It’s time to test your fitness as this week we will be exploring the bird diversity at hills and cliffs, and quarries. The birds we talk about today have a wide distribution across India, however the flora varies with region, latitude and elevation. We are exploring a habitat of the Deccan Plateau region, where the average elevation of hills is around 600 metres. The terrain is mostly arid, but plantations are common here, pockets of grasslands are rampant in these hills, and occasionally there is dense vegetation to be found. We will come across birds of grasslands, scrublands and forests as well. Join us on our trek uphill as we encounter grey-breasted prinias, little swifts, tawny bellied babblers, Bonelli’s eagle, crested buntings, the burly Rock Eagle-Owl and the swishing and swooshing Shaheen Falcon. We also have some interesting tidbits about the now endangered White-Rumped Vultures. If you have any questions related to birds or birdwatching, you can reach out to us on our Instagram handles: @peregrinator.in and @mariamspicclicks.Credits:Intro sound citations: Mike Catsis, XC176709. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/176709. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Recording by Adil Hussain AliBird sounds and calls citations:Grey-breasted Prinia - Sandeep Chakraborty, XC778992. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/778992. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Crested Bunting - Saswat Mishra, XC672086. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/672086.Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Little Swift - Tony Archer, XC634767. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/634767. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Bonelli's Eagle- Peter Boesman, XC473307. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/473307.Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0Indian Eagle-Owl - Frank Lambert, XC409708. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/409708. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0Peregrine Falcon - Romuald Mikusek, XC786158. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/786158. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Outro sound citation:Guy Kirwan, XC778587. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/778587. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0

In our tenth episode we talk you on a walk through a trail surrounded by tall trees, slightly dense undergrowth, spider webs across the path,  butterflies dancing and prancing on the side and the sound of crickets and other insects belting out their best background scores. Birds like flowerpeckers, Yellow Throated Sparrows and Indian Yellow Tits call out from tree tops. We also have encounters with the mimic - the White-bellied Drongo, the foodie- the Rufous Treepie, the drummer - the Yellow-crowned Woodpecker, beautiful flycatchers like the Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher and the heartthrob the Indian Paradise Flycatcher. Our sightings also include the Small Minivet, Common Woodshrike and the Large Cuckooshrike. Today’s episode has some great insights about woodpeckers as well as interesting aspects about behavior and characteristic features of forest birds, which will help you identify them in their natural habitat.If you have any questions related to birds or birdwatching, you can reach out to us on our Instagram handles: @peregrinator.in and @mariamspicclicks.Credits:Intro sound citations: Mike Catsis, XC176709. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/176709. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Recording by Adil Hussain AliBird sounds and calls citations:Pale-billed Flowerpecker - Andrew Spencer, XC547596. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/547596. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0Indian Yellow Tit - Mandar Bhagat, XC195762. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/195762. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 White-bellied Drongo - Jelle Scharringa, XC630374. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/630374. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Rufous Treepie - Jelle Scharringa, XC627898. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/627898. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Yellow-crowned Woodpecker - Sreekumar Chirukandoth, XC643723. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/643723. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Tickell's Blue Flycatcher - Peter Boesman, XC369137. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/369137. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0Common Woodshrike - Jelle Scharringa, XC624610. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/624610. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Large Cuckooshrike -  Sathyan Meppayur, XC741587. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/741587.  License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Outro sound citation:Guy Kirwan, XC778587. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/778587. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0

Leaving the city behind, this week we travel to the countryside with farmlands, orchards and surrounding villages. These farmlands are rich not only in food and resources, but also buzzing with bird activity. Farmlands are favorite foraging grounds for granivorous, insectivorous and frugivorous birds. Gregarious munias and avadavats, solitary pipits, melodious larks, chatty babblers, majestic peacocks, skilled hunters like black-winged kites and Indian rollers and the screechy barn owls welcome us in this habitat. Our conversation is peppered with some interesting aspects about their behaviour and characteristic features which will help you identify them in their natural habitat.If you have any questions related to birds or birdwatching, you can reach out to us on our Instagram handles: @peregrinator.in and @mariamspicclicks.Credits:Intro sound citations: Mike Catsis, XC176709. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/176709. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Recording by Adil Hussain AliBird sounds and calls citations:Indian Peafowl - Manoj Karingamadathil, XC677383. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/677383. License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0Paddyfield Pipit - Andrew Spencer, XC547896. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/547896. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0Rufous-tailed Lark - Recording by Adil Hussain AliJungle Babbler - JISHNU KIZHAKKILLAM, XC796047. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/796047.License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Yellow-eyed Babbler - Peter Boesman, XC472640. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/472640. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0Common Babbler - Birdcalls, XC187057. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/187057. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Barn Owl - Recording by Adil Hussain AliEurasian Hoopoe - Peter Boesman, XC369603. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/369603. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0Outro sound citation:Guy Kirwan, XC778587. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/778587. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0

