Common Birds of Western Himalayas 



mens of the bulbul family, being rich chestnut- 

 hued birds with the head and crest metallic 

 bluish black. The hen is content with a gown 

 of this style throughout her life. Not so the 

 cock. No sooner does he reach the years 

 of discretion than he assumes a magnificent 

 caudal appendage. His two middle tail feathers 

 suddenly begin to grow, and go on growing till 

 they become three or four times as long as he 

 is, and so flutter behind him in the wind like 

 streamers when he flies. Nor does he rest 

 content with this finery. When he is about 

 three years old he doffs his chestnut plumage, 

 and in its place dons a snowy white one. He 

 is then a truly magnificent object. The first 

 time one catches sight of this white bird with 

 his satin streamers floating behind him, one 

 wonders whether he is but an object seen in a 

 dream. 



This flycatcher is a regular visitor in summer 

 to Almora, where it nests. Six thousand feet 

 appear to be about the limit of its ascent, and 

 in consequence this beautiful creature is not 

 common at any of the higher hill stations. I 

 have seen it at the brewery below Naini Tal, 

 but not at Naini Tal itself. 



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