Sirkeer malkoha

Matanga Hill, Hampi, Karnataka

The Sirkeer Malkoha had always been on my wishlist. I never thought I would get to see this bird in Hampi. I was somewhat familiar with its habitat, but after visiting Hampi, I gained a deeper understanding of it. I realized that it wasn't so difficult to spot this bird in Hampi. It responds very well to calls. Trees with dry branches and leaves, as well as large rocky surfaces, make up its ideal habitat. The first time I saw its movement on the ground, I found it amusing—it crawls like a squirrel.

I hope you can find the bird in the third picture among the dry branches. Even though it has a lot of camouflage, its size makes it hard to miss due to its movement. Also, its red beak attracted me more; I recall the bird as the Red-billed Leiothrix. As far as I know, one can find the Sirkeer Malkoha in Purulia, West Bengal, because it has a similar rocky, dry habitat to that of Karnataka. Both regions have plateaus, and people find the bird in similar habitats from time to time.

Malamath's Eco stay, Hampi, Karnataka

I was constantly watching its hunting on the ground beside Malemath's eco-stay. It jumped, hopped, fought with insects, looked outside the grass to see if anyone was watching, and was so restless. I enjoyed it the most. It was there on the ground for almost 20 minutes, doing the same activity in the afternoon around 3:30 p.m.

Then it suddenly saw me and started moving out of the grass, crawling on the ground as if no one could see it. After a few steps, it looked back to see if I was still watching it. Then it appeared far away on the open ground and flew away. The entire scene was memorable to me.