Ever wondered why some birds never fly? And we are talking of little birds, not ostriches and emus...
I have always been amazed as to how some birds never seem to fly -- they always flit. Whenever I have come across a flock of Indian Silverbills (Euodice malabarica), also called the White-throated Munia, I have had a hard time observing their wing movements. They always seem to be in a hurry and appear permanently unsettled. All one ever gets to see is a blur of wings accompanied by a soft buzz or a short hop.
On the field one can identify them by their silvery finch-like bill, though I always notice the white rump patch first. Like all finches and munias, these seed-feeders are delightful to watch but no matter how long one observes them, you will never see them fly. They just flit.
The blog Nature Magnified has some good pics of this bird
Text and Photograph by Sahastrarashmi