Birds in the Indian Subcontinent

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Families, genera and species are presented in alphabetical order. Nomenclature largely follows the IOC World Bird List (worldbirdnames.org), whereas information about etymology is often based on J.A. Jobling 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names, Christopher Helm, London.

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

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 generic name is the classical Latin word for hawks, derived from accipere (‘to grasp’), naturally alluding to the sharp talons.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘chestnut-coloured’, alluding to the barring on the chest. The common name is Hindi, meaning ‘hunter’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the classical Latin word for eagle, perhaps derived from aquilus (‘dark in colour’).

 

Previously, birds in southern Spain and Portugal were regarded as a subspecies of the imperial eagle, but are now generally considered a separate species, the Iberian imperial eagle (A. adalberti).

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek heliakos (‘of the sun’), from helios (‘sun’), or heleios, a kind of hawk mentioned by Greek grammarian Hesychius of Alexandria (5th or 6th Century A.D.) in his work Lexicon.

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name was given by British naturalist and ethnologist Brian Houghton Hodgson (1801-1894), who described the bird in 1833 after collecting a specimen in Nepal. Presumably, he thought that it was a local species.

 

 

 

 

 

In some plumages, this species is very similar to the steppe eagle (above), but the yellow gape of that species extends to the back end of the eye, whereas the gape of a tawny only extends to the middle of the eye. However, you have to be rather close to the bird to observe the difference.

The specific name is derived from the Latin rapere (‘to seize’).

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the classical Latin name of the common buzzard (B. buteo). The English name is derived from Old French busard, which is a corruption of the classical Latin name.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘golden-reddish’, alluding to the mainly rufous plumage of the bird.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek kirkos, a type of hawk, in this connection associated with harriers (Circus); and aetos (‘eagle’).

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘from Gaul’, a term that in the Roman Era covered the major part of western Europe.

 

 

 

 

 

In Ancient Greek, klangos was an alternative form of plankos, the name of a kind of eagle. In classical Latin, clango had several meanings, including ‘I scream’. Thus, the generic name may be translated to ‘ the screaming eagle’.

 

It breeds from eastern Europe eastwards across the taiga belt to north-eastern China and Ussuriland (south-eastern Siberia). It is migratory, spending the winter in southern Europe, north-eastern Africa, Arabia, the Middle East, the northern part of the Indian Subcontinent, Indochina, and eastern China.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is a Latinized form of elanos, the classical Greek word for kite.

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the classical Greek term 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 African griffon species have also decreased dramatically in numbers in recent years, described on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in Africa.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘of Bengal’. Strictly speaking, Bengal is the lowland around the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta, but in 1788, when German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin (1748-1804) described the bird, the term ‘Bengal’ indicated a much larger portion of northern India.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Previously, under the name long-billed vulture, it was regarded as being widely distributed in the Indian Subcontinent and Indochina, but following genetic research, it has been split into two separate species, the Indian vulture and the slender-billed vulture (below). They are geographically separated, the Indian vulture restricted to central and western India, the slender-billed found north of the Ganges River, in a belt along the Himalayan foothills to Assam, Bangladesh, and Cambodia.

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name means ‘slender-billed’, derived from the Latin tenuis (‘slender’) and rostrum (‘bill’).

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek hali (‘of the sea’) and aetos (‘eagle’). Despite the name ‘sea-eagle’, many of the species are living at freshwater areas inland. These species are termed ‘fish-eagles’.

 

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek ikhthys (‘fish’) and aetos (‘eagle’).

Some authorities place this bird in the genus Ichthyophaga, together with the lesser fish-eagle (H. humilis).

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

The common name commemorates Prussian naturalist, ethnographer, and explorer Peter Simon Pallas (1741-1811), who, in 1767, was invited by Catherine II of Russia to become a professor at the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. Between 1768 and 1774, he led an expedition to the Caspian Sea, the Ural and Altai Mountains, Lake Baikal, and the upper Amur River. His work from this expedition was published in 3 volumes 1771-1776, titled Reise durch verschiedene Provinzen des Russischen Reichs (‘Journey through various provinces of the Russian Empire’).

