Birds in the Himalaya

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As is obvious from most of the pictures, I prefer to depict birds in their natural surroundings, or studies of their behaviour.

Regarding the altitudinal occurrence of birds in the Himalaya, I have relied heavily on R. Grimmett, C. Inskipp & T. Inskipp, Birds of Nepal, Christopher Helm, London, 2000. This book is now out of date taxonomically, but is otherwise an excellent field guide.

The website datazone.birdlife.org has been of great use regarding the geographical distribution of the birds, whereas information about etymology is often based on J.A. Jobling, The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names, Christopher Helm, London, 2010.

In case you find any errors on this page, I would be grateful to receive an email. You may use the address at the bottom of the page.

 

The borders of the Himalaya are not well defined. To the northwest, the Karakoram Mountains (which some authorities consider a part of the Himalaya, others do not) merge into the Hindu Kush and Pamir Mountains. To the north and northeast, several mountain chains in Ladakh, Tibet, and China are a continuation of the Himalaya proper.

As a result of the great span in altitude and precipitation – besides various other factors such as micro-climate and soil composition – flora and fauna of the Himalaya are indeed diverse. In these mountains, two bio-geographical regions meet. In most areas, flora and fauna from the Indo-Malayan Region, which includes the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, dominate, but in northern Pakistan, Kashmir, Ladakh, and in areas of far northern Nepal and Bhutan at altitudes above c. 3,500 m, there is a large element of species from the Palaearctic Region, which includes Central and West Asia.

When the monsoon has passed over the Himalaya from the south, almost all its humidity has already fallen as rain. Thus, the Tibetan Plateau north of the mountains receives very little rainfall. In many places, the annual mean precipitation is less than 100 mm, most of which falls as snow in the winter. For this reason, the major part of the landscape is dry and rather barren, with lush and green areas mainly found along rivers and around the numerous lakes of the region.

On this page, Tibet (called Xizang by the Chinese), Qinghai, and Xinjiang are treated as separate areas. The term ‘western China’ indicates Chinese territories just east of Tibet and Qinghai. The term ‘south-western China’ includes the provinces Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan.

 

 

The family name is derived from the Latin accipiter (‘hawk’), from accipere (‘to grasp’), naturally alluding to the sharp talons.

 

The generic name is a Latinized form of the Ancient Greek elanos (‘kite’).

 

In the Himalaya, it may be encountered up to elevations around 1,600 m, but is commonest in the foothills.

The specific name is derived from the Latin caelum, which, strictly speaking, means ‘sky’, but is often used to indicate the colour ‘sky-blue’; and a diminutive suffix, thus loosely translated as ‘the small sky-blue one’, referring to the bluish sheen in the plumage.

 

 

 

 

 

In 1784, German physician, chemist, and naturalist Gottlieb Conrad Christian Storr (1749-1821) changed the generic name to Gypaetus, from Ancient Greek gyps (‘vulture’) and aetos (‘eagle’). Incidentally, this was an excellent observation done by Storr, as recent research has shown that the bearded vulture is no more closely related to typical vultures than to eagles.

The name lammergeier stems from the German word Lämmergeier (‘lamb-vulture’). It has its root in an old superstition that it would attack lambs. (Source: M. Everett 2008. Lammergeiers and lambs. British Birds 101 (4): 215)

This species was once very widely distributed, from large parts of Central Asia westwards across the Middle East to the Balkans, the Alps, the large Mediterranean islands, the Iberian Peninsula, and north-western Africa, and from Egypt southwards through eastern Africa to South Africa. Today, it has gone extinct in large parts of Europe and Africa, and it is only relatively common in Central Asia, including the Himalaya. It has recently been reintroduced to the Alps.

The lammergeier is restricted to montane or rocky areas, often with grassy areas and small patches of forest. In the Himalaya, it is often soaring at elevations between 1,000 and 5,000 m, rarely observed at low altitudes.

This bird has very unusual feeding habits. When other vultures have cleaned a carcass of meat, it ascends with a bone from the carcass, dropping it on rocky ground, whereupon it descends to eat the marrow of the splintered bone, and also quite large bones.

In his De Materia Medica, Greek physician, pharmacologist, and botanist Pedanius Dioscorides (died 90 A.D.) says that the stomach of the lammergeier is used against urinary stones – a credible claim, considering that its stomach acid is incredibly acid, able to digest bones completely. But how to get it into the urinary tract without harming tissue is anybody’s guess.

In some areas, the lammergeier has adapted to searching for bones in refuse dumps on the outskirts of villages and towns. This behaviour has been observed in Ethiopia, and I also once noticed it in the Jhong River Valley, Mustang, central Nepal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the Ancient Greek word for vultures.

Since the 1980s, most populations of vultures in the Indian Subcontinent have diminished alarmingly due to poisoning from diclofenac, a veterinary drug widely used to treat diseases in livestock. Research has shown that when the vultures feed on cattle carcasses, diclofenac will destroy their kidneys. In 2006, the Indian government announced a ban on the usage of diclofenac. Another drug, meloxicam, which seems to be a good substitute for diclofenac, is harmless to vultures. However, it is more expensive than diclofenac, and the ban has not had much effect, as it is largely ignored, probably by corrupt officials who benefit economically from the distribution of diclofenac.

Since 2016, re-introduction programmes have been instigated, primarily in nature reserves, where diclofenac is not present.

The Himalayan griffon vulture (below) is still fairly common, as it lives in the high Himalaya, where cattle cannot thrive.

The African griffon species have also decreased dramatically in numbers in recent years, described on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in Africa.

 

In former days, in Tibet, a common ‘burial’ method was to cut up deceased people and feed the meat to vultures. I once watched this practice, described on the page Travel episodes – Tibet 1987: Tibetan summer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the classical Latin name of the red kite (M. milvus).

 

The rather pale subspecies govinda is distributed from eastern Pakistan eastwards across warmer parts of India and Sri Lanka to Indochina and the Malacca Peninsula. It is often observed in urban areas. In the higher parts of the Himalaya, it is replaced by subspecies lineatus, which is widespread in Central and East Asia.

The specific name is derived from the Latin migrare (‘to migrate’), alluding to the northernmost populations being migratory.

The subspecific name govinda alludes to the Hindu god Krishna, an avatar (incarnation) of the mighty god Vishnu. It is told that Krishna persuaded people who lived beneath the mountain Govardhana to worship the mountain instead of the rain god Indra, as he was of the opinion that the mountain, rather than the rain god, provided them with nourishment. Indra got furious, when the people no longer worshipped him and, as a punishment, sent torrential rain in order to drown people and cattle. However, Krishna protected them by raising the mountain, so that they could seek shelter beneath it. Indra acknowledged the superiority of Krishna, giving him the name Govinda, meaning ‘protector of cattle’.

Krishna and other Hindu gods are described in depth on the page Religion: Hinduism.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek, from the name Nisos, and aetos (‘eagle’). Nisos was a king of Megara, who possessed a purple lock of hair, which would protect him and his kingdom. According to one version of the legend, when King Minos of Crete besieged Megara, he tempted Nisos’s daughter Scylla with a golden necklace to betray and kill her father. In another version, she fell in love with Minos from a distance, and after cutting off her father’s purple lock, she presented it to Minos. However, Minos was disgusted with her act, calling her a disgrace. As Minos’s ships set sail, Scylla attempted to climb up one of them, but Nisos, who had turned into a sea eagle, attacked her, and she fell into the water and drowned. She was changed into a bird, possibly a heron, constantly pursued by Nisos.

