88 A BIRD CALENDAR 



Caprimulgus asiaticus, the common Indian 

 nightjar is like unto the sound made by a 

 stone skimming over ice. Horsfield's goat- 

 sucker is a very vociferous bird. From March 

 till June it is heard wherever there are forests. 

 As soon as the shadows of the evening begin 

 to steal across the sky its loud chuk> chuk, chuk^ 

 chuk, chuk cleaves the air for minutes together. 

 This call to some extent replaces by night the 

 tonk, tank, tonk of the coppersmith, which is 

 uttered so persistently in the day-time. In 

 addition to this note Horsfield's nightjar emits 

 a low soft ckur, cbur, chur. 



The third nightjar, which also is confined 

 chiefly to forest tracts, is known as Franklin's 

 nightjar (C. monticolus). This utters a harsh 

 tweet which at a distance might pass for the 

 chirp of a canary with a sore throat. 



Other sounds heard at night-time are the 

 plaintive did-he- do-it pity-to-do-it of the red- 

 wattled lapwing (Sarcogrammus indicus), and 

 the shrill calls of other plovers. 



As has already been said, the nesting season 

 is at its height in May. With the exception 

 of the paroquets, spotted owlets, nuthatches, 

 black vultures and pied kingfishers, which have 

 completed nesting operations for the year, and 



