List of birds of South India

This list of birds of South India includes birds from India south approximately of the Narmada River.

Notable bird watching locations in South India include Rollapadu in Andhra Pradesh; Nagarhole National Park and Bandipur National Park in Karnataka; Rajamalai (Eravikulam National Park) and Periyar National Park in Kerala; Mudumalai National Park, Udhagamandalam, Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary in Anamalai; Vedanthangal and Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary in Kodikkarai, Tamil Nadu.

Francolins and spurfowls

• Painted francolin, Francolinus pictus
• Grey francolin, Francolinus pondicerianus
• Red spurfowl, Galloperdix spadicea
• Painted spurfowl, Galloperdix lunulata

Quails and buttonquails

• Blue-breasted quail, Coturnix chinensis
• Common quail, Coturnix coturnix
• Rain quail, Coturnix coromandelica
• Jungle bush quail, Perdicula asiatica
• Rock bush quail, Perdicula argoondah
• Painted bush quail, Perdicula erythrorhyncha
• Small buttonquail, Turnix sylvatica
• Yellow-legged buttonquail, Turnix tanki
• Barred buttonquail, Turnix suscitator

Galliformes

Indian peafowl in Mudumalai National Park in Tamil Nadu

• Red junglefowl, Gallus gallus
• Grey junglefowl, Gallus sonneratti
• Indian peafowl, Pavo cristatus

Geese and ducks

Indian spot-billed duck in Hyderabad

• Fulvous whistling-duck, Dendrocygna bicolor
• Lesser whistling-duck, Dendrocygna javanica
• Knob-billed duck, Sarkidiornis melanotus
• Pink-headed duck, Rhodonessa caryophyllacea (Historic)
• Cotton pygmy-goose, Nettapus coromandalianus
• Bar-headed goose, Anser indicus
• Ruddy shelduck, Tadorna ferruginea
• Common shelduck, Tadorna tadorna
• Gadwall, Mareca strepera
• Eurasian wigeon, Mareca penelope
• Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos
• Indian spot-billed duck, Anas poecilorhyncha
• Common teal, Anas crecca
• Northern pintail, Anas acuta
• Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata
• Garganey, Spatula querquedula
• Red-crested pochard, Rhodonessa rufina
• Common pochard, Aythya ferina
• Ferruginous pochard, Aythya nyroca
• Tufted duck, Aythya fuligula

Woodpeckers

Black-rumped flameback in Hyderabad

• Eurasian wryneck, Jynx torquilla
• Speckled piculet, Picumnus innominatus
• Brown-capped pygmy woodpecker, Dendrocopos nanus
• Fulvous-breasted woodpecker, Dendrocopos macei (northern Eastern Ghats)
• Yellow-crowned woodpecker, Dendrocopos mahrattenis
• Rufous woodpecker, Celeus brachyurus
• Heart-spotted woodpecker, Hemicircus canente
• White-bellied woodpecker, Dryocopus javensis
• Lesser yellownape, Picus chlorolophus
• Greater yellownape, Picus flavinucha
• Streak-throated woodpecker, Picus xanthopygaeus
• Common flameback, Dinopium javanese
• Black-rumped flameback, Dinopium benghalense
• Greater flameback, Chrysocolaptes lucidus
• White-naped woodpecker, Chrysocalptes festivus

Barbets

White-cheeked barbet in Bangalore

• Brown-headed barbet, Psilopogon zeylanicus
• White-cheeked barbet, Psilopogon viridis
• Malabar barbet, Psilopogon malabaricus
• Coppersmith barbet, Psilopogon haemacephalus

Hornbills

Great hornbill perched on a Mesua tree at Valparai, Tamil Nadu

• Malabar grey hornbill, Ocyceros griseus
• Indian grey hornbill, Ocyceros birostris
• Malabar pied hornbill, Anthracoceros coronatus
• Oriental pied hornbill, Anthracoceros albirostris
• Great hornbill, Buceros bicornis

Common hoopoes, trogons and rollers

• Common hoopoe, Upupa epops
• Malabar trogon, Harpactes fasciatus
• European roller, Coracias garrulus
• Indian roller, Coracias benghalensis
• Dollarbird, Eurystomus orientalis

