This was a month-long birding trip to the Andaman Islands, South India and North India, from 18th February to 20thMarch 2019. The trip was designed to maximise the number of endemic birds, hopefully get to see a Bengal Tiger and to also visit the Taj Mahal, some of India’s historical sites and to explore the foothills of the Himalayas.
Initially I had planned to only visit South and North India, however the local birding companies all recommended including the Andaman Islands, which are north of Sumatra and close to the Thailand coast, and have a significant number of endemic species. Peter Waanders joined me for the 12-day trip to the Andamans and South India. After South India, I then flew up to Delhi for the trip to Bharatpur and Agra, before travelling up to Corbett in the foothills of the Himalayas and then up to Pangot and Sattal.
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| Cheer Pheasant |
I had a look at quite a few tour options before deciding on Nest India Birding Tours with Jijo Matthew for the 12-day trip to the Andamans and the Western Ghats in South India. For the 5-day trip to Bharatpur, all the travel and accommodation arrangements were undertaken by the Birder’s Inn in Bharatpur. The accommodation was excellent and was located close to the Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary plus it’s a good base for the Chambal River and historical sites such as the Taj Mahal and Red Fort. The latter part of my Indian tour was a 12-day trip to Corbett National Park, Pangot and Sattal. This was arranged by Asian Adventures as a complete package together with a vehicle, driver and Neerdiv Bankoti as birding guide.
Regarding costs for the trip, return flights from Melbourne to India were A$740 and the five internal flights for India were A$430. Sharing costs with Peter for the Andamans and South India was very cost effective. For Bharatpur, the meals and accommodation at Birder’s Inn plus sightseeing tours and transfers provided excellent value.
Quoted costs for a 13-day birding trip to North India (Bharatpur, Corbett, Pangot & Sattal) ranged from A$500 to A$600 per day. To reduce these costs, I had planned to book accommodation and arrange transfers between the hotels with independent birding. To ensure I didn’t miss out on birding, I increased the typical 13-day trip for North India to 17 days. When making enquiries for accommodation for Corbett, Pangot and Sattal, Asian Adventures offered a package deal with accommodation, car, driver and guide for about half that I had previously been quoted for North India. The package offered by Asian Adventures was good value and preferable to independent birding up in the Himalayas. The extended time which I allowed for in the Himalayas paid dividends and I saw a lot more than a standard birding tour would.
Overall the trip costs worked out to about A$280/day inclusive of all internal flights, meals, accommodation, transport, safaris, entry fees and guiding. This compares with international birding companies typically charging A$500/day per person on a twin share basis for a group of 8 to 10 persons. Other than cost, the quality of the birding experience is far better for a private tour with one or two birders.
Flights from Australia were on Malaysian Airlines, flying from Melbourne to KL to Chennai and then returning from Delhi to KL to Melbourne. Internal flights in India were with Air India and Indigo Airlines, the former airline is not recommended however Indigo Airlines were excellent and had modern aircraft. Security procedures at the Indian airports were awful and it always took a long time to get through, especially if you have a lot of camera and birding equipment with you. Every airport was different and at many you have to get your checked-in luggage x-rayed before checking-in, with separate queues and no signs informing you on what to do.
Obtaining a visa online prior to travel is easy enough although they do ask a lot of ridiculous questions. The standard double entry visa was valid for 60 days and cost US$80. India thrives on its bureaucracy and inefficiencies. Checking into the hotels often required completing detailed forms and registers, plus lots of unnecessary questions, so I just refused to fill in most of their paperwork.
Other than the hassles with airport security, India was quite safe to travel in, despite the driving standards, the accommodation was typically of good to high standard and the huge range of spicy meals were excellent. Never once had diarrhoea for the entire trip which was quite surprising. The scenery in India was impressive from the largely unspoilt islands of the Andamans, to the mountain ranges of the Western Ghats, and through to the snow-covered Himalayas.
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| Himalayan Peaks with Trishul Peak at 7,120m on a sunny day |
Overall a very enjoyable trip with some excellent birding, good company and lovely Indian hospitality. Jijo Mathew was an excellent guide, Birder’s Inn and Asian Adventures provided excellent service and Neerdiv Bankoti was also an excellent guide for the Himalayas.
For the trip I had 492 species of birds of which 172 were lifers including 3 heard only. There were many highlights for the trip and other than the birds, the best sighting was of a Bengal Tiger crossing slowly crossing the road while we sat quietly in our jeep. The Taj Mahal was magnificent and is well worth visiting.
The timing of the trip was late February and March, so heading into Spring. It’s a good time to visit India and many of the birds are preparing to breed plus some are migrating, either altitudinal migrants in the Himalayas or migrating further north. We didn’t have any rain for the trip except for a short thunderstorm, with heavy rain and hail, up at Pangot. The Andamans were warm and humid but not unpleasant, South India was dry and depending on altitude ranged from cool to hot conditions, North India was a lot colder with snow still present in the gullies up at Pangot.
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| Bengal Tiger |
Resources
“Birds of India” by Richard Grimmett, Carol and Tim Inskipp, Princeton Field Guide, 2nd Edition published in 2012
“Birds of India” by Richard Grimmett, Carol and Tim Inskipp - iPhone app – used for most of the time.
eBird (https://ebird.org/home) has useful information on recent sightings and all my sightings are now on eBird.
Trip Report
Sunday 17th February: Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Flew on Malaysian Airlines departing Melbourne at 15:10 and arriving into KL at 20:25. Overnight at Movenpick Hotel close to the airport.
Monday 18th February: KL to Chennai, India
Morning flight on Malaysian Airlines departing KL at 09:30 and arriving into Chennai at 10:45.
Checked into the Quality Inn close to the airport which allows 12pm check-in. Did some birding in the afternoon at Tirusulam Hillock, an area of mainly thorn bush close to the airport and hotel. Had just over 20 birds for the couple of hours in the afternoon which included Painted Stork and Yellow-billed Babbler.
Had an early flight to Port Blair in the Andamans the next day, so went to sleep early.
Tuesday 19th February: Chennai to Port Blair, Andaman Islands
Up at 03:00 and met Peter Waanders at the hotel before taking the short transfer to the airport and checking in. Flew with Air India departing at 05:05 and arriving into Port Blair at 07:20. There is no time difference for the Andamans even though it’s quite far east, which meant early sunrises and early sunsets. Met Jijo Matthew of Nest India Birding Tours at Port Blair airport and headed off for a full days birding.
Most tour groups allow 4 to 5 days on the Andamans in order to find the endemics, we only had three days, so no time to waste. The Andaman Islands have 15 endemic and 5 near-endemic species according to IOC, with only 19 possible for the area we were visiting. The near-endemic species, such as the Andaman Teal and Andaman Green Pigeon, occur on both the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Nicobar Islands are to the south of the Andaman Islands, an area which is generally regarded as off limits to foreigners and difficult to visit. The last endemic, the Narcondam Hornbill is only found on the Narcondam Island, an island well to the east of the most northerly point of the Andaman Islands.
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| Andamans south of Port Blair |
We spent four hours birding the Chidiya Tapu Forest Reserve, south of Port Blair, before checking into our very hot Hotel Haywizz. We then had a further 3.5 hours in the late afternoon and evening at Chidiya Tapu.
The forest birding was very pleasant and in the morning we had just over 40 birds with 8 endemics, which was an excellent start. At times birding this area can be quiet, but we started off at a cracking pace. The endemics seen were Andaman Crested Hawk-eagle, Andaman Green Pigeon, Andaman Coucal, Andaman Woodpecker, Andaman Drongo, Andaman Bulbul, Andaman Shama and Andaman Flowerpecker. We also had the Andaman race of the White-headed Starling and Rosy Minivet which are rare for the area.
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| Andaman Woodpecker |
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| Andaman Coucal |
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| Oriental (Walden's) Scops Owl |
Our accommodation at Hotel Haywizz in Port Blair was basic but comfortable, the aircon was only effective after three days of being on continuously, the staff and service was abysmal, however the restaurant was very good and provided a huge range on authentic Indian food, probably some of the best meals for the trip. Many hotels seem to westernise the Indian dishes and downplay the spices and flavours.
Wednesday 20th February: Andaman Islands
We had a very early start in order to catch the first ferry crossing north of Port Blair. We arrived at the entrance to Mount Harriet National Park before opening times and after some negotiation, we were allowed in early. We birded on the way up to the top of Mount Harriet and then spent some time at the viewing platform at the top of the hill.
Had some exciting birding from the viewing platform, seeing Andaman Wood Pigeon, which can be difficult to find, Andaman Cuckoo-dove, Andaman Green Pigeon, Andaman Coucal, Andaman Cuckooshrike, Andaman Drongo, Andaman Treepie, Andaman Flowerpecker, Eye-browed Thrush and Brown-backed Needletail.
On the way back down the hill, we had excellent views of two Andaman Crake coming in very close, quite a large and stunning crake. Also had Forest Wagtail on the forest edge. So an excellent morning’s birding with another 4 endemics seen.
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| Early morning fish market at ferry crossing |
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| Andaman Treepie |
We returned to our hotel for lunch and a break, then in mid-afternoon went to the Jorakaan-Sippighat Wetlands for the Andaman Teal. In addition to seeing about 120 Andaman Teal, we had Lesser Whistling Duck, Pin-tailed Snipe and Oriental Reed Warbler.
In the evening we visited a number of areas close to the Port Blair harbour, for the Andaman Masked Owl, an endemic to the southern Andamans which some regard as a race of the Barn Owl. We searched for this owl over several nights and only managed to hear it calling briefly on the first evening.
Thursday 21st February: Andaman Islands
With the very successful first couple of days we only had one endemic to see, the Andaman Scops Owl, plus a few possible lifers.
We did some early morning birding at Wimberlygunj Wetlands getting some excellent views of Slaty-breasted Rail, Watercock, Black-browed Reed Warbler and Temminck’s Stint.
We then headed over to Kalatang, a well wooded area, and had two Black Baza (Andaman race), Blue-eared Kingfisher, Dusky Warbler and eight Andaman endemics which we had seen previously.
At about 10am we headed back to our hotel and then back to Kalatang in the late afternoon.
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| Black-browed Reed Warbler - difficult to see and photograph |
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| Slaty-breasted Rail |
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| Black Baza (Andaman race) |
At the ferry crossing in the late afternoon we had a flock of Daurian Starling fly over, a rare sighting for the Andamans. After sunset we had good views of Andaman Scops Owl plus heard at least three more. Also heard Oriental Scops Owl, Hume’s Hawk Owl and Andaman Nightjar. Took the drive back to Port Blair, the long way around, to try for the Andaman Masked Owl on the way. Visited some areas in Port Blair for the Masked Owl but unsuccessful.
We had now seen 18 out of the possible 19 Andaman endemics and near-endemics, with the Andaman Masked Owl a heard only, which was a great outcome. Overall for the Andamans we had seen 105 species with quite a few Andaman subspecies which may be split in the future. Birding in the Andamans is really birding in SE Asia, given its proximity to Thailand, and a significant proportion of the birds are not found on mainland India.
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| Rusty ship at ferry crossing with Plume-toed Swiftlet overhead |
Friday 22nd February: Port Blair to Mysore
Originally, we had been booked to fly with Air India to Chennai and then onto Bengaluru. Air India changed the itinerary which would have meant a late arrival into Bengaluru, so we cancelled the Air India flights, got a full refund and booked the direct flight on Indigo Airlines from Port Blair to Bengaluru. Indigo Airlines was a far better airline, loads of room on the modern plane and good service.
Departed Port Blair at 10:15 and arrived into Bengaluru at 13:00. Met up with a new driver and took the five hour drive southwest to Mysore. On the way we stopped at some rocky hills at Ramdevara Betta and had a couple of Indian Vulture on a nest, the only ones seen on the trip, plus Booted Eagle and Blue-faced Malkoha. Further down the road, near Mandya, we had our first Red-naped Ibis, Indian Grey Hornbill, Jerdon’s Bush Lark and Tricoloured Munia.
Arrived into Mysore after sunset, a lovely well laid out town, and stayed at the luxurious Regaalis Hotel. Our first access to decent WiFi so time to catch up.
Saturday 23rd February: Mysore to Kabini
According to my IOC checklist, there were 45 endemic species for the South India states we were traveling though. Jijo had indicated that we had a chance of seeing 38 of these 45 endemics for our South India itinerary. Of these, 24 endemics are only found in the Western Ghats. As both Peter and myself had been birding in Sri Lanka previously, which overlaps with birds found in South India, the focus was largely on the endemic birds for the area.
