As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Tuesday, 14 July 2015

Rare Slaty-breasted rail spotted at Gangapur

NASHIK: Bird watchers claim to have spotted not one but two Slaty-breasted rail birds at the Gangapur dam. This is the second time this year that a rare species has been spotted at the dam.

Slaty-breasted Rail Gallirallus striatus photographed in Malaysia in 2013 by Devon Pike.jpgThe Slaty-breasted rail is very shy and it is very rare to witness its breeding. The bird is found in the Indian sub-continent and South-east Asia. These birds are generally found in Dehradun in India.

"At present, there are more than 4,000 migratory and resident birds in Gangapur. On Sunday, we spotted a rare species of the Slaty-breasted rail for the first time in Nashik district. We saw two birds of this species a male and a female," said bird watcher Bishwarup Raha.

"The male bird, a size of a partridge, has a long red beak and grey back with white spots. Its underside is grey and the belly has white barred lines. The females are not as colourful as the males," said Raha.

The breeding season for these birds is in July but birders doubt if they would be able to witness it as these birds are very shy in nature.

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