Indian False Vampire Bats (Megaderma lyra) - Birds And More 016

By

Birds And More 016 - Indian False Vampire Bats (Megaderma lyra)

Riding my scooter through the newly paved village roads outside Jabalpur, I didn't realise how far I rode. A town about 35 km from Jabalpur, on the foot of the Vindhya Range, and famous for its massive Gulab Jamuns (deep fried sweet balls) - Katangi (Jabalpur). It was the trip I had done many times as a child and teen, but this time it was different. 

Katangi (Jabalpur) October 2023
Katangi (Jabalpur)
October 2023

I wanted to see a critically endangered (CR) Indian vulture or long-billed vulture देशी गिद्ध (Gyps indicus). Through my binoculars, I saw them soaring at a distance and headed in that direction and after riding about a couple of km found a few perching on beautiful red rock cliffs. And I also saw a temple just below where these amazing scavengers were perched. I asked a local and he guided me to the path leading to steps towards the temple. After climbing about 600 steps, I not only saw a few common birds but was closer to about 20 vultures soaring and a few on their perches. 

Katangi (Jabalpur), October 2023
Katangi (Jabalpur)
October 2023

ndian vulture or long-billed vulture देशी गिद्ध (Gyps indicus)
Indian vulture or long-billed vulture देशी गिद्ध (Gyps indicus)
Katangi (Jabalpur), October 2023

I was a bit tired, took some rest, removed my shoes, and walked towards the temple. And I was surprised to see 10s of bats hanging inside a narrow cave. I was overjoyed as I wanted to see these common bats for a long time - Indian False Vampire Bats (Megaderma lyra).


The Indian False Vampire Bat (Megaderma lyra) is a large, insectivorous bat found in tropical and subtropical regions of the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.  The Indian False Vampire Bat is a stocky bat with a broad head and a short snout. It has large ears that are folded back and are connected by a fleshy ridge. The bat's fur is short and brownish-gray, with lighter markings on the face and belly. Its ears are sensitive to high-frequency sounds, which helps it to locate prey in the dark.

Indian False Vampire Bats (Megaderma lyra) - Birds And More 016
Indian False Vampire Bats (Megaderma lyra)
Katangi (Jabalpur), October 2023

The Indian False Vampire Bat is an insectivore, and its diet consists mainly of moths, beetles, and other large insects. It also eats spiders, scorpions, and small vertebrates. The bat uses its large ears and echolocation to locate prey in the dark. It then swoops down and catches its prey with its claws.

Indian False Vampire Bats (Megaderma lyra)
Indian False Vampire Bats (Megaderma lyra)
Katangi, Jabalpur, October 2023

Here are some interesting facts about the Indian False Vampire Bat:  

  • They're not actually vampires: Despite their name, Indian False Vampire Bats don't feed on blood. They are insectivores, meaning their diet consists mainly of insects.  
  • They have giant ears: Their large ears, which can span up to 5 inches, are one of their most distinguishing features. These ears are not only sensitive to sound but also help them echolocate, allowing them to navigate and hunt in the dark.  
  • They're skilled hunters: Their combination of large ears, echolocation, and sharp eyesight makes them highly effective hunters. They can catch prey in mid-air or snatch it off the ground.  
  • They're social creatures: Despite being solitary foragers, Indian False Vampire Bats roost in groups of up to 50 individuals. They often roost in caves, hollow trees, or abandoned buildings.  
  • They play an important role in the ecosystem: By controlling insect populations, these bats help to protect crops and forests. They also play a role in seed dispersal, as they often consume fruits and then drop the seeds in new locations.  
  • They're facing threats: Habitat loss, pesticide use, and hunting are all threats to Indian False Vampire Bat populations. Conservation efforts are underway to protect these fascinating creatures.

It was an amazing ride, with serene nature around you, lovely curious people, Indian Vultures, and Vampire False Bats. But there were disappointments too, human encroachment into pristine forests, land mafia grabbing forest lands, sand mafia stealing banks of rivers, and mining mafia destroying the hills. Hope is greater than loss and stronger than fear, and I hope things will change and we can preserve what is remaining out there.
Thanks !!!

Birds Around Me - Unfinished List (अपूर्ण  सूची) 


Ashutosh Jhureley @BirdsAroundMe

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Birds Around Me 0160 - Black Kite काली चील (Milvus migrans)

By
Image
The king of urban skies - "Pariah or Black Kite ( काली   चील) - Milvus migrans", you can find these birds soaring above urban landscape all over India. In the middle of New Delhi, you could actually see 100s of Black Kites. Every time I go to India, the population of these birds catches my attention, it's growing along with other birds like Wood Pigeon and Crows. The  Pariah or Black Kite ( काली   चील) - Milvus migrans live in the neighbourhood of human habitations and depend for their livelihood chiefly on the artificial conditions created by the man. It is a large brown hawk easily distinguished from all other similar birds by its forked tail, a feature particularly noticeable in flight. Numbers are always present near slaughter houses, fish and meat markets, refuse dumps and docks for any bits that they can pick up. The ease and grace with which a kite will make its lightning swoop to carry off a dead rat or bit of food from narrow street, turning and twisting to avoid...
Read more