 

Another name of this species is Hodgson’s hawk-eagle, referring to British naturalist and ethnologist Brian Houghton Hodgson (1801-1894), who described the bird after collecting a specimen himself in the Himalaya.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek spilos (‘spot’) and ornis (‘bird’), given in allusion to the white spots on breast and wings of the crested serpent-eagle (below).

 

It is common in the lower parts of the Himalaya, up to an elevation of at least 2,100 m, and some may even stray to 3,000 m.

The specific name is derived from the Hindi word cheel (‘hawk’ or ‘kite’).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the classical Latin word for lark.

 

The specific name probably refers to the fine song of this species, derived from the Latin gula (‘throat’).

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is a diminutive of Ancient Greek kalandros, the calandra lark (Melanocorypha calandra). Apparently, Kaup found that the type species, the greater short-toed lark (C. brachydactyla) resembled a small calandra lark.

 

The specific name is derived from the latin acutus (‘sharp’) and rostrum (‘bill’), referring to the pointed bill. The common name commemorates British naturalist Allan Octavian Hume (1829-1912), who described the species. He was a member of the Indian Civil Service and one of the founders of the Indian National Congress. Hume has been called ‘the Father of Indian Ornithology’. He founded a journal called Stray Feathers, in which he and his subscribers recorded notes on birds from across India.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek eremos (‘desert’) and phileo (‘to love’), alluding to the preferred habitat of Temminck’s lark (E. bilopha), which was described in 1823 by Dutch zoologist and museum director Coenraad Jacob Temminck (1778-1858). Initially, it was placed in the genus Alauda, but both horned larks were moved to Eremophila in 1828 by German zoologist and lawyer Friedrich Boie (1789-1870).

 

No less than about 42 subspecies of this bird have been described. It is distributed across most of the Northern Hemisphere, along the Arctic coasts from Scandinavia eastwards to Alaska and north-eastern Canada, southwards to Mexico, with an isolated population in Columbia. It is also found in the major part of Central Asia, southwards to the Himalaya, westwards to Ukraine, the Middle East, and the Balkans, with an isolated population in the Atlas Mountains of north-western Africa. Arctic populations are migratory.

In the Himalaya, subspecies longirostris is a rather common breeding bird in Ladakh and other semi-desert areas in the northern outskirts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These birds are divided into 3 subfamilies: river kingfishers (Alcedininae), tree kingfishers (Halcyoninae), and water kingfishers (Cerylinae). One species of the former subfamily is presented on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in Taiwan, whereas members of the other two subfamilies are dealt with below.

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek kerylos, an unidentified bird mentioned by scientist and philosopher Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) and other authors. This bird was probably mythical, associated with the halkyon (see genus Halcyon below).

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘rude’ or ‘uncultivated’. This strange name was applied by Swedish naturalist Fredrik Hasselquist (1722-1752) who probably confused the Latin word hispida (‘kingfisher’) with hispidus (‘rough’ or ‘rude’).

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is associated with a bird of Greek legend, called Halcyon, generally thought to be the common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis). The Ancients believed that this bird made a floating nest in the Aegean Sea and had the power to calm the waves while brooding her eggs. Two weeks of calm weather were to be expected when the Halcyon was nesting, which took place around winter solstice. These Halcyon days were generally regarded as beginning on the 14th or 15th of December.

This belief in the bird’s power to calm the sea originated in a myth recorded by Roman poet Publius Ovidius Naso (43 B.C. – c. 17 A.D.), known as Ovid. The story goes that Aeolus, ruler of the winds, had a daughter named Alcyone, who was married to Ceyx, the king of Thessaly. Ceyx drowned at sea, and in her grief, Alcyone threw herself into the waves. However, instead of drowning, she was transformed into a bird and carried to her husband by the wind. (Source: phrases.org.uk)

 

The specific name refers to the Ancient Greek city of Smyrna, now called Izmir, in what is today western Turkey. Initially, Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) named this bird Alcedo smyrnensis, citing the work A natural history of birds : illustrated with a hundred and one copper plates, curiously engraven from the life (1731-1738), by English naturalist and illustrator Eleazar Albin (c. 1690-1742), which includes a description and an illustration of the Smirna kingfisher.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the classical Latin term for geese.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is a Latin word, used by Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder (23-79 A.D.) as the name of an unspecified waterbird.

Previously, two other ducks were included in the genus, the hooded merganser, now called Lophodytes cucullatus, and the smew, today named Mergellus albellus. Research has shown that they are not closely related to mergansers.

 

The specific name is a concoction of the generic name and the Latin anser (‘goose’).

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from tadorne, the French name of the common shelduck (T. tadorna). It may have Celtic roots, meaning ‘pied waterfowl’. The English name, originally sheld duck, dates from around 1700, with a similar meaning.

 

This is essentially a Central Asian species, with breeding populations extending across the Middle East as far as south-eastern Europe, with isolated populations in north-western Africa and the highlands of Ethiopia. It is very common on the Tibetan Plateau. In the Himalaya, it breeds in several alpine lakes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the classical Latin word for swifts, derived from Ancient Greek a (‘without’) and pous (‘foot’). Due to the tiny, weak legs of these birds, the Ancients believed that they were a type of swallow without feet.

 

It is very common in Nepal, at all seasons encountered up to elevations around 1,000 m, in summer up to about 2,100 m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most of the year, the plumage of these birds is buff or brownish, making them extremely well camouflaged among various types of vegetation. When they take to flight, however, they are transformed as if by magic, when their brilliant white wings are displayed.

The generic name is composed of ardea, the Latin word for heron, and ola, a suffix denoting something diminutive, thus ‘small heron’.

 

It is easily overlooked in its drab winter plumage when standing at the edge of lakes, ponds, or paddy fields. It relies on its camouflage to a degree that it can be approached closely before taking to flight. This behaviour gave rise to the Hindi name andha bagla (‘blind heron’), as well as the Sri Lankan name kana koka (‘half-blind heron’).

Formerly, this bird was shot for meat. In his book A New Account of the East Indies, from 1744, Alexander Hamilton writes the following: “They have also store of wild fowl; but who have a mind to eat them must shoot them. Flamingoes are large and good meat. The paddy-bird is also good in their season.”

The specific name honours British zoologist John Edward Gray (1800-1875), who was keeper of zoology at the British Museum in London 1840-1874, until the natural history department was re-named the Natural History Museum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, in the late 1800s it began expanding its range into southern Africa, and in 1877 it was observed in northern South America, having apparently flown across the Atlantic Ocean. By the 1930s, it had become established as a breeding bird in this area, rapidly spreading to North America, where it is now found as far north as southern Canada. In later years, it has also spread northwards in Europe.

As its name implies, it often follows cattle to snap grasshoppers and other small animals, flushed by the grazers. It is also often observed in newly ploughed fields. The generic name is Latin, meaning ‘cowherd’. The specific name is the Ancient Greek term for ibises. Why it was applied to the cattle egret is not clear.

Today, some authorities split the cattle egret into two species, the western (B. ibis) and the eastern (B. coromandus). Apart from minor differences, they are identical, so why this split was made, is incomprehensible. I prefer to regard all cattle egrets as a single species.

