September 30, 2020

Indian Roller or Neelkanth 

Indian Roller or Neelkanth is a beautiful bird. It is seen usually here in the North India from August and till winters. Usually one can spot the bird sitting on the transmission lines passing over the fields or on the top of trees like mangoes. It sits at one place for a long periods of time. It swoops down to catch insects like beetles or grasshoppers. It is not easily scared when you take pictures. The bird is about 26–27 cm long. It is similar in appearance to European rollers which are also here during summer. The difference is that… Read More »Indian Roller or Neelkanth 

Neelkanth (Indian Roller) Bird

In our younger days, I remember we often spotted the “Neelkanth” as Indian Roller is called in India. “Neel” means “blue” and “Kanth” means “throat”. It is found in the agricultural fields here in Punjab. In those days there were no electrical transmission lines crossing the fields. There were trees and there were fields. So it was found sitting in smaller trees and shrubs. It is considered auspicious to see it because its name is connected to God Shiva whose throat also became blue to due drinking of the poison which threatened to destroy the world. It is the mythology… Read More »Neelkanth (Indian Roller) Bird