FAUNA OF INDIA : BIRDS

Saxicoloides fulicata Linnaeus

(Indian robin)

Size and Form : 19 cm.; sparrow.

Field Identification : Graduated black tail, which is frequently held cocked and reddish vent and undertail-coverts. Adult male has glossy black under parts and white shoulder patch. Female has greyish-brown upper parts and purer grey under parts and lacks white shoulder patch.

Status : Resident.

Distribution : Most of India, except the northeast, Himalayas and parts of the northwest.

Habitat : Dry, stony areas with sparse scrub, arid stony ridges, cultivation, deserted buildings.

Food : Insects.

Breeding : December-September.

Monticola solitarius Linnaeus

(Blue rock thrush)

Size and Form : 20 cm.; sparrow.

Field Identification : Male is almost entirely indigo-blue, with blacker wings and tail, white tips to wing-coverts and brown and white fringes to under parts. Female has dark slate-brown upper parts with bluish tinge, dark brown wings and tail and rather darker-coloured under parts.

Status : Resident and winter visitor.

Distribution : Throughout India.

Habitat : Rocky areas, cliffs and rocks by the sea shore, rocky gorges, quarries, rocky stream beds and ruins.

Food : Mainly insects, also figs, berries and small lizards.

Breeding : April-July.

Zoothera citrina cyanotus Jardine & Selby

(Whitethroated ground thrush)

Size and Form : 21 cm.; myna.

Field Identification : Adult has vertical black stripes across white ear-coverts and white throat. Male has orange crown, nape, breast and belly, blue-grey mantle, rump and tail, and white vent and undertail-coverts. Female similar but has strong olive-brown wash to mantle, tertials and secondaries.

Status : Resident and partial migrant.

Distribution : Himachal Pradesh east to Arunachal Pradesh, NE India, S. Gujarat east to W. Bengal and south through much of the subcontinent.

Habitat : Damp and shady places, often near water, in forest, ravines, plantations, bamboo thickets and scrub.

Food : Insects and worms.     

Breeding : May-September.

Turdus merula Linnaeus

(Blackbird)

Size and Form : 25-28 cm.; myna.

Field Identification : Very variable. Males can be black, grey or brownish-grey with darker cap. Females can be dark brown with whitish belly, or grey.

Status : Resident.

Distribution : Hills of peninsular India and Sri Lanka.

Habitat : Deciduous and evergreen broadleaved forest, ravines, gardens and plantations.

Food : Insects and berries.

Breeding : May-July.

Parus major Linnaeus

(Grey tit)

Size and Form : 14 cm.; sparrow.

Field Identification : A distinctive tit, with white cheeks and nape patch contrasting with black of rest of head, black centre of breast and line down belly, greyish mantle, and white greater-covert wing-bar and fringes to tertials. Sexes alike.

Status : Resident.

Distribution : Himalayan foothills from N. Pakistan east to Arunachal Pradesh; widespread in NE and peninsular India.

Habitat : Deciduous forest, groves, trees around cultivation and gardens.

Food : Insects.

Breeding : February-November.

Parus xanthogenys Vigors

(Yellow-cheeked tit)

Size and Form : 13 cm.; sparrow.

Field Identification : A crested black and yellow tit with whitish or yellowish wing-bars, black forehead and lores, more uniform greenish upper parts, olive rump and yellowish wing-bars. Sexes alike.

Status : Resident.

Distribution : Himalayas east to Darjeeling, W. Bengal, Peninsular hills.

Habitat : Open forest, secondary forest, evergreen broadleaved forest.

Food : Insects.

Breeding : March-October.

Anthus novaeseelandiae Gmelin

(Indian pipit)

Size and Form : 15 cm.; sparrow.

Field Identification : Sexes alike. Well streaked upper parts, malar region and breast; shorter tail, legs and hind claw, small bill and more horizontal carriage.

Status : Resident.

Distribution : Throughout most of the subcontinent, except parts of the northwest, northeast and Himalayas.

Habitat : Short grassland, green fodder, crops, stubbles, ploughed and fallow fields.

Food : Mainly insects.

Breeding : November-September.

Anthus similis Jerdon

(Brown rock pipit)

Size and Form : 20 cm.; sparrow.

Field Identification : Considerably larger with large bill, shorter looking legs, dark lores, greyish upper parts and warm buff colour to unstreaked or only lightly streaked upper parts.

Status : Resident.

Distribution : Hills of West and Southwest India, winter visitor to Madhya Pradesh; Pakistan, Nepal.

Habitat : Dry grass, scrub, rocky or scrub covered slopes.

Food : Insects.

Breeding : April-August.

Anthus hodgsoni Richmond

(Indian tree pipit)

Size and Form : 15 cm.; sparrow.

