This December, we are joining hands with Sanctuary Asia to shine the light on some of our most neglected and misused habitats, such as deserts and grasslands, and the species that make them their home.
The theme for the first Fortnight Focus challenge of December – Grasslands – saw an overwhelming amount of entries from the community. So much so that we decided to do two separate photostories, including all our favourite entries – one specifically for birds in grassland and another generic one for grasslands.
The winner takes home a Shutterbug Pro camera bag from Wildcraft and exclusive goodies from Nature inFocus.
A big shout-out to everyone who contributed, and a definitive invitation to those who haven't yet to join in for the next.
Mainak Ray
In the Footsteps of the Dodo
Six of them in this frame. Another 140, maybe, in the rest of the world. Once in the running to become India’s national bird, the Great Indian Bustard – considered among the largest flying birds in the world – is now on the brink of extinction. In the absence of any political will to reverse the declining population trend, its revival looks near impossible. The Great Indian Bustard would probably be the first bird that will go extinct in our lifetime in the Indian sub-continent.
Suketu Purohit
The Shy One
The Painted Francolin is a shy yet extremely gorgeous bird. The Velavadar grasslands of the Blackbuck National Park in Gujarat offer tons of photo opportunities of this skittish partridge.
Santhosh Gujar
The Ghost
A Pallid Harrier pictured in Bangalore, Karnataka. This winter visitor is a male harrier, signified by its ghostly grey colour and black wingtips.
Nilesh Bhadla
I Spy a Spy
A Short-eared Owl pictured in the thick undergrowth of the grasslands in the Little Rann of Kutch, Gujarat.
Siddharth Damle
The Rainmaker
The Rain Quail is a gorgeous little bird found in the grasslands of the Indian subcontinent. At the start of the monsoon season, the males of this species of quail start calling out to attract females and to identify their territory.
Gowathaman Ganesan
Today's Menu: Rat Snake
A Bonelli’s Eagle tries to make a meal of a big Rat Snake that it stumbled upon in the grasslands of Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu.
Prasenjit Choudhury
Jewel of the Grasslands
For the most part, people don’t realise that our grasslands are not barren, unproductive areas. They are home to a wide range of species, like the highly endangered Lesser Florican.
Hira Punjabi
Courtship, Florican Style!
The Lesser Florican is the smallest of the bustard species. They are best known for their aerial courtship displays, where the male makes a series of spectacular jumps to a height of 1.5m to 2m, around 500 times a day.
Shubham Akolkar
The Call of Togetherness
A pair of Sarus Cranes calls out on an early morning in the Pariej village near Kheda in Gujarat.
Suvadip Mondal
A Splash of Red
The Red Munia or Strawberry Finch is a sparrow-sized bird found in the grasslands of tropical Asia. This particular species breeds in the Indian subcontinent during the monsoon season.
Rahul Chakraborty
The Desert Queen
The MacQueen’s Bustard is a large bird in the bustard family, also known as the Asian Houbara.
Shantanu Somwanshi
Go On, Check Me Out!
A Short-toed Snake-eagle shows off its wide wingspan, as it carefully watches with its bright yellow eyes, in the grasslands of Pune, Maharashtra.
Pallavi Laveti
The Blade Runner
Found exclusively in Northeast India, the Black-breasted Parrotbill draws birders from across the world. Blessed with a mellifluous call and a distinct appearance, the parrotbill is a delight to watch as it hops from one blade to the other, climbing all the way up to the top. This picture was taken at the Manas National Park in Assam.
Sayan Dasmahapatra
Zitting and Zigzagging
The Zitting Cisticola is a widely distributed warbler found mainly in our grasslands. During breeding season, the males perform a zigzagging flight display accompanied by regular "zitting" calls that have been likened to the repeated snips of a scissor.