The Western Ghats is a mountain range that covers an area of 140,000 km² over a distance of 1,600 km parallel to the western coast of the Indian peninsula, traversing the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the ten biological diversity hot spots in the world. The area is very scenic and has many peaks that rise above 2,000 meters with Anamudi (2,695 m) being the highest peak. The Western Ghats includes a total of thirty-nine national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserve forests designated as world heritage sites. The area covered during this trip was a relatively small part of the Western Ghats, from Mysore down to Kochi.
Today we were heading down to Kabini River Lodge, on the Kabini Reservoir close to the Nagarhole National Park, which is the best area in South India for Bengal Tiger. Along the way we made several stops for birding.
Close to Mysore we stopped at a deep cutting to look for Indian Eagle-owl. The area was good for birding and we soon had Booted Eagle, Western Marsh Harrier, Black-headed Cuckooshrike, Bay-backed Shrike, Rufous-tailed Shrike, Ashy-crowned Sparrow-lark, Singing Bush Lark, Indian Bush Lark, Hume’s Whitethroat, Booted Warbler, Sykes’s Warbler, Indian Silverbill and Grey-necked Bunting.
Jijo then located the nest for the Indian Eagle-owl and we had excellent view of both adults and two chicks on the nest. The nest was well away from where we were standing, across on the other side of the cutting. These Eagle-owls are very cryptic and difficult to see as they blend in so well with the vegetation.
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| Western Marsh Harrier |
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| Indian Bush Lark |
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| Grey-necked Bunting |
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| Indian Eagle-owl in flight, roosting and two chicks on nest |
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| Indian Silverbill |
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| River Tern |
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| Woolly-necked Stork |
Birding within the grounds of Kabini was far better and I had Greenish Warbler, White-cheeked Barbet (endemic), Black-rumped Flameback, Large Cuckooshrike and White-browed Wagtail.
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| White-browed Wagtail |
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| Mottled Wood Owl |
Sunday 24th February: Nagarhole NP to Mudumalai
We had an early morning game drive in the Nagarhole National Park which was very productive for birding, however no Bengal Tiger seen.
Interesting birds included Grey Junglefowl (endemic), Indian Spotted Eagle, Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Blue-faced Malkoha, Streak-throated Woodpecker, White-bellied Drongo and Chestnut-tailed Starling.
We left Kabini mid-morning for Mudumalai and then took a walk around the Vibudimalai Murugan Temple area. Interesting birds included Grey Francolin, Jungle Bush Quail, Spotted Owlet, Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, Indian Pitta, Malabar Lark (endemic), Tytler’s Leaf Warbler, Blythe’s Reed Warbler, Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher, Blue Rock Thrush, Pale-billed Flowerpecker, Crimson-backed Sunbird (endemic) and Yellow-throated Sparrow.
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| Grey Langur |
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| Malabar Giant Squirrel |
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| Indian Spotted Eagle |
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| Streak-throated Woodpecker |
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| Indian Roller |
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| Indian Peafowl |
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| Jungle Bush Quail |
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| Malabar Lark with crest |
Stayed at the Jungle Hut at Mudumalai which had great accommodation and good meals.
Monday 25th February: Mudumalai to Ooty
We spent about 6 hours birding in the Mudumalai National Park, which was very productive.
Interesting birds included Jungle Bush Quail, Changeable Hawk-Eagle (Crested), Barred Buttonquail, Yellow-crowned Woodpecker, White-naped Woodpecker, Indian Pitta, White-bellied Minivet, Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher, White-spotted Fantail (endemic), Hill Swallow, Indian Nuthatch, Orange-headed Thrush (White-throated) and Jerdon’s Leafbird.
We drove up to Ooty around midday, which sits at over 2,000m. The road from Mudumalai winds up the mountain pass which had 36 hairpin bends, all numbered, and provides lovely views over the Western Ghats mountain range.
After lunch we did some birding around Ooty for the Western Ghats endemics, which included Long-legged Buzzard, Nilgiri Laughingthrush (endemic), Indian Blackbird (Black-capped), Nilgiri Blue Robin (endemic), Tickell’s Leaf Warbler and eventually Nilgiri Pipit (endemic) found in some paddocks.
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| Tickell's Blue Flycatcher |
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| Changeable Hawk-Eagle (Crested) |
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| Indian Pitta |
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| White-naped Woodpecker (male) |
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| White-naped Woodpecker (female) |
We drove up to Ooty around midday, which sits at over 2,000m. The road from Mudumalai winds up the mountain pass which had 36 hairpin bends, all numbered, and provides lovely views over the Western Ghats mountain range.
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| Nilgiri Langur seen on pass to Ooty |
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| Nilgiri Laughingthrush |
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| Nilgiri Pipit |
We spent the night at the Logan Camp in Ooty which provided upmarket chalet accommodation and excellent meals.
Tuesday 26th February: Ooty to Chinnar to Munnar
At breakfast we had Painted Bush Quail (endemic) just outside the window. Birding around Ooty we had Shikra, Dusky Crag Martin, Tickell’s Leaf Warbler, Blythe’s Leaf Warbler and Indian Blue Robin.
It was a long 7-hour drive to Munnar, however we had a good couple of hours birding at the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary in the early afternoon. Some excellent birds included two Spot-bellied Eagle-owl (adult with juvenile), pair of Brown Fish Owl at nest, Common Hawk-cuckoo, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Orange Minivet, Brown-breasted Flycatcher, Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher and Jerdon’s Leafbird.
At Gundumalai we had Malabar Whistling Thrush (endemic) and at Pettimudi we had Indian Scimitar Babbler, Palini Laughingthrush (endemic) and White-bellied Blue Robin (endemic). Both these areas were close to Munnar.
Our accommodation for the next two nights was at Olive Brook in Munnar which had lovely spacious accommodation, good meals and lots of birdlife in the gardens.
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| Painted Bush Quail |
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| Spot-bellied Eagle-owl (adult) |
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| Spot-bellied Eagle-owl (juvenile) |
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| Brown Fish Owl |
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| Brown Fish Owl on nest |
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| Grizzled Giant Squirrel - endangered and a favourite prey of the Eagle-owls |
At Gundumalai we had Malabar Whistling Thrush (endemic) and at Pettimudi we had Indian Scimitar Babbler, Palini Laughingthrush (endemic) and White-bellied Blue Robin (endemic). Both these areas were close to Munnar.
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| Palini Laughingthrush |
Wednesday 27th February: Munnar
After breakfast we headed out to some birding sites near Munnar, including the Eravikulam National Park. Unfortunately, for February and March, the Eravikulam National Park is closed as it is the mating season for the Nilgiri Tahr.
Birding was confined to the roadsides and we had Bonelli’s Eagle, Large Hawk-cuckoo, Indian Golden Oriole, Indian Black-lored Tit (endemic), Palini Laughingthrush (endemic), White-bellied Blue Flycatcher (endemic), Nilgiri Flycatcher (endemic), Blue-capped Rock Thrush, Nilgiri Flowerpecker (endemic) and eventually found the Black-and-Orange Flycatcher (endemic).
We had also been looking for the endemic Nilgiri Wood Pigeon which can be tough to get. I went into the trees on the side of the road and by chance flushed a Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, which then landed in the fork of a tree. It was very well disguised but stayed there long enough for the others to see it.
Birding was confined to the roadsides and we had Bonelli’s Eagle, Large Hawk-cuckoo, Indian Golden Oriole, Indian Black-lored Tit (endemic), Palini Laughingthrush (endemic), White-bellied Blue Flycatcher (endemic), Nilgiri Flycatcher (endemic), Blue-capped Rock Thrush, Nilgiri Flowerpecker (endemic) and eventually found the Black-and-Orange Flycatcher (endemic).
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| Large Hawk-cuckoo |
Mid-afternoon through to sunset, we continued birding at various sites from Munnar to Bodi Ghat, a mountain pass in Tamil Nadu. We had Blue-winged Parakeet (endemic), Vernal Hanging Parrot, Malabar Starling (endemic) and Rufous Babbler (endemic) fairly close to Munnar, with the Yellow-throated Bulbul (endemic) and Indian Black Eagle seen at Bhodi Ghat.
Thursday 28th February: Munnar to Thattekkad
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| Malabar Starling |
After an early breakfast we headed back to a birding site located close to a river near Munnar. Stopped for a cup of Masala Chai (spiced tea) from a roadside stall. Tea is important in India and the range available quite impressive, when birding was slow we would stop for tea.
After a cup of tea, we staked out a site for the endemic Nilgiri Thrush. This thrush has a larger bill than the similar Scaly Thrush and was eventually seen feeding on the mud alongside a small stream, never far away from cover. We also had good views of Malabar Whistling Thrush in the same area.
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| Types of tea on offer |
We then drove down to Thattekkad with birding stops along the way. At Pomnudi Dam we had a Peregrine Falcon, the only one for the trip. After that we followed the impressive Periyar River, the longest river in Kerala, stopping at riverine bush along the valley. Some of the key targets seen included Malabar Barbet (endemic), Plum-headed Parakeet, Grey-headed Bulbul (endemic), Flame-throated Bulbul (endemic), Brown-cheeked Fulvetta, Rusty-tailed Flycatcher and Golden-fronted Leafbird.
It was pretty hot by the time we arrived at the Hornbill Camp in Thattekkad. The camp was on the Periyar River and comprised tented accommodation with aircon and private ensuite bathrooms. Hot during the day but the tents cooled down in the evenings. The Hornbill Camp is spread over a large area and has plenty of good birding in and around the campsite.
Some of the birds I saw at the camp after lunch included Greater Coucal (Southern), Common Hawk-cuckoo, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, White-cheeked Barbet, Vernal Hanging Parrot, Indian Golden Oriole, Black-hooded Oriole, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Rufous Treepie and Golden-fronted Leafbird.
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| Plum-headed Parakeet |
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| Indian Golden Oriole |
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| Rufous Treepie |
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| Mottled Wood Owl |
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| Red Spurfowl |
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| Jungle Owlet |
Friday 1st March: Thattekkad
In the morning we spent four hours at Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary which had extensive bush habitat and rocky outcrops and provided some excellent birding.
Interesting birds included Indian Honey Buzzard (race of the Oriental Honey Buzzard), Grey-fronted Green Pigeon (endemic), Mountain Imperial Pigeon (Nilgiri race), South Indian Frogmouth (a race of the Sri Lankan Frogmouth), Indian Swiftlet, White-rumped Spinetail, Malabar Trogon, Malabar Grey Hornbill (endemic), Malabar Barbet (endemic), Blue-winged Parakeet (endemic), Malabar Woodshrike (endemic), Grey-headed Bulbul (endemic), Flame-throated Bulbul (endemic), Green Warbler plus other endemics seen previously. Had over 50 species of birds for the morning’s birding.
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| Malabar Trogon |
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| Malabar Grey Hornbill |
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| Malabar Woodshrike |
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| Sri Lankan (South Indian) Frogmouth |
In the late afternoon we birded around the Soma Birds Lagoon area and had Shikra, Lesser Fish Eagle and Heart-spotted Woodpecker which was the last of my target woodpeckers for the Western Ghats.
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| Lesser Fish Eagle |
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| Grey-fronted Green Pigeon |
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| Blue-winged Parakeet |
Saturday 2nd March: Thattekkad to Kochi
With the successful birding over the past few days, we only had one possible target remaining, which was the Legge’s Hawk-eagle. We drove back up to the Periyar River valley to do some roadside birding. The roadside birding was good with over 40 species for the morning. Eventually we managed to locate a Legge’s Hawk-eagle which was flying together with Indian Honey Buzzard. Comparing the Honey Buzzard with the Legge’s Hawk-eagle, the Legge’s is a larger raptor with broader wings and long fingers to the wings. It also differs from the Crested Hawk-eagle having bold underwing markings.
This was the end of our trip with Jijo Mathew, Peter Waanders was flying onto Thailand and I was flying onto Delhi for my Northern India birding. Jijo was an excellent guide, easy to get on with, had a relaxed approach to birding yet delivered on the target species.
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| White-cheeked Barbet |
We had seen 18 of the 19 possible endemics and near-endemics for the Andamans with the 19th endemic heard only. For South India we had seen 35 of the 38 possible endemics, which included 19 of the 24 Western Ghats endemics. For the five Western Ghats endemics we didn’t see, three were in areas we didn’t visit and the Broad-tailed Grassbird was very unlikely for that time of year. Overall a very successful and enjoyable trip to the Andamans and Western Ghats.
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| Flame-throated Bulbul |
Sunday 3rd March: Kochi to Delhi to Bharatpur
Took the morning flight from Kochi to Delhi on Air India, leaving at 07:45 and arriving at 11:05. Met up with the driver and took the 4-hour drive to Bharatpur. Once we had cleared the heavy traffic in Delhi, we travelled on a modern freeway through lush farmland. It was grey and cold, bit like being in Europe after the far hotter and dry South India. We then turned off the freeway and took the potholed road through Mathura and then onto Bharatpur, which was very slow going.
