Getting to see a bird of prey is always exciting. I feel that they have this aura around them that makes me want to keep looking at them. They also have this “stare” when looking at you that almost feels like they are peering into your soul. Or may be it is a “I am watching you” look 😀 .

Now coming to the subject of this post. I have been observing two Shikras that periodically show up around my house. I get to know of their presence nearby when I hear them calling from a nearby tree. The one that usually shows up is the adult Shikra. Their calling becomes more frequent, especially in the mornings, during the breeding season. So let me cover this chap first.

The first time that I saw it directly from my balcony was quite eventful. I was sitting in my balcony on a late afternoon on an overcast day. There was the usual Purple-rumped Sunbirds going about their feeding and hopping around on a tree close to my balcony. Then there was this constant “chaotic” calling by all the Sunbirds all at once. I knew this meant that they had become alert and aware of a nearby danger. And sure enough I saw an adult Shikra fly right in and perch on one of its branches. Strangely the Sunbirds kept staying on their current perches and kept calling, almost as if stunned. In a matter of a few seconds, the Shikra pounced onto one of the Sunbirds, caught it and then flew off to a branch of the next tree. All this happened in a just around 10 to 15 seconds. It then sat on that branch finishing off its catch. I finally rushed and got my camera to take a few photos as well as capture a video. Here are a couple of photos I took:

The other individual that I have seen is an immature Shikra. It decided to perch on a nearby tree for quite a while one afternoon. Here are some photos I was able to capture from my balcony:

I expect this one to disappear soon once it becomes an adult and is possible chased of by its parents to preserve their territory 🙂 .

Video

Here is a short video that I put together of the Shikras. It shows the immature Shikra patiently sitting on a tree branch and not being bothered with the birds trying to shoot it away. The later half of the video has the adult Shikra enjoying its kill. Do check it out.