A bird with a bubbly, tremulous call.

The baked clay tiles of the roof slowly cooled down after the soothing hugs of the raindrops, the entire cottage was nippy. Me and my friends slowly stepped out of this cozy room for our nocturnal birding. I looked like a libra icon, having my binoculars and bag hanging on either sides of my shoulders. The care-takers advised us to keep on roads, as they suspected sloth bears after a downpour. Being surrounded by towering mountains and atypical calls I was rest assured that my expedition of birding will have effectual outcome. With such positivity I left the cottage and stepped onto the car.

The car slowly progressed, we were five in the car. I occupied the window seat behind equipped with a powerful torch and a binocular. "Here", "Something's there!", "Oh! What's that glittering" were all the phrases used by my enlivened mates. With my head straight outside the window, I was just able to hear these phrases without seeing their excited countenance. Poor prem! who drove the car was hoaxed continually and the car had to pull over at random sites. Despite all of these I was gazing the inky forests outside with the torch for my encounter with the wildlife.

Swaying my torch in random with longing eyes I encountered a ruby red spot on a tree branch, this indeed electrified me. I quickly held Prem's shoulders without any noise indicating something out there. My fellow-mates after this act of mine had an inkling that I had spotted something. I quickly but quietly, stepped off the car. I beckoned my fellow birders to follow me. I stealthily advanced and held my binoculars to sight the bird. I Saw it! It was a Nightjar. A nocturnal beauty. It was a medium sized bird that had arcane plumage, mouth was wide and studded with stiff hairs at the corners owing to its feeding habit, these hairs are believed to help the bird in catching the insects. The eyes were like ruby stones fitted onto their eye sockets, that red! A white throat was prominent. Just after I admired this beauty, everybody were eager to have a look at the bird. Shutter noises from the camera, Delightful comments on the bird, quivering torch light over it, the bird endured all of these. Whenever my binoculars came back to me, I kept it busy by gazing onto the bird. Suddenly the throat muscles puffed up and the body budged down eminating a call that was so quirky and lone to this bird. It called, repeatedly. Now came in the video and audio recordings of the bird call. "Shh...I'm recording", "I'm so sorry"after the recording started, stares from the recorder, shrugs from the noise-maker were a bliss to watch, when my binoculars were borrowed. Poor bird innocently perched with patience took off with a sublime flight. But, this flight was peculiar, noiseless and very quick. This, could be the reason to deceive prey in their concealed,muted environment. Satiated with the bird and its call, we left the place with a happy heart.

Know more about the Animal:

1]  There are 11 species of Nightjars in the indian sub continent. Out of these only the Jungle Nightjar, Jerdon's Nightjar, Indian Nightjar and the Savanna Nightjar are distributed residents in the southern states. By enlarge, all of them are medium sized, with at the most of two to four centimeters difference. How can this centimeter scale help us to differentiate birds that are at least 15 meters away from you. Can be quiet baffling isnt it? That is when the call comes to play. Each call is characteristic to the bird, which makes it unique. The Bubbly, Liquid, Tremulous call of the Jerdon's Nightjar gives it an air of distinction.

2] Why did the eyes appear ruby red? In some nocturnal (night-active) animals, there is an extra layer of tissue behind the retina called as Tapetum Lucidum, this is known to increase visual sensitivity under dim lights. this happens because this layer reflects light back to the retina, thereby brightening the image formed in the eye.

Jerdon's Nightjar. Courtesy: Prem Raut