The accommodation for the next five nights was at the Birder’s Inn, located about 400m from the entrance to Keoladeo National Park. The rooms were spacious and very comfortable and well off the busy road. Tirath Singh, the Managing Director for Birder’s Inn, had provided a package deal including accommodation, all meals, airport transfers and excursions to the Taj Mahal, Chambal River etc. This was a very convenient and cost-effective option as I would be birding independently over the next five days.
The accommodation for the next five nights was at the Birder’s Inn, located about 400m from the entrance to Keoladeo National Park. The rooms were spacious and very comfortable and well off the busy road. Tirath Singh, the Managing Director for Birder’s Inn, had provided a package deal including accommodation, all meals, airport transfers and excursions to the Taj Mahal, Chambal River etc. This was a very convenient and cost-effective option as I would be birding independently over the next five days.
Monday 4th March: Keoladeo National Park
Keoladeo National Park comprises extensive bush and wetlands and is one of the top birding areas for Rajasthan. It was used for duck hunting by the Maharajas of Bharatpur from the 1850’s and over 200,000 ducks were shot by the British during their reign. The record stands at 4,273 ducks killed by a hunting party which had three guns headed by Lord Linlithgow, Viceroy and Governor General of India. These were the same European colonialists who wiped out the game in Africa, not for eating and just for sport. There is a concrete panel at the Keoladeo Temple which has recorded the numbers of birds killed and by whom.
In 1982 Keoladeo was declared a national park and then later listed as a World Heritage Site in 1985. These days it’s a protected area with a stone wall surrounding the park, although cattle seem to be allowed in to graze, supposedly feral cattle but some had ear tags. The centre of the park has the Keoladeo Temple, an ancient Hindu temple over 250 years old which is devoted to Lord Shiva and is still used today.
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| Chital Deer also known as Spotted Deer |
Bicycles, rickshaws and local guides are available for hire but I preferred to walk by myself. Most visitors only travel the main paved path down to the Keoladeo Temple which has wetlands on either side and is about 5 km from the entrance gate. However, there is much more to be seen in the national park and the side tracks are far quieter. The wetlands also continue another 6 to 7 km southeast of the Keoladeo Temple but only a couple of visitors ventured down that far. Whilst a bicycle would be easier than walking and would allow access to a larger part of the park, many of the tracks were very rough and not suitable for the old bicycles provided. My approach was to get into the national park when the gates opened at 07:00, stay ahead of the crowds of visitors and take the side tracks and loops through the wetlands. Entry fees are Rs500 for a foreigner for single entry, a guide Rs250/hr and rickshaw Rs150/hr.
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| Golden Jackal seen on wetlands |
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| Bar-headed Geese |
There were many highlights with the top birds for the day being Bar-headed Geese, which I thought may have already migrated northwards, pair of Dusky Eagle-owl well off the path in an area with large trees, and the gorgeous Bluethroat (Red-spotted race) which I had previously only seen once in Poland.
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| Bluethroat (Red-spotted race) |
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| Indian Spot-billed Duck |
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| Spotted Owlet |
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| Painted Stork |
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| Eurasian Wryneck |
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| Common Babbler |
I had organised a trip to Fatehpur Sikri, the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort for the day.
Fatehpur Sikri was founded as the capital of Mughal Empire in 1571 by Emperor Akbar and was later completely abandoned in 1610. The ruins are worth visiting for a short trip but you have to negotiate the pigs, cattle and dogs on the paths, and you get pestered with kids asking for money and others offering guided tours.
After a brief visit, I went back to the taxi and we headed into Agra, which has narrow streets and congested traffic. As we made our way through Agra, we passed the impressive Red Fort which is on the banks of the huge polluted Yamuna River.
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| Fatehpur Sikri |
The Taj Mahal is a short drive down the road and from the car park there’s a good walk to the entrance, where you need to get your entry tickets which includes a guide. After getting though security I went into the lovely gardens of the Taj Mahal complex to get the obligatory photos and to explore the area. The Taj Mahal complex, which includes a mosque and jawab alongside the Yamuna River, is very impressive and well worth visiting.
I decided to give the Red Fort a miss as it was very crowded and in the afternoon we headed back to Bharatpur.
In the late afternoon I took a walk down the Jatoli Road next to Keoladeo NP which had some surprisingly good birding. In the couple of hours before sunset, I had 54 species of birds, which included Egyptian Vulture, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Pallid Harrier, Yellow-wattled Lapwing, White-eared Bulbul, Grey-throated Sand Martin, Streak-throated Swallow, Lesser Whitethroat, Pied Myna, Bluethroat, Yellow-throated Sparrow, five species of Wagtail and Tawny Pipit.
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| Yellow-wattled Lapwing |
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| Egyptian Vulture |
Wednesday 6th March: Keoladeo National Park
Today I was targeting some of the birds I hadn’t yet seen at Keoladeo and I wanted to get down to the Keoladeo Temple early in the morning, which had Dusky Eagle-owl. I got to the park at 07:00 and then walked down the main track keeping ahead of the other visitors. Being ahead of the crowds meant that the birds hadn’t yet been disturbed and I had a Shikra perched just above the path, Greater Spotted Eagle feeding on fresh kill on the wetlands and White-breasted Waterhen on the road.
The Keoladeo Temple area has viewing towers overlooking the wetlands and has some good birding in the area, including Great Crested Grebe a local rarity, Striated Heron, Indian Scops Owl well hidden in a small tree, Dusky Eagle-owl adult with juvenile at a nesting site, pair of Spotted Owlet, Bank Myna and at least 50 Black-crowned Night Heron roosting.
The temple area also had many roosting Greater Short-nosed Fruit Bat.
I spent about 8 hours at the wetlands, mainly on the side paths and loop tracks. Highlights included at least 200 Bar-headed Geese, Ruddy Shelduck, Cotton Pygmy Goose, Greater Flamingo, Western Marsh Harrier, three Sarus Crane, White-tailed Lapwing, Ruff, Common Snipe, Spotted Redshank, Yellow-footed Green Pigeon, Indian Roller, Common Woodshrike, White-eared Bulbul, Streak-throated Swallow, Bluethroat, Black Redstart, Grey Bush Chat (rarely seen in the Bharaptur area), Yellow-throated Sparrow and Baya Weaver.
Overall a great days birding with 109 species for the day but only two lifers, the Greater Spotted Eagle and Common Woodshrike.
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| Shikra |
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| Greater Spotted Eagle |
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| Dusky Eagle-owl (juvenile) near nest |
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| Bank Myna |
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| Black-crowned Night Heron |
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| Greater Short-nosed Fruit Bat |
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| Sarus Crane |
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| Rose-ringed Parakeet |
Thursday 7th March: Jatoli Road, Bharatpur
Originally, I had planned to visit the Chambal River Sanctuary today but decided not to. It would have been an all-day trip and seemed a long way to go for a couple of birds, the Indian Skimmer and Black-bellied Tern. The Chambal River also has the endangered Ganges River Dolphin however these are not reliably seen and their population is declining.
Instead I spent the morning birding along the Jatoli Road, just east of Keoladeo NP. This area has a mix of habitats from small wetlands with muddy margins, thorny scrub, grasslands and farming areas. Despite the disturbed habitat and the town being adjacent to the area, the birding was very good and I had 70 species of birds over a 4-hour period.
The highlight was the huge numbers of wagtails seen in and around the muddy areas. Had well over 30 wagtail, mostly Citrine Wagtail with their highly variable plumage, plus Western Yellow Wagtail and White Wagtail. I managed to ID a couple of the races of the White Wagtail which included the Chinese (leucopsis) and Masked (personata) races.
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| White Wagtail (Chinese) |
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| White Wagtail (Masked) |
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| Citrine Wagtail |
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| Citrine Wagtail |
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| Citrine Wagtail |
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| Citrine Wagtail |
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| Citrine Wagtail |
Other interesting birds included Cotton Pygmy Goose, Indian Spot-billed Duck, Grey Francolin, Painted Stork, Glossy Ibis, Pallid Harrier, Ruff, Temminck’s Stint, Green Sandpiper, March Sandpiper, Brown-headed Barbet, Common Chiffchaff, Greenish Warbler, Common Babbler, eight Bluethroat, Yellow-throated Sparrow, Indian Silverbill and Tawny Pipit.
Late afternoon, I went back to Jatoli Road for a couple of hours and had Sarus Crane flying over, Eurasian Hoopoe, Brahminy Starling, Tawny Pipit and Tree Pipit. Also had four species of wagtail including the Hodgson’s (alboides) race of the White Wagtail.
Overall, I had 80 species for the day, all seen along Jatoli Road which is just a non-descript area thorn bush with some small wetlands, right next to the township of Bharatpur.
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| Pallid Harrier |
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| Pallid Harrier |
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| Grey Francolin |
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| Indian Robin |
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| Brahminy Starling |
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| White Wagtail (Hodgson's) |
Friday 8th March: Bharatpur to Delhi
I left the Birder’s Inn at mid-morning for the 4-hour drive to Delhi. Originally, I had planned to visit Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary, about an hour from Delhi airport. The traffic in Delhi is awful and the wetlands at Sultanpur may have only provided a few new species, so I didn’t go.
I spent the night at Hotel Shanti Palace, which was a reasonably cheap hotel close to the airport. I wouldn't recommend staying there and the electrical wiring in the rooms was downright dangerous. It had a good restaurant and was convenient for getting to the airport the next day.
Saturday 9th March: Delhi to Tiger Camp, Corbett
The original plan was to take an early morning flight to Pantnagar on Air India and then a two hour drive to Corbett. Most birders take an overnight train from Delhi to Ramnagar, which is 12 km from the accommodation at Corbett. From the research I did, this is not a particularly comfortable option, the trains are often late, it can be difficult to organise tickets and the depending on the express train used, would take 5 to 7 hours to reach Ramnagar.
Air India kept changing the flight times and the latest version was a flight departing Delhi at 12:10 and arriving at Pantnagar at 13:10. After going through the airport security hassles, we were sitting in the old decrepit plane operated by Alliance Air (subsidiary of Air India), when the pilot announced that some instrument wasn’t working and the flight was cancelled. Back in the airport terminal, Air India said they would refund the ticket cost but would not assist with getting to Pantnagar or rebook on the next flight or provide alternative transport. Still waiting for the refund but apparently, it’s on its way!
The last part of my Indian trip had been booked through Asian Adventures who had provided emergency contact details. I phoned Iqbal Ahmad of Asian Adventures and he had already heard about the cancelled flight. He said that the overnight train was fully booked and the only alternative was a 7-hour taxi ride for Rs8,000. I had no alternative options, so asked him to organise the transfer. It took just over an hour to get the transport arranged and picked up at the airport. The same driver and vehicle was then used for the rest of the North India trip and return trip back to Delhi.
I was very relieved that Asian Adventures had managed to sort out the transfer to Corbett and they continued to provide excellent service over the next 12 days. I had booked the flights from Delhi to Pantnagar, so this wasn’t part of the Asian Adventures package. I decided to use the same vehicle and driver to return to Delhi at the end of the trip and Asian Adventures kindly did this at no cost to myself.
In hindsight, I should have taken a transfer from Bharatpur directly to Corbett, with possibly an overnight stop along the way. The road trip would have taken about 8 hours, so would have saved a lot of travel time, been a lot less stressful and would have avoided the Delhi traffic.
The driver took me on a drive through the parliament buildings in Delhi, which were impressive, before we headed out of Delhi and then northeast towards Ramnagar.
Some sections of the road were excellent, however there was a lot of construction and detours which took a lot of time to navigate. Closer to Ramnagar, the roads were narrow, potholed and very busy at night with a lot of farm trucks on the road. The driver however was very good and drove safely. We eventually arrived at the Tiger Camp in Corbett just before 11pm, after stopping along the way for dinner.
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| Indian Parliament Buildings |
The Tiger Camp had excellent accommodation, some of the best for the trip, plus provided great meals and service.
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| Kosi River Valley |
Sunday 10th March: Corbett National Park
I had an early morning game drive to the Corbett National Park. I met up with Neerdiv Bankoti who was to accompany me for North India and provide guiding services. Neerdiv was young, enthusiastic and pleasant company. He certainly knew the Himalayan birds and the best birding areas, especially up at Pangot and Sattal, where he lives when he’s not travelling.
We took a short drive down to the entrance to Corbett National Park and after completing the entry formalities drove through the park to a meeting point where further paperwork was completed. We were assigned a local guide for the game drive and took a slow drive around the eastern part of the national park looking for birds and other wildlife.
