Barn Swallows catch prey on the wing. Their diet varies depending on where they are and the time of year. During the breeding season, Barn Swallows prey mainly on large flies which sustain them through courtship, laying and caring for chicks. Photo by Sudipto Roy
The Besra is a raptor species occurring in India, south-east Asia and Australasia. You cannot see it in this photograph but adult Besras have a rich rufous breast. Photo by Vishal Monakar
Two Blue-tailed Bee-eaters with prey, posing perfectly! Photo by Shyam Sundar Nijgal
The brightly coloured feathers on this Calliope Hummingbirds neck are called a gorget. This gorget seems to function as an aid for territory displays in males. Photo by Tim Nicol
Blue-tailed Bee-eaters are gregarious birds, groups will carve out individual burrows in sandy banks, where pairs will then lay and care for their eggs. Photo by Sudipto Roy
A Black-tailed Godwit in flight. This Godwit is in non-breeding plumage. During the breeding season the adults have striking rufous necks. Photo by Souvik Pal
Male Common Kestrels are smaller than females, weighing on average around 30 grams less. Photo by Paneendra BA
Eurasian Hobbys breed across Eurasia in the northern summer and then over-winter in sub-Saharan Africa. Their migration can be remarkably quick, with Hobbys flying up to 1200km in 2 days. Photo by Suketu Purohit
Eurasian Wrynecks really are the masters of camouflage! Photo by Soumya Chakraborty
European Goldfinches are regular visitors at bird feeders. Photo by Radhakrishnan Sadasivam
Indian Peafowls eat plant matter, and occasionally insects. This female was photographed in Bandipur by Charumathy Venkatraman
A beautiful Golden-crowned Kinglet photographed in Illinois by Emil Baumbach
The Great Bustard can be found in open grassy plains. This habitat is actively threatened by the intensification of agriculture. As a result this species has been listed as ‘Vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List. Photo by Lennart Hessel
An Asian Green Bee-eater captured magnificently in flight. Photo by Amitava Ganguly
Griffon and Cinereous Vultures captured in Pakistan by Wasif Yaqeen
The bill of the Great Hornbill is only full formed when they are about 5 years old. Photo by Pradyut Das
The Jungle Bush Quail occurs only in India and some parts of Sri Lanka. Photo by Ganesh Rao
A beautiful little Mountain Chickadee, photographed in Republic, Washington by Tim Nicol
In the Himalayas the Orange-bellied Leafbird will descend to lower altitudes during the winter to look for food. Photo by Vishal Monakar
Plaintive Cuckoos are brood parasites, they prefer to lay their eggs in nests that are dome shaped with narrow entrances like those of the Plain Prinia. Photo by Sudipto Roy
Short-eared Owls have a wide range, occurring over much of the northern hemisphere. Photo by Suketu Purohit
During the breeding season male Southern Grey Shrikes impale their prey in a single conspicuous location to show off their prowess to the females. Photo by Amit Kumar Srivastava
Streak-throated Swallows do not migrate great distances like other swallow species but do undertake short local movements. Photo by Indranil Bhattacharjee
A Stiolated Bunting mid-song in Pune, India. Photo by Pratik Humnabadkar
Temminck’s Stint breed in the taiga marshes of Europe and Asia. Photo by Souvik Pal