Grey headed lapwing

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Mangalajodi, Chilika.

Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, Canon EF 400mm f2.8 L IS USM, EF 2xII, ISO 800, f6.3, 1/2000, full frame image.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Tushar Dixit]

What a catch! Awesome one, Sabyasachi! This is a first timer for me. Superb angle and pose. Lovely eye contact too. This is what I call as treat. Is this a rare site at Chilika too?

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Tushar,
This is also a first time for me. I am told they do visit chilika lake, but I hadn't seen them in previous years. I could sight a few this time. This was clicked from a boat. Winter is setting in and there should be more birds soon. Will post more details about the bird later.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Praveen Siddannavar]

Lovely shot Sabyasachi, details and eye contact are nice. Even I hadn't seen this before, nice find
tfs

[Akshay Kumar Manjunath]

Superb shot,

First time for me.And did you spot dolphins in chilka lake,If yes can you post them.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Akshay,
I remained in the mangalajodi side. Dolphins don't visit this part of the lake as it is more shallow. If you are going to Nalabana from Balugaon/barkul, you will find those. Also if you go to Satapada you will definitely find dolphins. Satapada is about 47kms from Puri and Puri is about 60kms from bhubaneswar. Frankly speaking I am not sure why I am not frequenting these places as I used to earlier.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Roopak Gangadharan]

what a treat.... Excellent image of this rarity. Nice eye contact and pose.Heard someone spotted one near pune some time back ?? Yet to see one.TFS.
Roopak

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Details about Grey Lapwing from Birds of South Asia, The Ripley Guide by Pamela C Rasmussen and John C Anderton:
Scientific Name: Vanellus cinereus

"A large pale lapwing recalling White-tailed, but lacks dark crown and readily told by brighter white underparts, yellow base of bill (with small lore-wattle) and reddish eyes. Adult has dark breast-band, somewhat obscured by pale fringes in duller non-breeding plumage; sexes similar. Juvenile lacks breast-band, and has narrow buff fringes on upperparts. In flight, much like Sociable but, from above, alula white, separating black wing-tip from brown forewing; from below, wing pattern like Sociable and White-tailed. Moderate extension of yellow legs beyond tail.

Occurs: Winter visitor (regularly) to eastern plains from Central Nepal and Bihar through Assam, South Assam Hills (Manipur and Cachar at least), N and C Bangladesh, SW Bengal (Calcutta) and Orissa; a few reaching Delhi and Bharatpur areas, and straggling to Kashmir, N and S Gujarat, S Peninsula, Andamans (South atleast), and Vagrant once SE Sri Lanka; lowlands, reaching c.1300m in valleys of Himalayan foothills."

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Tushar Dixit]

Yes,Rahul Rao had spotted one in Pune sometime back. It had got coverage in news papers then :)