List of birds of India

This is a list of the bird species of India and includes extant and recently extinct species recorded within the political limits of the Republic of India as defined by the Indian government are known to have around 1266 species as of 2016,[1] of which sixty-one are endemic to the country,[1] one has been introduced by humans and twenty-five are rare or accidental. Two species are suspected have been extirpated in India and eighty-two species are globally threatened. The Indian peacock (Pavo cristatus) is the national bird of India.[2] This list does not cover species in Indian jurisdiction areas such as Dakshin Gangothri and oceanic species are delineated by an arbitrary cutoff distance. The list does not include fossil bird species or escapes from captivity.

Two of the most recently discovered birds of India are the Himalayan forest thrush and Bugun liocichla both discovered in Arunachal Pradesh in 2016 and 2006. Also, a few birds considered to be extinct, such as the Jerdon's courser, have been rediscovered. Several species have been elevated from subspecies to full species.

The following tags have been used to highlight several categories. The commonly occurring native species do not fit within any of these categories.

Table of contents

See also        Notes        References

Megapodes

Order: Galliformes   Family: Megapodiidae

The Megapodiidae are stocky, medium-large chicken-like birds with small heads and large feet. All but the malleefowl occupy jungle habitats and most have brown or black colouring. There are 21 species worldwide and 1 species within India.

Pheasants and partridges

Indian peafowl

Order: Galliformes   Family: Phasianidae

The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds which consists of quails, partridges, snowcocks, francolins, spurfowl, tragopans, monals, pheasants, peafowls and jungle fowls. In general, they are plump (although they vary in size) and have broad, relatively short wings. There are 156 species worldwide and 46 species which occur in India.

Ducks, geese and swans

Order: Anseriformes   Family: Anatidae

Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating. There are 131 species worldwide and 42 species which occur in India.

Bar-headed goose
Tufted duck
Smew

Loons

Order: Gaviiformes   Family: Gaviidae

Loons, known as "divers", in Europe, are a group of aquatic birds found in northern North America and northern Eurasia. They are the size of a large duck or small goose, which they somewhat resemble when swimming, but to which they are completely unrelated. There are 5 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in India.

Shearwaters and petrels

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Procellariidae

The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterised by united nostrils with medium septum and a long outer functional primary. There are 75 species worldwide and 9 species which occur in India.

Storm petrels

Wilson's storm petrel

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Hydrobatidae

The storm petrels are relatives of the petrels and are the smallest seabirds. They feed on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like. There are 21 species worldwide and 4 species which occur in India.

Grebes

Little grebe

Order: Podicipediformes   Family: Podicipedidae

Grebes are small to medium-large freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land. There are 20 species worldwide and 5 species which occur in India.

Flamingos

Order: Phoenicopteriformes   Family: Phoenicopteridae

Flamingos are gregarious wading birds, usually 3 to 5 feet (0.9 to 1.5 m) tall, found in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. Flamingos filter-feed on shellfish and algae. Their oddly shaped beaks are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from the food they consume and, uniquely, are used upside-down. There are 6 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in India.

Tropicbirds

Red-tailed tropicbird

Order: Phaethontiformes   Family: Phaethontidae

Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans, with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their heads and long wings have black markings.

Storks

Order: Ciconiiformes   Family: Ciconiidae

Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked, wading birds with long, stout bills. Storks are mute, but bill-clattering is an important mode of communication at the nest. Their nests can be large and may be reused for many years. Many species are migratory.

Black-necked stork

Ibises and spoonbills

Eurasian spoonbill

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Threskiornithidae

Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which includes the ibises and spoonbills. They have long, broad wings with 11 primary and about 20 secondary feathers. They are strong fliers and despite their size and weight, very capable soarers.

Bitterns, herons and egrets

Little bittern

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Ardeidae

The family Ardeidae contains the bitterns, herons and egrets. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more wary. Members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted, unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises and spoonbills.

Eastern great egret
Grey heron

Pelicans

Great white pelican

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Pelecanidae

Pelicans are large water birds with a distinctive pouch under their beak. As with other members of the order Pelecaniformes, they have webbed feet with four toes. There are 8 species worldwide and 3 species which occur in India.

Frigatebirds

Great frigatebird

Order: Suliformes   Family: Fregatidae

Frigatebirds are large seabirds usually found over tropical oceans. They are large, black-and-white or completely black, with long wings and deeply forked tails. The males have coloured inflatable throat pouches. They do not swim or walk and cannot take off from a flat surface. Having the largest wingspan-to-body-weight ratio of any bird, they are essentially aerial, able to stay aloft for more than a week.[7]

Boobies and gannets

Brown booby

Order: Suliformes   Family: Sulidae

The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups are medium to large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.

