Father’s Day Special I Black-Naped Monarch Nurturing Nestlings!

Black-Naped Monarch (Hypothymis azurea) the striking black-naped monarch features a beautiful azure-blue male with a distinctive black nape patch and a thin black gorget.

The female, in contrast, lacks these markings, displaying gray-brown wings and bright blue only on the head. Both sexes exhibit black feathers atop the bill and grayish-white underparts.

This species inhabits a range of forested areas, both dry and wet, from sea level up into the foothills. Similar to flycatchers, they catch their prey mid-air.

Often seen in mixed flocks, their song is a repetitive, unremarkable “wi-wi-wi-wi-wi-wi-wi,” while their calls include a harsh nasal “wheh” and an explosive “whi-cheh!”

During lunch, a Father black-naped monarch feeds her nestlings, preferring butterflies, spiders, and flying insects like grasshoppers. Between March and August, the breeding season, monarchs construct cup-shaped nests from straw, decorating them with spider-egg cases.

They nest in the fork of a sapling, using the canopy above for protection against predatory birds. Parents diligently remove the nestlings’ fecal sacs to avoid detection by predators.

Eggs typically hatch in about 12 days, and the young monarchs take approximately two weeks to become fledglings. The male is identifiable by his distinctive black head patch, which the female lacks.

K. Shiva Kumar. A Wildlife Storyteller

These rare photographs have been clicked and contributed by K. Shiva Kumar, a professional Wildlife Storyteller (M.A in Journalism & Mass Communication, an alumnus of Central University Of Odisha, Koraput) from Hyderabad, Telangana.

K. Shiva, is passionate about wildlife conservation. Through his work, he hopes to inspire greater appreciation for the wildlife that shares our planet and encourages conservation action.