
Indian Pond Heron camouflaged among reeds and muddy banks
birds · lake
An Indian Pond Heron (Ardeola grayii) standing motionless among dry reeds, muddy shoreline, and decaying wetland vegetation.
Your archive
From the archive record
Pond skaters use surface tension to walk on water in Rajasthan. Gerridae is a family of insects in the order Hemiptera, commonly known as water striders, water bugs, pond skaters, water skippers, or jesus bugs. Consistent with the classification of Gerridae as true bugs (i.e., sub-order Heteroptera), gerrids have a mouthpart evolved for piercing and sucking, gerrids distinguish themselves by having the unique ability to walk on water. Gerridae, or water striders, are anatomically built to transfer their weight to be able to run on top of the water's surface. As a result, one could likely find water striders present in any pond, river, or lake. Scientists have identified over 1,700 species of gerrids, 10% of them being marine. While 90% of Gerridae are freshwater bugs, it is the oceanic Hal
License this footage
Broadcast-quality masters are available from Wilderness Films India.
Keep exploring

birds · lake
An Indian Pond Heron (Ardeola grayii) standing motionless among dry reeds, muddy shoreline, and decaying wetland vegetation.

hills · lake
Chirkila Dam and its reservoir near Dharchula in Uttarakhand, India. The concrete dam spans a mountain valley, regulating the river flow as water collects within the reservoir surrounded by steep Himalayan slopes.

village · lake
Two villagers from Singhpur, Odisha, India, are catching fish by hand in shallow muddy water using traditional knowledge and patience.

wildlife · birds
A Bronze-winged Jacana (Metopidius indicus) foraging across a dense mat of Common Water Hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes, formerly Eichhornia crassipes) in a freshwater wetland.

Uttarakhand·hills · river
The scenic landscape of Nainital, Uttarakhand, India, where low clouds drift across the surrounding green hills overlooking Naini Lake.

Uttarakhand·hills · river
The Nainital Ropeway (Aerial Cable Car) operating above the scenic hill town of Nainital, Uttarakhand, India.

wildlife · birds
An Indian Bush Lark (Mirafra erythroptera) resting undisturbed in a wetland habitat. The small, ground-dwelling songbird remains alert while blending almost perfectly with the surrounding soil, dry grasses, and natural vegetation.

Uttarakhand·lake · river
Gathering of fish at Naini Lake in Nainital, Uttarakhand, India. Thousands of fish crowd the water's surface, creating continuous ripples and churning movement as they compete for food.