Previously, a large breeding colony of cattle egrets was found in the heart of Kathmandu, close to the new Royal Palace. In later years, however, I haven’t been able to locate this colony, but a rather large colony is present in the suburb Banepa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is Latin, meaning ‘dove’, the feminine form of columbus (‘male dove’), a Latinized version of Ancient Greek kolumbos (‘diver’). This name was applied by Greek comic-writer Aristophanes (c. 446-386 B.C.) to the rock pigeon (below), due to the ‘swimming’ motion made by its wings in flight.

 

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek leukos (‘white’) and noton (‘back’).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, the bird was domesticated at a very early stage, and it has been brought to almost every corner of the world. Over time, more than a thousand breeds have evolved. In numerous cities around the world, birds have escaped to form huge feral populations. Feeding these birds is often a very popular occupation, despite the fact that they are a nuisance, dropping their guano everywhere, and maybe also spreading contagious diseases.

The specific name stems from Theodore Gaza’s work from 1476, Aristotelis de natura animalium, in which he translates the classical Greek word for dove, peleia (probably derived from pellos = ‘dark-coloured’), into livia, derived from the Latin livens (‘lead-coloured’), ultimately from livere (‘being bluish’).

Several pictures, depicting this bird, are shown on the page Animals: Urban animal life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is derived from the Latin rupes (‘rock’ or ‘cliff’), alluding to the main habitat of the bird.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek streptos (literally meaning ‘twisted’, but in this connection ‘wearing a torc’, a twisted metal collar, alluding to the semi-collar of many members of the genus), and peleia (‘dove’).

Other species, which were formerly placed in this genus, have been moved to the genera Spilopelia and Nesoenas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the classical Latin term for raven.

Previously, jackdaws were also placed in this genus. Following genetic research, they have been moved to a separate genus, Coloeus.

 

Due to its intelligent behaviour, this bird appears in several mythologies across Eurasia. In Norse mythology, two ravens, Hugin (‘thought’) and Munin (‘memory’), were the servants of the supreme god Odin, bringing news to him from all over the world.

The specific name is the classical Greek word for the common raven.

 

 

In its widest sense, including the two splits, this bird is found from Afghanistan and the entire Indian Subcontinent eastwards to south-eastern Siberia (Ussuriland) and Japan, and thence southwards through Indochina and the Philippines to Indonesia. It lives in a wide variety of habitats, including forests, rocky areas, cultivated land, and along rivers. In the Himalaya, it is found up to an elevation of at least 3,000 m.

The large-billed crow is quite similar to the common raven (above), but, besides its smaller size, it may be identified by the slimmer bill and the steeper ‘forehead’.

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek makros (‘long’) and rhynkhos (‘bill’).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek dendron (‘tree’) and kissa, which was the classical Greek name of the common jay (Garrulus glandarius), but also refers to magpies in general. The word pie is of Indo-European origin, meaning ‘pointed’, referring to the long, pointed tail of these birds.

 

In 1544, when the Portuguese first saw Taiwan from the sea, they named it Formosa (‘beautiful’). Since then many plants and animals, which were described from specimens collected on the island, were named various forms of this word.

 

 

 

 

 

The most important food item for these birds are seeds of various pines (Pinus), which they break open with their powerful bill. This fact is reflected by the generic name, which is derived from the Latin nuci (‘nut’) and frango (‘to break’).

When pine nuts are abundant, they make caches of surplus seeds, storing as many as 30,000 in a single season. They are able to remember the location of as many as about 70% of their stash, even when buried in snow. They often store the nuts far away from where they were collected, and are thus important in re-establishing forests in logged or burned areas. (Source: D.F. Tomback 2016, in Why birds matter: avian ecological function and ecosystem services, edited by Sekercioglu, Wenny & Whelan, University of Chicago Press)

In regions without pine trees, seeds of spruce (Picea) and hazelnuts (Corylus) form an important part of the diet.

 

The plumage of this bird is quite variable, and as many as 9 subspecies have been described. In the Himalaya, 3 subspecies occur: multipunctata, by some recognized as a separate species, found in northern Kashmir, northern Pakistan, and eastern Afghanistan; hemispila, distributed from southern Kashmir eastwards to western Nepal; and macella, which lives from western Nepal eastwards to northern Myanmar and the Yunnan Province.

The specific name has the same meaning as the generic name, but is derived from Ancient Greek karyon (‘nut’) and kataseio (‘to shatter’).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, following genetic research it has been suggested that the former black-billed magpie should be split into a number of separate species, the Eurasian magpie (P. pica), the Maghreb magpie (P. mauritanica) of North Africa, the Asir magpie (P. asirensis) of south-western Saudi Arabia, the Oriental magpie (P. serica) of eastern and southern China, Taiwan, and northern Indochina, the black-rumped magpie (P. bottanensis) of west-central China and the north-eastern Himalaya, and the black-billed magpie (P. hudsonia) of western North America. They are all very much alike, so why this split was made is a mystery to me, and I prefer to regards these magpies as subspecies of a single species.

The generic name is the classical Latin name of the magpie, derived from the Latin picata, which, strictly speaking, means ‘smeared with tar’, but in a wider sense ‘black-and-white’.

The word pie is of Indo-European origin, meaning ‘pointed’, in this case no doubt referring to the long, pointed tail of these birds. The prefix mag dates from the 16th Century, a short form of the name Margaret, which was a term used for women in general. The call of the bird was likened to the chattering of women, and so it was called mag-pie. (Source: etymonline.com/word/magpie)

The role of the magpie in European folklore is related on the page Animals: Urban animal life.

 

As described above, some subspecies have been upgraded to separate species by some authorities.

The distribution of subspecies bactriana, called Russian magpie, just reaches northern Pakistan and Ladakh. The subspecific name refers to Bactriana, in Persian Bakhtar, an ancient region north of the Hindu Kush Mountains and south of the Amu Darya River, covering a flat region in present-day Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The black-rumped magpie, subspecies bottanensis, is found in Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek pyrrhos (‘flame-coloured’), from pyr (‘fire’), and korax (‘raven’), presumably alluding to the bright red bill of the red-billed chough.

 

It is very common in the Himalaya, generally found at higher altitudes than the red-billed chough (below).

The specific name was the classical Latin word for an unidentified bird, which later authors identified as the jackdaw (Coloeus monedula). Perhaps it refers to the fact that this bird is small, just like the jackdaw.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These birds feed mainly on large insects and other invertebrates, and on various fruits, but are also notorious plunderers of eggs and young from smaller birds’ nests.

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek oura (‘tail’) and kissa, which, originally, was the name of the jay (Garrulus glandarius), but could also refer to magpies in general, thus ‘long-tailed magpie’.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘yellow-billed’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the classical Latin word for cuckoos.

 

This bird is very noisy during the breeding season, with a distinctive chattering call of 5 to 6 notes, rendered as ‘That’s your choky pepper … choky pepper’ (accent on the first choky), or pretty-peel-lay-ka-beet. It lays its eggs in the nests of babblers, warblers, and other small birds. (Source: indiabiodiversity.org)

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek polios (‘grey’) and kephale (‘head’).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek dikros (‘forked’) and oura (‘tail’), referring to the forked tail of these birds.

In Australia, the common name is slang for foolish or stupid people. It stems back from the 1920s, when an Australian racehorse, which was apparently named after the bird, never won a race during its active 5 years, and the word was transferred to indicate any slow-witted or clumsy person. This can by no means apply to the clever and agile drongos!

 

Himalayan birds resemble the black drongo (below), but are greyer. At close quarters, you notice the red iris, whereas the black drongo has black iris. The latter often has a small white dot below the eye.

