Bird on a wire

  

This is the Red Cheeked/ Red Whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus) , measuring about 20cms. This bird can be easily identified by its brown crest, red cheeks and red vent. This bulbul is native to India and is generally seen in the woodlands or in the countryside. That's how I spotted this lone bird, sitting peacefully on a wire at Pratapgarh, while the guide was pointing to a small look-out window in th e wall of the fort. My imagination must have been going wild because I felt like it was staring away into the distance, meditatively. As if it was pondering on the history of the fort, too!

This bird feeds on a variety of fruits, insects and flower buds, and often does so in flocks of three to fifty birds. 

According to most authorities there are 144 species of Bulbuls, Greenbuls and allies in the family Pycnonotidae and I have spotted only 2 of them as yet?! :(