In 1793 and 1794, Pallas led a second expedition to southern Russia, visiting the Crimea, the Black and Caspian Seas, and the Caucasus Mountains. His account of this expedition was published 1799-1801, titled Bemerkungen auf einer Reise in die Südlichen Statthalterschaften des Russischen Reichs (‘Notes from a trip to the southern lieutenancies of the Russian Empire’).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek hali (‘of the sea’), and the Latin astur (‘hawk’).

 

The Brahminy kite is sacred to Hindus, reflected in the common name, which alludes to the highest Hindu cast, the Brahmins. In Hindu mythology, it is referred to as Garuda, the ‘king of birds’, and carrier of the mighty god Vishnu. In Tamil, it is known as Krishna parunthu (‘Krishna’s eagle’). Krishna is an avatar (incarnation) of Vishnu (more about this issue on the page Religion: Hinduism).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 Malay 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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three subspecies are currently recognized, the nominate northern and African birds, which have a mainly grey bill, Indian birds of subspecies ginginianus with a yellow bill, and finally a separate, larger subspecies, majorensis, in the eastern Canary Islands.

It lives in open areas, nesting on cliffs, less frequently in trees. Besides feeding on carcasses, it is often encountered at rubbish dumps, and it will also prey on small mammals, birds, and reptiles. It is among the few bird species known to use tools. Eggs of other birds, which are too large to break open with the bill, are broken by tossing stones onto them, using the bill.

This species is in decline over much of its range due to habitat destruction, hunting, poisoning, and collision with power lines.

The generic name stems from the Greek mythology. Neophron and Aegypius were young men and close friends, but it upset Neophron that his mother Timandra was having a love affair with Aegypius. To punish Aegypius, Neophron made advances towards Aegypius’ mother, Bulis. He succeeded and enticed Bulis into entering the dark chamber where his mother and Aegypius were soon to meet. Neophron then distracted his mother, tricking Aegypius into entering the chamber and sleeping with his own mother. When Bulis discovered the deception, she gouged out the eyes of her son before killing herself. Aegypius prayed for revenge, but Zeus, instead of helping him, changed both young men into vultures as a punishment.

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek perknos (‘dark-coloured’) and pteron (‘wing’).

In Ancient Egypt, the bird was held sacred to the Moon God Isis, and its protection by Pharaonic law made it common in the streets, giving rise to the name pharaoh’s chicken.

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

The endemic Sri Lankan race ceylanensis has a proportionally longer crest than the other subspecies, to 10 cm long.

The specific name is derived from the Latin cirrus (‘tendril’), thus ‘having tendrils’, alluding to the long, wavy crest, which may sometimes look twisted.

Formerly, this species was regarded as two separate species, the crested hawk-eagle (subspecies cirrhatus and ceylanensis of southern India and Sri Lanka), and the crestless changeable hawk-eagle (subspecies limnaeetus, andamanensis, and vanheurni). Some authorities retain this split.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek pernes, a word used by Greek scientist and philosopher Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) for a bird of prey. The common name refers to the fact that a significant part of the food of these birds consists of honey combs and wasp larvae.

 

The specific name is Ancient Greek, meaning ‘feathered bill’, derived from ptilon (‘feather’) and rhynkhos (‘bill’).

 

 

 

 

 

It is the only member of the genus, but is quite closely related to the African lappet-faced vulture (Torgos tracheliotos), which is presented on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in Africa.

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek sarx (‘flesh’) and gyps (‘vulture’), whereas the specific name is Latin, meaning ‘bald’, alluding to the naked red head of the bird.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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).

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name honours James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin (1811-1863), who was Governor-General of India 1860-1863.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 derived from Ancient Greek ammos (‘sand’) and manes (‘passionately fond of’), from mania (‘passion’), alluding to the fact that these birds mainly live in sandy areas.

 

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek phoinix (‘red’) and oura (‘tail’).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek eremos (‘desert’) and pteron (‘wing’), i.e. ‘birds of the desert’.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘grey’, alluding to the dominant colour of the bird.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The etymology of the generic name is obscure.