Kingfishers

Stork-billed kingfisher in Kumarakom, Kerala

• Pied kingfisher, Ceryle rudis
• Common kingfisher, Alcedo atthis
• Blue-eared kingfisher, Alcedo meninting
• Oriental dwarf kingfisher, Ceyx erithacus
• Stork-billed kingfisher, Pelargopsis capensis
• White-throated kingfisher, Halcyon smyrnensis
• Black-capped kingfisher, Halcyon pileata
• Collared kingfisher, Todiramphus chloris

Bee-eaters

Blue-tailed bee-eater in Chalakudy, Kerala

• Blue-bearded bee-eater, Nyctyornis athertoni
• Green bee-eater, Merops orientalis
• Blue-cheeked bee-eater, Merops persicus
• Blue-tailed bee-eater, Merops philippinus
• European bee-eater, Merops apiaster
• Chestnut-headed bee-eater, Merops leschenaulti

Cuckoos and malkohas

Blue-faced malkoha in Singanallur Lake, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu

• Pied cuckoo
• Chestnut-winged cuckoo
• Large hawk-cuckoo
• Common hawk-cuckoo
• Indian cuckoo
• Eurasian cuckoo, Cuculus canorus
• Lesser cuckoo
• Banded bay cuckoo
• Grey-bellied cuckoo
• Drongo cuckoo
• Asian koel
• Green-billed malkoha
• Blue-faced malkoha
• Sirkeer malkoha

Coucals, parrots and parakeets

Malabar parakeet in Thattekad, Kerala

• Greater coucal
• Lesser coucal
• Vernal hanging parrot
• Alexandrine parakeet
• Rose-ringed parakeet
• Plum-headed parakeet
• Malabar parakeet

Swifts

• Indian swiftlet
• White-rumped needletail
• Brown-backed needletail
• Asian palm swift
• Alpine swift
• Common swift
• Blyth's swift
• House swift
• Crested treeswift

Owls

Jungle owlet in Kerala

• Barn owl
• Grass owl
• Oriental bay owl
• Pallid scops owl
• Oriental scops owl
• Collared scops owl
• Jungle owlet
• Spotted owlet
• Forest owlet
• Eurasian eagle owl
• Spot-bellied eagle owl
• Dusky eagle owl
• Brown fish owl
• Mottled wood owl
• Brown wood owl
• Brown hawk-owl
• Short-eared owl

Frogmouth and nightjars

• Sri Lanka frogmouth
• Great eared nightjar
• Grey nightjar
• Large-tailed nightjar
• Jerdon's nightjar
• Indian nightjar
• Savanna nightjar

Pigeons and doves

Nilgiri wood pigeon

• Rock pigeon
• Nilgiri wood pigeon
• Pale-capped pigeon
• Oriental turtle dove
• Laughing dove
• Spotted dove
• Red collared dove
• Eurasian collared dove
• Emerald dove
• Orange-breasted green pigeon
• Grey-fronted green pigeon
• Yellow-footed green pigeon
• Green imperial pigeon
• Mountain imperial pigeon

Bustards and cranes

• Indian bustard
• Lesser florican
• Sarus crane
• Demoiselle crane
• Common crane

Crakes and rails

Grey-headed swamphen in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu

• Slaty-legged crake
• Slaty-breasted rail
• Water rail
• Brown crake
• White-breasted waterhen

Baillon's crake, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu

• Baillon's crake
• Ruddy-breasted crake
• Spotted crake
• Watercock
• Grey-headed swamphen
• Common moorhen
• Common coot

Sandgrouse

• Chestnut-bellied sandgrouse
• Painted sandgrouse

Woodcocks, snipes and painted-snipes

• Eurasian woodcock
• Wood snipe
• Pintail snipe
• Swinhoe's snipe
• Common snipe
• Jack snipe
• Greater painted-snipe

Godwits, curlews, and Tringa sandpipers

Marsh sandpiper in Hyderabad, Telangana

• Black-tailed godwit
• Bar-tailed godwit
• Whimbrel
• Eurasian curlew
• Spotted redshank
• Common redshank
• Marsh sandpiper
• Common greenshank
• Green sandpiper
• Wood sandpiper
• Terek sandpiper
• Common sandpiper
• Ruddy turnstone
• Asian dowitcher
• Great knot
• Red knot