Field Identification : Sexes alike. Greenish-olive cast to crown, mantle and scapulars and greenish-olive fringes to greater coverts, tertials and secondaries, prominent supercilium which is buffish in front of eye and white behind, distinct whitish spot and blackish patch on rear ear-coverts.

Status : Resident and winter visitor.

Distribution : Mainly in North, Northeast, East and Southwest India.

Habitat : Open forest, scrub with scattered trees, groves and cultivation.

Food : Mainly insects.

Breeding : March-July.

Motacilla indica Gmelin

(Forest wagtail)

Size and Form : 18 cm.; sparrow.

Field Identification : Adult with broad yellowish-white median and greater covert wing-bars and white patch on secondaries, double black band, olive upper parts, white supercilium and whitish under parts. Sexes alike.

Status : Winter visitor.

Distribution : Northeast and Southwest India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Habitat : Broadleaved forest, plantations.

Food : Insects.

Breeding : May.

Motacilla flava Linnaeus

(Yellow wagtail)

Size and Form : 18 cm.; sparrow.

Field Identification : Male breeding has olive-green upper parts and yellow under parts, with considerable variation in colouration of head depending on race. Female extremely variable, but often with some features of breeding male. First-winter birds typically have brownish-olive upper parts, and whitish under parts with variable yellowish wash.

Status : Winter visitor.

Distribution : Widespread in India.

Habitat : Moist grassy areas and cultivation.

Food : mainly insects.

Breeding : Extralimital.

Motacilla citreola Pallas

(Yellow headed wagtail)

Size and Form : 19 cm.; sparrow.

Field Identification : Male breeding has yellow head and under parts, black or grey mantle and broad white tips to median and greater coverts. Female breeding and adult non-breeding have broad yellow supercilium that surround ear-coverts to join yellow of throat, greyish crown, nape, ear-coverts and mantle, and mainly yellow under parts.

Status : Winter visitor.

Distribution : Throughout India.

Habitat : Breeds in high-altitude wet grassland, winters at freshwater wetlands.

Food : Mainly insects.

Breeding : May-August.

Motacilla cinerea Tunstall

(Grey wagtail)

Size and Form : 19 cm.; sparrow.

Field Identification : Much longer-tailed, with white supercilium, grey upper parts and yellow vent and undertail-coverts. Male breeding has black throat, with rest of under parts of yellow. Female breeding lacks well defined black-bib, but may show black mottling on chin/throat.

Status : Winter visitor.

Distribution : Throughout India.

Habitat : Fast flowing, rocky mountain streams in summer, slower streams in the lowlands and foothills in winter.

Food : Mainly insects.

Breeding : April-July.       

Motacilla alba Linnaeus

(Pied wagtail)

Size and Form : 19 cm.; sparrow.

Field Identification : Sexes alike. Adult extremely variable, with black and white head pattern, grey or black mantle, and largely white to largely black wing-coverts.

Status : Resident.

Distribution : Throughout India.

Habitat : Summers by streams and rivers; winters near marshes, canals, lakes, rivers.

Food : Mainly insects.

Breeding : April-August.  

Motacilla maderaspatensis Gmelin

(Large pied wagtail)

Size and Form : 21 cm.; myna.

Field Identification : A very large wagtail. Adult is black and white; head is black, with white supercilium, neck, mantle and breast are also black, and wing-coverts are largely white. Sexes alike.

Status : Resident.

Distribution : Throughout India, except parts of the northwest, northeast and Himalayas.

Habitat : Banks of rivers, pools, lakes, canals and around irrigation barrages.

Food : Mainly insects.

Breeding : March-October.         

Passer domesticus Linnaeus

(House sparrow)

Size and Form : 15 cm.; sparrow.

Field Identification : Male breeding has grey crown, chestnut nape, black throat and upper breast. Male non-breeding can be much duller with black throat much reduced. Female has pale buff supercilium, dark brown streaking on buffish mantle, and unstreaked greyish-white under parts.

Status : Resident.

Distribution : Most of India, except parts of the northeast and northwest.

Habitat : Human habitation, cultivation, edge of forest.

Food : Seeds and insects.

Breeding : Throughout the year.

Petronia xanthocollis Burton

(Yellow throated sparrow)

Size and Form : 14 cm.; sparrow.

Field Identification : Adult male has long, fine bill, uniform brownish-grey head and upper parts, yellow patch on lower throat and white tips to median and greater coverts. Adult female is similar but with buff-tinged tips to median coverts and yellow patch on throat reduced or absent.

Status : Resident.

Distribution : Throughout India.

Habitat : Open dry forest, thorn scrub, hedges, trees at the edge of cultivation, riverain forest.

Food : Seeds and insects.

