THE AFRICAN JACANA HAS A POLYANDROUS BREEDING SYSTEM, WHERE FEMALES MATE WITH MULTIPLE MALES AND THE MALES CARE FOR THE YOUNG (EDWIN GODINHO)THE GREAT CORMORANT IS THE MOST WIDESPREAD CORMORANT SPECIES, THEY ARE FOUND FROM THE ARCTIC REGIONS TO THE TROPICS (SOUMITRA GHOSH)THE AMERICAN DIPPER LIVES ALONG FAST FLOWING MOUNTAIN STREAMS, HERE THEY PREY UPON AQUATIC INVERTEBRATES AND SMALL FISH (MELISSA PENTA)A STUNNING HABITAT SHOT OF NORTHERN PINTAILS IN ODISHA, INDIA (SUBHAMOY DAS)THIS BAILLON’S CRAKE AND ITS PERFECTLY CAPTURED REFLECTION WAS PHOTOGRAPHED IN RAJARHAT, INDIA (SHAYAN BOSE)THE BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE IS ONE OF THE MOST ABUNDANT GULLS IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC. HOWEVER THEIR POPULATION IS DECREASING DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE. AS SEA TEMPERATURES RISE, THEIR ZOOPLANKTON PREY ARE AFFECTED WHICH IN TURN REDUCES THE GULLS BREEDING SUCCESS (JUDI FENSON)CRAB PLOVERS CATCH CRABS BY STABBING THEM WITH THEIR BILLS OPEN (VISHWAS THAKKER)TWO DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS WITH FISH PREY IN SAN FERNANDO VALLEY, CALIFORNIA (LESLIE REAGAN)THE EURASIAN SPOONBILL BREEDS IN CENTRAL EURASIA AND OVER-WINTERS IN SOUTHERN ASIA AND NORTHERN AFRICA. THERE IS ALSO A RESIDENT POPULATION IN INDIA, LIKE THIS ONE AT THE DIGHAL WETLANDS (VISHESH KAMBOJ)FERRUGINOUS DUCKS ARE NEAR-THREATENED BECAUSE THEIR HABITATS ARE BEING POLLUTED AND DISTURBED BY HUMANS (AMIT KUMAR SRIVASTAVA)THE GLOSSY IBIS USES SHALLOW LAKES AND LAGOONS BUT THEY ARE ALSO PARTIAL TO RICEFIELDS, RICEFIELDS HAVE ALLOWED THE POPULATION TO EXPAND THEIR RANGE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN (KUNTAL DAS)A TRIO OF GREAT CORMORANTS IN BHAVNAGAR, INDIA (UNMESH JADAV)GREYLAG GEESE FORM LONG TERM MONOGAMOUS BONDS, ONE PAIR WAS RECORDED TOGETHER FOR 17 YEARS! (GAURAV BUDHIRAJA)THE LARGE-BILLED TERN OF SOUTH AMERICA MAKES USE OF FRESHWATER RIVERS AND LAKES (SHARON TEMPLIN)A GROUP OF LESSER FLAMINGOES FEEDING IN SURAT, INDIA. ONE OF THE MAIN CHARACTERISTICS THAT DISTINGUISHES THE LESSER FROM THE GREATER FLAMINGO IS THE COLOUR OF THE BILL, THE LESSER FLAMINGOES HAVE A MUCH DARKER BILL (MUKESH MISHRA)THE MANDARIN DUCK IS NATIVE TO EASTERN ASIA BUT THEY HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED AND HAVE ESTABLISHED MULTIPLE FERAL POPULATIONS, INCLUDING THIS ONE IN CALIFORNIA (SANDEEP NAGARAJA)TWO MUTE SWANS ON THE FROZEN OVER STARING LAKE, USA (DEEPAK SHARMA)RINGING RECORDS SHOW THAT NORTHERN PINTAILS CAN LIVE UP TO 15 YEARS (ASUTOSH PAL)RUDDY TURNSTONES EXPERIENCE TWO EXTREMES EVERY YEAR. THEY BREED IN THE SUB-ARCTIC REGIONS AND THEN MIGRATE TO MUCH WARMER COASTLINES LIKE AUSTRALIA AND AFRICA (ASHVIJ PUTTA)THE NAME RUFF, COMES FROM THE ELABORATE BREEDING PLUMAGE OF THE MALES WHICH RESEMBLE THE RUFFS THAT WERE WORN IN THE 17TH CENTURY. THIS RUFF IS OUT OF BREEDING PLUMAGE, QUITE DRAB IN COMPARISON (ASUTOSH PAL)A MUTE SWAN TAKES FLIGHT IN FRANCE (CHRISTIAN BAGNOL)A TEREK SANDPIPER PHOTOGRAPHED ON THE COAST OF PERTH, AUSTRALIA (ASHVIJ PUTTA)WHEN RUDDY SHELDUCKS BREED, THE YOUNG OF DIFFERENT BROODS WILL FREQUENTLY JOIN TOGETHER, PERHAPS TO KEEP SAFE? (SAYAN BISWAS MAITRA)A WESTERN GREBE PHOTOGRAPHED IN FREMONT, CALIFORNIA (SUTAPA KARMAKAR)WOOD SANDPIPERS ARE MONOGAMOUS BUT CARE OF THE YOUNG IS PRIMARILY BY THE MALE (KUNTAL DAS)
