Birdwatch: Crested bunting, the ‘Yuvaraaj’ found in lower foothills
The male birds have a striking glossy black plumage with long pointed crests and chestnut wings and tail. The females are paler and browner, have a shorter crest and have less chestnut patches on the tail and wings.
The crested bunting, locally called the Yuvaraaj, is a bird of the lower foothills and is not easily found in the plain areas of Chandigarh, Panchkula, Mohali and others of the Inter State Chandigarh Region (ISCR). However, the nearby Morni Hills area is the perfect place to spot this bird, which can easily be distinguished by its spiky upright crest.
The male birds have a striking glossy black plumage with long pointed crests and chestnut wings and tail. The females are paler and browner, have a shorter crest and have less chestnut patches on the tail and wings. The size of this bird is between 15 cm and 17 cm.
Noted birder Jasbir Singh Randhawa says, “The foothills are the ideal locations to spot the crested bunting. I have been visiting the Chaki Mod, a birding site in Solan district, for a long time but hardly find any crested buntings there. Ironically, I have seen this species many times in the Morni Hills. We will not find this species in our parks or plain areas. One will have to venture into the foothills to spot the bird.”
