be speaking about art, wildlife and elephants today (21st December, 2014) at 6pm at the Rangoli Metro Art Gallery, MG Road (Bangalore, India) in an event by Friends of Elephants along with some amazing fellow wildlife artists- Sangeetha Kadur, Arjun Srivathsa and Abhisheka Gopal. Drop by!

Honey, we're parents!

As is the norm with several species of birds and animals, the peacock doesn't spend any of his time or energy caring for the chicks, leaving the peahen to fend for her brood of four to eight peachicks.

The cartoon appeared in my fortnightly column in The Hindu's BLink last month.

The Sunderban Oil Spill

A collision between a cargo vessel and an oil tanker in the waters of the Sunderbans Delta resulted in a massive oil spill earlier this week, spilling nearly 350000 litres of oil into critical dolphin habitat. Both the Gangetic and the Irrawady Dolphins live here, along with hundreds of other species, for whom doom is imminent. Deaths of birds and other aquatic animals such as fish and water monitors have already been reported by the locals, and the casualties are only expected to rise. More about the mishap here- http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/3-50-000-litres-of-oil-spills-in-river-as-tanker-sinks-in-sunderbans-633192 

Jet Airways bans Shark Fin Cargo

Here's a comic I wrote and drew for the Humane Society International, India to celebrate the ban on shark fin cargo by Jet Airways. A welcome move that must be adopted by all airlines immediately, this was a result of the efforts of activist Chemudupati Samyukta and her team, who have been battling tirelessly for the cause of sharks across the coasts of India. 

All copyrights to the artwork belong to the HSI.

The comic also appeared in Jet Airways' on board magazine 'Jet Wings', in the January 2015 issue.

All About Perspective

The courtship display of the peacock has inspired countless poets, artists (and cartoonists!) the world over, and has even nauseated some, such as Darwin who failed to figure out the reason behind the extravagance of the male's train! Currently believed to be a result of female sexual selection, the peacock's famous dance involves holding the train out like a fan and fluttering it. 

I've done a couple of cartoons on peacocks for my fortnightly column in The Hindu's BLink. Here's the first one that appeared in July 2014.

Cranes of India

Tall, graceful, clean-limbed, elegant- no, I’m not talking about French actresses! Meet some of the world’s most attractive birds- the cranes of India. Cranes are characterized by their long necks and long legs, and all inhabit wetlands or grasslands. It is their dependence on these habitats that has sadly made several crane species endangered today.

Sarus Crane-

Sarus Cranes are the tallest flying birds in the world, and are revered in culture as the symbols of marital fidelity. Sarus cranes are also the only resident cranes in India. They are renowned for their elaborate courtship displays, in which the male and the female perform a grand duet with loud trumpeting calls and graceful dancing. They inhabit grasslands and marshes and eat water plants and crustaceans. The species is threatened by habitat loss, hunting and pesticides.

(Note: In reality, only the male opens his wings in the duet (as pointed out by Dr. Gopi Sunder of the International Crane Foundation). The female here has been depicted with her wings open only to achieve symmetry in the illustration).

Common Crane-

The Common Crane breeds in Europe and winters to our region. The bare, red crown, black forehead and lores, and the white streak that extends from behind the eyes to the upper back are characteristic features of the bird. It is an extremely social bird and migrates in flocks of up to 400. The Common Crane has a special place in Irish culture and folklore, in spite of being extinct there for 200 years. Recently, the bird has started re-visiting Ireland naturally, and efforts to reintroduce the species on a larger scale are being planned.

Demoiselle Crane-

The long, slender eye stripe gives the Demoiselle Crane its characteristic, graceful appearance. Demoiselle Cranes that visit India in winters breed in Central Asia in Mongolia and Northern China. The bird is known as ‘koonj’ in Hindi and is of cultural significance in North India, one of its major wintering grounds. The crane finds itself a part of several important pieces of poetry and literature, and is also a metaphor for beauty in the region. Demoiselle Cranes are also known to make one of the most hectic migratory journeys, crossing the Himalayas to reach India. 

Black-necked Crane-

Black-necked Cranes breed in the Tibetan Plateau and migrate to remote parts of North India and Bhutan in the winter. They are revered in Buddhist mythology and as a result, protected culturally in these areas. As with other cranes, Black-necked cranes are renowned for forming long-lasting pair bonds and are extremely dedicated parents. The species is the state bird of Jammu and Kashmir. The Gangteng Monastery in Bhutan celebrates  a Black-necked Crane festival each year in November to mark the arrival of the cranes in the country. Throughout its range, it faces a threat from habitat conversion, agriculture, overgrazing and dam construction, and finds itself listed as ‘Vulnerable’ on IUCN’s Red List.

Siberian Crane-

Identified by its bare, brick-red forecrown, and pink legs, the Siberian Crane is among the world’s most endangered crane species. It is threatened by habitat loss throughout its range. Siberian Cranes used to winter in India, and Bharatpur was famous as a favourite haunt of these birds, until 2002, when the species became locally extinct, owing mainly to hunting and habitat degradation. Read more about the history of the Siberian Cranes in India in this article on Kolkatabirds here. 

For orders from outside of India, the prints are available as t-shirts and a whole range of goodies from my Redbubble Store here
.

For orders within India, the prints of both the individual species as well as the compilation are available as A3 posters, along with a hoard of collectibles- fridge magnets, coffee mugs and personal diaries!

Cranes of India- compilation (A3 poster- mounted/ loose)

Cranes of India coffee mug

Crane fridge magnets

Crane personal hard cover diary

Here’s a price list of crane goodies-

A2 Posters (loose)- Rs. 1200 each

Mounted Posters (A3- Individual species and compilation)- Rs. 2000

Loose Posters (A3- Individual species and compilation)- Rs. 500 for the first copy and Rs. 200 for the second copy onwards

Fridge Magnets (3" x 4", Printed in sets of 4)- Any 4 cranes for Rs. 1200

Coffee Mug (Compilation)- Rs. 850

Personal Diary (Hard Cover, A5, 150 pages)- Any 1 crane species on the cover- Rs. 800

Mail me your orders on rohanchakcartoonist@gmail.com (don’t forget to mention your complete postal address and contact details) and take these leggy lasses home! 

Corporate Sustainability Behind the Scenes

A cartoon on corporate sustainability that appeared in Sustainuance magazine last year, and on Gocomics last week- http://www.gocomics.com/green-humour/2014/11/25. You can follow updates on my Gocomics page by clicking on the 'plus' icon below the comic, if you haven't done that yet. Prints of the comic are available as posters that could go up on your office walls as a hypocrisy-check for your bosses and colleagues!