The Common Birds of the Nilgiris 



without the aid of field-glasses it is difficult to 

 see them among the foliage in which they live, 

 move, and have their being. These elusive 

 mites continually utter a sharp chick-chick-chick. 

 Two species are common on the Nilgiris. 



They are known as the Nilgiri flower-pecker 

 {DiccEum concolor) and Tickell's flower-pecker 

 (D. erythrorhynchus). The latter is the more 

 numerous. Both are olive-green birds, paler 

 below than above. Tickell's species has the 

 bill yellow : in the other the beak is lavender 

 blue. 



THE PICID^ OR WOODPECKER FAMILY 



Woodpeckers are birds that feed exclusively 

 on insects, which they pick off the trunks of 

 trees. They move about over the bark with 

 great address. Whether progressing upwards, 

 downwards, or sideways, the head is always 

 pointed upwards. 



For some reason or other there is a paucity 

 of woodpeckers on the Nilgiris. The Indian 

 Empire can boast of no fewer than fifty-four 

 species ; of these only six patronise the Nilgiris, 

 and but two appear to ascend higher than 5000 

 feet. The only woodpecker that I have noticed 

 213 



