Very visible on bare branches or wires, these beautiful birds fly to the ground to catch their food. They are attracted to fire. We watched as a park employee burned leaves and these birds had a feast of the insects that lept out of the smouldering mass.
The brightly colored or blossom colored head of this individual points him out as a male. The Plum Headed Parakeet is endemic in India and it is also kept as a pet. Escaped birds have shown up in New York and Florida as well as the Middle East. They are noisy, gregarious and playful.
Towards the end of our stay in India we were treated to some bird watching from the water. I was astonished that we could see this gorgeous owl. Bubo bubo is one of the worlds largest owls, his wingspan can reach 74 inches. This is male because his "ears" are so upright. He might be about to snatch a heron, as other birds are prey of this owl.
