The laughter of children mingles with the sounds of vibrant 'plumed pals' that call Riverside home. The chirping of birds echoes testimony that Riverside nourishes an ecosystem where all life thrives.
The Eurasian collared dove is a species of dove native to warm temperate and subtropical Asia and it can be found from Southeast Asia through to Western Europe. The dove can breed almost throughout the year except for the mid-winters when breeding declines. Its monotonous cooing makes it one of the noisiest birds and can be found all year round.
The greater coucal or crow pheasant is a large non- parasitic member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes. It is a widespread resident of the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The Coucal was sighted in December. However, it is a rather secretive bird that is often concealed into dense vegetation. It is usually found singly or in pairs and breeds during the monsoon season.
It is a small bird with overall greenish yellow color. Underparts are yellow in shade with males having a black cap on head. Wings are blackish with white stripes. These birds forage in trees in small groups and mainly feed on insects. They can be found in urban gardens and forests.
The common myna/Indian mynah is a member of the Sturnidae (starlings and mynas) family which is native to Asia. They have the ability produce various songs that consist of whistling, squeaking and gurgling sounds whereas captive mynas can mimic human voices. The breeding season of this bird is from April to July every year and can be found throughout the year.
It is a glossy black bird with distinct forked tail. It feeds on insects and is commonly found in farmlands, jungles and urban gardens. These birds are known for their aggressive behavior and tend to protect their nests from larger invading birds.
The cattle egret is a cosmopolitan species of heron that is originally native to Asia, Africa and Europe. It breeds between the months of May and June. The cattle egret removes ticks and flies from cattle and consumes them. The bird was sighted in June but can be found all around the year.
The Sind sparrow is a passerine bird of the sparrow family, Passeridae, found around the Indus valley region in South Asia. It is also known as the jungle, Sind jungle, or rufous-backed sparrow. Very similar to the related house sparrow, it is smaller and has distinguishing plumage features
The house sparrow is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. It is a small bird that has a typical length of 16 cm and a mass of 24–39.5 g. Females and young birds are coloured pale brown and grey, and males have brighter black, white, and brown markings.
The Indian golden oriole is a species of oriole found in the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia. The species was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the Eurasian golden oriole, but is now considered a full species.
The Common Myna bird has adopted with urban city habitats just like the House Sparrow. It has a brown body, black hooded head and the bare yellow patch behind the eye. The bill and legs are bright yellow. There is a white patch on the outer wings and the wing undersides are white in colour. These birds are very vocal and can be found mostly in pairs.
The Indian peafowl is a species of peafowl that is native to South Asia and is the national bird of India. The peahen breed during the monsoon season are often found “dancing” in the rain. They are one of the largest flying birds and their length can reach upto 5 feet. The peahen was spotted in September, but can be found all around the year.
The budgerigar is a small, long-tailed, seed-eating parrot usually nicknamed the budgie, or in American English, the parakeet. Budgies are the only species in the genus Melopsittacus. Naturally, the species is green and yellow with black, scalloped markings on the nape, back, and wings.
The Indian Robin is a small passerine bird that is spread across India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It breeds between the months of April and June but can vary according to different regions. It is a common and tame bird that is terrestrial, hopping along the ground with cocked tail. It was spotted in October.
These birds can be found in urban garden areas as well as forested habitats often seen running along the ground or perching on low thorny shrubs and rocks. The Males have a brown back with a black underbody and a white shoulder patch or stripe. They have chestnut undertail coverts which are visible when the birds sits with it's tail upright.
It is a small bird with curved bill which aid in nectar feeding on the flowers. Males are glossy purple black on the upperparts with dark brown wings. Females are olive brown in color with yellowish underparts having a pale yellow supercilium. These birds are found in flowering gardens in urban cities and forests and are generally in pairs or small groups.
The red-vented bulbul is a member of the bulbul family of passerines. It is resident breeder across the Indian subcontinent, including Sri Lanka extending east to Burma and parts of Tibet. It breeds between the months of June and September and was sighted in its breeding months. Its aggressive nature has resulted in it being considered one of the world's worst invasive alien species.
The red-wattled lapwing species are distributed in the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, southwest and southcentral Asia and China. Their breeding season is between the months of March and August. The red-wattled lapwing male and female are similar in plumage. Their call is a loud, raucous, creaking and strident. It was spotted in August.
The yellow-billed babbler is native to southern India and Sri Lanka. This species is not migratory and is usually seen calling and foraging in groups. It is known to live in flocks of seven to ten or more. Nests of the babbler are seen round the year but the peak breeding season is from March to November. It was spotted in August but some birds can be found throughout the year.