 

 

 

 

 

The black drongo lives in open areas, where it catches flying insects from a prominent perch, such as an electric wire or a bare branch. As its name implies, the plumage of this species is jet-black, with very little sheen.

Previously, it was regarded as conspecific with the African fork-tailed drongo, which is today treated as a separate species, D. adsimilis.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from the Old German word for these birds, Embritz.

 

In the Himalaya, it is distributed from central Nepal westwards, in the summer occurring at elevations between 2,400 and 4,600 m, in the winter descending to about 1,800 m.

The specific name is derived from a local Italian name for this bird, from zirlare (‘to chirp’).

 

 

 

 

 

A large number of these birds are in the pet trade, and many of them have escaped to form feral populations.

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek lonkhe (‘spear-head’ or ‘lance’) and oura (‘tail’), alluding to the pointed tail of some members of the genus.

 

The specific name alludes to the pale brown streaks on the upperside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from the Latin falx, or falcis (‘sickle’), referring to the claws.

 

The specific name is the classical Latin name of the kestrel, derived from tinnulus (‘shrill sound’). The term kestrel is usually applied to smaller falcons, which often hunt by hovering.

The term kestrel is usually applied to falcons, which often hunt by hovering.

 

 

 

 

 

The family name is derived from the Latin fringilla (‘finch’), originally from frigutio (‘I chirp’).

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek karpos (‘fruit’) and dakno (‘to bite’).

 

In the Himalaya, it is a fairly common breeding bird, in summer found at elevations between 3,300 and 4,000 m, in winter descending to the lowlands and up to about 2,000 m. Two subspecies are encountered, roseatus, in which the male is bright red all over, except for the reddish-brown wings and the whitish vent, and erythrinus, where the red is restricted to the upper breast and head, and the rump. The former race is resident, the latter a passage migrant.

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek erythros (‘red’), alluding to the bright red plumage of the male.

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is composed of the Latin pulcher (‘beautiful’), and a superlative adjective, thus ‘very beautiful’.

Some authorities now regard subspecies davidianus as a separate species, named Chinese beautiful rosefinch (C. davidianus).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is found from north-eastern Afghanistan along the Himalaya eastwards to Bhutan and adjacent areas of Tibet, breeding in alpine meadows, shrubberies, and forest edges at elevations between 2,400 and 4,200 m. In winter, many birds descend to lower areas, some as low as 1,800 m.

The specific name was given in honour of Thura Nilsson, daughter of Swedish zoologist and archaeologist Sven Nilsson (1787-1883).

Eastern populations have been elevated to a separate species, the Chinese white-browed rosefinch (C. dubius).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from khloris, the classical Greek name of the European greenfinch, from khloros (‘green’).

 

This species occurs from Afghanistan along the Himalaya to northern Vietnam, living in temperate forest and shrubland. In the Himalaya, it may be encountered in summer at altitudes between 2,400 and 4,000 m, in winter between 900 and 1,800 m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek leukostiktos (‘white-speckled’, ‘white-spotted’, or ‘grizzled’), from leukos (‘white’) and stiktos (‘spotted’). It may apply to the speckled underside of Brandt’s mountain finch (below).

 

In the Himalaya, it occurs at elevations above 4,200 m in summer, occasionally encountered up to about 6,000 m. In winter, it descends to slightly lower altitudes, usually above 3,000 m.

This species is also known as black-headed mountain finch, alluding to the black head of the male in the breeding season.

The specific and common names honour Johann Friedrich von Brandt (1802-1879), a Prussian zoologist in the Russian service, and explorer of Siberia.

 

 

 

 

 

Another name of this species is Hodgson’s mountain finch, so named in honour of British naturalist and ethnologist Brian Houghton Hodgson (1801-1894), who described numerous new species of birds and mammals in the Himalaya, including this bird, in 1836.

The specific name is derived from the Latin nemus (‘forest’ or ‘wood’) and cola (‘dweller’), from colere (‘to dwell’) – not a well-chosen name for this bird, which is mainly living in open areas.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek mykerobas (‘nut-breaker’), from mykeros (‘almond’).

 

In the Himalaya, it breeds at elevations between 2,700 and 4,200 m, in winter moving to lower altitudes, occasionally as low as 1,100 m.

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘related to’, in this case referring to the black-and-yellow grosbeak (M. icterioides).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the Himalaya, it breeds at elevations between 3,000 and 4,600 m, in winter moving to lower altitudes around 2,800 m.

The specific name is derived from the Latin carnis (‘flesh’) and pes (‘foot’), thus ‘with flesh-coloured feet’. The popular name alludes to a white patch on the primaries.

The popular name alludes to a white patch on the primaries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the Himalaya it is rather uncommon, in summer encountered up to altitudes around 3,400 m, in winter found as low as 1,400 m.

The male is similar to the male collared grosbeak (above), but mantle and back are black, and it has many white spots in the wing. The female is yellowish, heavily streaked with black above and below. Immature males are a mixture of the two.

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek melas (‘black’) and xanthos (‘yellow’).

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek pro (‘before’ or ‘close to’), and the genus name Carduelis (European goldfinch). It is not easy to see the connection, as the two birds look entirely different.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 1836, British naturalist and ethnologist Brian Houghton Hodgson (1801-1894) described this bird, calling it Pyrrhoplectes epauletta, from Pyrrhula (bullfinch, below), Euplectes (the African bishops), and the French épaulette (‘shoulder ornament’), thus ‘the epauletted bird that looks like a mixture of a bullfinch and a bishop’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek pyr (‘fire’), and the Latin ulus, a suffix indicating something small, thus ‘a small fire’, naturally alluding to the red or reddish colour of the males of several species of the genus.

 

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek erythros (‘red’) and kephale (‘head’).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the classical Latin name of cranes, presumably an imitation of their call.

 

In winter, the birds migrate to less harsh areas of southern Tibet and the provinces of Guizhou and Yunnan, and also a few hundred to Assam and Bhutan.

An account of my encounter with this bird is related on the page Travel episodes – China 2009: Among black-necked cranes.

The specific name is derived from the Latin niger (‘black’) and collum (‘neck’).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Europe, the term swallow is mainly used for species with forked tails, martin mainly for species with squarish tails. In America, however, the term martin is reserved for members of the genus Progne.

 

The genus may be named for Kekropia, a mythical king of Athens. Jobling (2010) mentions Kekropis, a woman from Athens, without further explanation.

 

Some subspecies of this bird are extremely similar to the striated swallow (C. striolata), which breeds in Southeast Asia and the Far East. Striated tends to be a little larger and with less rufous on crown and cheeks, but the two species are very difficult to separate in the field. To me, it is a bit of a mystery why they are not regarded as a single species.

The specific name refers to Dauria, a landscape in south-eastern Siberia, in which a nomadic Mongolian tribe, the Dauuri or Daguuri, once lived. Presumably the type specimen was collected there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It places its nest among pebbles in broad, shallow rivers of Central Asia, distributed from southern Kazakhstan southwards to northern Afghanistan and thence eastwards across the entire Tibet to western and north-central China. In the Himalaya, it is a fairly frequent breeding bird, found at elevations between 3,800 and 4,200 m. The winter months are spent in the foothills.

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek ibis (‘ibis’) and rhynkhos (‘bill’), alluding to the ibis-like bill. The specific name was given in honour of Dr. Struthers of Glasgow, who collected specimens of the bird from the Himalaya in the 19th Century.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Previously, the family was much larger, including bushshrikes, puffbacks, tchagras, boubous, and helmetshrikes. However, genetic research has shown that these groups are not closely related to shrikes. As a consequence, bushshrikes, puffbacks, tchagras, and boubous have been moved to the family Malaconotidae, helmetshrikes to the family Vangidae.

