Wagtail Season

Come winter, come wagtail season! Some of the most cheerful birds to look at, thanks to their constantly bobbing tail, wagtails are a birdwatcher's delight. With the exception of the White-browed Wagtail that stays in India the year round, we have four other migratory species that visit us each winter- the White, Yellow, Forest and Citrine Wagtails. Comic from my column with Roundglass Sustain.

Migration and Body Fat

It's summer and the winter migrants are on their way back to their wintering grounds, making arduous journeys across some of the harshest terrain! May India's fatty diet sustain each one of them on their incredible journey. Here's a cartoon from my column with Roundglass Sustain, dedicated to a winter visitor frequenting my backyard, the Grey Wagtail, that flies in all the way from the Himalayas.

Top Ten Recommendations for Migratory Birds Visiting India

Are you a migratory bird visiting India and looking for recommendations? Well, look no further than Green Humour! (The birds in the comic are: European Bee-eater, Montagu's Harrier, Crab Plover, Rosy Starling, Indian Blue Robin, Grey Wagtail (with his guide Plum-headed Parakeet), Siberian Stonechat (with a performing Indian Peafowl), Cinereous Vulture, Steppe Eagle, Eurasian Griffon, Pied Cuckoo, Greater Flamingo, Marsh Sandpiper, Western Reef Egret and Pied Avocet. 

Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-day. Prints available on my webstore here. (For orders within India, e-mail me on rohanchakcartoonist@gmail.com)

Bird Caricatures- some commoners

Here are some of the bird caricatures I've been working on, some of my favourite species among the backyard birds of Central India, where I live.

A handsome looking garden bird with a metallic 'tchee tchee tchee' call, it is a pleasure to watch the antics of the Ashy Prinia. Its activity suddenly increases during the monsoons when it breeds and nests. I have had the pleasure of hosting one prinia right in my house, and observed its nest. The nest is stitched into the inner surface of a sturdy leaf, water-proofed by extremely skillful and intricate weaving and 3-5 glossy eggs are laid. 

The Grey Wagtail breeds in the Himalayas in Summer and spreads across the peninsula during the winters. It arrives in huge flocks, and one such flock frequently stops by at my terrace, filling the air with its 'tleep tleep' song. It is probably the species with which I have spent the most amount of time this winter!

An absolute tyrant and brat, both by its looks and its habits. And for the same reasons, a bird I have truly grown to respect!

This species is a rather shy and timid dweller of the undergrowth. It feeds like a thrush close to the ground, turning over leaves and vegetation searching for slugs and insects. Birders identify its presence from its 'I'll-beat-you' call.

The Yellow-footed Green Pigeon is the state bird of Maharashtra, where I live. My hometown is one of the places where a flock of these splendid grey-green pigeons flying from one fruit tree to another is a very common sight.

The caricatures are available as A3 posters, which you can order by e-mailing me on rohanchakcartoonist@gmail.com.