Streaked Fantail Warbler, The Nesting

The nesting season varies from from June to September. Male birds are polygamous. the female builds a small nest deep in the grasses, often binding living leaves. The nest is a deep oblong pouch of vegetable matters glued together with cobwebs and attached with the blades of grass .It is generally built at a height of about 2 inches from the ground. It lays about 3-4 Nos of eggs. The eggs are whitish spotted with red & brown colour.It weighs about only one gram. The incubation period is about 12 to 14 days. Both the parents raise the young for a period of 10-12 days. The main food of this bird consists of Insects like grasshoppers and caterpillars etc.

The nest in the phot ograph is located in a waste land near Mahanadi river bed.I waited for long hours to take some feeding shots among wild grasses.I used a Nikon F3 camera and 200 mm lens.This is the wonder of bird watching.

Streaked Fantail-Warbler

Streaked Fantail-Warbler

Species: Cisticola Juncidis

Family: Cisticolidae

Size: Smaller than sparrow

It is a beautiful small bird about 10 cm long. It has a whitish underneath and a heavily striped back in dark brown colour. The tail is short with whitish ends. The tail is constantly flicked open like a fan hence the name fantail warbler. The beak is sharp and pointed.

These birds are more easily heard than seen . Its presence is easily felt as it utters a sharp sound too frequently. It has a constant chik chik chik sound very sweet to heard. The bird is seen moving in open grassy lands, reed beds & paddy fields. Taking photograph of this bird is a very hard task. I located the nest in a riverbed and able to take the shots in my Nikon F3 camera with a 200 mm lens. Enjoy watching the bird