 

The generic name is derived from the Latin lanio (‘butcher’), derived from laniare (‘tearing to pieces’). Shrikes were formerly known as ‘butcher-birds’, referring to their habit of storing prey by impaling it on thorns and sharp twigs, thus resembling a butcher’s slaughterhouse. The name shrike stems from Old English scric, alluding to their call.

 

The distribution area of two subspecies overlap in the central Himalaya, erythronotus, sometimes called rufous-backed shrike, in the western part, and tricolor, often called black-headed shrike, in the eastern part. Occasionally, mixed breeding pairs of the two races occur. This bird may be encountered up to elevations around 3,000 m, but chiefly breeds between 1,500 and 2,700 m, descending in winter, sometimes to the lowlands.

The specific name is onomatopoeic, applied to the long-tailed shrike in 1757 by Swedish explorer and naturalist Pehr Osbeck (1723-1805), who was an apostle of the famous Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778). In 1750-1752, he travelled on board the Prins Carl to Asia, where he spent four months studying flora, fauna, and culture in the Canton region of southern China. Returning home, he contributed more than 600 plant species to Linnaeus’ Species Plantarum, published in 1753. In 1757, he published an account of his work in China, called Dagbok öfwer en Ostindisk resa åren 1750, 1751, 1752: Med anmärkningar uti naturkunnigheten, främmande folkslags språk, seder, hushållning, m. m. (‘Diary of a Journey to the East Indies 1750, 1751, 1752: with comments on natural history, and language, customs, household etc. of foreign peoples’).

Other pictures, depicting this bird, may be seen on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in Taiwan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the breeding season, it may be found at elevations between 2,200 and 4,600 m, in winter descending to lower altitudes around 2,000 m, sometimes as low as 300 m.

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek tephros (‘ash-coloured’) and noton (‘back’).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Old English stearn, which appears in the poem The Seafarer, from the 10th Century. A similar word was used for these birds by the Frisians, whereas the Scandinavians used, and still use, the word terne (Danish and Norwegian) or tärna (Swedish).

 

Subspecies tibetana is an uncommon breeding bird in Ladakh. In the remaining part of the Himalaya, the species may be observed on passage. It spends the winter along coasts from about 20 degrees northern latitude southwards to southern South America, Africa, and Australia.

The specific name is the Latin name of swallows. It dates back to the 1600s, where the bird was called Hirundo marina (‘sea-swallow’) by English ornithologist and ichthyologist Francis Willughby (1635-1672). The name alludes to the elegant flight of terns.

 

 

 

 

 

In the past, these genera all belonged to the family Timaliidae, which constituted a true ‘waste-bin of systematics’, in which hundreds of bird species were placed. Today, most of these species have been moved to other families.

The Asian members of the family live in a wide range of habitats, from humid tropical rainforests to rather cold areas in China, Taiwan, and the Himalaya.

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek grammatos (‘line’ or ‘letter’) and ptilon (‘wing’ or ‘feather’), thus ‘with lined wing’ (or plumage).

 

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘haltered’. What it refers to is not clear.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek ianthos (‘violet-coloured’), and the Latin cinclus (‘thrush’).

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘marked with small eyes’, derived from oculus (‘eye’), alluding to the markings on back and wings.

 

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘related to’, in this case referring to the variegated laughing-thrush (below).

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek erythros (‘red’) and kephale (‘head’).

 

 

 

 

 

The plumage of this species is quite variable, reddish-brown with varying amounts of grey. The flight feathers, however, are always bright reddish-brown.

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘marked with lines’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from the Latin turdus (‘thrush’), and Ancient Greek oides (‘resembling’).

The popular name refers to the noisy behaviour of some babblers of the genus Argya, which were previously placed in Turdoides.

 

It was described in 1836 by British naturalist and ethnologist Brian Houghton Hodgson (1801-1894), but was not seen again until the late 1940s, where it was re-discovered by American ornithologist Sidney Dillon Ripley (1913-2001).

It is threatened by expansion of urban areas and clearance of shrubberies to create fields.

 

 

 

These colourful, small to medium-sized birds were formerly placed in the family Capitonidae, which also included New World barbets and African barbets, but the Asian species have been found to be distinctive and now constitute a separate family, with African barbets (Lybiidae) and toucans (Ramphastidae) as sister groups.

Fruits of various fig species (Ficus) constitute a significant part of the diet of these birds.

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘green’ – an odd name for this colourful bird, especially when many other species in the genus are mainly green!

 

 

 

 

Greek scientist and philosopher Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) mentions anthos, a small, brightly coloured bird, and Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder (23-79 A.D.) mentions anthus, both maybe referring to the yellow wagtail (Motacilla flava).

In Greek mythology, Anthos, son of Antinous and Hippodamia, was trampled to pieces by his father’s horses. The gods transformed him into a bird, which would imitate the neighing of a horse, but always fled from the sight of horses. Perhaps Aristotle had noticed wagtails taking off because of horses.

 

It is very widely distributed, found from Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan eastwards across the Tibetan Plateau and western China to north-eastern China, southwards to the Himalaya and northern Indochina. In summer, it breeds in high-altitude meadows at elevations between 4,000 and 5,100 m, and the winter is spent in marshy areas and grasslands at the foothills in the northern part of the Indian Subcontinent and Indochina, and in southern China, usually at altitudes between 700 and 1,500 m.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the classical Latin name of the white wagtail (below). It is derived from motare (‘to move’ or ‘to shake’), and the diminutive suffix illa, thus ‘the little shaker’, alluding to the tail of the white wagtail always bobbing up and down. However, some time during the Middle Ages the erroneous belief arose that cilla meant ‘tail’.

 

Subspecies alboides is a common breeding bird in the Himalaya, from Pakistan eastwards to south-western China. In summer, it may be encountered up to altitudes around 4,800 m. In autumn, it descends to the lowlands.

Subspecies leucopsis breeds from Ussuriland in south-eastern Siberia southwards through central and eastern China to Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, spending the winter in southern China, Taiwan, Indochina, and the northern part of the Indian Subcontinent. A number of pictures, showing this bird, are presented on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in Taiwan.

Subspecies personata breeds in southern Siberia, Xinjiang, and western Mongolia, southwards to northern Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and north-western India, wintering from Oman eastwards to northern India.

Several subspecies are also presented on the page Animals: Urban animal life.

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘white’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is a common breeding bird in the Himalaya, found along fast-flowing streams, mainly at elevations between 1,100 and 4,000 m. In winter, it descends to the lowlands, but may occasionally be encountered up to 1,500 m.

A number of pictures, depicting this species, are shown on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in Taiwan.

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘ash-grey’, derived from cineris (‘ashes’). A strange named for this mainly yellow bird.

 

 

 

 

 

In the Himalaya, it breeds in Ladakh. Elsewhere in the mountain range, it may be observed on passage, and in winter it is fairly common in marshy areas at the foothills.

The specific name is Latin, like the common name meaning ‘lemon-coloured’.

 

 

 

 

 

It is endemic to the Indian Subcontinent, from Pakistan eastwards to Bangladesh, and from the foothills of the Himalaya southwards to Cape Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin). It breeds in wetlands, but has adapted well to urban areas. It is largely resident, but is occasionally observed in Sri Lanka in winter.

