This bird is a migratory central Asiatic wheatear which originates from the extreme southeast of Europe to China, and has been occasionally found wintering in India or passing through. The pied wheatear is actually native to Southeast Europe and Western Asia. The breeding range extends from Romania and Bulgaria to Siberia, Altai and Mongolia and southwards to the Caucasus, Transcaspia, Turkestan, Iran and Afghanistan. It sometimes passages through NW India and Pakistan during migration.
In Jan 2014, on a bright sunny afternoon, I and Nischal Goel ( Jim Corbett) were having a safari in Bijrani Range of JCNP, UK, India and were passing through the large grasslands at Ringoda, we were leisurely riding in the back of Gypsy Safari vehicle. Since morning we had heard enough alarm calls which otherwise would have ensured sightings of large cats to last a month at least, but had not got even a glimpse of the coveted and most sought after predator (Panthera tigris tigris aka Tiger).
We were slowly passing through the serene picturesque landscape when I found some birds flying around and hopping on the tall grass twigs. Being a birder by core, I asked our guide and Driver Mr. Danish for a slow stop and put my Camera on the bean bag to get some clicks.
Initially on the field I thought this small cute bird to be a "Female Variable Wheatear" or "Female Desert Wheatear" and did not pay much attention to the photographs clicked by me, till very recently.
When I was going through my old lot of clicked pictures, I again came across this picture, and took time to study it and it's when I realized that this was although a Wheatear, but not a 'Desert 'or 'Variable' Wheatear. I turned to my Field Guide for exact identification (assisted by my daughter Nishantika Garg Impressions' - by Nishantika Garg])and then I realized that it was having black edge on the outer tail feathers and is actually a PIED WHEATEAR! (Oenanthe pleschanka).
This bird is a migratory central Asiatic wheatear which originates from the extreme southeast of Europe to China, and has been occasionally found wintering in India or passing through. The pied wheatear is actually native to Southeast Europe and Western Asia. The breeding range extends from Romania and Bulgaria to Siberia, Altai and Mongolia and southwards to the Caucasus, Transcaspia, Turkestan, Iran and Afghanistan. It sometimes passages through NW India and Pakistan during migration.
Clicked with D7100 with Extra Crop of 1.3x activated. So effective crop factor being 1.95X. Lens used - Nikon AF-S Nikkor 200-400 mm f/4 ED VR-II with 1.7x Teleconverter. Clicked at 650 mm (Equivalent to 1300 mm with Extra Crop on D 7100), f/6.7, ISO 200, SS 1/640, Spot Metering, Exp Compensation -0.67.
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