Being at a low elevation, the birding was similar to birding further south, with some of the Himalayan species present. Interesting and new birds for the trip included Black Francolin (heard only), Red-headed Vulture (only one for the trip), Mountain Hawk-eagle, Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker, Himalayan Bulbul, Black Bulbul and Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch.
We returned to our accommodation at 10:00 and did some birding along the Kosi River before lunch. New birds for the trip included River Lapwing, Hair-crested Drongo, White-throated Fantail and White-capped Redstart.
For the afternoon, we tried some different areas further up the Kosi River and had Crested Kingfisher, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Yellow-bellied Fantail, Grey-hooded Warbler, Whistler’s Warbler, Lemon-rumped Warbler, Blue Whistling Thrush, Plumbeous Water Redstart, White-capped Redstart, Brown Dipper, Crimson Sunbird and Olive-backed Pipit.
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| Himalayan Bulbul |
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| River Lapwing |
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| White-capped Redstart |
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| Temple on the Kosi River |
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| Blue-bearded Bee-eater |
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| Crested Kingfisher - largest for Asia |
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| Plumbeous Water Redstart |
Monday 11th March: Corbett National Park to Sitabani
I had an early morning game drive booked for Corbett National Park and this was the last chance to see Bengal Tiger. As we were driving, the game guide heard deer barking, an alarm call for tiger. We tried several places but no luck, then we stopped together with another vehicle and had two other jeeps about 100m down the road, also sitting quietly. After a while the grass moved and a Bengal Tiger poked his head out, had a look around and slowly walked across the road. Soon we had 6 to 8 other jeeps around the area however the tiger was not seen again.
Although not the focus, the birding was good with 46 species seen in the morning. Highlights were Large-tailed Nightjar (heard), Crested Treeswift, Common Woodshrike, Common Iora, Small and Long-tailed Minivet, Chestnut-bellied and Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, Slaty-blue Flycatcher and Siberian Stonechat.
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| Bengal Tiger |
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| Indian Elephant being washed in late afternoon |
Late morning we headed up to Sitabani Jungle Resort which was a disappointment, very sterile with manicured lawns and certainly no “jungle” nearby. The accommodation was very comfortable and upmarket, but the area wasn’t good for birding. We had two nights booked, so I cancelled the second night and extended our stay at Pangot by a night.
In the afternoon, we did some birding up some valleys in the area and had great views of six Great Slaty Woodpecker, Common Green Magpie, Himalayan Black-lored Tit and Verditer Flycatcher.
Tuesday 12th March: Sitabani to Pangot
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| Great Slaty Woodpecker |
We left before sunrise and took a slow drive up to Nainital and then onto Pangot. Our first stop was along a river, where I spotted a Brown Fish Owl. We managed to get fairly close for photos.
We stopped at about 8am at a small village on a mountain pass for tea and snacks. Across the road I found Streaked Laughingthrush and Russet Sparrow, both lifers.
A short way up the pass we had our first Himalayan Vulture and Himalayan Buzzard.
We arrived at the Jungle Lore Birding Lodge in Pangot at around 9am and did some birding around the gardens. White-throated Laughingthrush were common in the gardens and we also had six Black-headed Jay, Green-backed Tit, Black-throated Bushtit, Grey-winged Blackbird, Golden Bush Robin, Green-tailed Sunbird and the impressive Spot-winged Grosbeak. I wandered off into the forest and had a Besra come in to perch close by. It’s a small raptor which twists and turns at high speed in dense forest undergrowth.
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| Brown Fish Owl |
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| Streaked Laughingthrush |
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| Russet Sparrow |
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| Himalayan Vulture |
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| White-throated Laughingthrush |
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| Golden Bush Robin |
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| Grey-winged Blackbird |
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| Spot-winged Grosbeak (Male) |
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| Spot-winged Grosbeak (Female) |
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| Black-headed Jay |
After lunch, we did some birding on the southern slopes of the Pangot area. The northern slopes tend to be cold with snow still in the gulleys, whereas the southern slopes get the sun, have less forest and generally have far more birds.
In the afternoon we had more Himalayan Vulture, Himalayan Buzzard, Collared Owlet (heard), Asian Barred Owlet, Great Barbet heard and eventually seen, Brown-fronted Woodpecker, Himalayan Woodpecker, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Maroon Oriole, Eurasian Jay, Red-billed Blue Magpie, Green-backed Tit, Black-faced Warbler, Grey-sided Bush Warbler, Rufous Sibia, Whiskered Yuhina, Eurasian Wren, Bar-tailed Treecreeper and Russet Sparrow.
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| Uttaranchal Himalaya range of peaks looking north from Pangot |
In the afternoon we had more Himalayan Vulture, Himalayan Buzzard, Collared Owlet (heard), Asian Barred Owlet, Great Barbet heard and eventually seen, Brown-fronted Woodpecker, Himalayan Woodpecker, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Maroon Oriole, Eurasian Jay, Red-billed Blue Magpie, Green-backed Tit, Black-faced Warbler, Grey-sided Bush Warbler, Rufous Sibia, Whiskered Yuhina, Eurasian Wren, Bar-tailed Treecreeper and Russet Sparrow.
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| Green-backed Tit |
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| Red-billed Blue Magpie |
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| Rufous Sibia |
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| Whiskered Yuhina |
The accommodation at Jungle Lore Birding Lodge was spacious and comfortable but nestled in the trees which made it very cold. The small heater fan was ineffective, so it took a bit of getting used to the cold, especially after South India. Neerdiv didn’t feel the cold and only wore a long-sleeved tee-shirt for the entire 12 days.
Wednesday 13th March: Pangot
We headed north of Pangot along the winding road that follows the ridge, slowly climbing in altitude. After passing through forest, we stopped and Neerdiv spotted two Cheer Pheasant on top of the ridge. We scrambled up the slopes and had a magnificent Cheer Pheasant perched on a rock. These pheasant are usually difficult to see and most birders scan for them on the steep grassy slopes from “Cheer Point”, a site further down the road. To get photos and close-up views had to be one of the top sightings for the Himalayas.
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| Cheer Pheasant (male) perched on rock |
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| Pair of Cheer Pheasant - female on left |
Birding along the ridge from 06:00 to 12:00 also produced a pair of Hill Partridge, Kalij Pheasant, Rufous-bellied Woodpecker, Slaty-headed Parakeet, Coal Tit (Black-crested race), Himalayan Black-lored Tit, Black-throated Bushtit, Himalayan Bluetail, Black-backed Forktail, Blue-capped Redstart and Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush.
After lunch we explored the warmer southern slopes and had Red-billed Blue Magpie, Chestnut-headed Tesia, Pale-rumped Warbler (Simla race), Striated prinia, Grey-crowned Prinia (rarely recorded in India), Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler, White-tailed Nuthatch, Rufous-breasted Accentor and Common Rosefinch.
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| Slaty-headed Parakeet |
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| Coal Tit (Black-crested) |
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| Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush |
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| Grey-crowned Prinia |
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| Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler |
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| White-tailed Nuthatch |
Thursday 14th March: Pangot
We birded the ridge north of Pangot, for both the morning and afternoon sessions, following the winding road to the end. The day was cold and grey with a heavy thunderstorm in the afternoon. Birding in the forests on the ridge and western slopes was very much weather dependent and other birders experienced the same slow birding that day.
No new birds seen in the morning and eventually managed to get Koklass Pheasant in the afternoon which should have been a lot easier than the Cheer Pheasant. Other new birds for the trip included Black-throated Accentor and Pink-browed Rosefinch.
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| Koklass Pheasant |
Friday 15th March: Nanital
Given the slow birding for the previous day, I decided that we should bird around Nanital, which was warmer and had different habitats. We had an excellent 6-hours birding around the town of Nanital with 40 species seen in the morning. Highlights included four Hill Partridge providing good photos, five Cheer Pheasant, Scaly-bellied Woodpecker, Grey Treepie, Black-chinned Babbler, Striated Laughingthrush, White-throated Laughingthrush and Red-fronted Serin.
After lunch we birded along the road back to Pangot but very slow birding. Late afternoon we did some roadside birding close to Pangot and had Long-billed Thrush, Altai Accentor and Rock Bunting. Around sunset we heard Brown Wood Owl, Collared Owlet and Grey Nightjar calling. The Grey Nightjar would have been migrating and is a summer visitor to the western Himalayas.
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| Cheer Pheasant |
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| Hill Partridge |
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| Scaly-bellied Woodpecker |
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| Striated Laughingthrush |
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| Red-fronted Serin |
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| Red-fronted Serin |
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| Grey Treepie |
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| Himalayan Tahr close to Nainital |
After lunch we birded along the road back to Pangot but very slow birding. Late afternoon we did some roadside birding close to Pangot and had Long-billed Thrush, Altai Accentor and Rock Bunting. Around sunset we heard Brown Wood Owl, Collared Owlet and Grey Nightjar calling. The Grey Nightjar would have been migrating and is a summer visitor to the western Himalayas.
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| Scarlet Minivet (female) |
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| Scarlet Minivet (male) |
Saturday 16th March: Vinayak
We spent about 12 hours birding north of Pangot, mainly on the southern slopes, following the ridge and roads down the valley. Had some very good birding with 59 species for the day including Mountain Hawk-eagle, Indian Black Eagle, Brown-flanked Bush Warbler, Ashy-throated Warbler, Blue-winged Minla, Whiskered Yuhina, Chestnut Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Ultramarine Flycatcher, Blue-capped Redstart, Blue-fronted Redstart, Fire-tailed Sunbird, Rufous-breasted Accentor and Upland Pipit.
Birding the Pangot area was more about the quality rather than quantity. Whilst birding was slow at times, I have just over 50 lifers for the five days at Pangot, with new birds added each day. The birding varied quite a bit between sites and was dependent also on the weather and migration. Bar-headed Geese were seen circling overhead, gaining altitude for their flight across the Himalayas but two British birders. As the snow melts in the Himalayas, the birds start to move up to higher altitude also. The Ultramarine Flycatcher for example was only seen on the last day at Pangot yet were common after that.
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| Mountain Hawk-eagle |
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| Mountain Hawk-eagle |
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| Chestnut Thrush |
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| Mistle Thrush |
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| Ultramarine Flycatcher |
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| Blue-capped Redstart |
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| Upland Pipit |
Birding the Pangot area was more about the quality rather than quantity. Whilst birding was slow at times, I have just over 50 lifers for the five days at Pangot, with new birds added each day. The birding varied quite a bit between sites and was dependent also on the weather and migration. Bar-headed Geese were seen circling overhead, gaining altitude for their flight across the Himalayas but two British birders. As the snow melts in the Himalayas, the birds start to move up to higher altitude also. The Ultramarine Flycatcher for example was only seen on the last day at Pangot yet were common after that.
Sunday 17th March: Chaafi and Sattal
We left Pangot early in the morning and drove to the town of Chaafi, at a lower elevation than Pangot, and birded mainly alongside rivers. Had some great birding at Chaafi in the morning with 50 species seen in 4-hours. Highlights were Blue-throated Barbet, Speckled Piculet, Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Fantail, Whistler’s Warbler, Red-billed Leiothrix, Rufous-chinned Laughingthrush, Rufous-bellied Niltava, Small Niltava, Spotted Forktail, White-capped Redstart, Brown Dipper and Rufous-breasted Accentor.
There were three pairs of Small Niltava with the males displaying for the females.
We then headed over to Sattal in the afternoon for some birding at the lake and forest reserve. Some great birding and the highlights were Mountain Hawk-eagle, Black-headed Jay, Scaly-breasted Cupwing (heard), Western Crowned Warbler, Black-throated Thrush, Ultramarine Flycatcher and eight Brown Bullfinch, an uncommon bird for the area.
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| Blue-throated Barbet |
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| Red-billed Leiothrix |
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| Red-billed Leiothrix |
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| Brown Dipper |
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| Rufous-chinned Laughingthrush |
There were three pairs of Small Niltava with the males displaying for the females.
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| Small Niltava |
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| Small Niltava displaying with female on left |
We then headed over to Sattal in the afternoon for some birding at the lake and forest reserve. Some great birding and the highlights were Mountain Hawk-eagle, Black-headed Jay, Scaly-breasted Cupwing (heard), Western Crowned Warbler, Black-throated Thrush, Ultramarine Flycatcher and eight Brown Bullfinch, an uncommon bird for the area.
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| Black-throated Thrush |
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| Brown Bullfinch |
My accommodation was at the V-Resorts in Sattal which was a huge improvement on Pangot. Nice spacious accommodation with a decent heater and huge veranda overlooking the lake at Sattal.
Monday 18th March: Sattal and Chaafi
In the morning we spent six hours birding in Sattal and in the afternoon had 3.5 hours at Chaafi.