In the Himalaya, it may be encountered up to elevations around 1,700 m, occasionally higher.

The specific name refers to Madras, a city in Tamil Nadu, South India, today known as Chennai. Presumably, the type specimen was collected there.

 

 

 

 

The family name is derived from the Latin musca (‘a fly’) and capere (‘to catch’).

 

Calliope was the most prominent of the nine Muses in Greek mythology, who presided over poetry, song, and the arts and sciences. The name is derived from kallos (‘beauty’) and ops (‘voice’), in this context alluding to the fine song of these birds.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘of the breast’, derived from pectus (‘breast’). It probably refers to the black band across the breast.

In former days, birds in western China, Tibet, and northern Myanmar were included in this species, but have now been split to form a separate species, Chinese rubythroat (C. tschebaiewi).

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek kopsykhos, the name of the blackbird (Turdus merula), but also generally meaning ‘thrush’.

 

It lives in open forest, secondary growth, and gardens, found in the major part of the Indian Subcontinent, from Indochina eastwards to central and eastern China, and thence southwards to Indonesia. It is the national bird of Bangladesh.

In the Himalaya, it is commonly encountered up to altitudes around 2,000 m, occasionally to 3,000 m.

A number of pictures, depicting this species, are shown on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in Taiwan.

In his 3-volume work A natural history of birds : illustrated with a hundred and one copper plates, curiously engraven from the life (1731-1738), English naturalist and illustrator Eleazar Albin (c. 1690-1742) calls this bird Dial Bird or Bengall Magpie. The former name alludes to the Hindi name of the bird, dayal. Some authorities have suggested that when Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) included it in his Systema Naturæ in 1758, he named it Gracula saularis, misunderstanding Albin’s name, thinking it had something to do with a sun dial. He then meant to call it Gracula solaris (solaris, ‘of the sun’), but by mistake wrote saularis instead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek henikos (‘singular’) and oura (‘tail’), alluding to the forked tail.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘without spots’.

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘spotted’.

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name was given in honour of Scottish physician and naturalist John Scouler (1804-1871), who made several travels, one 1824-26 on board a Hudson Bay Company ship, bound for the Columbia River, which anchored at Madeira, Rio de Janeiro, and the Galapagos Islands on the way. His companion was the celebrated botanist David Douglas (1799-1834), who taught Scouler a great deal of botany. A second journey was on board a merchant vessel, bound for Calcutta, making stops at Cape Horn and Madras in southern India.

The interesting, albeit short life of David Douglas is related on the page Plants – Ancient and huge trees: Pseudotsuga menziesii.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek eu (‘good’) and myia (‘fly’), implicit meaning ‘good at catching flies’.

 

The male is slightly more turquoise than the female.

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek thalassios (‘sea-coloured’), in this case translated as ‘sea-green’. Verditer is a word that indicates a light blue or turquoise colour.

 

 

 

 

 

Despite the thrush-like appearance of these birds, genetic research has shown that they are in fact ground-living flycatchers.

 

This bird breeds in forests and shrubberies at elevations between 1,200 and 2,200 m, from Afghanistan along the Himalaya eastwards to Arunachal Pradesh. In winter, it may be encountered in the entire Indian Peninsula and parts of Myanmar.

The specific name means ‘with a bill like a dipper (Cinclus)‘, derived from Ancient Greek kinklos, which denotes a small unidentified bird, possibly a trush, and rhynkhos (‘bill’), alluding to the long, thin bill of this species.

 

 

 

 

 

This species is distributed from Afghanistan along the Himalaya eastwards to northern Indochina and southern China. In the Himalaya, it breeds at elevations between 1,800 and 3,400 m, in winter descending to lower altitudes, between 900 and 2,400 m.

The specific name is derived from the Latin rufus (‘rufous’) and ventris (‘belly’).

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from the Latin musca (‘a fly’) and capere (‘to catch’).

 

Previously, this species was known as sooty flycatcher, but that name is now reserved for M. infuscata from Africa.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek myia (‘fly’) and phoneus (‘slayer’), from phonos (‘murder’). The common name alludes to the call of the blue whistling-thrush (below), a sharp, piercing note, which can be heard far away.

 

The sexes are similar in plumage, being dark purple or bluish with tiny silvery spots on head, back, and wings, and the bill is various shades of yellow, sometimes rather dark.

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘bluish’, alluding to the blackish-blue plumage.

 

 

 

 

 

The genus contains 14 species, distributed from western Europe and North Africa eastwards across Temperate Eurasia, and thence southwards to India and Indochina. No less than 11 species have been encountered in the Himalaya.

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek phoinix (‘crimson’) and oura (‘tail’), like the English name referring to the red tail of these birds. Start is an old word for tail.

 

It is a large species, to 18 cm long. The male is easily identified by its white crown, black throat and upper breast, orange-red belly, and a white patch on the wing. The female is orange-buff, with a reddish tail.

It breeds in high-altitude meadows and stony areas at elevations between 3,600 and 5,600 m, in winter descending to slightly lower altitudes, between 1,500 and 4,800 m. Some of the Central Asian birds are migratory, spending the winter in north-eastern China and northern Indochina.

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek erythros (‘red’) and gaster (‘belly’).

The alternative popular name commemorates Baltic naturalist and explorer Johann Anton Güldenstädt (1745-1781), who participated in a Russian expedition, sent by Catherine II to explore the Caucasus and other Russian frontier areas. This expedition was the first systematic study of the Caucasus. Güldenstädt died from an outbreak of fever in St. Petersburg.

 

 

 

 

 

Occupying a wide range of habitats, including forest clearings, shrubberies, and villages, this species is the commonest redstart in the Himalaya, where it breeds at elevations between 3,300 and 4,900 m, descending to altitudes between 1,000 and 3,000 m in winter.

It is very widely distributed, from eastern Afghanistan eastwards along the Himalaya to large parts of eastern Tibet and western China.

The specific name is derived from the Latin frontis (‘forehead’), alluding to the blue forehead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is distributed from Tajikistan and Afghanistan along the Himalaya to Bangladesh, Indochina, most of China, and Taiwan, living exclusively along fast-flowing streams and often seen perched on a rock, from where it takes off to snap some bypassing insect.

It is common in the Himalaya, breeding at elevations between 1,500 and 4,000 m, descending in winter to the foothills and lower mountains, occasionally encountered up to 2,500 m.

The specific name is derived from the Latin fuligo (‘soot’) and ous (‘prone to’), alluding to the slaty-black colour of the male.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This species, by some authorities called white-capped water-redstart, is distributed in a vast area, from Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan eastwards along the Himalaya to the major part of eastern Tibet and China, southwards to northern Indochina. It breeds at altitudes between 1,800 and 5,000 m, descending to slightly lower elevations in winter.

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek leukos (‘white’) and kephale (‘head’).

Previously, this bird was placed in the monotypic genus Chaimarrornis, derived from Ancient Greek kheimarrhos (‘torrent’) and ornis (‘bird’), alluding to its habitat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from the Latin saxum (‘rock’) and incola (‘dwelling among’), alluding to the preferred habitat of the type species, the common stonechat (Saxicola torquatus), which has since been divided into 5 species (see below).

 

In the Himalaya, it breeds at elevations between 1,500 and 3,400 m, spending the winter from the lowlands up to about 2,000 m.

The male has a black mask and white supercilium, the back is dark grey with blackish streaks, and the underparts are pale grey. The female has a faded version of the male’s head pattern, dark brown upperparts, and reddish-buff underparts, with a reddish tail.

