The most prolific of birds in our area. Though wild, they are affectionate toward humans. Quite friendly and trusting, they accompany us when we work in the garden. All grubs and worms are gobbled up in a flash of feathers, so we have to be careful with our spades. This bird is called Erattathalayan (ഇരട്ടത്തലയൻ) in Malayalam, because the crest of stiff feathers atop its head together with its beak, makes it appear to have a twin head.
They sing beautifully in the evenings before retiring to roost and never fail to wish you good morning at dawn.
They nest in shrubby trees, laying small mottled eggs, and raise two to three chicks in a clutch, the parents urged by famished squeaks, frantically flying to and fro, filling the tender pulsating crops of their offspring.
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