 

The common name commemorates British physician and naturalist Thomas Caverhill Jerdon (1811-1872), who described many birds species in India, several of which are named after him.

 

 

 

 

 

These birds are divided into 3 subfamilies: river kingfishers (Alcedininae), tree kingfishers (Halcyoninae), and water kingfishers (Cerylinae).

 

The generic name is the classical Latin word for kingfisher.

 

There are three possible explanations to the specific name, all from the Greek mythology. 1) A handsome, richly dressed Indian youth, son of Limniace, nymph of the Ganges. 2) A beautiful young woman of Lesbos, favourite of the female poet Sappho (c. 630-570 B.C.). 3) An Athenian princess, daughter of King Cranaus and his wife Pedias. Jobling (2010) favours the Indian youth.

 

 

 

 

 

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 is Latin, meaning ‘capped’, derived from pileus (‘cap’).

 

 

 

 

 

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 derived from the genus name Todus (todies, small New World birds, resembling kingfishers), and Ancient Greek rhamphos (‘bill’), thus ‘with a bill like todies’.

 

The specific name is a Latinized version of Ancient Greek khloros (‘green’).

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the classical Latin word for duck.

 

The winter months are spent in the southern half of North America, in Central America and the Caribbean, in the major part of Europe and the Middle East, in northern and eastern Africa, and in the Indian Subcontinent, Indochina, southern China, Taiwan, and the northern Philippines.

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘sharp-pointed’, like the common name alluding to the long, pointed tail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek poikilos (‘pied’ or ‘spotted’) and rhynkhos (‘bill’).

The eastern spot-billed duck is described on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in Taiwan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the classical Latin word for goose.

 

In many countries, it now breeds in city parks, where it often becomes remarkably confiding – sometimes even showing a threatening attitude towards people (more about this issue on the page Animals: Urban animal life).

In winter, it occurs in Europe, north-western Africa, the Middle East, and from Afghanistan in a belt across the northern part of the Indian Subcontinent and Indochina to eastern China.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek aithyia, an unidentified seabird, 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.).

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘wild game’, derived from ferus (‘wild’).

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek dendron (‘tree’) and kyknos (‘swan’), alluding to the fact that these ducks often breed in tree cavities, and to their fairly long neck. Several members have clear, whistling calls, which gave rise to the popular name.

 

The specific name refers to the Indonesian island Java. Presumably, the type specimen was collected there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is Ancient Greek, meaning ‘duck’.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘golden-red’, derived from rufus (‘rufous’), alluding to the striking colour of the male’s head.

 

 

 

 

 

Traditionally, these birds are called pygmy geese, although genetic research indicates that they are more closely related to dabbling ducks than to geese. The name alludes to the short, goose-like bill.

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek netta (‘duck’) and pous (‘foot’), Apparently, German naturalist Johann Friedrich von Brandt (1802-1879), who erected the genus in 1836, regarded these birds as a kind of small geese due to their short bill, but also found that they possessed the feet and body of a duck.

 

The specific name refers to the Coromandel Coast, in present-day Karnataka. Presumably, the type specimen was collected there. The common name alludes to the dominant colour of the male.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is probably derived from Ancient Greek sarx (‘meat’, or ‘body’) and ornis (‘bird’), maybe alluding to the compact body of the bird. The specific name is also derived from Ancient Greek, from melas (‘black’) and noton (‘back’).

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the Latin word for ‘spoon’ or ‘spatula’, alluding to the spatulate bill of shovelers.

 

The winter months are spent in the southern half of North America, in Central America and the Caribbean, in the major part of Europe and the Middle East, in northern and eastern Africa, and in the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, southern China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and the northern Philippines.

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘shield-bearing’, alluding to the broad and flat bill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is 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.

It spends the winter months in the lowlands of northern Africa, Ethiopia, the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent, northern Indochina, and southern China.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One or three species are found in the Old World. If only one species is acknowledged, it is called A. melanogaster. Most authorities, however, recognize three full species: Oriental (below), African (A. rufa), and Australasian (A. novaehollandiae). The American darter (A. anhinga) lives in the New World.