Birds Around Me 0044 - Indian Robin (कलचुरी) - Copsychus fulicatus

By
Image
Female Indian Robin (कलचुरी) / Copsychus fulicatus Taken on June 26, 2018 Location: Sanjivini Nagar, Jabalpur, India (Latitude: 23.172826, Longitude: 79.881881)   Male Indian Robin (कलचुरी) - Copsychus fulicatus  Male Indian Robin (कलचुरी) - Copsychus fulicatus  Indian Robin (कलचुरी) is a sparrow-sized bird with a long tail, which is usually held up. The chestnut or rusty under-tail coverts and dark bodies of males make them easily distinguishable. The females are ashy brown with paler chestnut under. Distribution is throughout the Indian Subcontinent and is famous for its song with rhythm maintained by twitching tail. They feed mostly on insects but are known to take frogs and lizards especially when feeding young at the nest. You can spot it switching its cocked tail up and down expressively as it turns facing one way or other around the countryside, thatch roofs, roadside hedges or stones, sand mounds, and rocks.  The male has a fairly elaborate courtship dis...
Read more

Bird Stories - Interesting Facts - Common Kingfisher

By
Image
I have been photographing, watching and observing   Common Kingfisher छोटा किलकिला, राम चिरैया, शरीफन, निता मछराला (Alcedo atthis)   for almost 8 years now. Over this time I have learned a few facts, observed some interesting behavior, and read a lot. Sharing some of these here: Common Kingfisher छोटा किलकिला, राम चिरैया, शरीफन, निता मछराला (Alcedo atthis) 1. How to differentiate between Male & Female? Both sexes of  Common Kingfisher  look very similar, females are slightly smaller than males. But the magic is in the mandible (bill or beak), males have all-black upper and lower mandibles while females have conspicuous orange lower mandibles. Obviously, females love to put lipstick on. It is hard to differentiate sexes in juveniles, they develop color in mandible only after a year or so. Male & Female Common Kingfishers with fish for the chicks 2. How to differentiate juveniles from Adults? There are two ways to differentiate between  Common Kingfis...
Read more

Birds Around Me 0052 - Purple Sunbird छोटा शक्कर खोरा, फूल सुँघनी, थुन-थुनी (Cinnyris asiaticus)

By
Image
Purple Sunbird (छोटा शक्कर खोरा) - Cinnyris asiaticus  (10 cm), is a small sunbird that has a relatively short bill, a dark and short square-ended tail with distinctive sexual dimorphism. They have a down-curve bill with brush-tipped tubular tongues that aid in nectar feeding. The breeding plumage of males is glossy metallic bluish to purplish-black with a sheen of green on the upper parts with the wings appearing dark brown.  Purple Sunbird  छोटा शक्कर खोरा, फूल सुँघनी, थुन-थुनी (Cinnyris asiaticus) Sanjivini Nagar, Jabalpur The non-breeding plumage is similar to females olive-brown above, and yellowish below but with black wings and a brad black streak running down the middle of the breast. They usually go about in pairs, moving restlessly from flower to flower, inspecting by clinging upside down. You will also see them hovering around the flowers like a hummingbird, sucking nectar. Often you will see picking on insects, caterpillars, and spiders as well. Sunbirds ( शक्...
Read more

Birds Around Me 0123 - Black Drongo (कोतवाल, भुजंग) - Dicrurus macrocercus

By
Image
Taken on January 15, 2018 Location: Sanjivini Nagar, Jabalpur, India (Latitude: 23.172826, Longitude: 79.881881) Black Drongo (कोतवाल, भुजंग), 31cm, is a wholly black bird with a distinctive forked tail. The only drongo commonly found in open country. It feeds on insects, and is common in open agricultural areas and light forests throughout its range, perching conspicuously on a bare perch or along power or telephone lines.  Black Drongo is known for its aggressive behavior towards much larger birds, such as crows, never hesitating to chase birds of prey away from their territory.  Identification: white rictal spot; dark red iris of adult    Bird Facts: Due to this behavior of guarding its territory aggressively, smaller birds often nest near the nesting  Black Drongo and earned this bird name - कोतवाल or Security Guard .  Where: open country, open woodlands, cultivation, marshes. Hindi name of bird  Black Drongo (Dicruru...
Read more

Birds Around Me 0085 - Oriental Magpie-Robin (दहियर, काली सुई चिड़िया) - Copsychus saularis

