Birds of August 2025–Mount Abu

 A monsoon diary of wings, rain, and resilience.

When Abu wears its cloak of mist, the birds sing louder to remind us they are still here.

The last week of August in Mount Abu is the very heart of the monsoon—steady showers, cool breezes, and a thick veil of mist and fog that make this place live up to its name as the “Abode of the Gods.” But times are changing. With shifting weather patterns, the rains now seem to arrive later, often stretching into September. I’ll share more on that in my early-September update.

 Through it all, I continued my daily birding. Even in this misty, grey monsoon backdrop, the birds never fail to bring colour, sound, and joy to Abu. This post documents the species in my hometown on an annual basis.

Bird of the week.

Oriental Turtle-Dove - Streptopelia orientalis
Oriental Turtle Dove – Quiet and graceful, often seen perched on large trees or feeding near damp fields.

Oriental Turtle-Dove Aug 2025 Mt Abu.m4v

August’s Bird Collection

The path, groves, and thickets presented a new sound, colour, or call with every step. The last week of August was unforgettable because of these birds:

Black Kite - Milvus migrans

Black Kite mobbed by Large-billed Crow Aug 2025 Mt. Abu.m4v.

Black Kite – Not welcomed in this town, mobbed by Large-billed Crow.

Brown Rock Chat - Oenanthe fusca

Brown Rock Chat - Oenanthe fusca

Brown-headed Barbet - Psilopogon zeylanicus

Dusky Crag-Martin - Ptyonoprogne concolor

Dusky Crag-Martin - Ptyonoprogne concolor

Eastern Red-rumped Swallow - Cecropis daurica – sweeping low across the hillsides, chasing insects stirred by the rains, feed their young.

Eastern Red-rumped Swallow  Aug 2025 Mt Abu..m4v

Gray Wagtail - Motacilla cinerea  – Fresh migrant arrivals, dancing along the streams and puddles.

Gray Wagtail - Motacilla cinerea

Grey-breasted Prinia - Prinia hodgsonii

Indian Yellow Tit - Machlolophus aplonotus

Indian Yellow Tit - Machlolophus aplonotus

Indian Yellow Tit - Machlolophus aplonotus – A cheerful burst of yellow and black, flitting busily through the monsoon-green trees.

Jungle Bush-Quail - Perdicula asiatica – A family party darting across the trail, vanishing quickly into the dripping undergrowth.

Jungle Bush-Quail - Perdicula asiatica

Jungle Bush-Quail - Perdicula asiatica

Oriental Magpie-Robin - Copsychus saularis perched atop a stump with its tail like an antenna.

Oriental Magpie-Robin - Copsychus saularis 

Peregrine Falcon (Shaheen) Falco peregrinus, an ace hunter with remains of prey atop the radio tower.

Red Spurfowl - Galloperdix spadicea 

Red Spurfowl - Galloperdix spadicea  – Skulking through the undergrowth, their calls echoing through the damp hillside.

Red-whiskered Bulbul - Pycnonotus jocosus

Rufous Treepie - Dendrocitta vagabunda 

Scaly-breasted Munia - Lonchura punctulata – Small flocks busy foraging and building nests, their soft chatter carrying through the drizzle.

Spotted Owlet - Athene brama

Spotted Owlet - Athene brama

Spotted Owlet - Athene brama

Western Crowned Warbler Phylloscopus occipitalis, a rare observation for Mount Abu.

Western Crowned Warbler Phylloscopus occipitalis Not common for Mt Abu

Western Crowned Warbler Phylloscopus occipitalis

White-bellied Drongo - Dicrurus caerulescens

White-bellied Drongo - Dicrurus caerulescens

Yellow-throated Sparrow (Gymnoris xanthocollis)

Help in identifying this bird?

August may feel muted under endless rains and fog, but the birds remind us that life carries on in the most beautiful ways. Each sighting adds to Abu’s timeless story of resilience and natural wonder.

I’ll return soon with updates on September’s weather and birding highlights—where the monsoon often reveals a new rhythm of life