The generic name means ‘little head’ in the Tupi language of Brazil, referring to an evil spirit of the forests, the devil bird. (Source: G. Marcgrave 1648. Historiae rerum naturalium Brasiliae. Liber V)

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many members of the family are presented on the page Fishing.

 

The generic name is the classical Latin word for herons.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘ash-coloured’.

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

In America, it is replaced by the similar, slightly larger great blue heron (A. herodias), presented on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in the United States and Canada.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name refers to its size, intermediate between the great white egret (Ardea alba) and the little egret (Egretta garzetta, below), both of which are also white.

Some authorities place this bird in a separate genus, Mesophoyx.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 from the Latin ardea (‘heron’) and –ola, a suffix denoting something diminutive, thus ‘small 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 classical 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.

Many other pictures, depicting this bird, are shown on the pages Animals – Birds: Birds in Taiwan, and Birds in the Himalaya.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Provençal French aigrette, a diminutive of aigron (‘heron’).

 

The specific name is the Italian name for the bird.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In historic times, 4 other species of the genus, which were all restricted to small islands in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, have gone extinct.

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek nyktos (‘night’) and korax (‘raven’), referring to the mainly nocturnal feeding habits of these birds, and to their hoarse, raven-like call.

 

It figures in Japanese classical folklore, where it is called Goi-sagi, from goi (‘fifth rank’) and sagi (‘heron’). According to legend, the all-powerful Emperor Daigo (reigned 897-930 A.D.) ordered a vassal to capture a black-crowned night-heron. Upon hearing the imperial command, the heron submitted itself to capture. The emperor was pleased that the heron had confirmed his omnipotence over nature as well as man, whereupon he granted it the title ‘king of the herons’ and the position of fifth rank in his court, and released it unharmed. (Source: Jobling, 2010)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The family name and the name of the type genus, Buceros, are derived from Ancient Greek bous (‘cow’) and keras (‘horn’), referring to a peculiar protuberance, or casque, on the bill of most species. Hornbills are very noisy, and the casque is probably a means to increase the volume of their call, which carries a long distance. The casque of males is larger than that of females.

A number of species are presented on the page Animals – Birds: Hornbills.

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek oxys (‘sharp’ or ‘pointed’) and keras (‘horn’).

 

The male has a dark bill with a yellowish lower mandible, whereas that of the female is more yellow.

The specific name is derived from the Latin bi (two) and rostrum (‘bill’), alluding to the small protuberance on top of the bill, which, with a bit of imagination, looks like an extra bill.

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘grey’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek aisakos. In Greek mythology, Aesacus was a prince of Troy, who was transformed into an unidentified bird. There are two versions of the myth. In one, Aesacus caused the death of the nymph Hesperie. He then committed suicide to share her days in eternity and was transformed into a long-necked, long-legged shorebird. In another version, he married Sterope. Mourning her premature death, he threw himself into the sea and was transformed into a cormorant. (Source: Jobling, 2010)

 

The specific name is derived from the Latin recurvus (‘bent backwards’) and rostrum (‘bill’). The upper mandible is straight, whereas the lower one is curved, giving the impression that the bill is upturned.

 

 

 

 

 

These birds are not closely related to cuckoos or shrikes. The name may refer to the grey colour of many cuckooshrikes, which makes them superficially resemble cuckoos.

 

Several of the species are very colourful, the males being predominantly red and black, the females yellow and black. Some members of the genus are presented on the pages Animals – Birds: Birds in Taiwan, and Birds in Bagan.

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek peri (‘very’ or ‘all around’) and krokotos (‘golden-yellow’). The type specimen must have been a female!

The word minivet is of unknown origin.

 

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek kinnamon (‘cinnamon’), thus ‘cinnamon-coloured’.

