The Common Birds of the Nilgiris 



apprized of his movements. These birds feed 

 largely on insects, which they pick off leaves 

 in truly tit-like manner, sometimes even hang- 

 ing head downwards in order to secure a 

 morsel. 



The beautiful southern green-bulbul (Chlor- 

 opsis malabaricd) is numbered among the 

 Crateropodidae. It is not a true bulbul. It 

 is common on the lower slopes of the Nilgiris, 

 but does not often venture as high as Coonoor. 

 A rich green bulbul-like bird with a golden 

 forehead, a black chin and throat, and a patch 

 of blue on the wing can be none other than 

 this species. 



The true bulbuls are also classified among 

 the Crateropodidae. 



My experience is that the common bulbul 



of the plains — Molpastes hamorrhous, or the 



Madras red-vented bulbul — is very rarely seen 



at the Nilgiri hill stations. Jerdon, likewise, 



states that it ascends the Nilgiris only up to 



about 6000 feet. Davison, however, declares 



that the bird begins to get common 4 miles 



from Ootacamund and is very numerous about 



Coonoor and all down the ghats. Be this as 



it may, the Madras red-vented bulbul is not 



the common bulbul of the Nilgiris. Its sweet 

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