Cormorants

Great cormorant

Order: Suliformes   Family: Phalacrocoracidae

Phalacrocoracidae is a family of medium to large coastal, fish-eating seabirds that includes cormorants and shags. Plumage colouration varies, with the majority having mainly dark plumage, some species being black-and-white and a few being colourful.

Darters

Order: Suliformes   Family: Anhingidae

Darters are often called "snake-birds" because of their long thin neck, which gives a snake-like appearance when they swim with their bodies submerged. The males have black and dark-brown plumage, an erectile crest on the nape and a larger bill than the female. The females have much paler plumage especially on the neck and underparts. The darters have completely webbed feet and their legs are short and set far back on the body. Their plumage is somewhat permeable, like that of cormorants, and they spread their wings to dry after diving.

Osprey

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Pandionidae

The Pandionidae family contains only one species, the osprey. The osprey is a medium-large raptor which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution.

Hawks, kites and eagles

Crested honey buzzard
Black kite

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Accipitridae

Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey, which includes hawks, eagles, kites, harriers and Old World vultures. These birds have powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons and keen eyesight.

Shikra
Golden eagle

Falcons

Order: Falconiformes   Family: Falconidae

Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey. They differ from hawks, eagles and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their talons. There are 62 species worldwide and 15 species which occur in India.

Bustards

Order: Otidiformes   Family: Otididae

Bustards are large terrestrial birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old World. They are omnivorous and nest on the ground. They walk steadily on strong legs and big toes, pecking for food as they go. They have long broad wings with "fingered" wingtips and striking patterns in flight. Many have interesting mating displays.

Finfoot

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Heliornithidae

Heliornithidae is a small family of tropical birds with webbed lobes on their feet similar to those of grebes and coots. There are 3 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in India.

Rails, crakes, gallinules and coots

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Rallidae

Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots and gallinules. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and to be weak fliers.

Eurasian coot

Cranes

Sarus crane

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Gruidae

Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances". There are 15 species worldwide and 5 species have been recorded from India.

The hooded crane, Grus monacha was included in many older lists but is considered as hypothetical by more recent workers.(Rasmussen and Anderton, 2005)

Buttonquails

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Turnicidae

The buttonquails are small, drab, running birds which resemble the true quails. The female is the brighter of the sexes and initiates courtship. The male incubates the eggs and tends the young. There are 16 species worldwide and 3 species which occur in India.

Barred buttonquail

Stone-curlews

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Burhinidae

Stone-curlews are a group of largely tropical waders in the family Burhinidae. They are found worldwide within the tropical zone, with some species also breeding in temperate Europe and Australia. They are medium to large waders with strong black or yellow-black bills, large yellow eyes and cryptic plumage. Despite being classed as waders, most species have a preference for arid or semi-arid habitats.

Oystercatchers

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Haematopodidae

The oystercatchers are large and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs. There are 11 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in India.

Crab-plover

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Dromadidae

The crab-plover is related to the waders. It resembles a plover but with very long grey legs and a strong heavy black bill similar to a tern. It has black-and-white plumage, a long neck, partially webbed feet and a bill designed for eating crabs.

Ibisbill

Ibisbill

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Ibidorhynchidae

The ibisbill is related to the waders, but is sufficiently distinctive to be a family unto itself. The adult is grey with a white belly, red legs, a long down curved bill, and a black face and breast band.

Avocets and stilts

Black-winged stilt

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Recurvirostridae

Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds, which includes the avocets and stilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills. There are 9 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in India.

Plovers and lapwings

Grey plover
Red-wattled lapwing

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Charadriidae

The family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water. There are 66 species worldwide and 20 species which occur in India.

Painted-snipe

Greater painted-snipe

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Rostratulidae

Painted-snipe are short-legged, long-billed birds similar in shape to the true snipes, but more brightly coloured. There are 2 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in India.

Jacanas

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Jacanidae

The jacanas are a group of tropical waders in the family Jacanidae. They are found throughout the tropics. They are identifiable by their huge feet and claws which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat. There 8 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in India.

Sandpipers and allies

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Scolopacidae

Scolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium-sized shorebirds including the sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, tattlers, woodcocks, snipes, dowitchers and phalaropes. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enables multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food. There are 89 species worldwide and 43 species which occur in India.

Common greenshank
Green sandpiper
Ruff

Pratincoles and coursers

Small pratincole

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Glareolidae

Glareolidae is a family of wading birds comprising the pratincoles, which have short legs, long pointed wings and long forked tails, and the coursers, which have long legs, short wings and long, pointed bills which curve downwards. There are 17 species worldwide and 6 species which occur in India.

Gulls

Common gull
Black-headed gull

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Laridae

Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds, the gulls and kittiwakes. They are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet.

Terns

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Sternidae

Terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. Most terns hunt fish by diving but some pick insects off the surface of fresh water. Terns are generally long-lived birds, with several species known to live in excess of 30 years. There are 44 species worldwide and 23 species which occur in India.

