ML609971685

Age and sex

Adult Male - 1

Observation details

First Sighting of Central and Western India of an adult male KASHMIR FLYCATCHER (Ficedula subrubra)! - This is the final result of desperate desire, strong willpower, great determination and extensive research. To see this beauty for myself has been my dream for many years. And the mystery related to this species, had made me even more desperate to see it. There has been a very little research on this species and its movement. The Kashmir flycatcher being a resident of Kashmir, moves to further south of India and Sri Lanka for winters. But it has remained unnoticed in passage migration, however there have been few sightings of females and sub-adults in central India. I myself have seen females before in MH. But a detailed analysis is required to confirm the id. They are the most tricky to identify, and is a matter of debate for many experts. But the interesting thing is, there has been no sighting of an adult male individual in the central part of India. My observation from ebird says, the adult male in further north has been sighted in Punjab and Uttarakhand and further south in Bangalore, but no sighting of it between these two ends. This particular thing has always kept me curious, how could this be possible? That such a striking male has remained unnoticed until now. And many times, I had long discussions with my fellow birders about this topic. But the mystery has now been resolved, this sighting adds up an important part for the overall picture of this globally threatened species. I always had an insight, that someday, my wish was going to get fulfilled, and the day came early! I had the privilege to witness the beauty of this elusive guest from Kashmir, and study its behaviour in my hometown (Akola, MH). When I saw the first glimpse of it, I had a hard time believing my eyes! My hands got shaky, my heart was rambling, I was overwhelmed and there was no limit to my happiness! This was not just a rare species for me but really an unrealistic dream come true! • Behaviour observed - perching very lower to the ground, the peculiar frequent "tail fanning" observed. Dropping down on the ground for picking insects. Calls heard the 'twitter' with a 'yep-yep' call in between. And the sharp single 'tick' call.

Technical information

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