A common in uncommon landscape

[Sandipan Ghosh]

I found that bird on the left bank of Damodar River at early moring when I was travelling to catch few birds on the trees and electric weirs. My friend Shantanu Bhattacharya identified it as Common Babbler which is rarely found in Lower Gangetic Plain of West Bengal
Place- Barsul, Damodar River, Barddhaman, WB
Date - 23/08/2015
Canon 600D, 250 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000s, ISO 400

[Mrudul Godbole]

Nice catch light on the eye. Looks like it had done some digging for worms. You could have used a further narrower aperture. Some more details would have enhanced the image further. Thanks for sharing.

[Sandipan Ghosh]

Ok Madam M. Godbole.....I shall click in narrow aperture....

[Saktipada Panigrahi]

Nice eye contact and good observation. Both the Common Babbler and the Jungle Babbler were regularly seen in Barddhaman and Durgapur during 1980's and 1990's, when I stayed in these places for quite sometime. Taking note of your observations, here in Salt Lake, Kolkata I often find Jungle Babbler not the Common Babbler, one reason may be because these birds prefer to live in flocks (We call Sat Bhai, means seven brothers) and therefore, Jungle Babblers may be better placed for survival.
Thanks for sharing. SaktiWild

[Sandipan Ghosh]

Yes they are called Sat Bhai...... but it is my 1st sighting of Common Babbler in Barddhaman.... Now I have found a number of common babblers on the left bank of Damodar, particularly in a selected spot.....S. Panigrahi...
Book by R, Grimmitt et al. Shows that it is found in the western part of WB