Arctic tern

Skimmers

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Rynchopidae

Skimmers are a small family of tropical tern-like birds. They have an elongated lower mandible which they use to feed by flying low over the water surface and skimming the water for small fish. There are 3 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in India.

Skuas

Arctic skua

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Stercorariidae

The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with grey or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They nest on the ground in temperate and arctic regions and are long-distance migrants. There are 7 species worldwide and 5 species which occur in India.

Sandgrouse

Painted sandgrouse

Order: Pterocliformes   Family: Pteroclidae

Sandgrouse have small, pigeon like heads and necks, but sturdy compact bodies. They have long pointed wings and sometimes tails and a fast direct flight. Flocks fly to watering holes at dawn and dusk. Their legs are feathered down to the toes. There are 16 species worldwide and 9 species which occur in India. India has the largest number of sandgrouse of any country.

Pigeons and doves

Order: Columbiformes   Family: Columbidae

Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.

Rock pigeon
Laughing dove

Parrots and allies

Rose-ringed parakeet

Order: Psittaciformes   Family: Psittaculidae

Cuckoos

Order: Cuculiformes   Family: Cuculidae

The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs. Many are brood parasites. There are 138 species worldwide and 21 species which occur in India.

Common hawk-cuckoo
Pied cuckoo in Pune, Maharashtra

Barn owls

Barn owl

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Tytonidae

Barn owls are medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long strong legs with powerful talons.

Typical owls

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Strigidae

The typical owls are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey. They have large forward-facing eyes and ears, a hawk-like beak and a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk..

Forest owlet
Tawny owl

Frogmouths

Order: Caprimulgiformes   Family: Podargidae

The frogmouths are a group of nocturnal birds related to the nightjars. They are named for their large flattened hooked bill and huge frog-like gape, which they use to take insects. There are 12 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in India.

Nightjars

Order: Caprimulgiformes   Family: Caprimulgidae

Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds that usually nest on the ground. They have long wings, short legs and very short bills. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is camouflaged to resemble bark or leaves.

Large-tailed nightjar

Treeswifts

Crested treeswift

Order: Apodiformes   Family: Hemiprocnidae

The treeswifts, or crested swifts, are closely related to the true swifts. They differ from the other swifts in that they have crests, long forked tails and softer plumage. There are 4 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in India.

Swifts

Order: Apodiformes   Family: Apodidae

Swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang. There are 17 species which have been recorded in India.

Young common swift

Trogons

Order: Trogoniformes   Family: Trogonidae

The family Trogonidae includes trogons and quetzals. Found in tropical woodlands worldwide, they feed on insects and fruit, and their broad bills and weak legs reflect their diet and arboreal habits. Although their flight is fast, they are reluctant to fly any distance. Trogons have soft, often colourful, feathers with distinctive male and female plumage. There are 33 species worldwide and 3 species which occur in India.

Typical rollers

Indian roller

Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Coraciidae

Rollers resemble crows in size and build, but are more closely related to the kingfishers and bee-eaters. They share the colourful appearance of those groups with blues and browns predominating. The two inner front toes are connected, but the outer toe is not. There are 12 species worldwide and 3 species which occur in India.

Kingfishers

Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Alcedinidae

Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long, pointed bills, short legs and stubby tails. There are 93 species worldwide and 13 species which occur in India.

Common kingfisher

Bee-eaters

Green bee-eater

Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Meropidae

The bee-eaters are a group of near passerine birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa but others occur in southern Europe, Madagascar, Australia and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies and usually elongated central tail feathers. All are colourful and have long downturned bills and pointed wings, which give them a swallow-like appearance when seen from afar. There are 26 species worldwide and 6 species which occur in India.

Hoopoes

Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Upupidae

Hoopoes have black, white and orangey-pink colouring with a large erectile crest on their head. There are 2 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in India.

Hornbills

Indian grey hornbill

Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Bucerotidae

Hornbills are a group of birds whose bill is shaped like a cow's horn, but without a twist, sometimes with a casque on the upper mandible. Frequently, the bill is brightly coloured.

Barbets

Blue-throated barbet

Order: Piciformes   Family: Megalaimidae

The barbets are plump birds, with short necks and large heads. They get their name from the bristles which fringe their heavy bills. Most species are brightly coloured.

Honeyguides

Order: Piciformes   Family: Indicatoridae

Honeyguides are among the few birds that feed on wax. They are named for the greater honeyguide which leads traditional honey-hunters to bees' nests and, after the hunters have harvested the honey, feeds on the remaining contents of the hive. There are 17 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in India.

Woodpeckers and allies

Order: Piciformes   Family: Picidae

Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails and long tongues used for capturing insects. Some species have feet with two toes pointing forward and two backward, while several species have only three toes. Many woodpeckers have the habit of tapping noisily on tree trunks with their beaks.

