entry reflections 280

i found this beautiful shot of a northern pintail in my archive. it's one i took back in January 2017 at Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India. it's a wonderful place to observe an amazing variety of birds, many with striking reflections in the shallow waters. this is a male pintail, easily recognized with it's chocolate brown head with an unmistakable white stripe extending vertically from the back of the neck. it's a migratory bird only present in India for the winter before it flies far north to breed. it prefers open wetlands in the winter. while this photo clearly centers on the duck, the low reeds reflecting in the water provide a nice backdrop showing the pintail in it's natural habitat.