Shikra Birds of Mount Abu JANUARY 2019 mountabubirds.blogspot.com

Birds of Mount Abu JANUARY 2019

Shikra Accipiter badius

4 January 2019

Shikra Accipiter badius   - Juvenile

Shikra Accipiter badius   -Female

Shikra Accipiter badius   -Female

Shikra the swiftest of the small predators,

With claws drawn, strikes like lightning,

Whizzing through bushes snaring his prey,

Most feared amongst small birds all the way.

As youngsters, we called the Shikra the sparrow hawk. In Rajasthan, the bird is considered a shikari (hunter) for its small size the Shikra is considered a ferocious raptor. It can take on birds twice its size. Most birds skedaddle when the hunter is around. The ever-alert bulbul and the long-tailed shrike, act like sentinels warning the other feathered bird of an impending attack by the Shikra. The only species is the fierce jungle babbler that gangs up to literally chase the shikra from an area where they are flocked together.  The Shikra is a residential bird of Mount Abu.

Shikra over the years

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