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘iron-grey’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Subspecies indicus breeds in the Himalaya, from Kashmir eastwards to Arunachal Pradesh, in summer found at elevations between 400 and 4,900 m, in winter descending to below 1,500 m.

It resembles the European stonechat (S. rubicola), but is darker above, with a white rump and whiter underparts with less orange on the breast.

The specific name is Latin, originally indicating an Arab Moor of Spain, but in a wider sense an African (i.e. ‘black’ or ‘dark’). Why this name was applied to an Asian bird is not clear. Perhaps it is a bit darker than the European stonechat.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek tarsos (‘tarsus’, ‘shank’, ‘flat of the foot’), and the Latin ger (‘bearing’), presumably alluding to the very long tarsus of these birds.

 

In the Himalaya, this species breeds at altitudes between 3,500 and 4,200 m, moving down in winter to elevations between 1,700 and 2,800 m.

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek khryseios (‘golden’), from khrysos (‘gold’).

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is derived from the Latin rufus (‘rufous’) and latus (‘flank’ or ‘side’).

Previously, this bird was regarded as a subspecies of the common bluestart (T. cyanurus), but today most authorities consider it a separate species.

 

 

 

 

 

With their downward-curved bills, these colourful birds are adapted to feed on nectar (hence the name of the family), but they also eat fruit, insects, and spiders. Although they resemble the hummingbirds of the Americas, these two groups are entirely unrelated, the resemblance being an example of convergent evolution.

Africa holds a bewildering array of sunbirds, and a large number of species are also found from the Middle East across the Indian Subcontinent to Indochina, southern China, Indonesia, New Guinea, and northern Australia. In the Himalaya, about 8 species have been observed.

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek aithos (‘fire’) and pyge (‘rump’).

 

The specific name is derived from the Latin ignis (‘fire’) and cauda (‘tail’).

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the classical Latin name of the European golden oriole.

 

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek xanthos (‘yellow’) and ornis (‘bird’). Presumably, the ‘u’ is a writing mistake.

 

 

 

 

 

Later studies found that parrotbills were not at all related to tits, and, together with the bearded reedling (Panurus biarmicus), they were moved to a separate family, Paradoxornithidae (‘paradoxical birds’), which was placed near the timalids (Timaliidae). The bearded reedling has since been moved to a family of its own, Panuridae.

Recent genetic research has had the effect that a number of birds, which were previously placed in Timaliidae, have been moved to Paradoxornithidae, including Chrysomma and some fulvettas, formerly of the genus Alcippe, now Fulvetta (below). Other fulvettas, which were retained in Alcippe, have been moved to a separate family, Alcippeidae.

Today, Paradoxornithidae contains about 16 genera with c. 37 species of small to medium-sized birds.

 

Previously, these birds were placed in the family Timaliidae (Old World babblers). However, genetic research has revealed that they are related to parrotbills.

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek khrysos (‘gold’) and omma (‘eye’).

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘Chinese’ or ‘from China’. Presumably, the type specimen was collected there.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is a diminutive of the Latin fulvus (‘tawny’ or ‘yellowish-brown’), thus ‘a small tawny bird’.

 

The specific name is derived from the Latin vinum (‘wine’) and pectus (‘breast’), thus ‘with wine-coloured breast’. A much diluted wine, I must say!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek myzao (‘I suck’) and ornis (‘bird’), whereas the specific name stems from pyrrhos (‘flame-coloured’) and oura (‘tail’).

 

 

 

 

 

The name titmouse can be traced back to the 14th Century, composed of the words tit, which denotes something small, and the Old English name for these birds, mase, from Proto-Germanic maison, which is also the source of the German name Meise, the Danish and Norwegian mejse, and the Swedish mes.

 

The generic name is derived from the Ancient Greek lophos (‘crest’) and phaino (‘to show’), alluding to the prominent crest of both species.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The nest is very unusual for that of a passerine, being built inside a burrow which the birds excavate themselves into a bank, sometimes reaching a depth of 1.8 m.

The peculiar appearance of this bird confused German palaeontologist and zoologist Johann Gotthelf Fischer von Waldheim (1771-1853), who worked in Russian service 1804-1853. He assumed that it was a kind of small ground jay, naming it Pseudopodoces, from Ancient Greek pseudos (‘false’), and Podoces, the genus name of ground jays, with the specific name humilis, from the Latin humus (‘ground’).

Genetic research has since revealed that it is a tit, with its closest relatives in the genus Parus.

 

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘belonging to mountains’, from mons (‘mountain’). An odd name for this bird, which is very common in lowlands.

Other pictures, depicting this species, are shown on the pages Animals – Birds: Birds in Taiwan, and Animals: Urban animal life.

 

 

 

 

 

According to the latest genetic research, guineafowl and New World quails are treated as separate families, Numididae and Odontophoridae, respectively.

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek alektoris (‘chicken’).

 

In the Himalaya, it is distributed as far east as western Nepal, found at elevations between 2,100 and 4,000 m. It is very common in Ladakh.

The specific and popular names refer to the bird’s call, a far-reaching chuck-chuck-chukar-chukar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is rather tame around the Sherpa monastery of Tengboche, Khumbu, eastern Nepal, where hunting is banned for religious reasons. It is the state bird of Sikkim.

The generic name is a Latinized version of Ancient Greek ithagenes (‘noble’), whereas the specific name is Latin, meaning ‘bloody’, like the common name alluding to the red streaks on the breast and rump of the male.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek lophos (‘crest’) and phoros (‘bearing’), alluding to the small crest of the Himalayan monal (below).

 

It is the national bird of Nepal, locally called danphe, and often referred to as ’the bird of nine colours’. In sunshine, the brilliant plumage of the male is glittering in almost all imaginable colours. The female is brownish and heavily streaked, with naked blue skin around the eyes and a pale patch on the throat.

It is also the state bird of Uttarakhand.

The specific name commemorates Lady Mary Impey, wife of Sir Elijah Impey (1732-1809), who was chief justice of the Supreme Court at Fort William, the first settlement of the British East India Company in Bengal.

As with most other gamebirds, the meat of monal is delicious, and for this reason it is hunted in many places. However, it is still common locally, and in the Khumbu area of eastern Nepal it is very common, as the local Buddhist Sherpas are against killing. So even though the monal does some damage by digging up potatoes and eating them, they are not persecuted here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is a combination of two other genus names, Tetrao (capercaillie) and Gallus (junglefowl).

 

It is rather common in drier areas of the higher parts of the Himalaya, breeding mainly at altitudes between 4,500 and 5,500 m, descending to slightly lower elevations in winter.

At dawn, the call of this bird can be heard from a considerable distance, a penetrating gukka-gukka-guk-guk-guk-grrr.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leaf-warblers are about 80 species of small insectivorous birds, all belonging to the genus Phylloscopus. Previously, the family included the genus Seicercus, but recent genetic studies concluded that members of this genus should be moved to Phylloscopus.

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek phyllon (‘leaf’) and skopos, from skopeo (‘to watch’), in this connection presumably meaning ‘to search’ (for insects).

 

The specific name honours British physician and naturalist William Augustus Burke (1769-1836), who served in India as Inspector General of Army Hospitals.

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is derived from the Latin regulus (‘kinglet’ or ‘petty king’) and oides (‘like’), alluding to the likeness of the bird to goldcrests and kinglets, genus Regulus.