Sanderlings and stints

• Sanderling
• Little stint
• Red-necked stint
• Temminck's stint
• Long-toed stint
• Dunlin
• Curlew sandpiper
• Spoon-billed sandpiper
• Broad-billed sandpiper
• Ruff
• Red-necked phalarope

Jacanas and large waders

Pheasant-tailed jacana in Hyderabad in Telangana

Great thick-knee near Mysore, Karnataka

• Pheasant-tailed jacana
• Bronze-winged jacana
• Eurasian thick-knee
• Great thick-knee
• Eurasian oystercatcher
• Black-winged stilt
• Pied avocet
• Crab-plover

Plovers

• Pacific golden plover
• Grey plover
• Common ringed plover
• Little ringed plover
• Kentish plover
• Lesser sand plover
• Greater sand plover

Lapwings, coursers and pratincoles

• Yellow-wattled lapwing
• River lapwing
• Red-wattled lapwing
• Sociable lapwing
• White-tailed lapwing
• Grey-headed lapwing
• Jerdon's courser
• Indian courser
• Oriental pratincole
• Small pratincole

Jaegers and gulls

• Pomarine jaeger
• Parasitic jaeger
• Sooty gull
• Heuglin's gull
• Caspian gull
• Pallas's gull
• Brown-headed gull
• Black-headed gull
• Slender-billed gull
• Indian skimmer

Terns and noddies

Whiskered tern in Kolleru Lake, Andhra Pradesh

• Gull-billed tern
• Caspian tern
• River tern
• Lesser crested tern
• Great crested tern
• Sandwich tern
• Roseate tern
• Black-naped tern
• Common tern
• Little tern
• Saunders's tern
• White-cheeked tern
• Black-bellied tern
• White tern
• Bridled tern
• Sooty tern
• Whiskered tern
• White-winged tern
• Brown noddy
• Lesser noddy

Ospreys, bazas and kites

Brahminy kite in Chalakudy, Kerala

• Osprey
• Jerdon's baza
• Black baza
• Black-winged kite
• Black kite
• Brahminy kite

Sea and fish eagles

• White-bellied sea eagle
• Pallas's fish eagle
• Grey-headed fish eagle

Vultures

• Egyptian vulture
• White-rumped vulture
• Indian vulture
• Eurasian griffon
• Red-headed vulture

Eagles

Crested serpent eagle subspecies melanotis in Anamalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu

• Black eagle
• Short-toed snake eagle
• Crested serpent eagle
• Indian spotted eagle
• Greater spotted eagle
• Tawny eagle
• Steppe eagle
• Bonelli's eagle
• Booted eagle
• Rufous-bellied eagle
• Changeable hawk-eagle
• Mountain hawk-eagle

Harriers

• Eurasian marsh harrier
• Pied harrier
• Hen harrier
• Pallid harrier
• Montagu's harrier

Accipiters

Shikra in Pune, Maharashtra

• Crested goshawk
• Shikra
• Besra
• Eurasian sparrowhawk

Buzzards

• Crested honey buzzard
• White-eyed buzzard
• Common buzzard
• Long-legged buzzard

Falcons

• Lesser kestrel
• Common kestrel
• Red-necked falcon
• Amur falcon
• Eurasian hobby
• Oriental hobby
• Laggar falcon
• Peregrine falcon

Grebes, cormorants and darter

Oriental darters nesting at Kalletumkara Kerala

• Little grebe
• Little cormorant
• Indian cormorant
• Great cormorant
• Darter

Tropicbirds and boobies

• Red-billed tropicbird
• White-tailed tropicbird
• Masked booby
• Brown booby
• Red-footed booby

Egrets

• Little egret
• Western reef egret
• Eastern great egret
• Intermediate egret
• Cattle egret

Herons

Purple heron in Sulur lake in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu

• Grey heron
• Purple heron
• Indian pond heron
• Little heron
• Black-crowned night heron
• Malayan night heron