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| Plum-headed Parakeet with chick in nest |
Birding around Sattal was good with over 50 species for the morning. Highlights were Greater Yellownape, Scaly Thrush, Black-throated Thrush, both races of the Ultramarine Flycatcher, Orange-bellied Leafbird, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker and Black-throated Sunbird.
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| Scaly Thrush |
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| Greater Yellownape |
At Chaafi, we had Asian Barred Owlet, Crested Kingfisher, Slaty-backed Forktail, Spotted Forktail and eventually Himalayan Rubythroat. The gorgeous Himalayan Rubythroat was one of the key birds to see and we had been looking for it over the past week with no success. We were birding alongside a river and met up with two British birders, which had been up at Pangot when we were there. One of the British birders spotted the Rubythroat in the road and we were able to get good views before it disappeared into the adjacent farmland.
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| Slaty-backed Forktail |
Tuesday 19th March: Bhowali Range and Sattal
We had an early start and travelled up to an area known as Bhowali Range north of the town of Bhowali, arriving before sunrise. After birding in a small mountain village of Gagar at the top of the Bhowali Range, we headed into the Bhowali Range forests. This appears to be a poorly birded area with no eBird sites or checklists for the Bhowali Range. However, this is one of Neerdiv’s favourite areas to bird and it certainly provided excellent birding with 50 species for the morning.
After the initial birding at Gagar, we drove a short distance to the ridge line in the Bhowali Range and stopped opposite a grassy paddock. As we were getting out of the car we saw a thrush which looked like another Black-throated Thrush. Neerdiv had a closer look and identified it as a Red-throated Thrush, a significant rarity for the western Himalayas and only the second record for the Nanital region on eBird. The only other sighting for the Nanital region was about 1.5km further south at Bhowali, recorded three weeks earlier.
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| Red-throated Thrush |
We then walked along the track through largely Rhododendron forest and then up onto the top of the ridge overlooking the town of Bhowali.
Other highlights for the morning included Himalayan Vulture flying in very close overhead, Collared Owlet heard then seen, Blue-throated Barbet, Greater Yellownape, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Himalayan Shrike-babbler, Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler, Blue-winged Minla, White-collared Blackbird, Grey-winged Blackbird, Chestnut Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Rufous-bellied Niltava, Blue-fronted Redstart and Pink-browed Rosefinch.
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| Rhodedendron Trees at Bhowali Range |
Other highlights for the morning included Himalayan Vulture flying in very close overhead, Collared Owlet heard then seen, Blue-throated Barbet, Greater Yellownape, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Himalayan Shrike-babbler, Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler, Blue-winged Minla, White-collared Blackbird, Grey-winged Blackbird, Chestnut Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Rufous-bellied Niltava, Blue-fronted Redstart and Pink-browed Rosefinch.
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| Himalayan Vulture just overhead |
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| Pink-browed Rosefinch |
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| Collared Owlet |
We had battled to find various Thrush species and didn’t get the White-collared Blackbird up at Pangot. It was only on the last day in Pangot that we managed to get Chestnut Thrush, yet at Bhowali Range we had thee Thrush and two Blackbird species. It’s always tough towards the end of a birding trip to find new species and I had three lifers that morning at Bhowali, which would be my last lifers for India.
Many birding tours visit the same sites and there are many other areas which offer similar or better birding. This is where Neerdiv’s local knowledge of the area was invaluable and having more time available allowed us time to explore various sites.
In the afternoon we did a lot of walking in the forests and hills surrounding the lake at Sattal with 39 species seen. Highlights were Great Barbet, Lesser Yellownape, Chestnut-headed Tesia, Red-billed Leiothrix, Scaly Thrush, Black-throated Thrush, Grey-winged Blackbird, Himalayan Bluetail, pair of Spotted Forktail at nest and Brown Bullfinch.
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| Spotted Forktail at nest |
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| Lesser Yellownape |
Wednesday 20th March: Sattal to Delhi
Neerdiv and I did some early morning birding in the forests overlooking Sattal, with over 50 species seen in 2 hours. Highlights were Rufous-throated Partridge (heard), White-crested Laughingthrush, Ashy Bulbul and Olive-backed Pipit.
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| White-crested Laughingthrush |
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| Kalij Pheasant |
After breakfast we started the 9-hour drive to Delhi. A short stop on the mountain pass had Steppe Eagle, the first one for India. Further down the road we dropped off Neerdiv and then continued onto Delhi. Neerdiv had been an excellent guide and his local knowledge of the Sattal, Nanital and Pangot region was invaluable.
The traffic came to a standstill close to Delhi and the driver took an adventurous route though farmland and a small village which had very narrow streets. Google maps predicted an 8-hour trip, so I allowed 10-hours and it took just over 9-hours to get to Delhi Airport. I could have flown back from Pantnagar as I still had a valid return ticket, however given my earlier experiences, I didn’t want to risk another cancelled flight.
Had an overnight flight from Delhi to KL, departing at 23:10 and arriving at 07:00, then an all day time flight to Melbourne departing at 09:20 and arriving at 20:15.
Mammals
I recorded a total number 25 mammals:
Proboscidea
Elephants (Elephantidae)
Asian Elephant [sp] (Elephas maximus)
Primates
Old World Monkeys (Cercopithecidae)
Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta)
Bonnet Macaque (Macaca radiata)
Southern Plains Grey Langur (Semnopithecus dussumieri)
Northern Plains Grey Langur (Semnopithecus entellus)
Tufted Grey Langur (Semnopithecus priam)
Nilgiri Langur (Trachypithecus johnii)
Rodentia
Squirrels & Marmots (Sciuridae)
Indian Giant Squirrel [sp] (Ratufa indica)
Sri Lankan Giant Squirrel [sp] (Ratufa macroura)
Indian Palm Squirrel [sp] (Funambulus palmarum)
Northern Palm Squirrel [sp] (Funambulus pennantii)
Lagomorpha
Rabbits and Hares (Leporidae)
Indian Hare [sp] (Lepus nigricollis)
Chiroptera
Old World Fruit-bats (Pteropodidae)
Greater Short-nosed Fruit Bat [sp] (Cynopterus sphinx)
Indian Flying Fox [sp] (Pteropus giganteus)
Carnivora
Cats (Felidae)
Tiger [sp] (Panthera tigris)
Mongooses (Herpestidae)
Indian Grey Mongoose [sp] (Herpestes edwardsi)
Stripe-necked Mongoose [sp] (Herpestes vitticollis)
Dogs (Canidae)
Golden Jackal [sp] (Canis aureus)
Artiodactyla
Pigs (Suidae)
Wild Boar [sp] (Sus scrofa)
Chevrotains (Tragulidae)
Indian Spotted Chevrotain (Moschiola meminna)
Deer (Cervidae)
Chital (Axis axis)
Red Muntjac [sp] (Muntiacus muntjak)
Sambar [sp] (Rusa unicolor)
Cattle & Spiral-horned Antelope (Bovidae)
Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus)
Himalayan Tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus)
Birds
I recorded a total of 492 birds of which 172 were lifers and 3 only heard. The list of birds according to the IOC taxonomy, with subspecies identified where possible, is as follows:
ANSERIFORMES
Ducks, Geese and Swans (Anatidae)
Lesser Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna javanica)
Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus)
Greylag Goose (Siberian) (Anser anser rubrirostris)
Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea)
Cotton Pygmy Goose [coromandelianus] (Nettapus coromandelianus coromandelianus)
Garganey (Spatula querquedula)
Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata)
Gadwall (Common) (Mareca strepera strepera)
Indian Spot-billed Duck (Anas poecilorhyncha poecilorhyncha)
Mallard [platyrhynchos] (Anas platyrhynchos platyrhynchos)
Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)
Eurasian Teal (Anas crecca)
Andaman Teal (Anas albogularis)
Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca)
GALLIFORMES
Pheasants and allies (Phasianidae)
Black Francolin [sp] (Francolinus francolinus)
Grey Francolin [sp] (Francolinus pondicerianus)
Grey Francolin [interpositus] (Francolinus pondicerianus interpositus)
Grey Francolin [pondicerianus] (Francolinus pondicerianus pondicerianus)
Jungle Bush Quail [sp] (Perdicula asiatica)
Painted Bush Quail [erythrorhyncha] (Perdicula erythrorhyncha erythrorhyncha)
Hill Partridge [sp] (Arborophila torqueola)
Rufous-throated Partridge [sp] (Arborophila rufogularis)
Red Spurfowl [stewarti] (Galloperdix spadicea stewarti)
Koklass Pheasant [sp] (Pucrasia macrolopha)
Red Junglefowl [murghi] (Gallus gallus murghi)
Grey Junglefowl (Gallus sonneratii)
Kalij Pheasant [sp] (Lophura leucomelanos)
Cheer Pheasant (Catreus wallichii)
Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus)
PODICIPEDIFORMES
Grebes (Podicipedidae)
Little Grebe [albescens] (Tachybaptus ruficollis albescens)
Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus cristatus)
PHOENICOPTERIFORMES
Flamingos (Phoenicopteridae)
Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus)
CICONIIFORMES
Storks (Ciconiidae)
Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala)
Asian Openbill (Anastomus oscitans)
Woolly-necked Stork (Asian) [episcopus] (Ciconia episcopus episcopus)
PELECANIFORMES
Ibises, Spoonbills (Threskiornithidae)
Black-headed Ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus)
Red-naped Ibis (Pseudibis papillosa)
Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)
Eurasian Spoonbill [leucorodia] (Platalea leucorodia leucorodia)
Herons, Bitterns (Ardeidae)
Yellow Bittern (Ixobrychus sinensis)
Black-crowned Night Heron (Eurasian) (Nycticorax nycticorax nycticorax)
Striated Heron [sp] (Butorides striata)
Striated Heron (Old World) [javanica] (Butorides striata javanica)
Indian Pond Heron (Ardeola grayii)
Eastern Cattle Egret (Bubulcus coromandus)
Grey Heron [sp] (Ardea cinerea)
Grey Heron (Grey) [cinerea] (Ardea cinerea cinerea)
Grey Heron (Grey) [jouyi] (Ardea cinerea jouyi)
