Ooty: Call it a winter gift or rare good fortune- the sighting of the Black-naped Monarch in the Kotagiri jungles in the Nilgiris has certainly cheered up bird-watchers as this little, rare and charming bird, with its eye-catching, azure blue plumage, has brought something special to the woods with its presence.
K. Vijay, a well-known bird-watcher in the hills and executive committee member of the Nilgiris Wildlife and Environment Association, who sighted this bird and took a couple of pictures of this little avian wonder recently, said its sighting this winter in the Kunjappanai jungles and in the wooded zones of Halakarai, along the Kotagiri slopes, was a special gift to bird-watchers like himself.
He said one had to be extremely lucky to observe and photograph them in the upper reaches of the Nilgiris.
Saying that for the first time in decades this bird had been sighted in the upper portion of the hills in the Nilgiris, Vijay said it was not often found to have flown above 6,000 ft of the MSL, though it was found in the foothills of the mountain ranges.
“The adult male Black-naped Monarch has azure blue upper plumage apart from a whitish, pale blue lower belly. It has a black nape and a narrow black gorget. The female is duller and lacks the black markings. It is an agile bird, preferring thick wooded areas, and feeds on insects,” he explained.
Though it is not known to be a winter migrant to the upper portions of the hills in the Nilgiris, the sighting of this bird in the Kotagiri slopes now has certainly evoked curiosity among bird-watchers.
It appears that the jungles in the Kotagiri slopes were becoming a perfect habitat for this bird to thrive.
But, extensive studies were needed to ascertain whether it was only a short seasonal migration or the species had adapted to living in the upper plateau, he added.