Brown-capped pygmy woodpecker
Common flameback

Broadbills

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Eurylaimidae

The broadbills are small, brightly coloured birds, which feed on fruit and also take insects in flycatcher fashion, snapping their broad bills. Their habitat is canopies of wet forests. There are 15 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in India.

Pittas

Hooded pitta

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Pittidae

Pittas are medium-sized by passerine standards and are stocky, with fairly long, strong legs, short tails and stout bills. Many are brightly coloured. They spend the majority of their time on wet forest floors, eating snails, insects and similar invertebrates.

Woodshrikes

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Tephrodornithidae

Woodswallows

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Artamidae

The woodswallows are soft-plumaged, somber-coloured passerine birds. They are smooth, agile flyers with moderately large, semi-triangular wings. There are 11 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in India.

Ioras

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Aegithinidae

The ioras are bulbul-like birds of open forest or thorn scrub, but whereas that group tends to be drab in colouration, ioras are sexually dimorphic, with the males being brightly plumaged in yellows and greens. There are 4 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in India.

Cuckooshrikes

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Campephagidae

The cuckooshrikes are small to medium-sized passerine birds. They are predominantly greyish with white and black, although some species are brightly coloured. There are 82 species worldwide and 15 species which occur in India.

Whistlers and allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Pachycephalidae

The family Pachycephalidae includes the whistlers, shrike-thrushes, shrike-tits, pitohuis and crested bellbird. There are 57 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in India.

Shrikes

Brown shrike

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Laniidae Shrikes are passerine birds known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns. A typical shrike's beak is hooked, like a bird of prey.

Old World orioles

Indian golden oriole

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Oriolidae

The Old World orioles are colourful passerine birds. They are not related to the New World orioles. There are 29 species worldwide and 5 species which occur in India.

Drongos

Black drongo

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Dicruridae

The drongos are mostly black or dark grey in colour, sometimes with metallic tints. They have long forked tails, and some Asian species have elaborate tail decorations. They have short legs and sit very upright when perched, like a shrike. They flycatch or take prey from the ground. There are 24 species worldwide and 9 species which occur in India.

Fantails

White-throated fantail

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Rhipiduridae

The fantails are small insectivorous birds which are specialist aerial feeders. There are 44 species worldwide and 4 species which occur in India.

Monarch flycatchers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Monarchidae

The monarch flycatchers are small to medium-sized insectivorous passerines which hunt by flycatching. There are 99 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in India.

Crows, jays, ravens and magpies

Green magpie
House crow

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Corvidae

The family Corvidae includes crows, ravens, jays, choughs, magpies, treepies, nutcrackers and ground jays. Corvids are above average in size among the Passeriformes, and some of the larger species show high levels of intelligence.

Waxwings

Bohemian waxwing

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Bombycillidae

The waxwings are a group of birds with soft silky plumage and unique red tips to some of the wing feathers. In the Bohemian and cedar waxwings, these tips look like sealing wax and give the group its name. These are arboreal birds of northern forests. They live on insects in summer and berries in winter. There are 3 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in India.

Grey hypocolius

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Hypocoliidae

The grey hypocolius is a small Middle Eastern bird with the shape and soft plumage of a waxwing. They are mainly a uniform grey colour except the males have a black triangular mask around their eyes.

Fairy flycatchers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Stenostiridae

Titmice

Cinereous tit
Coal tit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Paridae

The Paridae are mainly small stocky woodland species with short stout bills. Some have crests. They are adaptable birds, with a mixed diet including seeds and insects.

Penduline tits

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Remizidae

The penduline tits are a group of small passerine birds related to the true tits. They are insectivores. There is 1 species which has been recorded in India.

Larks

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Alaudidae

Larks are small terrestrial birds with often extravagant songs and display flights. Most larks are fairly dull in appearance. Their food is insects and seeds.

Bengal bushlark

Bulbuls

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Pycnonotidae

Bulbuls are medium-sized songbirds. Some are colourful with yellow, red or orange vents, cheeks, throats or supercilia, but most are drab, with uniform olive-brown to black plumage. Some species have distinct crests. There are 130 species worldwide and 19 species which occur in India.

Swallows and martins

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Hirundinidae

The family Hirundinidae is adapted to aerial feeding. They have a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings and a short bill with a wide gape. The feet are adapted to perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base.

Barn swallow

Long-tailed tits

Black-throated tit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Aegithalidae

Long-tailed tits are a group of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They make woven bag nests in trees. Most eat a mixed diet which includes insects.

Cettid warblers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Cettiidae

Locustellid warblers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Locustellidae

Striated grassbird

Acrocephalid warblers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Acrocephalidae

Blyth's reed warbler

Phylloscopid warblers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Phylloscopidae

Greenish warbler

Old World warblers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sylviidae

The family Sylviidae is a group of small insectivorous passerine birds. They mainly occur as breeding species, as the common name implies, in Europe, Asia and, to a lesser extent, Africa. Many species are difficult to identify by appearance, but many have distinctive songs.

