Kingfisher - Telugu Name

[Narasimham Parinandi]

Andhra Pradesh is a paradise of birds. Especially, the Kolleru Lake and Araku have a wealth of avian fauna. There are sevearl species of Kingfishers in AP. The most common one is the "Whitebreasted Kingfisher" (Halcyon smyrnensis). In Telugu, it is called లక్ముక according to Dr. Salim Ali, the most famous Indian Ornithologist and the Father of Indian Ornithology. Brown gave a Telugu equivalent to Kingfisher - లకుముకి పిట్ట (as Sri Vemuri pointed out). In certain parts of Andhra, it is also called బూచిగాడు. We used to call it బెస్త పిట్ట. Look at the Tamil equivalent for Kingfisher - మీంకొట్టి. In Bengali, it is called మచ్ హరంగ.

The other Kingfishers of India (some of them are seen in the Godavari Delta) are:

Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis)
Small Blue Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)
Blue-eared Kingfisher (Alcedo meninting)
Three-toed Kingfisher (Ceyx erithacus) (చిన్న లక్ముక)
Brownheaded Storkbilled Kingfisher (Plelargopsis capensis)
Ruddy Kingfisher (Halcyon coromanda)
Whitebreasted Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) (లక్ముక, లకుముకి పిట్ట, బూచిగాడు, బెస్త పిట్ట)
Blackcapped Kingfisher (Halcyon pileata)
Whitecollared Kingfisher (Halcyon chloris)

The word పిట్ట is a common suffix in Telugu. This word పిట్ట has crept into Taxonomic nomenclature as a generic name. Look at the common "Indian Pitta", Pitta brachyura, the పోలంకి పిట్ట. Therefore, the generic name పిట్ట comes from the Telugu word పిట్ట.
Unfortunately, no records have been kept on the "ceMcu" and other tribal names for many of these birds. At least, for plants, there are good records of Telugu names. For animals (which include aves and reptiles), no records (at least published) have been kept. There are very old Zoological Survey of India records which have the Telugu equivalents for these birds but the regions where these names were used were not specified.
Unfortunately but truely, we have no good dictionaries at all. There should be an effort to recreate or edit our dictionaries. The most famous సూర్యరాయాంధ్ర నిఘంటువు has a plethora of mistakes (either print or otherwise). More new terms have to be added on an ongoing basis. We have no good scientific and technical dictionaries. The మాండలీక equivalents have to be added on a regional basis.
regards
pAlana

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