Common Birds of Western Himalayas 



inianus), often called Pharaoh's chicken and 

 other opprobrious names that I will not men- 

 tion. This bird eats everything that is filthy 

 and unclean. The natural consequence is that 

 it looks untidy and disreputable. It is, with- 

 out exception, the ugliest bird in the world. 

 It is about the size of a kite. The plumage is 

 a dirty white, except the edges of the wing 

 feathers, which are shabby black. The naked 

 face is of a pale mustard colour, as are the bill 

 and legs. The feathers on the back of the 

 head project like the back hairs of an untidy 

 schoolboy. Its walk is an ungainly waddle. 

 Nevertheless — so great is the magic of wings — 

 this bird, as it soars high above the earth, looks 

 a noble fowl ; it then appears to be snow-white 

 with black margins to the wings. 



Another vulture frequently met with is the 

 Indian white-backed vulture (Pseudogyps ben- 

 galensis). The plumage of this species is a 

 very dark grey, almost black. The naked head 

 is rather lighter than the rest of the body. The 

 lower back is white : this makes the bird easy 

 to identify when it is perched. It has some 

 white in the wings, and this, during flight, is 

 visible as a very broad band that runs from 

 the body nearly to the tip of the wing. Thus 



91 



