A black drongo harasses a mottled wood owl in this 35AWARDS-winning image. | Hari K Patibanda

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

  • A picture submitted by Hari K Patibanda, a birdwatcher from Hyderabad, has been named the Best wildlife photograph at 35AWARDS.
  • Shot in Vikarabad, the photo shows a Black Drango harassing a Mottled Wood Owl mid-air while sitting on its top.
  • While it’s not uncommon for drongoes to take on birds larger than themselves, it was a special sighting as the owl in question is nocturnal.
A Hyderabad birdwatcher has won the top prize at an international photography competition for capturing a rare moment in the avian world – a black drongo harassing a mottled wood owl. Hari K Patibanda’s picture was named the best Wildlife photograph by the 35AWARDS jury after being initially shortlisted among the top 100 images.

The results were announced on May 11 following three rounds of voting, during which a 50-member jury shortlisted the best entries from around 1.15 lakh submissions by photographers around the world.

Black drongoes are known to harass larger birds birds in Hyderabad say Hari K Patibanda
Black drongoes are known to harass larger birds, birds in Hyderabad say. | Hari K Patibanda

Patibanda’s photo, captured in Vikarabad, shows a mottled wood owl being bullied by a black drongo perched on its top – all while the two birds are airborne.

“Black Drongoes are known as ‘Police birds’ or ‘Kotwal birds’ as they are quite aggressive and don’t hesitate to take on birds many times their size,” the birder explained.

“They were recorded chasing and harassing several eagles like the short-toed snake eagle, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Bonelli’s Eagle and other predators like owls and Black Kites. The drongoes continually harass these birds and chase them away from their territory.”

Patibanda, an IT professional-turned-bird photographer, 47, entered nine photos in the competition and each of them made it past the second round. He thanked the avian enthusiast group Hyderabad Birding Pals for their support and encouragement.
“For me, birding for the last five years has been a real stress-buster,” Patibanda told The Hindu. “I make it a point to visit the birding spots, which are dwindling fast for a variety of reasons in and around Hyderabad, every week-end and enjoy watching the behavioural pattern of these birds.”

The Mottled Wood Owl is an elusive denizen of these areas. It is a nocturnal arboreal bird, which means it lives in trees and is mostly active at night.

“On cloudy days we can sometimes see them or hear them during the mornings and just before sunset. I was quite fortunate to witness this interaction between the Mottled Wood Owl and Black Drongo,” the photographer said.