Purple Heron (Purple) [manilensis] (Ardea purpurea manilensis)
Great Egret [sp] (Ardea alba)
Great Egret (Australasian) (Ardea alba modesta)
Intermediate Egret (Intermediate) (Ardea intermedia intermedia)
Little Egret (Western) (Egretta garzetta garzetta)
Pacific Reef Heron [sacra] (Egretta sacra sacra)
Pelicans (Pelecanidae)
Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus)
Spot-billed Pelican (Pelecanus philippensis)
Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus)
SULIFORMES
Cormorants, Shags (Phalacrocoracidae)
Little Cormorant (Microcarbo niger)
Indian Cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscicollis)
Great Cormorant (Eurasian) [sinensis] (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis)
Anhingas, Darters (Anhingidae)
Oriental Darter (Anhinga melanogaster)
ACCIPITRIFORMES
Ospreys (Pandionidae)
Western Osprey (Eurasian) (Pandion haliaetus haliaetus)
Kites, Hawks and Eagles (Accipitridae)
Black-winged Kite [sp] (Elanus caeruleus)
Black-winged Kite (Asian) [vociferus] (Elanus caeruleus vociferus)
Egyptian Vulture [sp] (Neophron percnopterus)
Egyptian Vulture [ginginianus] (Neophron percnopterus ginginianus)
Indian Honey Buzzard (Pernis ptilorhynchus ruficollis)
Black Baza [andamanica] (Aviceda leuphotes andamanica)
Indian Vulture (Gyps indicus)
Himalayan Vulture (Gyps himalayensis)
Red-headed Vulture (Sarcogyps calvus)
Crested Serpent Eagle [sp] (Spilornis cheela)
Crested Serpent Eagle (Crested) [cheela] (Spilornis cheela cheela)
Crested Serpent Eagle (Crested) [melanotis] (Spilornis cheela melanotis)
Andaman Serpent Eagle (Spilornis elgini)
Changeable Hawk-Eagle (Changeable) [limnaeetus] (Nisaetus cirrhatus limnaeetus)
Changeable Hawk-Eagle (Crested) [cirrhatus] (Nisaetus cirrhatus cirrhatus)
Andaman Crested Hawk-eagle (Nisaetus cirrhatus andamanensis)
Mountain Hawk-eagle [nipalensis] (Nisaetus nipalensis nipalensis)
Legge's Hawk-eagle (Nisaetus kelaarti)
Indian Black Eagle (Ictinaetus malaiensis perniger)
Indian Spotted Eagle (Clanga hastata)
Greater Spotted Eagle (Clanga clanga)
Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus)
Indian Tawny Eagle (Aquila rapax vindhiana)
Steppe Eagle [nipalensis] (Aquila nipalensis nipalensis)
Bonelli's Eagle [fasciata] (Aquila fasciata fasciata)
Crested Goshawk [peninsulae] (Accipiter trivirgatus peninsulae)
Shikra [sp] (Accipiter badius)
Shikra (Asian) [badius] (Accipiter badius badius)
Besra [sp] (Accipiter virgatus)
Eurasian Sparrowhawk [sp] (Accipiter nisus)
Eurasian Sparrowhawk [nisosimilis] (Accipiter nisus nisosimilis)
Western Marsh Harrier [aeruginosus] (Circus aeruginosus aeruginosus)
Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus)
Black Kite [sp] (Milvus migrans)
Black Kite (Black) [govinda] (Milvus migrans govinda)
Brahminy Kite [indus] (Haliastur indus indus)
White-bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)
Lesser Fish Eagle [sp] (Haliaeetus humilis)
Grey-headed Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus ichthyaetus)
Himalayan Buzzard (Buteo burmanicus)
Long-legged Buzzard (Northern) (Buteo rufinus rufinus)
GRUIFORMES
Rails, Crakes and Coots (Rallidae)
Andaman Crake (Rallina canningi)
Slaty-breasted Rail [obscurior] (Gallirallus striatus obscurior)
White-breasted Waterhen [phoenicurus] (Amaurornis phoenicurus phoenicurus)
White-breasted Waterhen [insularis] (Amaurornis phoenicurus insularis)
Watercock (Gallicrex cinerea)
Grey-headed Swamphen [sp] (Porphyrio poliocephalus)
Grey-headed Swamphen [poliocephalus] (Porphyrio poliocephalus poliocephalus)
Common Moorhen [sp] (Gallinula chloropus)
Common Moorhen [chloropus] (Gallinula chloropus chloropus)
Eurasian Coot [atra] (Fulica atra atra)
Cranes (Gruidae)
Sarus Crane [antigone] (Antigone antigone antigone)
CHARADRIIFORMES
Buttonquail (Turnicidae)
Barred Buttonquail (Barred) [taigoor] (Turnix suscitator taigoor)
Stilts, Avocets (Recurvirostridae)
Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)
Plovers (Charadriidae)
River Lapwing (Vanellus duvaucelii)
Yellow-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus malabaricus)
Red-wattled Lapwing [sp] (Vanellus indicus)
Red-wattled Lapwing (Red-wattled) [indicus] (Vanellus indicus indicus)
White-tailed Lapwing (Vanellus leucurus)
Pacific Golden Plover (Pluvialis fulva)
Little Ringed Plover [sp] (Charadrius dubius)
Greater Sand Plover [leschenaultii] (Charadrius leschenaultii leschenaultii)
Jacanas (Jacanidae)
Pheasant-tailed Jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus)
Bronze-winged Jacana (Metopidius indicus)
Sandpipers, Snipes (Scolopacidae)
Whimbrel [sp] (Numenius phaeopus)
Ruff (Calidris pugnax)
Temminck's Stint (Calidris temminckii)
Long-toed Stint (Calidris subminuta)
Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis)
Pin-tailed Snipe (Gallinago stenura)
Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago gallinago)
Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)
Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus)
Common Redshank [sp] (Tringa totanus)
Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis)
Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola)
Spotted Redshank (Tringa erythropus)
Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)
Gulls, Terns and Skimmers (Laridae)
River Tern (Sterna aurantia)
Whiskered Tern [hybrida] (Chlidonias hybrida hybrida)
COLUMBIFORMES
Pigeons, Doves (Columbidae)
Rock Dove (Feral) (Columba livia ''feral'')
Nilgiri Wood Pigeon (Columba elphinstonii)
Andaman Wood Pigeon (Columba palumboides)
Oriental Turtle Dove [sp] (Streptopelia orientalis)
Eurasian Collared Dove (Eurasian) (Streptopelia decaocto decaocto)
Red Turtle Dove [humilis] (Streptopelia tranquebarica humilis)
Spotted Dove [sp] (Spilopelia chinensis)
Spotted Dove (Western) [suratensis] (Spilopelia chinensis suratensis)
Spotted Dove (Eastern) [tigrina] (Spilopelia chinensis tigrina)
Laughing Dove [cambayensis] (Spilopelia senegalensis cambayensis)
Andaman Cuckoo-dove [andamanica] (Macropygia rufipennis andamanica)
Common Emerald Dove [sp] (Chalcophaps indica)
Common Emerald Dove [indica] (Chalcophaps indica indica)
Common Emerald Dove [maxima] (Chalcophaps indica maxima)
Grey-fronted Green Pigeon (Treron affinis)
Andaman Green Pigeon (Treron chloropterus)
Yellow-footed Green Pigeon [sp] (Treron phoenicopterus)
Yellow-footed Green Pigeon [chlorigaster] (Treron phoenicopterus chlorigaster)
Green Imperial Pigeon (Green) [pusilla] (Ducula aenea pusilla)
Green Imperial Pigeon (Green) [andamanica] (Ducula aenea andamanica)
Mountain Imperial Pigeon (Nilgiri) (Ducula badia cuprea)
CUCULIFORMES
Cuckoos (Cuculidae)
Greater Coucal [sp] (Centropus sinensis)
Greater Coucal (Southern) (Centropus sinensis parroti)
Andaman Coucal (Centropus andamanensis)
Blue-faced Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus viridirostris)
Asian Koel [scolopaceus] (Eudynamys scolopaceus scolopaceus)
Asian Koel [malayanus] (Eudynamys scolopaceus malayanus)
Square-tailed Drongo-cuckoo [brachyurus] (Surniculus lugubris brachyurus)
Fork-tailed Drongo-cuckoo [dicruroides] (Surniculus dicruroides dicruroides)
Large Hawk-cuckoo (Hierococcyx sparverioides)
Common Hawk-cuckoo [varius] (Hierococcyx varius varius)
Indian Cuckoo [micropterus] (Cuculus micropterus micropterus)
STRIGIFORMES
Barn Owls (Tytonidae)
Andaman Masked Owl (Tyto deroepstorffi)
Owls (Strigidae)
Andaman Scops Owl (Otus balli)
Indian Scops Owl [gangeticus] (Otus bakkamoena gangeticus)
Oriental Scops Owl (Walden's) (Otus sunia modestus)
Indian Eagle-owl (Bubo bengalensis)
Spot-bellied Eagle-owl [nipalensis] (Bubo nipalensis nipalensis)
Dusky Eagle-owl [coromandus] (Bubo coromandus coromandus)
Brown Fish Owl [sp] (Ketupa zeylonensis)
Brown Fish Owl (Eastern) [leschenaulti] (Ketupa zeylonensis leschenaulti)
Mottled Wood Owl [ocellata] (Strix ocellata ocellata)
Brown Wood Owl [sp] (Strix leptogrammica)
Collared Owlet (Collared) [brodiei] (Glaucidium brodiei brodiei)
Asian Barred Owlet [sp] (Glaucidium cuculoides)
Jungle Owlet [malabaricum] (Glaucidium radiatum malabaricum)
Spotted Owlet [indica] (Athene brama indica)
Spotted Owlet [brama] (Athene brama brama)
Hume's Hawk-owl (Ninox obscura)
Andaman Hawk-owl (Ninox affinis)
CAPRIMULGIFORMES
Frogmouths (Podargidae)
South Indian Frogmouth (Batrachostomus moniliger roonwali)
Nightjars (Caprimulgidae)
Jungle Nightjar [indicus] (Caprimulgus indicus indicus)
Grey Nightjar [sp] (Caprimulgus jotaka)
Large-tailed Nightjar [sp] (Caprimulgus macrurus)
Andaman Nightjar (Caprimulgus andamanicus)
APODIFORMES
Treeswifts (Hemiprocnidae)
Crested Treeswift (Hemiprocne coronata)
Swifts (Apodidae)
Plume-toed Swiftlet [affinis] (Collocalia affinis affinis)
Indian Swiftlet (Aerodramus unicolor)
Edible-nest Swiftlet (Aerodramus fuciphagus inexpectatus)
White-rumped Spinetail (Zoonavena sylvatica)
Brown-backed Needletail [indicus] (Hirundapus giganteus indicus)
Asian Palm Swift [balasiensis] (Cypsiurus balasiensis balasiensis)
Alpine Swift [sp] (Tachymarptis melba)
Little Swift (Little) [affinis] (Apus affinis affinis)
Little Swift (Indian) (Apus affinis singalensis)
TROGONIFORMES
Trogons (Trogonidae)
Malabar Trogon [malabaricus] (Harpactes fasciatus malabaricus)
CORACIIFORMES
Rollers (Coraciidae)
Indian Roller (Indian) [benghalensis] (Coracias benghalensis benghalensis)
Indian Roller (Indian) [indicus] (Coracias benghalensis indicus)
Oriental Dollarbird [gigas] (Eurystomus orientalis gigas)
Kingfishers (Alcedinidae)
Stork-billed Kingfisher [sp] (Pelargopsis capensis)
Stork-billed Kingfisher [capensis] (Pelargopsis capensis capensis)
Stork-billed Kingfisher [osmastoni] (Pelargopsis capensis osmastoni)
White-throated Kingfisher [sp] (Halcyon smyrnensis)
White-throated Kingfisher (White-throated) [fusca] (Halcyon smyrnensis fusca)
White-throated Kingfisher (White-throated) [saturatior] (Halcyon smyrnensis saturatior)
Collared Kingfisher (Oriental) [davisoni] (Todiramphus chloris davisoni)
Blue-eared Kingfisher [rufigastra] (Alcedo meninting rufigastra)
Common Kingfisher [sp] (Alcedo atthis)
Common Kingfisher (Common) [bengalensis] (Alcedo atthis bengalensis)
Common Kingfisher (Common) [taprobana] (Alcedo atthis taprobana)
Crested Kingfisher [sp] (Megaceryle lugubris)
Pied Kingfisher [leucomelanurus] (Ceryle rudis leucomelanurus)
Bee-eaters (Meropidae)
Blue-bearded Bee-eater [athertoni] (Nyctyornis athertoni athertoni)
Green Bee-eater [sp] (Merops orientalis)
Green Bee-eater (Asian) [orientalis] (Merops orientalis orientalis)
Blue-tailed Bee-eater (Merops philippinus)
Chestnut-headed Bee-eater [sp] (Merops leschenaulti)
Chestnut-headed Bee-eater [leschenaulti] (Merops leschenaulti leschenaulti)
Chestnut-headed Bee-eater [andamanensis] (Merops leschenaulti andamanensis)
BUCEROTIFORMES
Hoopoes (Upupidae)
Eurasian Hoopoe [sp] (Upupa epops)
Eurasian Hoopoe (Eurasian) [ceylonensis] (Upupa epops ceylonensis)
