Birds of the Indian Hills 



two can fairly be numbered among the common 

 birds of the Himalayas, and both of these are 

 easy to recognise. They are the kite and the 

 kestrel. 



The common pariah kite {Milvus govindd) 

 is the most familiar raptorial bird in India. 

 Hundreds of kites dwell at every hill-station. 

 They spend the greater part of the day on the 

 wing, either sailing gracefully in circles high 

 overhead or gliding on outstretched pinions 

 over mountain and valley, with head pointing 

 downwards, looking for the refuse on which 

 they feed. To mistake a kite is impossible. 

 Throughout the day it makes the welkin ring 

 with its querulous chee-hee-hee-hee-hee. Some 

 kites are larger than others, consequently orni- 

 thologists, who are never so happy as when 

 splitting up species, have made a separate 

 species of the larger race. This latter is called 

 Milvus melanotis, the large Indian kite. It is 

 common in the hills. 



The kestrel (Tinnunculus alaudarius) is 

 perhaps the easiest of all the birds of prey to 

 identify. It is a greyish fowl with dull brick- 

 red wings and shoulders. Its flight is very dis- 

 tinctive. It flaps the wings more rapidly than 

 do most of its kind. While beating over the 