The popular name refers to English zoologist Edward Blyth (1810-1873), who described a number of birds from the Himalaya. He worked as a curator of zoology at the museum of the Asiatic Society of India in Calcutta (today Kolkata).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name means ‘resembling the chiffchaff’ (P. trochilos).

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek xanthos (‘yellow’) and the Latin schistus (‘slate’), thus ‘the yellow and slate-coloured’ (bird).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the classical Latin word for woodpecker.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘scaly’.

 

 

It is a rather common resident in Ladakh and the driest parts of northern Nepal, found in summer at altitudes up to about 4,900 m, in winter descending to between 2,300 and 4,000 m.

The specific name is derived from the Latin fulvus (‘tawny’ or ‘yellowish-brown’).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is a diminutive of the Latin word for parrots, psittacus, thus ‘small parrot’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sub-Saharan members of the family, called greenbuls, brownbuls, leafloves, and bristlebills, are mainly forest birds, whereas the majority of North African and Asian species live in open areas.

 

Formerly, the black bulbuls of Asia were regarded as subspecies of the Malagasy bulbul (H. madagascariensis), but most authorities now recognize two separate Asian species, the Asian black bulbul (below), which is widely distributed, found from north-eastern Afghanistan along the Himalaya to Indochina, China, and Taiwan, and the square-tailed bulbul (H. ganeesa), which is restricted to montane areas of South India and Sri Lanka.

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek hypsi (‘high’) and petes (‘flyer’), thus ‘the one that flies high’.

 

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek leukos (‘white’) and kephale (‘head’), so the species must have been described from a white-headed specimen.

In the Himalaya, subspecies psaroides is distributed from eastern Afghanistan eastwards to northern Myanmar, living in forests from the lower valleys up to elevations around 3,000 m. It is much greyer than the other subspecies, with a conspicuous grey patch behind the eye.

 

 

 

 

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek leukos (‘white’) and genys (‘cheek’).

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first part of the generic name is derived from the Latin amentum, a leather strap, which was attached to a javelin, used in classical Greek athletics, hunting, and warfare. This strap helped to increase the range and stability of the javelin in flight. (Source: E. Gardiner 1907. Throwing the Javelin. The Journal of Hellenic Studies, 27: 249-273)

The second part of the name is derived from Ancient Greek pous (‘foot’). Thus, Himantopus may be translated as ‘strap-leg’, which of course refers to the very long, thin legs of these birds.

 

The male is usually a little larger than the female, with black wings and back, often with a greenish sheen, whereas back and wings of the female are dark slate-coloured. Head and neck can be pure white, but have more or less extended parts of dark on many birds. Immature birds, up to one year old, have more greyish legs, but are difficult to distinguish from adults.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek sitte, a bird like a woodpecker, mentioned by Greek grammarian Hesychius of Alexandria (5th or 6th Century A.D.), and also by Greek philosopher and scientist Aristotle (384-322 B.C.).

 

Despite the name of this bird, the white at the base of the upper tail is difficult to see in the field.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek glaukidion (‘small owl’), diminutive of glaux (‘owl’).

 

The specific name is derived from cuculus, the old Latin name for cuckoos, and Ancient Greek oides (‘resembling’), presumably alluding to the cuckoo-like plumage of this owl.

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘barred’, derived from radius (‘ray’).

Birds in the western wet zone of Sri Lanka were once considered a subspecies of jungle owlet, but is now regarded as a separate species, called chestnut-backed owlet (G. castanotum).

 

 

 

 

 

Some authorities still include these birds in the genus Bubo.

The generic name is derived from the Malay word for fish-owl, ketupok.

 

It has yellow feet, reflected in the specific name, from the Latin flavus (‘yellow’) and pes (‘foot’).

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the past, it was regarded as a subspecies of the widespread tawny owl (S. aluco), but its call is different, and the shorter tail is barred.

The specific name is derived from the Latin nix (‘snow’) and colere (‘to inhabit’), alluding to this bird living at high altitudes.

 

 

 

 

 

Many species have been introduced elsewhere, including North America, Hawaii, and New Zealand. They often compete with native birds, and many are regarded as invasive species, especially the common myna (below), and in North America the common starling (Sturnus vulgaris), described on the pages Nature: Invasive species, and Animals – Birds: Birds in the United States and Canada.

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek akridos (‘locust’) and theras (‘hunter’). When locusts or grasshoppers are abundant, starlings and mynas gorge themselves on these insects. An example is described on the page People: Pehr Forsskål – brilliant Swedish scientist.

Several species in this genus are described on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in Taiwan.

 

It has been introduced elsewhere, often escaping to form feral populations, for example in Japan, Western Samoa, and Fiji. In the latter country, it was introduced around 1890 to control insect pests in sugarcane, and from there it has spread to other Pacific Islands, including Niuafo’ou, where it has become a threat to native bird species, competing for nesting holes.

The population of subspecies torquatus, which lives in Malaysia, is declining, probably being outcompeted by Javan mynas (A. javanicus), with which it forms hybrids. (Source: David Wells 2010. The Birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Vol. 2. Bloomsbury Publishing)

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘brown’, alluding to the brownish tinge on the otherwise slate-coloured plumage of the bird.

 

 

 

 

 

In the Himalaya, it is mainly restricted to the lower parts, but may be encountered up to elevations around 3,000 m in summer.

The common myna was originally a woodland bird, but has adapted very well to agricultural as well as urban environments.

Escaped cage birds have established populations in numerous other countries, including South Africa, Madagascar, several Arabian states, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand. In many places it has become a pest, which expels native birds, especially in Australia, where it has been called “a most important problem”. The IUCN Species Survival Commission has declared it one of the world’s most invasive species and a threat to “biodiversity, agriculture, and human interests”.

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘sad’ or ‘gloomy’. Apparently, Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778), who named the bird in 1766, found its plumage rather drab.

 

 

 

 

 

It is declining rather drastically due to loss of suitable habitat, which is moist lower-montane forests, which are cleared to create farmland. In the Himalaya, it is mainly found below an elevation of 1,000 m, but may occasionally stray up to about 1,800 m.

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek saron (‘broom’) and glossa (‘tongue’). Maybe the tongue of this bird is split into more than two points? The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek spilos (‘spot’) and pteron (‘wing’).

The Madagascar starling (Hartlaubius auratus) is placed in this genus by some authorities. It is endemic to Madagascar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upupa and epops are the old Latin and Greek names for the hoopoe. Like the English name, they are onomatopoeic, imitating the call of the bird, a most characteristic hoop-up-up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The family name is derived from the Malagasy word vanga, the name of the hook-billed vanga (Vanga curvirostris).

 

Classification-wise, this genus has been knocked around a great deal. First it was thought to belong to the shrikes (Laniidae), then it was moved to the cuckooshrikes (Campephagidae), then to the woodshrikes (Tephrodornithidae), and finally to Vangidae.

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek hemi (‘half’, in this connection meaning ‘small’) and pous (‘foot’). Presumably, British naturalist and ethnologist Brian Houghton Hodgson (1801-1894), who erected the genus in 1844, found that these birds had small feet.

 

The specific name is Latin, strictly speaking meaning ‘smeared with tar’, but in a wider sense ‘black-and-white’.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek tephrodes (‘like ashes’, i.e. ‘ash-coloured’) and ornis (‘bird’).

 

The specific name refers to Pondicherry, a former French colony in southern India, today called Puduchcheri. The type specimen was collected there.