Cisticolas and allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Cisticolidae

The Cisticolidae are warblers found mainly in warmer southern regions of the Old World. They are generally very small birds of drab brown or grey appearance found in open country such as grassland or scrub.

Ashy prinia

Laughingthrushes

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Leiothrichidae

Chestnut-tailed minla
Jungle babbler
Yellow-eyed babbler
Streaked laughingthrush
Red-billed leiothrix

Ground babblers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Pellorneidae

Babblers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Timaliidae

The babblers, or timaliids, are somewhat diverse in size and colouration, but are characterised by soft fluffy plumage.

Rufous sibia

Cupwings

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Pnoepygidae

Vireos

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Vireonidae

Spotted elachura

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Elachuridae

White-eyes

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Zosteropidae

The white-eyes are small and mostly undistinguished, their plumage above being generally some dull colour like greenish-olive, but some species have a white or bright yellow throat, breast or lower parts, and several have buff flanks. As their name suggests, many species have a white ring around each eye.

Fairy-bluebirds

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Irenidae

The fairy-bluebirds are bulbul-like birds of open forest or thorn scrub. The males are dark-blue and the females a duller green. There are 2 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in India.

Kinglets

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Regulidae

The kinglets, also called crests, are a small group of birds often included in the Old World warblers, but frequently given family status because they also resemble the titmice. There are 7 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in India.

Wrens

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Troglodytidae

The wrens are mainly small and inconspicuous except for their loud songs. These birds have short wings and thin down-turned bills. Several species often hold their tails upright. All are insectivorous. There are 80 species worldwide (of which all but one are New World species) and 1 species which occurs in India.

Nuthatches

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sittidae

Nuthatches are small woodland birds. They have the unusual ability to climb down trees head first, unlike other birds which can only go upwards. Nuthatches have big heads, short tails and powerful bills and feet.

Wallcreeper

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Tichodromidae

The wallcreeper is a small bird related to the nuthatch family, which has stunning crimson, grey and black plumage.

Treecreepers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Certhiidae

Treecreepers are small woodland birds, brown above and white below. They have thin pointed down-curved bills, which they use to extricate insects from bark. They have stiff tail feathers, like woodpeckers, which they use to support themselves on vertical trees.

Starlings

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sturnidae

Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds. Their flight is strong and direct and they are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country. They eat insects and fruit. Plumage is typically dark with a metallic sheen.

European starling

Thrushes and allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Turdidae

The thrushes are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly in the Old World. They are plump, soft plumaged, small to medium-sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs.

White-collared blackbird

Old World flycatchers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Muscicapidae

Old World flycatchers are a large group of small passerine birds native to the Old World. They are mainly small arboreal insectivores. The appearance of these birds is highly varied, but they mostly have weak songs and harsh calls.

Plumbeous water-redstart
Red-flanked bluetail
Golden bush-robin

Dippers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Cinclidae

Dippers are a group of perching birds whose habitat includes aquatic environments in the Americas, Europe and Asia. They are named for their bobbing or dipping movements. There are 5 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in India.

Leafbirds

Orange-bellied leafbird

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Chloropseidae

The leafbirds are small, bulbul-like birds. The males are brightly plumaged, usually in greens and yellows.

Flowerpeckers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Dicaeidae

The flowerpeckers are very small, stout, often brightly coloured birds, with short tails, short thick curved bills and tubular tongues. .

Sunbirds and spiderhunters

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Nectariniidae

The sunbirds and spiderhunters are very small passerine birds which feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. Flight is fast and direct on their short wings. Most species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perch to feed.

Crimson sunbird

Sparrows

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Passeridae

Sparrows are small passerine birds. In general, sparrows tend to be small, plump, brown or grey birds with short tails and short powerful beaks. Sparrows are seed eaters, but they also consume small insects. There are 35 species worldwide and 13 species which occur in India.

House sparrow

Weavers and allies

Baya weaver

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Ploceidae

The weavers are small passerine birds related to the finches. They are seed-eating birds with rounded conical bills. The males of many species are brightly coloured, usually in red or yellow and black, some species show variation in colour only in the breeding season. There are 116 species worldwide and 4 species which occur in India.

Waxbills and allies

Chestnut munia

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Estrildidae

The estrildid finches are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. They are gregarious and often colonial seed eaters with short thick but pointed bills. They are all similar in structure and habits, but have wide variation in plumage colours and patterns.

Accentors

Alpine accentor

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Prunellidae

The accentors are in the only bird family, Prunellidae, which is completely endemic to the Palearctic. They are small, fairly drab species superficially similar to sparrows. There are 13 species worldwide and 8 species which occur in India.