Breeding : February-June.

Ploceus philippinus Linnaeus

(Baya)

Size and Form : 15 cm.; sparrow.

Field Identification : Male breeding has yellow crown and dark brown ear-coverts and throat. Male non-breeding, female and juvenile have brownish-buff upper parts, boldly streaked with dark brown and buff to pale yellowish under parts.

Status : Resident.

Distribution : Most of India, except parts of the northwest, northeast and Himalayas.

Habitat : Cultivation, paddy fields, grassland and scrub with scattered trees and mangroves.

Food : Seeds and insects.

Breeding : March-October.

Ploceus manyar Horsfield

(Streaked weaver bird)

Size and Form : 14 cm.; sparrow.

Field Identification : Male breeding has golden-yellow crown contrasting with dark brown sides of head and throat. Male non-breeding, female and juvenile typically have boldly streaked throat, breast and flanks.

Status : Resident.

Distribution : Mainly Pakistan, SE Nepal, Assam, Gujarat, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Habitat : Reedbeds and seasonally flooded areas.

Food : Seeds and insects.

Breeding : February-October.

Estrilda amandava Linnaeus

(Red munia)

Size and Form : 10 cm.; swiftlet.

Field Identification : Breeding male mainly red with white spotting. Non-breeding male and female have red bill, red rump and uppertail-coverts and white tips to wing-coverts and tertials.

Status : Resident.

Distribution : Most of India, except parts of northwest, northeast and east.

Habitat : Tall wet grassland, reedy marshes, sugarcane fields, scrub.

Food : Seeds.

Breeding : June-December.

Estrilda formosa Latham

(Green munia)

Size and Form : 10 cm.; swiftlet.

Field Identification : Breeding male green and yellow, with red bill and barred flanks. Female much duller, with weak flank barring.

Status : Resident.

Distribution : S. Rajasthan, C. Uttar Pradesh and S. Bihar south to N. Kerala and N. Andhra Pradesh.

Habitat : Grassland, open forest, sugarcane fields.

Food : Seeds, small insects.

Breeding : May and January.

Lonchura malabarica Linnaeus

(Common silverbill)

Size and Form : 11-11.5 cm.; swiftlet.

Field Identification : Sexes alike. Adult has blue-grey bill, white rump and uppertail-coverts, black tail with elongated central feathers and rufous buff-barring on flanks.

Status : Resident.

Distribution : Most of India, except parts of northwest, northeast and Himalayas.

Habitat : Cultivation, dry grassland, open thorn scrub and scrub desert.

Food : Seeds.

Breeding : Throughout the year.

Lonchura punctulata Linnaeus

(Spotted munia)

Size and Form : 11-12 cm.; swiftlet.

Field Identification : Sexes alike. Adult has chestnut-brown face, throat and upper breast, whitish under parts boldly scaled with black, olive-brown upper parts, and olive-yellow to rufous-orange on uppertail-coverts and edges of tail.

Status : Resident.

Distribution : Most of India except parts of northeast and northwest.

Habitat : Cultivation, gardens, secondary forest, bush covered hill-sides.

Food : Small berries and seeds.

Breeding : Throughout the year.

Lonchura malacca Linnaeus

(Black-headed munia)

Size and Form : 11.5 cm.; swiftlet.

Field Identification : Adult with black head, neck and upper breast, rufous brown upper parts, white or chestnut lower breast and flanks and black centre of belly, vent and undertail-coverts.

Status : Resident.

Distribution : Mainly Northeast, East, Central and South India; Bangladesh.

Habitat : Cultivation, grass fields, marshes, tall grassland.

Food : Seeds and insects.

Breeding : Throughout the year.

Emberiza melanocephala Scopoli

(Blackheaded bunting)

Size and Form : 16-18 cm.; sparrow.

Field Identification : A large bunting with a long, full tail that lacks any white. Male has largely black head and chestnut upper parts, including rump. Female pale fulvous brown above with the rump tinged chestnut.

Status : Winter visitor.

Distribution : In India, mainly from Gujarat east to C. Madhya Pradesh and E. Maharashtra and south to C. Karnataka); Nepal, Pakistan.

Habitat : Cereal crops.

Food : Seeds.

Breeding : Extralimital.

Melophus lathami Gray

(Crested bunting)

Size and Form : 17 cm.; sparrow.

Field Identification : Male is bluish-black with prominent crest and with mainly chestnut wings and tail. Female has shorter crest and chestnut edges to feathers of wings and tail, sandy-brown upper parts with dark brown streaking and paler under parts.

Status : Resident.

Distribution : Northeast and Central India, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa.

Habitat : Dry grassy and rocky hillside, scattered trees.

Food : Insects.

Breeding : April-August.  

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