 

 

 

 

 

Formerly, it was regarded as a subspecies of the scarlet minivet, which is now called P. speciosus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the old days, these birds were often called goatsuckers, as it was believed that they would suck milk from goats at night. This belief dates back to Roman philosopher and naturalist Pliny the Elder (c. 23-79 A.D.), who called these birds caprimulgus, derived from capra (‘she-goat’) and mulgere (‘to milk’). He wrote: “Those called goat-suckers, which resemble a rather large blackbird, are night thieves. They enter the shepherds’ stalls and fly to the goats’ udders in order to suck their milk, which injures the udder and makes it perish, and the goats they have milked in this way gradually go blind.”

In 1758, the name caprimulgus was adopted by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778), when he named the European nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus. In German, nightjars are still called Ziegenmelker (‘goat-milkers’).

 

The specific name refers to Mahratta, today called Maharashtra, in central India. This is odd, as the species is not supposed to occur so far south. The common name commemorates British colonel and naturalist William Henry Sykes (1790-1872), who served in India.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The only other member of the genus, the grey plover (P. squatarola), is presented on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in Africa.

The generic name is from the Latin pluvia (‘rain’). An old word said that when golden plovers flocked, it would mean imminent rain.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘tawny’ or ‘yellowish-brown’, referring to the breeding plumage.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is Latin, diminutive of vannus (‘winnowing fan’), referring to the whirring sound, produced by the wings of the northern lapwing (V. vanellus) during courtship display.

The common name is derived from Old English hleapewince, of hleapan (‘to leap’) and wince (‘move rapidly’), likewise alluding to the courtship display of the northern lapwing, when the male twists and turns at a tremendous speed over the meadows.

 

The specific name commemorates French naturalist and explorer Alfred Duvaucel (1793-1824), who died in India, only 31 years old. Rumours had it that he was killed by a tiger.

 

 

 

 

 

It is distributed from south-eastern Turkey through Iraq and Iran to the Indian Subcontinent and Indochina.

In Sinhalese, the bird is called kirala. It figures in the title of a novel, Call of the kirala, by Sri Lankan author James Shedden-Goonewardene (1921-1997), Hansa Publishers Limited, Colombo, 1971. Incidentally, his name is spelled Goonawardene on the cover of the book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name refers to the Malabar Coast of south-western India, where the type specimen was collected.

 

 

 

 

 

The family and generic names are derived from Ancient Greek khloros (‘green’) and opsis (‘appearance’).

 

Previously, Jerdon’s leafbird was regarded as a subspecies of the more widespread blue-winged leafbird (then called C. cochinchinensis). However, it differs in morphology, lacking the blue flight feathers of that species. Following recent genetic research, C. cochinchinensis has been split into 3 separate species.

The specific name commemorates British physician and naturalist Thomas Caverhill Jerdon (1811-1872), who described many birds species in India, several of which are named after him.

 

 

 

 

 

The word stork originates in Ancient Germanic sturkoz.

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek anastomoo (‘to furnish with a mouth’), in this connection meaning ‘with mouth wide open’.

 

When the British were ruling in India, hunters often shot the openbill for meat, calling it the ‘beef-steak bird’, a term that was also used for the woolly-necked stork (below).

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘yawning’, derived from oscitare (‘to yawn’), naturally alluding to the beak.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the classical Latin word for storks.

 

Formerly, birds in Africa were regarded as a subspecies, microscelis, but today a number of authorities consider these birds a separate species, the African woolly-necked stork (C. microscelis), based entirely on geographical separation, which is odd, as many other bird species are found in tropical areas of the two continents, without being regarded as separate species.

When the British were ruling in India, hunters often shot this species for meat, calling it the ‘beef-steak bird’, a term that was also used for the open-billed stork (above). The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘bishop’, referring to the white ‘collar’, contrasting with the otherwise dark plumage, similar to a bishop’s attire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These birds are characterized by sexual dimorphism in iris colour. The female has yellow iris, whereas that of the male is black or dark brown.

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek ephippios (‘saddle’) and rhynkhos (‘bill’), alluding to the yellow saddle-shaped shield on the bill of the saddle-billed stork.

 

The pictures below are all from Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan, where 5 to 6 pairs of this species are usually present, except in very dry periods.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek leptos (‘thin’ or ‘slender’) and ptilon (‘feather’), alluding to the scarcity of feathers on the head of these birds.