By
Image
Oriental Magpie-Robin (दहियर, काली सुई चिड़िया) - Copsychus saularis (20 cm), is similar in shape to the smaller European robin, but is longer-tailed. The male has black upper-parts, head, and throat apart from a white shoulder patch. The underparts and the sides of the long tail are white. Females are greyish black above and greyish white. The birds keep singly or in pairs in thing jungle, but mostly around human settlements. Magpie robins were widely kept as cage birds for their singing abilities. Identification:   black or grey upper-parts, head, and throat apart from a white shoulder; song; not shy   Bird Facts:   The magpie robin is the national bird of Bangladesh, where it is common and known as the doyel or doel. Where:  scrubs, forests, gardens, parks Hindi name of Oriental Magpie-Robin (Copsychus saularis): दहियर, काली सुई चिड़िया  Birds Around Me - Unfinished List (अपूर्ण  सूची) :  https://birds.rekabira.in/p/this-is-list-of-bi...
Read more

Birds Around Me 0083 - Common Kingfisher छोटा किलकिला, राम चिरैया, शरीफन, निता मछराला (Alcedo atthis)

By
Image
In 2014, it was the first time I saw and photographed Common Kingfisher  छोटा किलकिला, राम चिरैया, शरीफन, निता मछराला  (Alcedo atthis)   in Jabalpur, India. It was an experience on its own. I was sitting with my dad by the side of a small lake literally in front of our home talking about rubbish being dumped in the water bodies all over Jabalpur. Once renowned for its water bodies, the only name of those remain postal addresses. I had my camera with me because my dad wanted me to click a photo of him with his friend. All of a sudden we saw a bird diving in, a colorful one. It was Common Kingfisher and it flew and perched literally 5 meters from me. And it wasn't just  the Common Kingfisher that we saw that day, but also a couple more  White-throated Kingfisher ( किलकिला ,  श्वेतकण्ठ   कौड़िल्ला ) / Halcyon Smyrnensis  and  Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) . Since then I have photographed these birds in RSPB Rye Meads, Stocker's Lake, and H...
Read more

Birds Around Me 0027 - Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis) हरियल पतरिंगा, पतुरी

By
Image
Green Bee-eater हरियल पतरिंगा, पतुरी  (Merops orientalis), like other bee-eaters, is a richly coloured, slender bird. It is about 9 inches (16–18 cm) long with about 2 inches made up by the elongated central tail-feathers. The sexes are not visually distinguishable. The entire plumage is bright green and tinged with blue especially on the chin and throat. The crown and upper back are tinged with golden rufous. The flight feathers are rufous washed with green and tipped with blackish. A fine black line runs in front of and behind the eye. Bird Facts: Green bee-eaters may be capable of interpreting the behaviour of human observers. They showed an ability to predict whether a human at a particular location would be capable of spotting the nest entrance and then behaved accordingly to avoid giving away the nest location. The ability to look at a situation from another's point of view was previously believed to be possessed only by primates. Hindi Name of Green Bee-eater (Merop...
Read more

Birds Around Me 0068 - Brown Rock Chat or Indian chat (शमा) - Oenanthe fusca

By
Image
Brown rock chat or Indian chat (शमा) - Oenanthe fusca (17cm) is larger than the somewhat similar looking female  Indian Robin (कलचुरी) - Copsychus fulicatus .  It is uniformly rufous brown with the wings and tail of a slightly darker shade, tail being blackish. More rufous supercilium and cheek, stouter and straighter bill, paler and brown underparts and dark grey-brown vent. Also, the tail is broad and square across. Indian Robin has reddish or chestnut vent, more curved bill and greyish underparts. Found mainly in Central and Northern India. Identification: underparts rufous-brown and lacks chestnut on the vent.   Where: rocky areas, quarries, ruins, old forts Birds Around Me - Unfinished List ( अपूर्ण    सूची )  -- Ashutosh Jhureley @BirdsAroundMe Brown rock chat or Indian chat (शमा) - Oenanthe fusca Sanjivini Nagar, Jabalpur, M.P. October 2022  Brown rock chat or Indian chat (शमा) - Oenanthe fusca Sanjivini Nagar, Jabalpur, M.P. O...
Read more

Birds Around Me 0007 - House Sparrow (चिड़िया, घरेलू गौरैया) - Passer domesticus

By
Image
House Sparrow (चिड़िया, घरेलू गौरैया) - Passer domesticus    (15 cm), is a common bird in urban areas throughout most of Europe, the Mediterranean region, and most of Indian Subcontinent.  Bird Facts:    House Sparrow  is believed to have become associated with humans around 10,000 years ago.      Identification:   Males  have grey crown and black of throat extending onto the upper breast. pale buffy-brown supercilium behind the eye and unstreaked dingy white underparts.   Where: a  common bird in urban areas House Sparrow (चिड़िया, घरेलू गौरैया) - Passer domesticus Taken on June 26, 2018 Location: Sanjivini Nagar, Jabalpur, India (Latitude: 23.172826, Longitude: 79.881881) 
Read more