Spotted Dove

This is the most common of the many species of doves. It is called the Spotted Dove because of the presence of white spots on its upper body and wings. It has an overall brown plumage with dark brown wings and brownish-gray breast and lower body parts.

A distinct checkerboard pattern on its upper neck helps easy identification. It is normally found singly, sometimes in pairs, in lightly forested regions.  It has a pleasant repetitive call, koo-koo-kookrr...., often heard on quiet mornings and afternoons. 
In the photograph below, you can observe 2 doves and a white-breasted kingfisher (bottom right).

 

Photograph location: Kalwa

Name	Spotted Dove
Alternate name(s)	Not known
Size	Slightly smaller than common pigeon
Occurrence	Observed in lightly forested regions singly or in pairs
Status	Common
Distinct features	Overall brown appearance with dark brown wings and checkerboard pattern on the neck.
Male/Female	Alike

Blackheaded Oriole

Karnala is about 29 kms from Thane on the Goa highway. Birds that we could spot included the Blackheaded Oriole, Paradise Flycatcher (could not photograph it, unfortunately), Whitebellied Drongo, Cuckoo Shrike, Purple Sunbird (see pictures 2 & 3), among several others. The best time to spot and photograph birds in the sanctuary is early in the morning (about 7.00 am is ideal). A nominal entrance fee of Rs. 50 is charged for adults plus Rs.10 as clean-up charges. Plastic bags and bottles are banned within the sanctuary limits. 

The visit to Karnala was an excellent opportunity to catch up with childhood friend, Dr Dilip B. Shah, now a practicing orthopedic surgeon and amateur bird photographer.

The Blackheaded Oriole is golden yellow in appearance and has a dark black head, upper throat and wings,  red bill and eyes. It is commonly spotted in pairs in thickly wooded areas. It has a melodious call, quite like that of the Golden Oriole (see post on Golden Oriole).
We were able to spot several birds in the upper canopy of the large trees.
 

 Photograph location: Karnala Bird Sanctuary

Name	Blackheaded Oriole
Alternate name(s)	Blackhooded Oriole
Size	As big as the common myna
Occurrence	Easily spotted in densely forested regions of the SGNP and Karnala Sanctuary. May be identified from its calls.
Status	Quite common
Distinct features	Black head, upper breast and wings, reddish beak. Plumage: conspicuous golden yellow
Male/Female	Alike, with the female having slightly grayish overtones instead of black

Spotbill

The Spotbill is found all over South Asia. But there is no place where the Spotbill is genuinely found in large numbers. It is a quiet, silent bird and makes no sounds unless alarmed. It is almost the size of a normal duck.

The Spotbill is the earliest to sense danger and hence, the earliest to leave an area. It feeds in shallow water.

Photograph location: Bhandup Mangroves

More photos:https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/myphotos

Name	Spotbill
Alternate name(s)	Gray Duck
Size	As large as the domestic duck
Occurrence	All through India
Status	Extensively found,  but not so common
Distinct features	Legs light orange, yellow tipped bill Plumage: large scaly patterns in deep brown color
Male/Female	Alike

Common Chiffchaff

You would be lucky if you spot the Common Chiffchaff in these regions. It is a small  inconspicuous bird, smaller than the sparrow, and is largely unnoticed as it moves through the trees. It is not as common as the name suggests.
Its brown head and upper body parts and wings provide a perfect camouflage. The chest parts are dull white with black beak and legs.  It has a grayish streak running over its eyes.
Photograph location: Kalwa.

More photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/108221666944016063659/WonderfulWorldOfBirds

Name	Common Chiffchaff
Alternate names	Not known
Size	Smaller than house sparrow
Occurrence	Present mostly in the leafy regions of trees near forested areas. Moves singly or in pairs though the trees.
Status	Not common
Distinct features	Brown head with upper body, wings and tail, with a grayish streak running over its eyes.
Male/female	Alike