The marabou is presented on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in Africa.

 

In Assamese, the bird is called hargila, derived from har (‘bone’) and gila (‘swallower’). As it often feeds in garbage dumps, it is regarded as an unclean bird and is generally left in peace, although it is sometimes hunted for the usage of its meat in local folk medicine.

In his book A General Synopsis of Birds (1781-1802), English physician and naturalist John Latham (1740-1837) included this bird, calling it the ‘giant crane’, and remarked that “the bird here quoted seems to be of the Heron tribe, and is a very large species.” Latham based his description on that given by British surgeon Edward Ives (1719-1786) in his A Voyage from England to India (1773). In his Supplement to the General Synopsis of Birds (1787), Latham included a coloured plate of the bird, based on a drawing in the collection of British naturalist 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.

Based on Latham’s description, the bird was named Ardea dubia (‘doubtful heron’) in 1789 by German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin (1748-1804), who apparently had his doubts that it really was a heron.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is distributed from the Indian Subcontinent eastwards to Vietnam, and thence southwards to Indonesia, with the largest population in Cambodia. It is partial to wetlands, and, unlike the the greater adjutant and the marabou, it is not often seen near villages.

A portrait of this bird is shown on the page Animals: Portraits. It is also seen in a picture above of the greater adjutant.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek mykterizo (‘to turn up the nose’), from mykter (‘snout’). Presumably, it refers to the large bill of these birds, causing them to raise their ‘nose’.

 

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek leukos (‘white’) and kephale (‘head’). The common name alludes to the bright pink tertials.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek orthotomeo (‘to cut straight’), which, like the common name, alludes to the way the nest of these birds is constructed. The edges of a large leaf are pierced with the bill and then ‘sewn’ together with plant fibre or spider silk, forming a ‘sack’, in which the actual grass nest is built.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘of a shoemaker’, derived from suere (‘to stitch’ or ‘to sew’).

The tailorbird plays a significant role in the delightful short story Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, which relates how a valiant young grey mongoose (Urva edwardsii) rids a garden of dangerous cobras (Naja naja). This story is included in the famous The Jungle Book (1894), by English author Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936). In the story, the tailorbird is named Darzee, which refers to one of the calls of the bird, rendered as whee-whee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is derived from the Latin cinereus (‘ash-coloured’) and capillus (‘hair on the head’).

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is derived from the Latin in (‘not’) and ornatus (‘adorned’), alluding to the plain plumage of this bird.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek khalkos (‘bronze’) and phaps (‘pigeon’), alluding to all 3 species having more or less bronze-green wings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

However, the bird was domesticated at a very early stage and has since 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’).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from the Latin dux, genitive ducis, meaning ‘leader’, like the common name presumably alluding to the large size of these birds.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘coppery’, presumably referring to the green wings.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek spilos (‘spot’) and peleia (‘dove’), referring to the white spots on the neck of the spotted dove.

 

It is widely distributed in Asia, from the Indian Subcontinent eastwards to China and Taiwan, and thence southwards through Indochina and the Philippines to Indonesia. 5 subspecies have been described.

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

Some authorities split this species into eastern spotted dove (S. chinensis) and western spotted dove (S. suratensis).

 

 

 

 

 

Alternative names include palm dove and Senegal dove, and in India it is known as little brown dove. The name laughing dove stems from its characteristic cooing, a low, drawn-out croo-doo-doo-doo-doo, somewhat reminiscent of a laughter.

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

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek streptos, which literally means ‘twisted’, but in this connection ‘wearing a torque’ (a twisted necklace), 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 (above) and Nesoenas.

 

The male is quite distinct, having grey head, black collar on the hind neck, red wings, and reddish breast, which has given rise to the name of the species. The female is brownish, also with a black collar.

The specific name means ‘from Tranquebar’, a former Danish colony on the east coast of South India, in present-day Tamil Nadu. Presumably, the type specimen of the red turtle dove was collected there. This area is presented on the page Culture: Entrances.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is Ancient Greek, meaning ‘shy’ or ‘timid’, a term often used about doves by classical poet Homer (c. 750 B.C.).

