#NiFHiveFeature: Shuvam Sadhukhan photographed a crab #spider decorated with pollen, in Kolkata, #WestBengal. Crab spiders are ambush predators and wait patiently near brightly coloured flowers for their prey. They feed on insects that visit these flowers. #macrophotography

#NiFHiveFeature: John Joseph photographed a Brown Wood-owl in Sattal, #Uttarakhand. Brown Wood-#owls can be identified by their dark black eyes and their striped wings and underparts. They are mainly found in dense #forests in several parts of southeast Asia.

#NiFHiveFeature: Kallol Mukherjee photographed a Ruddy Marsh Skimmer in the company of wild Coxcomb flowers, in Hooghly, #WestBengal. A species of the #dragonfly family, Ruddy Marsh Skimmers or Scarlet Skimmers are native to southeast Asia.

#NiFHiveFeature: Ganesh R Mandavkar photographed a Striped #Hyena in the Little Rann of #Kutch, #Gujarat. The Striped Hyena is the only true hyena species found in India. They are frequently grouped with canids even though they belong to a family of their own – Hyaenidae.

#NiFHiveFeature: Bidyut Kalita photographed a Crab #Spider in Gopalpura, #Assam. Crab Spiders use their floral perches as hunting grounds as they wait for an #insect to stop by.

Ankit Kumar won a special mention in the Young Photographer category in 2020. The Nature inFocus #Photography Contest 2021 is now open for submissions and will run till May 31, 2021. ENTER NOW. festival.natureinfocus.in #NiFContest2021

#NiFHiveFeature: Shamik Sanyal photographed a flutter of #butterflies mud-puddling, in Buxa Tiger Reserve, #WestBengal. Mud-puddling is a commonly observed behaviour among butterflies. They suck fluids containing salts and amino acids from mud, carrion, dung or urine of mammals.

#NiFHiveFeature: Aravind Venkatraman photographed a Montagu’s #Harrier in the Little Rann of Kutch, #Gujarat. The image shows a male Montagu’s Harrier as seen by the grey-coloured plumage. Females, on the other hand, are brown in colour.

#NiFHiveFeature: Vishwanath M photographed a melanistic leopard in #Nagarahole National Park, #Karnataka. Did you know the melanistic leopards are not all black? The coat's appearance is influenced by various factors, including the angle of light.

This packed ESA/Hubble Picture of the Week showcases a menagerie of galaxies: the galaxy cluster ACO S 295 and a jostling crowd of background galaxies and foreground stars. Credit: @ESA / @Hubble_Space / NASA , F. Pacaud, D. Coe orlo.uk/fG6vJ

#NiFHiveFeature: Deep Patel photographed a pair of Indian Wild Asses in the Little Rann of Kutch, #Gujarat. Also known as #Khur, the Indian Wild Ass was once present throughout the western region of India along with southern Pakistan. Their range is now restricted to the #LRK.

#NiFHiveFeature: Agnibho Saha photographed a preening Black #Kite in Kolkata, #WestBengal. Diurnal raptors, Black Kites belong to the Accipitridae family. The birds in this family have strong hook-like beaks. Opportunistic hunters, Black Kites feed on #birds, #bats and rodents.

#NiFHiveFeature: Ashok Kallagunta photographed a honey #bee with its pollen sac in Bangalore, #Karnataka. The yellow pollen sac seen in the image aids in carrying pollen back to the hive. #WorldBeeDay

#NiFHiveFeature: Sandeep Chakraborty photographed Golden-throated #Barbet in the outskirts of Neora Valley, #WestBengal. The #bird inhabits tropical and subtropical moist forests where it remains hidden in the canopy. Loud hiccup-like calls aid in identifying its presence.

#NiFHiveFeature: Swapnil Mehta photographed a male Indian #Peafowl's colourful feathers with distinct eyespots, in #Gir National Park, #Gujarat. Male peafowls use their ‘trains’ or tail feathers to gain the attention of females.

#NiFHiveFeature: Nandakumar MN photographed a colourful school of #Surgeonfish in Raja Ampat islands, #Indonesia. Surgeonfish family consists of about 75 species of tropical marine fish. They get their name from their scalpel-like spines. #WorldReefDay #WorldReefAwarenessDay

Abhijit Nandan's image of a Himalayan Monal in flight is our featured post from the Nature inFocus Community Facebook page. Come be a part of this group of #nature and #wildlife #photographers and enthusiasts. 👇👇👇 #birdwatching #birdphotography facebook.com/groups/NatureI…

Debashis Banerjee's image of a Himalayan Brown #Bear family from Drass, #Ladakh is our featured post from the Nature inFocus Community Facebook page. Come be a part of this group of #nature and #wildlife #photographers and enthusiasts. 👇👇👇 facebook.com/groups/NatureI…

#NiFHiveFeature: Rana Basak photographed an Oriental Garden #Lizard in Rajarhat, #WestBengal. Oriental Garden Lizards are one of the most common reptiles that inhabit the urban gardens and the #backyards. They are effective pest control agents.

**Finalist – Nature inFocus Photography Contest, 2021** Amartya Mukherjee Animal Portraits Found in the Antarctic Peninsula and surrounding islands, Gentoo #Penguins are a near-threatened penguin species. Mikkelsen Harbour, #Antarctica #NiFPhotographyContest2021