Hornbills (Bucerotidae)
Malabar Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros griseus)
Indian Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros birostris)
PICIFORMES
Asian Barbets (Megalaimidae)
Great Barbet [sp] (Psilopogon virens)
Brown-headed Barbet [sp] (Psilopogon zeylanicus)
Brown-headed Barbet [caniceps] (Psilopogon zeylanicus caniceps)
White-cheeked Barbet (Psilopogon viridis)
Blue-throated Barbet (Red-crowned) (Psilopogon asiaticus asiaticus)
Malabar Barbet (Psilopogon malabaricus)
Coppersmith Barbet [indicus] (Psilopogon haemacephalus indicus)
Woodpeckers (Picidae)
Eurasian Wryneck [sp] (Jynx torquilla)
Speckled Piculet [sp] (Picumnus innominatus)
Heart-spotted Woodpecker (Hemicircus canente)
Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker (Indian) [cinereigula] (Yungipicus nanus cinereigula)
Brown-fronted Woodpecker (Dendrocoptes auriceps)
Yellow-crowned Woodpecker [mahrattensis] (Leiopicus mahrattensis mahrattensis)
Rufous-bellied Woodpecker [sp] (Dendrocopos hyperythrus)
Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker [sp] (Dendrocopos macei)
Freckle-breasted Woodpecker (Andaman Pied) (Dendrocopos analis andamanensis)
Himalayan Woodpecker [sp] (Dendrocopos himalayensis)
Andaman Woodpecker (Dryocopus hodgei)
Greater Yellownape [sp] (Chrysophlegma flavinucha)
Lesser Yellownape [sp] (Picus chlorolophus)
Streak-throated Woodpecker (Picus xanthopygaeus)
Scaly-bellied Woodpecker [squamatus] (Picus squamatus squamatus)
Grey-headed Woodpecker [sp] (Picus canus)
Black-rumped Flameback [sp] (Dinopium benghalense)
Greater Flameback (Malabar) (Chrysocolaptes guttacristatus socialis)
White-naped Woodpecker [festivus] (Chrysocolaptes festivus festivus)
Great Slaty Woodpecker [sp] (Mulleripicus pulverulentus)
FALCONIFORMES
Caracaras, Falcons (Falconidae)
Common Kestrel [sp] (Falco tinnunculus)
Common Kestrel (Eurasian) [tinnunculus] (Falco tinnunculus tinnunculus)
Peregrine Falcon [sp] (Falco peregrinus)
PSITTACIFORMES
Old World Parrots (Psittaculidae)
Slaty-headed Parakeet (Psittacula himalayana)
Plum-headed Parakeet (Psittacula cyanocephala)
Red-breasted Parakeet [abbotti] (Psittacula alexandri abbotti)
Long-tailed Parakeet (Andaman) (Psittacula longicauda tytleri)
Blue-winged Parakeet (Psittacula columboides)
Alexandrine Parakeet [magnirostris] (Psittacula eupatria magnirostris)
Rose-ringed Parakeet [sp] (Psittacula krameri)
Rose-ringed Parakeet [borealis] (Psittacula krameri borealis)
Rose-ringed Parakeet [manillensis] (Psittacula krameri manillensis)
Vernal Hanging Parrot [vernalis] (Loriculus vernalis vernalis)
PASSERIFORMES
Pittas (Pittidae)
Indian Pitta (Pitta brachyura)
Vangas and allies (Vangidae)
Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike [sp] (Hemipus picatus)
Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike [picatus] (Hemipus picatus picatus)
Malabar Woodshrike (Tephrodornis sylvicola)
Common Woodshrike [sp] (Tephrodornis pondicerianus)
Common Woodshrike [pallidus] (Tephrodornis pondicerianus pallidus)
Woodswallows, butcherbirds and allies (Artamidae)
Ashy Woodswallow (Artamus fuscus)
Ioras (Aegithinidae)
Common Iora [sp] (Aegithina tiphia)
Common Iora [multicolor] (Aegithina tiphia multicolor)
Cuckooshrikes (Campephagidae)
White-bellied Minivet (Pericrocotus erythropygius)
Small Minivet [sp] (Pericrocotus cinnamomeus)
Small Minivet (Small) [malabaricus] (Pericrocotus cinnamomeus malabaricus)
Small Minivet (Small) [cinnamomeus] (Pericrocotus cinnamomeus cinnamomeus)
Small Minivet (Small) [vividus] (Pericrocotus cinnamomeus vividus)
Long-tailed Minivet [sp] (Pericrocotus ethologus)
Orange Minivet (Pericrocotus flammeus)
Scarlet Minivet [sp] (Pericrocotus speciosus)
Scarlet Minivet (Scarlet) [andamanensis] (Pericrocotus speciosus andamanensis)
Rosy Minivet (Pericrocotus roseus)
Large Cuckooshrike (Indian) [macei] (Coracina macei macei)
Andaman Cuckooshrike (Coracina dobsoni)
Black-headed Cuckooshrike [sykesi] (Lalage melanoptera sykesi)
Shrikes (Laniidae)
Brown Shrike (Brown) [cristatus] (Lanius cristatus cristatus)
Brown Shrike (Philippine) (Lanius cristatus lucionensis)
Bay-backed Shrike [vittatus] (Lanius vittatus vittatus)
Long-tailed Shrike [sp] (Lanius schach)
Long-tailed Shrike [caniceps] (Lanius schach caniceps)
Grey-backed Shrike [sp] (Lanius tephronotus)
Vireos, Greenlets (Vireonidae)
Himalayan Shrike-babbler (Pteruthius ripleyi)
Figbirds, Orioles (Oriolidae)
Indian Golden Oriole (Oriolus kundoo)
Black-naped Oriole (East Asian) (Oriolus chinensis diffusus)
Black-naped Oriole (Sunda) [andamanensis] (Oriolus chinensis andamanensis)
Black-hooded Oriole [sp] (Oriolus xanthornus)
Black-hooded Oriole [maderaspatanus] (Oriolus xanthornus maderaspatanus)
Maroon Oriole [traillii] (Oriolus traillii traillii)
Drongos (Dicruridae)
Black Drongo [sp] (Dicrurus macrocercus)
Black Drongo [albirictus] (Dicrurus macrocercus albirictus)
Ashy Drongo [sp] (Dicrurus leucophaeus)
Ashy Drongo (Blackish) [longicaudatus] (Dicrurus leucophaeus longicaudatus)
White-bellied Drongo (White-bellied) (Dicrurus caerulescens caerulescens)
Bronzed Drongo [aeneus] (Dicrurus aeneus aeneus)
Hair-crested Drongo (Hair-crested) [hottentottus] (Dicrurus hottentottus hottentottus)
Andaman Drongo [sp] (Dicrurus andamanensis)
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo [sp] (Dicrurus paradiseus)
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo [paradiseus] (Dicrurus paradiseus paradiseus)
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo [otiosus] (Dicrurus paradiseus otiosus)
Fantails (Rhipiduridae)
White-throated Fantail [sp] (Rhipidura albicollis)
White-spotted Fantail [albogularis] (Rhipidura albogularis albogularis)
White-browed Fantail [compressirostris] (Rhipidura aureola compressirostris)
Monarchs (Monarchidae)
Black-naped Monarch [tytleri] (Hypothymis azurea tytleri)
Indian Paradise Flycatcher [sp] (Terpsiphone paradisi)
Crows, Jays (Corvidae)
Eurasian Jay [sp] (Garrulus glandarius)
Black-headed Jay (Garrulus lanceolatus)
Red-billed Blue Magpie [sp] (Urocissa erythroryncha)
Common Green Magpie (Common) [chinensis] (Cissa chinensis chinensis)
Rufous Treepie [sp] (Dendrocitta vagabunda)
Rufous Treepie [bristoli] (Dendrocitta vagabunda bristoli)
Rufous Treepie [parvula] (Dendrocitta vagabunda parvula)
Grey Treepie [sp] (Dendrocitta formosae)
White-bellied Treepie (Dendrocitta leucogastra)
Andaman Treepie (Dendrocitta bayleii)
House Crow [sp] (Corvus splendens)
House Crow [splendens] (Corvus splendens splendens)
Large-billed Crow [sp] (Corvus macrorhynchos)
Large-billed Crow (Large-billed) [intermedius] (Corvus macrorhynchos intermedius)
Eastern Jungle Crow (Corvus levaillantii)
Indian Jungle Crow (Corvus culminatus)
Fairy Flycatchers (Stenostiridae)
Yellow-bellied Fantail (Chelidorhynx hypoxanthus)
Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher [sp] (Culicicapa ceylonensis)
Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher [calochrysea] (Culicicapa ceylonensis calochrysea)
Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher [ceylonensis] (Culicicapa ceylonensis ceylonensis)
Tits, Chickadees (Paridae)
Coal Tit [sp] (Periparus ater)
Coal Tit (Black-crested) (Periparus ater melanolophus)
Cinereous Tit [sp] (Parus cinereus)
Cinereous Tit [stupae] (Parus cinereus stupae)
Green-backed Tit [sp] (Parus monticolus)
Himalayan Black-lored Tit (Machlolophus xanthogenys)
Indian Black-lored Tit [travancoreensis] (Machlolophus aplonotus travancoreensis)
Larks (Alaudidae)
Rufous-tailed Lark [testacea] (Ammomanes phoenicura testacea)
Ashy-crowned Sparrow-lark (Eremopterix griseus)
Singing Bush Lark [cantillans] (Mirafra cantillans cantillans)
Indian Bush Lark (Mirafra erythroptera)
Jerdon's Bush Lark (Mirafra affinis)
Malabar Lark (Galerida malabarica)
Bulbuls (Pycnonotidae)
Grey-headed Bulbul (Pycnonotus priocephalus)
Andaman Bulbul (Pycnonotus fuscoflavescens)
Flame-throated Bulbul (Pycnonotus gularis)
Red-whiskered Bulbul [fuscicaudatus] (Pycnonotus jocosus fuscicaudatus)
Red-whiskered Bulbul [emeria] (Pycnonotus jocosus emeria)
Red-whiskered Bulbul [whistleri] (Pycnonotus jocosus whistleri)
Himalayan Bulbul (Pycnonotus leucogenys)
White-eared Bulbul [leucotis] (Pycnonotus leucotis leucotis)
Red-vented Bulbul [sp] (Pycnonotus cafer)
Red-vented Bulbul [humayuni] (Pycnonotus cafer humayuni)
Red-vented Bulbul [cafer] (Pycnonotus cafer cafer)
Yellow-throated Bulbul (Pycnonotus xantholaemus)
White-browed Bulbul [luteolus] (Pycnonotus luteolus luteolus)
Yellow-browed Bulbul [sp] (Acritillas indica)
Yellow-browed Bulbul [indica] (Acritillas indica indica)
Ashy Bulbul [flavala] (Hemixos flavala flavala)
Black Bulbul [sp] (Hypsipetes leucocephalus)
Square-tailed Bulbul (Indian) (Hypsipetes ganeesa ganeesa)
Swallows, Martins (Hirundinidae)
Grey-throated Sand Martin (Riparia chinensis chinensis)
Barn Swallow [sp] (Hirundo rustica)
Barn Swallow (White-bellied) (Hirundo rustica rustica)
Barn Swallow (Tytler's) (Hirundo rustica tytleri)
Hill Swallow (Hirundo domicola)
Asian Wire-tailed Swallow (Hirundo smithii filifera)
Eurasian Crag Martin (Ptyonoprogne rupestris)
Dusky Crag Martin [concolor] (Ptyonoprogne concolor concolor)
Red-rumped Swallow [sp] (Cecropis daurica)
Indian Red-rumped Swallow (Cecropis daurica erythropygia)
Streak-throated Swallow (Petrochelidon fluvicola)
Cupwings (Pnoepygidae)
Scaly-breasted Cupwing [sp] (Pnoepyga albiventer)
Cettia bush warblers and allies (Cettiidae)
Black-faced Warbler [sp] (Abroscopus schisticeps)
Brown-flanked Bush Warbler [sp] (Horornis fortipes)
Grey-sided Bush Warbler [sp] (Cettia brunnifrons)
Chestnut-headed Tesia [castaneocoronata] (Cettia castaneocoronata castaneocoronata)
Bushtits (Aegithalidae)
Black-throated Bushtit [sp] (Aegithalos concinnus)
Black-throated Bushtit (Black-throated) [manipurensis] (Aegithalos concinnus manipurensis)
Leaf warblers and allies (Phylloscopidae)
Ashy-throated Warbler [sp] (Phylloscopus maculipennis)
Hume's Leaf Warbler [sp] (Phylloscopus humei)
Hume's Leaf Warbler (Hume's) (Phylloscopus humei humei)
Lemon-rumped Warbler [sp] (Phylloscopus chloronotus)
Simla Warbler (Phylloscopus chloronotus simlaensis)
Lemon-rumped Warbler [chloronotus] (Phylloscopus chloronotus chloronotus)
Tytler's Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus tytleri)
Tickell's Leaf Warbler [sp] (Phylloscopus affinis)
Tickell's Leaf Warbler [perflavus] (Phylloscopus affinis perflavus)
Dusky Warbler [fuscatus] (Phylloscopus fuscatus fuscatus)
Common Chiffchaff (Siberian) (Phylloscopus collybita tristis)
Whistler's Warbler [sp] (Phylloscopus whistleri)
Green Warbler (Phylloscopus nitidus)
Greenish Warbler [sp] (Phylloscopus trochiloides)
Large-billed Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus magnirostris)
Western Crowned Warbler (Phylloscopus occipitalis)
Blyth's Leaf Warbler [reguloides] (Phylloscopus reguloides reguloides)