Wagtails and pipits

Citrine wagtail

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Motacillidae

Motacillidae is a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They include the wagtails, longclaws and pipits. They are slender, ground feeding insectivores of open country. There are 54 species worldwide and 20 species which occur in India.

Oriental pipit

Buntings

Yellowhammer

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Emberizidae

The emberizids are a large family of passerine birds. They are seed-eating birds with distinctively shaped bills. In Europe, most species are called buntings. In North America, most of the species in this family are known as sparrows, but these birds are not closely related to the Old World sparrows which are in the family Passeridae. Many emberizid species have distinctive head patterns.

Reed bunting

Siskins, crossbills and allies

Pink-browed rosefinch

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Fringillidae

Finches are seed-eating passerine birds, that are small to moderately large and have a strong beak, usually conical and in some species very large. All have twelve tail feathers and nine primaries. These birds have a bouncing flight with alternating bouts of flapping and gliding on closed wings, and most sing well. There are 45 species which have been recorded in India.

Hawfinch
Chaffinch

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Praveen J.,;Jayapal, Rajah;Pittie, Aasheesh 2016. A checklist of the birds of India. Indian Birds. 11:(5&6):113–172A
  2. ↑ Govt. of India. "National bird of India". National bird. Govt. of India. Retrieved 2 December 2007.
  3. ↑ Dunn, J.C.; Buchanan, G.M.; Cuthbert, R.J.; Whittingham, M.J.; McGowan,P.J.K. (2015). "Mapping the potential distribution of the Critically Endangered Himalayan Quail Ophrysia superciliosa using proxy species and species distribution modelling". Bird Conservation International: 1–13. doi:10.1017/S095927091400046X.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Praveen, J.; Jayapal, R.; Pittie, A. (2014). "Notes on Indian rarities—2: Waterfowl, diving waterbirds, and gulls and terns.". Indian Birds. 9 (5&6): 113–136.
  5. ↑ Lewis, ES (1938). "Bewick's Swan (Cygnus bewickii Yarrell) near Delhi". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 40 (2): 333.
  6. ↑ Avalaskar, A. 2016.First photographic record of the Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata from India. Indian BIRDS. 11:(4) 101–102
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Praveen J.; Jayapal, R.; Pittie, A. (2013). "Notes on Indian rarities—1: Seabirds". Indian Birds. 8 (5): 113–125.
  8. ↑ Giri, P.; Dey, A.; Sen, S. K. (2013). "Short-tailed Shearwater Ardenna tenuirostris from Namkhana, West Bengal: A first record for India.". Indian Birds. 8 (6): 131.
  9. ↑ Praveen J.; Palot, M. J..; Karuthedathu, D. (2013). "Recovery of a Cory's Shearwater Calonectris borealis from Thaikadapuram beach, Kasaragod district, Kerala.". Indian Birds. 8 (6): 152–153.
  10. ↑ Bhatt, M. 2016. Audubon's Shearwater in Surat: An addition to the avifauna of India. Flamingo 14(2): 14
  11. ↑ Gaston, AJ; Pandey, S (1987). "Sighting of Rednecked Grebes (Podiceps grisegena) on the Pong Dam Lake, Himachal Pradesh". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 84 (3): 676–677.
  12. ↑ Mundkur, Taej; Pravez, Rishad (1989). "Sight record of Rednecked Grebe Podiceps griseigena near Rajkot, Gujarat". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 86 (3): 440.
  13. ↑ Sivaperuman, C., Gokulakrishnan, G., Dinesh, J. & Rasmussen, P.C. 2016. Chinese Egret Egretta eulophotes on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands: the first record for India. BirdingASIA 25: 108–109
  14. ↑ Naoroji, Rishad;D'Silva, Carl 1998. Sighting of Red Kite Milvus milvus at Ranikhet. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society.95:(2)339–340.
  15. ↑ Zaibin, A. P.;Sant, Niranjan;Krys K.,;Pramod, P. 2014. Grey-faced Buzzard Butastur indicus from Kamorta Island, Nicobar Islands, India: First photographic documentation. Indian BIRDS. 9: (4) 102–103
  16. ↑ Manchi, Shirish;Rahmani, Asad R.;Mukherjee, Dhritiman 2014. Grey-faced Buzzard Butastur indicus : First record from India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 111: (1) 45
