I have clicked Shikras in the past but never this close. Infact, I once missed out on a good opportunity to click a Shikra drying its wings atop a tall tree as my lens did not support such a range.

During my recent visit to Bandipur tiger reserve, I came across this female Shikra sitting on a low branch right in front of our vehicle. Giving me just about enough time to motion the driver to stop the vehicle and for me to stand-up inside the open Jeep and click this snap. Unfortunately, as is frequently experienced by wildlife photographers, the settings in my camera were a little off target for a photo of this nature – it was a static bird and the light on the subject was relatively low. But I guess not much harm done in the end.

By the way, if you come across a Shikra with a red eye then that would be the male. Given the yellow iris of this bird, its the female.