[Assam] AT Photo- A Quiz: Chutiya Xalika

[Chan Mahanta]

O' Deka:

Apuni etiyahe xui-uthil neki? Din-dupor holhi, gomei nepale. 
Xui-thoka xiale haanh dhorar kthatw xunise nissoy :-).



They have been identified and rested.

The flower is  of the Ximolu gos--Silk Cotton tree, Bombax  indica. 
Nothing even akin to 'modaar' , a wholly different genus. Yes there 
are different kinds of coral trees ( modaar). In Assam there are two 
varieties, the red and the white flowering ones. They are easily 
identified by the SHAPE of the petals and the tree trunks. which are 
dramatically different. Polaax  flowers are closer in looks to the 
'modaar', but not all to the 'ximolu' flowers.

In other parts of the world there are quite a few variants. One grows 
widely in Southern California coastal areas that is very similar to 
the red ones from Assam. The tropical islands like in the Caribbean 
and in Hawii have two or three different vrieties that are similar.

The bird is Sutiya Xaalika, Jungle  Mynah  -- Acridotheres fuscus, 
whose habitat is widespread in south Asia.  The picture I sent the 
link to the other day was from  Fiji.  The bird probably got there 
with Indian laborers taken by the British.

BTW, the familiar Xaalika sorai ( Common Indian Mynah) has become a 
much despised pest in Australia.

Hope this helps.

O'm









At 5:41 AM -0700 4/1/08, Dilip/Dil Deka wrote:
>Looks like the bird's genus and name are now known. I am not too 
>sure if the flower has been identified quite definitely yet. I do 
>remember seeing flowers like in the photo that we used to call 
>Modar. Aren't there different varieties of Modar?
>   Dilip
>   ==========================================================
>
>Chan Mahanta <cmahanta at charter.net> wrote:
>   Thanks Bikash for reminding us of the Sutiya Xaalika name. Back at
>Namti we called it that as well--completely forgot about it.
>
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>At 3:15 AM +0100 3/30/08, DR BIKASH KUMAR DAS wrote:
>>Haaa... Dada This is known in Darrang and Kamrup as CHUTIYA SHALIKA
>>/XALIKA ( Chutiya Shalka).They are the direct version of original
>>Indian Mynah all because they call talk like you and me. I had one
>>before leaving for Military.She used to talk and if I run will fly
>>behind me and sit on my shoulders... now when I saw this- I only
>>tear for her..She was with us for long and will sit in front of us
>>always like a part of family and look at us.Here also I tried to
>>keep one, but died due to some food poison.Its too painful to miss
>>them.So no more birds to sit on my shoulders..
>>  This bird is very humanly and available in Bangalore also.But
>>here people are not like we Axomiya !! Forget about bird, they dnt
>>know the next home.
>>  Hope al doubt is clear now-
>>  Bikash
>>
>>Chan Mahanta wrote:excellent Chitta! And
>>thanks for sharing the autherntic Oxomiya
>>name, Kath Xaalika.Incidentally the widespread , lowly Xaalika Sorai
>>is a Mynah too. It is called Common Indian Mynah.
>>
>>
>>
>>
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