Grey-hooded Warbler [sp] (Phylloscopus xanthoschistos)
Reed warblers and allies (Acrocephalidae)
Oriental Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus orientalis)
Black-browed Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus bistrigiceps)
Blyth's Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus dumetorum)
Thick-billed Warbler [aedon] (Arundinax aedon aedon)
Booted Warbler (Iduna caligata)
Sykes's Warbler (Iduna rama)
Cisticolas and Allies (Cisticolidae)
Striated Prinia [sp] (Prinia crinigera)
Grey-crowned Prinia (Prinia cinereocapilla)
Grey-breasted Prinia [sp] (Prinia hodgsonii)
Jungle Prinia [sylvatica] (Prinia sylvatica sylvatica)
Ashy Prinia [sp] (Prinia socialis)
Ashy Prinia [stewarti] (Prinia socialis stewarti)
Ashy Prinia [socialis] (Prinia socialis socialis)
Plain Prinia [sp] (Prinia inornata)
Common Tailorbird [sp] (Orthotomus sutorius)
Common Tailorbird [guzuratus] (Orthotomus sutorius guzuratus)
Babblers (Timaliidae)
Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler [sp] (Pomatorhinus erythrogenys)
Indian Scimitar Babbler [sp] (Pomatorhinus horsfieldii)
Black-chinned Babbler (Stachyridopsis pyrrhops)
Fulvettas, Ground Babblers (Pellorneidae)
Brown-cheeked Fulvetta [sp] (Alcippe poioicephala)
Puff-throated Babbler [olivaceum] (Pellorneum ruficeps olivaceum)
Laughingthrushes (Leiothrichidae)
Striated Laughingthrush [sp] (Grammatoptila striata)
Streaked Laughingthrush [sp] (Trochalopteron lineatum)
Blue-winged Minla [sp] (Actinodura cyanouroptera)
Nilgiri Laughingthrush (Montecincla cachinnans)
Palani Laughingthrush (Montecincla fairbanki)
Red-billed Leiothrix [sp] (Leiothrix lutea)
Rufous Sibia [sp] (Heterophasia capistrata)
Common Babbler [caudata] (Argya caudata caudata)
Yellow-billed Babbler [affinis] (Argya affinis affinis)
Jungle Babbler [sp] (Argya striata)
Jungle Babbler (Jungle) [sindiana] (Argya striata sindiana)
Jungle Babbler (Jungle) [striata] (Argya striata striata)
Rufous Babbler [sp] (Argya subrufa)
White-crested Laughingthrush [sp] (Garrulax leucolophus)
Rufous-chinned Laughingthrush [sp] (Ianthocincla rufogularis)
White-throated Laughingthrush [sp] (Pterorhinus albogularis)
Sylviid Babblers (Sylviidae)
Lesser Whitethroat [sp] (Sylvia curruca)
Hume's Whitethroat (Sylvia althaea)
Yellow-eyed Babbler [hypoleucum] (Chrysomma sinense hypoleucum)
White-eyes (Zosteropidae)
Whiskered Yuhina [sp] (Yuhina flavicollis)
Indian White-eye [sp] (Zosterops palpebrosus)
Indian White-eye [egregius] (Zosterops palpebrosus egregius)
Fairy-bluebirds (Irenidae)
Asian Fairy-bluebird (Asian) [puella] (Irena puella puella)
Asian Fairy-bluebird (Asian) [andamanica] (Irena puella andamanica)
Wrens (Troglodytidae)
Eurasian Wren [sp] (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Nuthatches (Sittidae)
Indian Nuthatch [castanea] (Sitta castanea castanea)
Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch [sp] (Sitta cinnamoventris)
White-tailed Nuthatch (Sitta himalayensis)
Velvet-fronted Nuthatch [frontalis] (Sitta frontalis frontalis)
Treecreepers (Certhiidae)
Bar-tailed Treecreeper [himalayana] (Certhia himalayana himalayana)
Starlings, Rhabdornis (Sturnidae)
Asian Glossy Starling [tytleri] (Aplonis panayensis tytleri)
Common Hill Myna (Common) [andamanensis] (Gracula religiosa andamanensis)
Southern Hill Myna (Gracula indica)
Jungle Myna [mahrattensis] (Acridotheres fuscus mahrattensis)
Bank Myna (Acridotheres ginginianus)
Common Myna [tristis] (Acridotheres tristis tristis)
Pied Myna (Asian) [contra] (Gracupica contra contra)
Daurian Starling (Agropsar sturninus)
Chestnut-tailed Starling [malabarica] (Sturnia malabarica malabarica)
Andaman White-headed Starling (Sturnia erythropygia andamanensis)
Malabar Starling (Sturnia blythii)
Brahminy Starling (Sturnia pagodarum)
Rosy Starling (Pastor roseus)
Common Starling [sp] (Sturnus vulgaris)
Thrushes (Turdidae)
Orange-headed Thrush (White-throated) (Geokichla citrina cyanota)
Scaly Thrush (Scaly) (Zoothera dauma dauma)
Nilgiri Thrush (Zoothera neilgherriensis)
Long-billed Thrush [monticola] (Zoothera monticola monticola)
White-collared Blackbird (Turdus albocinctus)
Grey-winged Blackbird (Turdus boulboul)
Indian Blackbird [sp] (Turdus simillimus)
Indian Blackbird (Black-capped) (Turdus simillimus nigropileus)
Chestnut Thrush [rubrocanus] (Turdus rubrocanus rubrocanus)
Eyebrowed Thrush (Turdus obscurus)
Black-throated Thrush (Turdus atrogularis)
Red-throated Thrush (Turdus ruficollis)
Mistle Thrush [bonapartei] (Turdus viscivorus bonapartei)
Chats, Old World Flycatchers (Muscicapidae)
Indian Robin [sp] (Copsychus fulicatus)
Indian Robin [cambaiensis] (Copsychus fulicatus cambaiensis)
Indian Robin [fulicatus] (Copsychus fulicatus fulicatus)
Oriental Magpie-robin [sp] (Copsychus saularis)
Oriental Magpie-robin (Oriental) [saularis] (Copsychus saularis saularis)
Oriental Magpie-robin (Oriental) [ceylonensis] (Copsychus saularis ceylonensis)
Oriental Magpie-robin (Oriental) [andamanensis] (Copsychus saularis andamanensis)
White-rumped Shama [sp] (Copsychus malabaricus)
White-rumped Shama [malabaricus] (Copsychus malabaricus malabaricus)
Andaman Shama (Copsychus albiventris)
Asian Brown Flycatcher [poonensis] (Muscicapa dauurica poonensis)
Brown-breasted Flycatcher (Muscicapa muttui)
White-bellied Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis pallidipes)
Tickell's Blue Flycatcher (Tickell's) [tickelliae] (Cyornis tickelliae tickelliae)
Blue-throated Blue Flycatcher [rubeculoides] (Cyornis rubeculoides rubeculoides)
Rufous-bellied Niltava [sp] (Niltava sundara)
Small Niltava [sp] (Niltava macgrigoriae)
Verditer Flycatcher [thalassinus] (Eumyias thalassinus thalassinus)
Nilgiri Flycatcher (Eumyias albicaudatus)
Indian Blue Robin [brunnea] (Larvivora brunnea brunnea)
Bluethroat (Red-spotted) [svecica] (Luscinia svecica svecica)
Himalayan Rubythroat [sp] (Calliope pectoralis)
Nilgiri Blue Robin (Sholicola major)
White-bellied Blue Robin [sp] (Sholicola albiventris)
Himalayan Bluetail [sp] (Tarsiger rufilatus)
Golden Bush Robin [sp] (Tarsiger chrysaeus)
Black-backed Forktail (Enicurus immaculatus)
Slaty-backed Forktail (Enicurus schistaceus)
Spotted Forktail [sp] (Enicurus maculatus)
Malabar Whistling Thrush (Myophonus horsfieldii)
Blue Whistling Thrush (Yellow-billed) [temminckii] (Myophonus caeruleus temminckii)
Rusty-tailed Flycatcher (Ficedula ruficauda)
Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher [strophiata] (Ficedula strophiata strophiata)
Red-breasted Flycatcher (Ficedula parva)
Ultramarine Flycatcher [sp] (Ficedula superciliaris)
Ultramarine Flycatcher [superciliaris] (Ficedula superciliaris superciliaris)
Ultramarine Flycatcher [aestigma] (Ficedula superciliaris aestigma)
Slaty-blue Flycatcher [sp] (Ficedula tricolor)
Black-and-orange Flycatcher (Ficedula nigrorufa)
Blue-capped Redstart (Phoenicurus coeruleocephala)
Black Redstart [sp] (Phoenicurus ochruros)
Blue-fronted Redstart (Phoenicurus frontalis)
Plumbeous Water Redstart [fuliginosus] (Phoenicurus fuliginosus fuliginosus)
White-capped Redstart (Phoenicurus leucocephalus)
Blue Rock Thrush [pandoo] (Monticola solitarius pandoo)
Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush (Monticola rufiventris)
Blue-capped Rock Thrush (Monticola cinclorhyncha)
Siberian Stonechat (Siberian) [group] (Saxicola maurus [maurus-group])
Pied Bush Chat [sp] (Saxicola caprata)
Pied Bush Chat [bicolor] (Saxicola caprata bicolor)
Pied Bush Chat [nilgiriensis] (Saxicola caprata nilgiriensis)
Grey Bush Chat [ferreus] (Saxicola ferreus ferreus)
Dippers (Cinclidae)
Brown Dipper [sp] (Cinclus pallasii)
Leafbirds (Chloropseidae)
Jerdon's Leafbird (Chloropsis jerdoni)
Golden-fronted Leafbird [sp] (Chloropsis aurifrons)
Orange-bellied Leafbird (hardwickii) (Chloropsis hardwickii hardwickii)
Flowerpeckers (Dicaeidae)
Thick-billed Flowerpecker (Indian) [agile] (Dicaeum agile agile)
Pale-billed Flowerpecker [erythrorhynchos] (Dicaeum erythrorhynchos erythrorhynchos)
Nilgiri Flowerpecker (Dicaeum concolor)
Andaman Flowerpecker (Dicaeum virescens)
Fire-breasted Flowerpecker (Fire-breasted) [ignipectus] (Dicaeum ignipectus ignipectus)
Sunbirds (Nectariniidae)
Purple-rumped Sunbird [flaviventris] (Leptocoma zeylonica flaviventris)
Crimson-backed Sunbird (Leptocoma minima)
Purple Sunbird [sp] (Cinnyris asiaticus)
Purple Sunbird [asiaticus] (Cinnyris asiaticus asiaticus)
Olive-backed Sunbird (Olive-backed) [andamanicus] (Cinnyris jugularis andamanicus)
Green-tailed Sunbird [sp] (Aethopyga nipalensis)
Black-throated Sunbird [sp] (Aethopyga saturata)
Crimson Sunbird [sp] (Aethopyga siparaja)
Fire-tailed Sunbird [sp] (Aethopyga ignicauda)
Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches (Passeridae)
House Sparrow [sp] (Passer domesticus)
House Sparrow (Oriental) [indicus] (Passer domesticus indicus)
Russet Sparrow [sp] (Passer cinnamomeus)
Yellow-throated Sparrow [sp] (Gymnoris xanthocollis)
Yellow-throated Sparrow [xanthocollis] (Gymnoris xanthocollis xanthocollis)
Weavers, Widowbirds (Ploceidae)
Baya Weaver [philippinus] (Ploceus philippinus philippinus)
Waxbills, Munias and Allies (Estrildidae)
Indian Silverbill (Euodice malabarica)
White-rumped Munia [fumigata] (Lonchura striata fumigata)
Scaly-breasted Munia (Checkered) (Lonchura punctulata punctulata)
Tricolored Munia (Lonchura malacca)
Accentors (Prunellidae)
Altai Accentor (Prunella himalayana)
Rufous-breasted Accentor [sp] (Prunella strophiata)
Black-throated Accentor [sp] (Prunella atrogularis)
Wagtails, Pipits (Motacillidae)
Forest Wagtail (Dendronanthus indicus)
Western Yellow Wagtail [sp] (Motacilla flava)
Western Yellow Wagtail (Grey-headed) (Motacilla flava thunbergi)
Citrine Wagtail (Citrine) (Motacilla citreola citreola)
Grey Wagtail [cinerea] (Motacilla cinerea cinerea)
White Wagtail [sp] (Motacilla alba)
White Wagtail (Masked) (Motacilla alba personata)
White Wagtail (Chinese) (Motacilla alba leucopsis)
White Wagtail (Hodgson's) (Motacilla alba alboides)
White-browed Wagtail (Motacilla maderaspatensis)
Richard's Pipit (Anthus richardi)
Paddyfield Pipit [sp] (Anthus rufulus)
Paddyfield Pipit [malayensis] (Anthus rufulus malayensis)
Tawny Pipit (Anthus campestris)
Tree Pipit [sp] (Anthus trivialis)
Tree Pipit [trivialis] (Anthus trivialis trivialis)
Olive-backed Pipit [sp] (Anthus hodgsoni)
Nilgiri Pipit (Anthus nilghiriensis)
Upland Pipit (Anthus sylvanus)
Finches (Fringillidae)
Spot-winged Grosbeak (Mycerobas melanozanthos)
Brown Bullfinch [sp] (Pyrrhula nipalensis)
Common Rosefinch [sp] (Carpodacus erythrinus)
Common Rosefinch [roseatus] (Carpodacus erythrinus roseatus)
Pink-browed Rosefinch (Carpodacus rodochroa)
Red-fronted Serin (Serinus pusillus)
Buntings (Emberizidae)
Rock Bunting [sp] (Emberiza cia)
Grey-necked Bunting [sp] (Emberiza buchanani)
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