This week we continue to observe birds found by the small water body in our city, which could be a small pond or a lake or even a small stream. We see ibises, painted storks, statuesque herons, coots and whistling ducks as well as some aerial acrobats like martins and swallows. Our conversation is peppered with some fun facts, interesting aspects about their behavior as well as their popular local names. We also discuss some characteristic features which will help you identify them in their natural habitat.If you have any questions related to birds or birdwatching, you can reach out to us on our Instagram handles: @peregrinator.in and @mariamspicclicks.Credits:Intro sound citations: Mike Catsis, XC176709. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/176709. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Recording by Adil Hussain AliBird Sounds and calls citations:Red-naped Ibis - Mathias Ritschard, XC21871. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/21871. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5Lesser Whistling Duck - Eveny Luis, XC178554. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/178554. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0Outro sound citation:Guy Kirwan, XC778587. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/778587. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0

This week we are back to exploring a new habitat and its birds. Walking through a scrubland exploring gardens, streets and compounds lined with tall trees and flowering bushes, we have reached a small water body in our city. It could be a small pond or a lake or even a small stream. We talk about cormorants, egrets, jacanas, kingfishers, dabbling ducks and some more water loving birds. Our conversation is peppered with some fun facts, interesting aspects about their behavior as well as their popular local names. We also discuss some characteristic features which will help you identify them in their natural habitat.If you have any questions related to birds or birdwatching, you can reach out to us on our Instagram handles: @peregrinator.in and @mariamspicclicks.Credits:Intro sound citations: Mike Catsis, XC176709. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/176709. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Recording by Adil Hussain AliBird Sounds and calls citations:White-browed Wagtail - Johan Roeland, XC234175. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/234175.  License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0Outro sound citation:Guy Kirwan, XC778587. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/778587. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0

In this episode we talk about the usefulness of eBird as a birding tool. We also walk you through the app’s setup and birding checklist creation process.If you have any questions related to birds, birdwatching or eBird, you can reach out to us on our Instagram handles: @peregrinator.in and @mariamspicclicks.Credits:Intro sound citations: Mike Catsis, XC176709. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/176709. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Recording by Adil Hussain AliOutro sound citation:Guy Kirwan, XC778587. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/778587. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0

In this episode we talk about the evolution and topography of a bird. We explain the different parts of a bird, which will help you in its identification in the field. If you have any questions related to birds or birdwatching, you can reach out to us on our Instagram handles: @peregrinator.in and @mariamspicclicks.Credits:Intro sound citations: Mike Catsis, XC176709. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/176709. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Recording by Adil Hussain AliOutro sound citation:Guy Kirwan, XC778587. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/778587. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0

In this episode we talk about the art of birdwatching. We ramble and share personal stories about birdwatching. That’s not all, by the end of this episode you will have a list of some absolute essentials which will set you off on the right foot if you want to become a birdwatcher. If you have any questions related to birds or birdwatching, you can reach out to us on our Instagram handles: @peregrinator.in and @mariamspicclicks.Credits:Intro sound citations: Mike Catsis, XC176709. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/176709. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Recording by Adil Hussain AliOutro sound citation:Guy Kirwan, XC778587. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/778587. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0

This week we continue our birdwatching trail through urban greens and wonderful gardens spruced with green lawns, paths shaded with large tree canopies and garden compounds lined with fruiting trees and flowering bushes. We talk about Orioles, Ioras, Fantails, Parakeets, Doves, Shikras and Cuckoos. Our conversation is peppered with melodious bird songs and calls, interesting aspects about bird behavior as well as their popular local names. We also discuss some characteristic features, which will help you identify them in their natural habitat.Photographs of all birds mentioned in today's podcast are available on our Instagram handles: @peregrinator.in and @mariamspicclicks.Credits:Intro sound citations: Mike Catsis, XC176709. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/176709. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Recording by Adil Hussain AliBird Sounds and calls citations:Indian Golden Oriole - Peter Boesman, XC472853. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/472853. License : Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0Black-hooded Oriole - Sathyan Meppayur, XC743616. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/743616.  License :Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Common Iora - Vikrant Prabhulkar, XC754354. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/754354. License : Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Spot-breasted Fantail - Peter Boesman, XC369539. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/369539. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0Cinereous Tit - Frank Lambert, XC473495. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/473495. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 Ring-necked Parakeet - Peter Boesman, XC473013. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/473013. License : Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0Alexandrine Parakeet - Dhruba Saikia, XC578787. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/578787. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Plum-headed Parakeet - Peter Boesman, XC369483. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/369483. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0Laughing Dove - Peter Boesman, XC473063. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/473063. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0Indian Grey Hornbill - Peter Boesman, XC460186. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/460186 . License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0Shikra - Sandip das, XC637299. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/637299. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Common Hawk-Cuckoo - Vikrant Prabhulkar, XC754344. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/754344. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Common Hawk-Cuckoo - Andrew Spencer, XC547537. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/547537. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0Outro sound citation:Guy Kirwan, XC778587. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/778587. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0

