Part 25

The avifauna of the Palni is a comparatively restricted one: which is in part doubtless explained by the comparatively small area of the higher ranges that is covered by forest.

The great majority of the birds that follow have been described in the chapter on the birds of the Nilgiris, and I have contented myself with merely naming such.

THE CORVIDAE OR CROW FAMILY

1. Corvus macrorhynchus. The Indian corby. This is not very abundant above 5500 feet.

2. Dendrocitta rufa. The tree-pie. This does not appear to occur above 5000 feet.

3. Machlolophus haplonotus. The southern yellow tit. Occurs at Kodikanal, but is not very common there.

THE CRATEROPODIDAE OR BABBLER FAMILY

4. Crateropus canorus. The jungle babbler. This rarely ascends higher than 5000 feet.

5. Trochalopterum fairbanki. The Palni laughing-thrush. This species is peculiar to the Palnis and the Anamallis. The head is very dark brown, almost black, with a broad white eyebrow. The cheeks are grey, as are the chin, throat, and breast. The back, wings, and tail are olive brown tinged with rusty red. The abdomen is bright rufous. The noisy cries of this bird are among the most familiar sounds of Kodikanal. It is destructive to peaches and raspberries.

6. Pomatorhinus horsfieldi. The southern scimitar-babbler. This is not nearly so abundant on the Palnis as on the Nilgiris.

7. Zosterops palpebrosa. The Indian white-eye. A common bird.

8. Iole icteria. The yellow-browed bulbul. Otocompsa fuscicaudata. The southern red-whiskered bulbul or hill-bulbul. As in the Nilgiris so in the Palnis, this is the most abundant bird on the higher hills.

9. Molpastes haemorrhous. The Madras red-vented bulbul. The higher one ascends, the rarer this bird becomes.

10. Hypsipetes ganeesa. The southern black bulbul.

11. Myiophoneus horsfieldi. The Malabar whistling-thrush or idle schoolboy. This fine but shy bird is found on the streams up to 6000 feet. It is a bird as large as a crow, with glossy black plumage, in which are patches of bright cobalt blue.

It is better known to the ear than to the eye. It emits a number of cheerful whistling notes.

THE SITTIDAE OR NUTHATCH FAMILY

12. Sitta frontalis. The velvet-fronted blue nuthatch. This bird is found in every part of the Palnis where there are trees.

THE DICRURIDAE OR DRONGO FAMILY

13. Chaptia aenea. The bronzed drongo. This species is not often seen at altitudes of more than 5000 feet above sea-level.

It is like the common king-crow in appearance, but the plumage is glossed with a bronze sheen, and the tail is less markedly forked.

THE SYLVIIDAE OR WARBLER FAMILY

14. Orthotomus sartorius. The tailor bird. This has been seen as high as 5500 feet above the sea-level.

15. Prinia socialis. The ashy wren-warbler.

16. Prinia inorata. The Indian wren-warbler. This is very like the ashy wren-warbler in appearance. Its upper plumage is earthy-brown, and not reddish brown, and it does not make during flight the curious snapping noise so characteristic of P. socialis.

THE LANIIDAE OR SHRIKE FAMILY

17. Lanius erythronotus. The rufous-backed shrike.

18. Pericrocotus flammeus. The orange minivet. This beautiful bird occurs from the bottom to the top of the Palnis.