FOR NORTHERN INDIA 89 



the golden-backed woodpeckers and the cliff- 

 swallows, which have reared up their first 

 broods, the great majority of the birds men- 

 tioned as having nests or young in March or 

 April are still busily occupied with domestic 

 cares. 



May marks the close of the usual breeding 

 season for the jungle crows, skylarks, crested 

 larks, finch-larks, wood-shrikes, yellow-throated 

 sparrows, sand-martins, pied wagtails, green 

 barbets, coppersmiths, rollers, green bee-eaters, 

 white-breasted kingfishers, scavenger vultures, 

 tawny eagles, kites, shikras, spur-winged plovers, 

 little ringed plovers, pied woodpeckers, night 

 herons and pied chats. In the case of the 

 tree-pies, cuckoo-shrikes, seven sisters, bank- 

 mynas and blue-tailed bee-eaters the nesting 

 season is now at its height. All the following 

 birds are likely to have either eggs or nest- 

 lings in May : the white-eyes, ioras, bulbuls, 

 tailor-birds, shrikes, brown rock-chats, Indian 

 robins, magpie-robins, sunbirds, swifts, night- 

 jars, white-eyed buzzards, hoopoes, green 

 pigeons, blue rock-pigeons, doves, sparrows, 

 the red and yellow wattled lapwings, minivets, 

 wire-tailed swallows, red-headed merlins, fan- 

 tail flycatchers, pipits, sand -grouse and grey 