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Delany, S.; Garbutt, D.; Williams, C.; Sulston, C.; Norton, J. & Denby, C. (2014). "The Southampton University Ladakh Expeditions 1976–1982: Full details of nine species previously unrecorded in India and four second records". Indian Birds. 9 (1): 1–13.
  18. ↑ Gogoi, Deborshee;Phukan, Porag Jyoti 2016. White-browed Crake Amaurornis cinerea in maguri-Motapung Beel, Assam, India: A new species for South Asia. Indian BIRDS. 11: (3) 79–80
  19. ↑ International Crane Foundation - Siberian Crane
  20. ↑ Abhinav, C. & Dhadwal, D. S. (2014). "European Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria at Pong Lake, Himachal Pradesh, India". Indian Birds. 9 (5&6): 149–151.
  21. ↑ Bhopale, Nikhil 2010. Additions to the avifauna of the Indian Subcontinent — "White-faced" Plover Charadrius dealbatus from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 107: (1) 60–61
  22. ↑ Holt, P (1999) Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus at Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India: a new species for the Indian subcontinent. Forktail 15:95 PDF
  23. ↑ Jamalabad, A., 2016. Records of a White-eyed Gull Ichthyaetus leucophthalmus and a Black Tern Chlidonias niger from the Karwar coast, Karnataka, India.Indian BIRDS 12 (1): 12–14.
  24. ↑ Holt, Paul I.;England, A. Sidney;Beaton, Randy E.;Bloss, Juliet 2013. Franklin's Gull Leucophaeus pipixcan in Goa: a new species for India. BirdingASIA. 20: 119–120
  25. ↑ Sreenivasan P. P., Praveen J.,Prince,M. & Karuthedathu, D. (2013). "Sabine's Gull Xema sabini from Puthankadapuram, Kerala, India: a first record for South Asia". Indian Birds. 8 (4): 99–100.
  26. ↑ Jayson E. A.; Babu S. & Govind; S. K. (2013). "Recovery of White Tern Gygis alba at Athirapilly, Kerala, India". Indian Birds. 8 (6): 163.
  27. ↑ Karuthedathu, D. (2014). "Long-tailed Jaeger Stercorarius longicaudus from the western coast of India: Identification in retrospect". Indian Birds. 9 (3): 69–72.
  28. 1 2 Singh, A. P. (2013). "Lord Derby's Parakeet Psittacula derbiana, and Black-headed Greenfinch Carduelis ambigua in Arunachal Pradesh, India". Indian Birds. 8 (5): 133.
  29. ↑ Chatterjee, S. (2013). "Mangrove Pitta Pitta megarhyncha from Sundarbans, West Bengal, India". Indian Birds. 8 (6): 160–161.
  30. ↑ Karuthedathu, D., Das, V., Praveen J., Ramachandran, V., Shurpali, S. & Nair, M. V. (2014). "Some significant avian records from Odisha". Indian Birds. 9 (1): 14–18.
  31. ↑ Manchi, S. S. & Kumar, J. S. (2014). "Sighting of the Blue-winged Pitta Pitta moluccensis on Narcondam Island, India". Indian Birds. 9 (1): 23–24.
  32. ↑ Nandgaonkar, P. S. (2013). "Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator from Alibaug, Maharashtra: A first record for India". Indian Birds. 8 (6): 164.
  33. ↑ Ganpule, Prasad 2016. Notes on the Great Grey Shrike (Laniidae: Lanius excubitor ) complex in north-western India: Variation, identification, and status. Indian BIRDS. 11: (1)1–10
  34. ↑ Jønsson, K.A., Bowie, R.C.K., Moyle, R.G., Irestedt, M., Christidis, L., Norman, J.A. & Fjeldså, J. (2010). "Phylogeny and biogeography of Oriolidae (Aves: Passeriformes)" (PDF). Ecography. 33: 232–241. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0587.2010.06167.x.
  35. ↑ Packert, Martin; Jochen Martens, Siegfried Eck, Alexander A Nazarenko, Olga P. Valchuk, Bernd Petri, Michael Veith (2005) The great tit (Parus major) – a misclassified ring species. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 86(2):153-174
  36. ↑ Rasmussen, P. C. & J. C.and Anderton 2005 introduce this split
  37. ↑ Sangha, H. S., Sharma, M. & Jain, A. (2013). "The Black-browed Tit Aegithalos bonvaloti in Arunachal Pradesh: A new species for the Indian Subcontinent". Indian Birds. 8 (5): 137–139.
  38. ↑ Sangha, H. S., Naoroji, R. & Sharma, M. (2007). "The Crested Tit-warbler Leptopoecile elegans in north-west Arunachal Pradesh. An addition to the Indian avifauna". Indian Birds. 3 (1): 23–25.
  39. ↑ Das, S. (2014). "Asian Stubtail Urosphena squameiceps in Rabindrasarobar, Kolkata: A first record for India". Indian Birds. 9 (1): 26–27.
  40. ↑ Eaton, J. A.; Das, R. K. (2014). "Baikal Bush-warbler Locustella davidi from Dibru-Saikhowa National Park and Biosphere Reserve, Assam, India: A new species for India" (PDF). Indian Birds. 9 (3): 80–81.
