The Common Indian Pea Fowl

    The common Indian pea fowl (Pavo cristatus) is one of the best known of the Indian game birds and is remarkable for the gorgeous, ocellated "tail" and the brilliant, metallic greenish blue plumage of the adult male. The pea fowl is found throughout India, inhabiting dense scrub jungles and grassy meadows, preferably in the vicinity of streams and rivers. They are generally polygamous, being found in small parties consisting of one cock and four or five hens, and are extremely shy and wary, hiding away in the undergrowth at the least suspicion. They are omnivorous, feeding on grain, shoots, insects, lizards and snakes, etc.

  The black or king vulture or Pondichery vulture (Torgos calvus) is a large-sized black vulture with a rather bulky body about the size of a peacock. The deep scarlet head, neck and legs easily distinguish it. It is found throughout India and Burma, but not in Sri Lanka. It is a bird of open, lightly wooded and cultivated country, generally seen singly or in pairs perched on an exposed stump of a tree, or circling high in the air. It feeds on carcasses and is often found in company with other vultures when feeding. Its flight is powerful and it can take off from the ground with a few wing strokes.