This week we take you on a birdwatching trail through urban greens and wonderful gardens spruced with green lawns, paths shaded with large tree canopies and garden compounds lined with fruiting trees and flowering bushes. We talk about sparrows, sunbirds, barbets, cuckoos and raptors. Our conversation is peppered with some fun facts, interesting aspects about bird behavior as well as their popular local names. We also discuss some characteristic features and calls of these birds, which will help you identify them in their natural habitat.Photographs of all birds mentioned in today's podcast are available on our Instagram handles: @peregrinator.in and @mariamspicclicks.Credits:Intro sound citations:Mike Catsis, XC176709. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/176709. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Recording by Adil Hussain AliBird sounds and calls citations:Purple-rumped Sunbird - Andrew Spencer, XC547595. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/547595. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0Purple Sunbird - Peter Boesman, XC472643. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/472643. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 Common Tailor Bird - Jelle Scharringa, XC643392. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/643392. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Baya Weaver - Peter Boesman, XC369462. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/369462. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0Coppersmith Barbet - Peter Boesman, XC369312. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/369312. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0Brown-headed Barbet - Andrew Spencer, XC547524. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/547524. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 Asian Koel - JISHNU KIZHAKKILLAM, XC786218. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/786218. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Greater Coucal - Conrad Pinto, XC161206. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/161206. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0Oriental Magpie Robin - Adil Hussain AliBlack Kite - Andrew Spencer, XC547503. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/547503. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0Outro sound citation:Guy Kirwan, XC778587. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/778587. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0

In our second episode we continue to explore birds found in our neighboring scrubland. Today’s conversation is about  Drongos, Shrikes, Quails, Bee-Eater, Bulbul, raptors and other interesting birds  found in this habitat across various  seasons. We will talk about some characteristic features and calls of these birds, which will help you identify them in the field.  Photographs of all birds mentioned in today's podcast are available on our Instagram handles: @peregrinator.in and @mariamspicclicks. Credits: Intro sounds: Mike Catsis, XC176709. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/176709. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Recording by Adil Hussain Ali Bird Sounds sourced from www.xeno-canto.org. Citations for each recording: Black Drongo - Lakshmikant Rajaram Neve, XC358515. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/358515. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Indian Bush Lark: Peter Boesman, XC460260. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/460260. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0.Zitting Cisticola - Saswat Mishra, XC758838. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/758838. License:  Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0.Eurasian Collared Dove - Frank Lambert, XC149327. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/149327. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0.Jungle Bush Quail-  Viral Joshi, XC374897. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/374897. License:Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0.Red-Vented Bulbul - Oscar Campbell, XC351856. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/351856.  License:Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0. Outro Sound  Guy Kirwan, XC778587. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/778587. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0.

In our first episode we talk about birds we usually spot during our walks in the scrubland in our neighbourhood. We also give some useful pointers which will help you identify them. Photographs of all birds mentioned in today's podcast are available on our social media feeds. You can find us on Instagram @peregrinator.in and @mariamspicclicks. Sound Credits:Intro sound recorded by Adil Hussain Ali.Bird Sounds sourced from www.xeno-canto.org. Citations for each recording:Indian Robin - Jelle Scharringa, XC647278. Accessible at ww.xeno-canto.org/647278. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0House Crow - Dhruba Saikia, XC578839. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/578839. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Indian Jungle Crow - David Farrow, XC37773. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/37773. License: David Farrow, XC37773. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/37773.Ashy Prinia - Vikrant Prabhulkar, XC754292. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/754292. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Large Grey Babbler - Guy Kirwan, XC778587. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/778587. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Red-Wattled Lapwing - Jelle Scharringa, XC665907. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/665907. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Grey Francolin- Jelle Scharringa, XC667224. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/667224. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Spotted Owlet - Ashutosh Singh, XC173506. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/173506. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0

Experience the wonders of birdwatching in India with the Bird Nerds podcast. Join us as we delve into the fascinating world of birds and share the joys of observing them. Our conversations cover a range of topics, including common and rare bird species, their unique features, sounds, habits, and habitats. Our host Adil, is a seasoned explorer and an avid birdwatcher, who has spotted over 950 bird species in India and was ranked among the top 3 birders in Asia in 2022. His co-host, Mariam, is an amateur birder with a passion for learning about birds. Together, they'll explore the fascinating world of birds in the Bird Nerds podcast. Tune in to new episodes every week on a Thursday starting 16th March, 2023. White-Throated Kingfisher sound citation : Peter Boesman, XC472751. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/472751. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0