  41. ↑ Silke Fregin; Martin Haase; Urban Olsson; Per Alström (2009). "Multi-locus phylogeny of the family Acrocephalidae (Aves: Passeriformes) – The traditional taxonomy overthrown". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 52 (3): 866–878. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2009.04.006. PMID 19393746.
  42. 1 2 Dalvi, S. (2013). "Elliot's Laughingthrush Trochalopteron elliotii and Black-headed Greenfinch Chloris ambigua from Anini, Arunachal Pradesh, India". Indian Birds. 8 (5): 130.
  43. ↑ Athreya, R. (2006). "A new species of Liocichla (Aves: Timaliidae) from Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh, India" (PDF). Indian Birds. 2 (4): 82–94.
  44. ↑ Bonpo, C. R.; Kuriakose, J. (2014). "Yunnan Nuthatch Sitta yunnanensis from Walong, Arunachal Pradesh: A new species for South Asia" (PDF). Indian Birds. 9 (4): 105–106.
  45. ↑ Tietze, Dieter Thomas; Martens, Jochen & Sun, Yue-Hua (2006): Molecular phylogeny of treecreepers (Certhia) detects hidden diversity. Ibis 148(3): 477-488 doi:10.1111/j.1474-919X.2006.00547.x (HTML abstract)
  46. ↑ Tietze, Dieter Thomas; Jochen Martens; Yue-Hua Sun; Martin Paeckert (2008). "Evolutionary history of treecreeper vocalisations(Aves: Certhia)". Organisms, Diversity & Evolution. 8 (4): 305–324. doi:10.1016/j.ode.2008.05.001.
  47. ↑ Wielen, Pierre van der 2007. Chestnut-cheeked Starling Sturnus philippensis : new for the Indian subcontinent. Forktail. 23: (August) 173–174
  48. 1 2 3 4 Lovette, I., McCleery, B., Talaba, A., & Rubenstein, D. (2008). "A complete species-level molecular phylogeny for the 'Eurasian' starlings (Sturnidae: Sturnus, Acridotheres, and allies): Recent diversification in a highly social and dispersive avian group.". Molecular Phylogenetics & Evolution 47 (1): 251-260. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2008.01.020.
  49. ↑ Alström, Per; Rasmussen, Pamela C.; Zhao, Chao; Xu, Jingzi; Dalvi, Shashank; Cai, Tianlong; Guan, Yuyan; Zhang, Ruiying; Kalyakin, Mikhail V.; Lei, Fumin; Olsson, Urban (2016). "Integrative taxonomy of the Plain-backed Thrush (Zoothera mollissima) complex (Aves, Turdidae) reveals cryptic species, including a new species.". Avian Research. 7: 1. doi:10.1186/s40657-016-0037-2.
  50. ↑ Rajagopal, R. & Inskipp, T. (2014). "First record of the Chinese Thrush Turdus mupinensis from the Indian Subcontinent". Indian Birds. 9 (5&6): 155–157.
  51. ↑ Das, S. (2014). Mugimaki Flycatcher Ficedula mugimaki from Neil Island, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India. Indian birds 9(2):56.
  52. ↑ Rajeshkumar, S., Raghunathan, C., & Maheswaran, G., 2014. Blue-and-white Flycatcher Cyanoptila cyanomelana : First record for Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India. Indian birds 9(4):104–105.
  53. ↑ Damle, S. & Inskipp, T. (2014). "Sighting of Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe from the Nubra Valley, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, and a review of previous records from the Indian Subcontinent". Indian Birds. 9 (5&6): 139–141.
  54. ↑ Kelsey, M. (2013). "Rock Sparrow Petronia petronia: A first record for Ladakh.". Indian Birds. 8 (5): 136–137.
  55. ↑ Poonia, S.S., Sharma, M. & Sangha, H.S. (2012). "Pale Rock Sparrow Carpospiza brachydactyla in Gopalpura Hills, Tal Chhapar(Churu district, Rajasthan): a new species for the Indian Subcontinent.". Indian Birds. 7 (6): 159–160.
  56. ↑ Tiwari, J.K. (2012). "Pale Rock Sparrow Carpospiza brachydactyla: a new species for India". Birding Asia. 17.
  57. ↑ Sharma, M., Abhinav, C. & Dhadwal, D. S. (2013). "Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs, Brambling F. montifringilla, and Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella in Himachal Pradesh, India". Indian Birds. 8 (6): 156–157.
  58. 1 2 Gode, N. (2013). "Birding in Lohit Valley, Arunachal Pradesh". Indian Birds. 8 (5): 126–127.
  59. ↑ Naniwadekar, R., Viswanathan, A., Kumar, R. & Dalvi, S. (2013). "First record of Tristram's Bunting Emberiza tristrami from India". Indian Birds. 8 (5): 134–135.
  60. ↑ Praveen, J., Shurpali, S., Ramachandran, V., Prince, M., Bowden, C. G. R., Das, V., & Dalvi, S., 2016. Chinese White-browed Rosefinch Carpodacus dubius in Mishmi Hills: A confirmation record for India. Indian BIRDS 12 (1): 22–23.

References

External links

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