14 A BIRD CALENDAR 



Most of the larger owls are now building 

 nests or sitting on eggs ; a few are seeking food 

 for their offspring. As owls work on silent 

 wing at night, they escape the attentions of 

 the crows and the notice of the average human 

 being. The nocturnal birds of prey of which 

 nests are likely to be found in January are the 

 brown fish-owl (Ketupa ceylonensis) and the 

 rock and the dusky horned-owls (Bubo bengal- 

 ensis and B. coromandus). The dusky horned- 

 owl builds a stick nest in a tree, the rock horned- 

 owl lays its eggs on the bare ground or on the 

 ledge of a cliff, while the brown fish-owl makes 

 a nest among the branches or in a hollow in the 

 trunk of a tree or on the ledge of a cliff. 



In the Punjab the ravens, which in many 

 respects ape the manners of birds of prey, are 

 now nesting. A raven's nest is a compact 

 collection of twigs. It is usually placed in an 

 isolated tree of no great size. 



The Indian raven has not the austere habits of 

 its English brother. It is fond of the society of 

 its fellows. The range of this fine bird in the 

 plains of India is confined to the North- West 

 Frontier Province Sind, and the Punjab. 



An occasional pair of kites may be seen at 

 work nest-building during the present month. 