Bitterns

• Yellow bittern
• Cinnamon bittern
• Black bittern
• Great bittern

Flamingos, ibises and spoonbills

Greater flamingos at Pocharam lake in Telangana

• Greater flamingo
• Lesser flamingo
• Glossy ibis
• Black-headed ibis
• Black ibis
• Eurasian spoonbill

Storks

Asian openbill in Uppalapadu in Andhra Pradesh

• Painted stork
• Asian openbill
• Woolly-necked stork
• White stork
• Black stork
• Black-necked stork
• Lesser adjutant
• Greater adjutant

Pelicans and frigatebirds

Spot-billed pelican in Uppalapadu in Andhra Pradesh

• Great white pelican
• Spot-billed pelican
• Great frigatebird
• Lesser frigatebird

Shearwaters and storm petrels

• Wedge-tailed shearwater
• Flesh-footed shearwater
• Tropical shearwater
• Wilson's storm petrel
• Swinhoe's storm petrel

Pitta, leafbirds, and shrikes

Bay-backed shrike in Ananthagiri hills in Telangana

• Indian pitta
• Asian fairy bluebird
• Blue-winged leafbird
• Golden-fronted leafbird
• Rufous-tailed shrike
• Brown shrike
• Bay-backed shrike
• Long-tailed shrike
• Great grey shrike

Treepies, crows and orioles

White-bellied treepie in Anamalai in Tamil Nadu

• Rufous treepie
• Grey treepie
• White-bellied treepie
• House crow
• Large-billed crow
• Indian golden oriole
• Black-naped oriole
• Black-hooded oriole

Cuckooshrikes and minivets

Female black-headed cuckooshrike in Kinnerasani Wildlife Sanctuary, Telangana

• Ashy woodswallow
• Large cuckooshrike
• Black-winged cuckooshrike
• Black-headed cuckooshrike
• Rosy minivet
• Ashy minivet
• Small minivet
• White-bellied minivet
• Scarlet minivet
• Bar-winged flycatcher-shrike

Drongos

Greater racket-tailed drongo in Western Ghats in Kerala

• Black drongo
• Ashy drongo
• White-bellied drongo
• Bronzed drongo
• Spangled drongo
• Greater racket-tailed drongo

Fantails and woodshrikes

• White-throated fantail
• White-browed fantail
• Black-naped monarch
• Indian paradise flycatcher
• Common iora
• Large woodshrike
• Common woodshrike

Thrushes

Blue-capped rock thrush in Nandi hills in Karnataka

• Blue-capped rock thrush
• Blue rock thrush
• Malabar whistling thrush
• Pied thrush
• Orange-headed thrush
• Scaly thrush
• Tickell's thrush
• Eurasian blackbird

Flycatchers

• Asian brown flycatcher
• Rusty-tailed flycatcher
• Brown-breasted flycatcher
• Red-throated flycatcher
• Kashmir flycatcher
• Ultramarine flycatcher
• Black-and-orange flycatcher
• Yellow-rumped flycatcher
• Nilgiri flycatcher
• Verditer flycatcher

Shortwing and chats

Indian blue robin in Nandi hills in Karnataka

• White-bellied shortwing
• Siberian rubythroat
• Bluethroat
• Indian blue robin
• Oriental magpie robin
• White-rumped shama
• Brown rock-chat

Starlings and mynas

Jungle myna in Kottayam, Kerala

• Chestnut-tailed starling
• Brahminy starling
• Rosy starling
• Common starling
• Asian pied starling
• Common myna
• Bank myna
• Jungle myna
• Hill myna

Nuthatches

• Chestnut-bellied nuthatch
• Velvet-fronted nuthatch

Creepers

• Indian spotted creeper

Tits

• Cinereous tit
• White-naped tit
• Himalayan black-lored tit

Martins

• Sand martin
• Pale martin
• Grey-throated martin
• Eurasian crag martin
• Dusky crag martin

Swallows

Red-rumped swallow in Parli, Maharashtra

• Barn swallow
• Pacific swallow
• Wire-tailed swallow
• Red-rumped swallow
• Streak-throated swallow
• Northern house martin

Bulbuls

Red-vented bulbul in Ernakulam, Kerala

• Grey-headed bulbul
• Black-crested bulbul
• Red-whiskered bulbul
• Red-vented bulbul
• Yellow-throated bulbul
• White-browed bulbul
• Yellow-browed bulbul
• Square-tailed bulbul