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘related to’ or ‘similar to’, presumably another Treron species.

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek phoinix (‘crimson’) and pteron (‘wing’) – an odd name for this bird, which shows no red in the wing.

 

 

 

 

 

The name roller was given in allusion to the aerial acrobatics that some of these birds perform during courtship display.

 

The majority of these birds live in sub-Saharan Africa, with one species in Europe and western Asia, two widespread Asian species, and one species restricted to Sulawesi and surrounding islands.

The generic name is a Latinized form of Ancient Greek korakias (‘crow-like’), from korax (‘raven’). When he named the genus in 1758, Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) presumably regarded rollers as closely related to crows.

A number of species are presented on the page In praise of the colour blue.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘of Bengal’. Strictly speaking, Bengal is the lowland around the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta, but in 1758, when Linnaeus described the bird, the term ‘Bengal’ indicated a much larger portion of northern India.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Numerous members of the family are presented on the page Animals – Birds: Corvids.

 

The generic name is the classical Latin name of the common raven (C. corax).

 

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.

The large-billed crow is quite similar to the common raven (C. corax), 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 macros (‘long’) and rhynkhos (‘bill’).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During the last hundred years or so, this species has spread to many cities in Asia and Africa, arriving as ‘blind passenger’ on board ships. It is also found in a few coastal towns of Europe and North America.

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘brilliant’ or ‘glittering’, derived from splendere (‘to shine’). From certain angles, the wings of this species are shining.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name means ‘wanderer’ in the Latin. It is not known what it refers to. A local name of this bird in India is taka chor (‘coin thief’), alluding to its habit of picking up shiny objects, similar to the Eurasian magpie (Pica pica).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 also refers to magpies in general.

 

 

 

 

Its food mainly consists of frogs, lizards, insects and other invertebrates, and to some degree it also eats fruit.

The pictures below were all taken in Sinharaja Forest Reserve. Blue magpies arrive every morning at a forest lodge to eat dead or injured moths beneath the lamps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek kentron (‘spur’ or ‘spike’) and pous (‘foot’), alluding to the spur of these birds.

 

In India, the deep call of this bird was associated with spirits and ill omens. In traditional medicine, it was believed that the meat of the bird could cure pulmonary diseases.

When the British were ruling in India, newly arrived soldiers often mistook it for a pheasant and shot it for the pot. However, it has a bad taste, and was therefore given the nickname ‘Griff’s pheasant’. I have not been able to find out who this Griff was.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from the Latin clamare (‘to shout’), alluding to the loud mating call of the type species of the genus, the great spotted cuckoo (C. glandarius).

 

The Jacobin cuckoo is associated with a mythological bird, known as the chataka, from the Hindu epic Mahabharata, Book 12. This bird had a beak on top of its head and was waiting for rain to quench its thirst.

The specific and English names refer to the plumage of this bird, which resembles the black and white garments of Dominican monks, who, in French, were known as Jacobins.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek phoinix (‘crimson’) and phao (‘to shine’), like the Sinhalese name malkoha (‘flower-cuckoo’) alluding to the red-faced malkoha (P. pyrrhocephalus), which is endemic to the highlands of Sri Lanka.

 

The specific name is derived from the Latin viridis (‘green’) and rostrum (‘bill’). The common name alludes to a patch of bare blue skin around the eyes.

 

 

 

 

 

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 any slow-witted or clumsy person. This can by no means apply to the clever and agile drongos!

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘bluish’, alluding to the bluish sheen on the crown and wing coverts.

 

 

 

 

 

Several of the subspecies 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 specific name is derived from Ancient Greek leukos (‘white’) and phaios (‘dusky’), thus, strictly speaking, it means ‘dusky-white’. However, it is mostly used to indicate ‘ash-coloured’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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. The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek macros (‘long’) and kerkos (‘tail’). It often has a small white dot below the eye (see picture below).

