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Changeable Hawk-Eagle (Nisaetus cirrhatus)

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The  changeable hawk-eagle or crested hawk-eagle is a large  bird of prey . More informal or antiquated English common names include the  marsh hawk-eagle or Indian crested hawk-eagle. It is a typical “hawk-eagle” in that it is an agile forest-dwelling predator and like many such eagles readily varies its prey selection between  birds ,  mammals  or  reptiles  as well as other  vertebrates . The changeable hawk-eagle is a largish but slender eagle. Adult changeable hawk-eagles are typically dark brown above and boldly streaked below with a strong bill, a variably sized, often floppy crest or no crest, rather short wings, a quite long, thinly-barred tail and long feathered legs. In flight, the changeable hawk-eagles is a large raptor with a prominent head, rather short rounded and broad wings, long squarish or rounded tail, but has somewhat slenderer wings and straighter trailing edges than sympatric species of hawk-eagles. The species tends to fly with a fast agile flight.  The ex

Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela)

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  An Adult Crested Serpent Eagle The C rested Serpent Eagle  is a medium-sized  bird of prey  that is found in forested habitats across  tropical   Asia . Its presence ranges across the  Indian Subcontinent ,  Southeast Asia  and  East Asia. A Juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle  This medium-large, dark brown eagle is broad and has a sturdy built, with rounded wings and a short tail. Its short black and white fan-shaped nuchal crest gives it a thick-necked appearance. The bare facial skin and feet are yellow. The underside is spotted with white and yellowish-brown. In soaring flight, the broad and paddle-shaped wings are held in a shallow V. The tail and underside of the flight  feathers  are black with broad white bars. Young birds show a lot of white on the head. A close up The crested serpent eagle is a  reptile  eater which hunts over forests, often close to wet grassland, for  snakes  and  lizards . It has also been observed to prey on birds, amphibians, mammals and fishes. It is foun

Himalayan BulBul

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The  Himalayan bulbul or white-cheeked bulbul, is a species of  songbird  in the  bulbul  family found in Central and South Asia.   The Himalayan bulbul is about 18 cm in length, with a wingspan of 25.5–28 cm and an average weight of 30 g. Its head, throat, and crest are black and white. The back, side, and lengthy tail are brown, the underside is pale yellow. Sexes have similar plumage. The song is a beautiful 4-piece whistle, which resembles an accelerated oriole  whistle.   The species occurs in the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent and some adjoining areas. It is found in and near the Himalayas. They are usually found in forests and shrubland and also comes into gardens and parks. They feed on insects and other small invertebrates, as well as berries, fruits, seeds, buds and nectar.  

Roofus Grasshopper (Gomphocerippus rufus)

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  The  rufous grasshopper  is a medium-sized, broad, brown, 'short-horned'  grasshopper  with clubbed antennae that are tipped with a conspicuous white or pale colour. It is fairly large, averaging 14 to 22 mm in length.  It can be encountered from late July through mid-December, usually in dry or slightly moist habitats. The environments in which it typically resides include dry grassland on calcareous soils, sheltered valleys with scrub, and the open borders of forests. It feeds on grasses and various herbaceous plants. It is known for its distinctive courtship song and accompanying display.  The rufous grasshopper is usually found in open land, particularly terrain such as meadows, pastures, and forest edges that feature tall grass. More specifically, it can often be found in chalk grassland. Males range from 14 to 16 mm, while females range from 17 to 22 mm. The coloration is usually shades of brown but features some grey, yellow, and red. The mature male has an abdomen tip

Acrida willemsei

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  Acrida willemsei  is an Asian species of  grasshopper . The recorded distribution of this species includes southern China, Taiwan, Indo-China, India, and Malaysia. They are  sometimes called  silent slant-faced grasshoppers.  In appearance, the species are often similar to those of the subfamily Gomphocerinae, with whom they share a slanted face. However, Acrida willemsei differ from Gomphocerinae in that they lack stridulatory pegs on their hind legs and thus, as the common name suggests, do not make sounds. The antennae of this species are flattened and sword-like, a trait also shared with some gomphocerines. They lack the postural spine seen in the spurthroated grasshoppers and lubber grasshoppers (Two different species of grasshoppers that share some common traits). Hind wings in this species are somewhat colorless.  They  aren't particularly selective about what they eat, but they often favor green leaves. When grasses, plant stems, and flowers are scarce, they have no probl

Scarlet Dragonfly (Crocothemis erythraea)

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 Other names -B road scarlet ,  common scarlet-darter ,  scarlet darter The scarlet dragonfly is a common species in  southern Europe  and throughout  Africa . It also occurs across western  Asia  as far as southern  China . Its habitat is a  wide range of both running and standing waters, except those that are shaded. Adults may be found some distance from water in habitats ranging from desert to open woodland; absent from dense forest. They can reach a length of 33–44 millimetres. These dragonflies have a flattened and rather broad abdomen. The adult male scarlet dragonfly has a bright scarlet red, widened  abdomen , with small amber patches at the bases of the hindwings. Also, the veins on the leading edges of the wings are red. Females and immatures are yellow-brown and have a conspicuous pale stripe along the top of the  thorax . It feeds mainly on  water shrews, frogs, predatory insects (including other dragonflies)  

Lychee Shield Backed Jewel Bug(Chrysocoris stollii)

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They are a species of  jewel bugs  common in continental  Southeast Asia . These bugs  are commonly known as  jewel bugs  or  metallic shield bugs  due to their often brilliant coloration.  These  insects  feed on plant juices from a variety of different species, including some commercial crops such as  Pigeon pea ,  Arecanut ,  Jatropha, etc A vast majority of jewel bugs, both adults and nymphs, are also capable of releasing pungent defensive chemicals from glands located on the sides of the thorax. Typical compounds exuded by jewel bugs include alcohols, aldehydes, and esters. Nymphs and adults often exhibit clustering behavior, being found in large numbers close to each other. This behavior is thought to have an evolutionary advantage. The more individuals present in an area, the stronger the odor of the chemicals released when the bugs are threatened. If this fails, stink bugs will react to threats by flying away or dropping to the ground .  One of the most common place to find th