Scaly Thrush: 444th bird in Telangana sighted at Bheemuni Padam waterfalls

Scaly Thrush is a winter migrant bird from the Himalayas and North Eastern States where it breeds

Sangareddy: Yet another new bird species was added to the rich avifaunal diversity of Telangana as the bird watchers sighted a Scaly Thrush for the first time in the State. Scaly Thrush is a winter migrant bird from the Himalayas and North Eastern States where it breeds.

The bird’s sighting is also said to be the first in South India. However, the bird watchers were still checking the data to officially confirm it. Seasoned birder Sriram Reddy, who was on a two-day trip to the Bheemuni Padam waterfalls located in the Guduru reserve forest in Mahabubabad district, sighted the bird.

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Some six months ago, the bird watchers also sighted Pied Thrush near Bheemuni Padam waterfalls. It was the second sighting of the Pied Thrush, recorded for the first time at Umamaheshwaram in November 2022 by wildlife photographer Chadramouli. Sriram Reddy and Forest Divisional Officer (FDO) Gudur division Chandrashekhar were the first to sight Scaly Thrush.

Reddy said that it was a passage bird to Telangana. Since these birds would travel down south during winter to avoid harsh weather in the Himalayas, they would take a brief halt here.

Explaining how he sighted the rare bird, the wildlife photographer said that he found something moving in the foliage under Bamboo trees when he sighted the Thrush. Immediately, he said he had noticed some differences with the Thursh family birds he sighted earlier in Telangana.

After talking to experts and comparing the photographs of the rest of the birds in the family, Reddy said that he came to the conclusion he had added a new bird species to the long list of sightings in the State.