Cisticolas, prinias and white-eyes

Ashy prinia in Hyderabad in Telangana

• Zitting cisticola
• Bright-headed cisticola
• Rufous-fronted prinia
• Rufescent prinia
• Grey-breasted prinia
• Jungle prinia
• Ashy prinia
• Plain prinia
• Indian white-eye

Warblers

Blyth's reed warbler in Hebbal lake in Karnataka

Common tailorbird in Hyderabad

• Pale-footed bush warbler
• Grasshopper warbler
• Paddyfield warbler
• Blyth's reed warbler
• Clamorous reed warbler
• Booted warbler
• Common tailorbird
• Common chiffchaff
• Dusky warbler
• Tickell's leaf warbler
• Sulphur-bellied warbler
• Hume's warbler
• Greenish warbler
• Large-billed leaf warbler
• Tytler's leaf warbler
• Western crowned warbler
• Green-crowned warbler
• Lesser whitethroat
• Orphean warbler

Grassbirds

• Striated grassbird
• Bristled grassbird
• Broad-tailed grassbird

Laughingthrushes

Palani laughingthrush in Munnar, Kerala

• Wynaad laughingthrush
• Nilgiri laughingthrush
• Banasura laughingthrush
• Palani laughingthrush
• Ashambu laughingthrush

Babblers and fulvetta

Yellow-billed babbler in Mulli, Tamil Nadu

• Abbott's babbler
• Puff-throated babbler
• Indian scimitar babbler
• Rufous-fronted babbler
• Tawny-bellied babbler
• Dark-fronted babbler
• Striped tit babbler
• Yellow-eyed babbler
• Common babbler
• Large grey babbler
• Rufous babbler
• Jungle babbler
• Yellow-billed babbler
• Brown-cheeked fulvetta

Larks

Rufous-tailed lark in Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary in Telangana

• Singing bushlark
• Indian bushlark
• Jerdon's bushlark
• Ashy-crowned sparrow lark
• Rufous-tailed lark
• Greater short-toed lark
• Crested lark
• Malabar lark
• Sykes's lark
• Oriental skylark

Flowerpeckers

• Thick-billed flowerpecker
• Pale-billed flowerpecker
• Nilgiri flowerpecker

Sunbirds and spiderhunter

Little spiderhunter in Thattekad, Kerala

• Purple-rumped sunbird
• Crimson-backed sunbird
• Purple sunbird
• Loten's sunbird
• Crimson sunbird
• Ruby-cheeked sunbird
• Little spiderhunter
• Olive-backed sunbird

Wagtails

White-browed wagtail in Hyderabad, Telangana

• Forest wagtail
• White wagtail
• White-browed wagtail
• Citrine wagtail
• Yellow wagtail
• Grey wagtail

Pipits

Nilgiri pipit

• Richard's pipit
• Paddyfield pipit
• Tawny pipit
• Blyth's pipit
• Long-billed pipit
• Tree pipit
• Olive-backed pipit
• Red-throated pipit
• Nilgiri pipit

Sparrows

• House sparrow
• Eurasian tree sparrow
• Chestnut-shouldered petronia

Weavers

• Black-breasted weaver
• Streaked weaver
• Baya weaver

Avadavats

Red avadavat in Manjira Wildlife Sanctuary, Telangana

• Red avadavat
• Green avadavat

Munias

White-rumped munia in Mangalore, Karnataka

• Indian silverbill
• White-rumped munia
• Black-throated munia
• Scaly-breasted munia
• Tricoloured munia

Rosefinches and buntings

• Common rosefinch
• Crested bunting
• Grey-necked bunting
• Striolated bunting
• Black-headed bunting
• Red-headed bunting

See also

• Birds of Coimbatore

References

• H. R. Baker and Chas. M. Inglis (1930). The Birds of Southern India, Including Madras, Malabar, Travancore, Cochin, Coorg and Mysore. Madras: Superintendent, Government Press.
• Richard Grimmett and Tim Inskipp (30 November 2005). Birds of Southern India. A&C Black.