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is widely distributed, living in forests of the Indian Subcontinent, Indochina, Malaysia, and Indonesia. It often follows mixed flocks of feeding birds and is an expert in stealing their food. An example of this behaviour is described on the page Quotes on Nature.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

The species was described by French naturalist and explorer François Levaillant (1753-1824), based on a specimen from Bengal. According to his notes, he was told that its local name was chicquera, but what he probably heard was the Hindi word shikari (‘hunter’).

 

 

 

 

 

When diving for prey, this bird is the fastest of all animals, sometimes reaching speeds of more than 300 km/h.

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘wanderer’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is a Latinized version of Ancient Greek bukanetes (‘trumpeter’), alluding to the call of the trumpeter finch (below).

 

The specific name refers to the corn-cockle (Agrostemma githago). The connection is obscure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is a diminutive of the Latin glarea (‘gravel’), thus ‘the one found in small gravel’, alluding to the preferred nesting place of these birds.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘milky-white’, derived from lactis (‘milk’), presumably alluding to its underside.

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name refers to the Maldive Islands. In his book A General Synopsis of Birds (1781-1802), English physician and naturalist John Latham (1740-1837) writes: “This (bird) was taken at open sea, in the latitude of the Maldivia Isles. It lived a month on flies, and bread soaked in water.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Greek mythology, Antigone was the daughter of Oedipus, who unwittingly killed his father Laius, king of Thebes, and married the widow, his mother Jocasta. When Jocasta learned the truth of their relationship, she hanged herself, and Oedipus, according to one version of the story, went into exile after blinding himself, accompanied by his daughters Antigone and Ismene.

 

Even though the Indians for religious reasons leave the large birds alone, it declined drastically here for a number of years due to draining, increased cultivation, urban development, induatrial pollution, and increased usage of pesticides. In Indochina, it is threatened by draining, building of dams, overgrazing, poaching, and illegal collecting of eggs. The prolonged wars in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia also took its toll of cranes. In Australia, threats include draining and grazing by cattle.

Today, it is estimated that the total global population is 15-20,000, of which 8-10,000 are found in northern India, where it is now slowly recovering due to increased protection.

It is resident, but outside the breeding season it disperses to areas with abundant rainfall. The two eastern subspecies are found in wetlands, and outside the breeding season also in grasslands and farmland. The Indian subspecies is used to people and may nest in very small wetlands in agricultural areas.

In India, it is said that when the sarus cranes flock, it is a sign of the imminent monsoon rains. As cranes pair for life, the sarus crane is also a symbol of a happy marriage. In Hindu mythology, the goddess Baglamukhi has the head of a crane. She is a master of black magic and all sorts of killing with poisons.

The common name is the Hindi name for the bird.

The pictures below are all from Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan, where this species is rather common.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is onomatopoetic, referring to the loud trumpeting of cranes.

 

The common crane usually breeds in larger wetlands, but in Europe it has adapted to smaller marshes. The western populations spend the winter in the Iberian Peninsula, France, north-western Africa, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Iraq, and Iran, whereas eastern populations winter in northern India and eastern China. In winter, it forms flocks counting several thousand, feeding in meadows and farmland, and along rivers. Birds in the Iberian Peninsula may also be encountered in woods of holm oak (Quercus ilex), whose acorns they eat.

With a total population of nearly 700,000, the Eurasian crane is one of the most numerous crane species, only surpassed by the sandhill crane (G. canadensis). In western Europe, breeding numbers have increased dramatically in several countries, including Sweden with 15,000 to 20,000 pairs, Germany with about 8.000 pairs, and Denmark with about 500 pairs. In 1998, the total number in Europe was estimated at 45,000 pairs, but this number has since increased significantly.

The rise in numbers in Europe is probably due to the fact that hunting has decreased significantly, and that waste maize, which is very nutritious, now constitutes a significant part of its food. In the other parts of its distribution area, it is slightly decreasing due to draining, building of dams, increased cultivation, mercury pollution, oil drilling, hunting, and persecution due to crop damage. The relict population of subspecies archibaldi in Turkey and the Caucasus counts less than 100 pairs and is thus severely threatened.

 

 

 

 

 

The demoiselle crane lives on steppes with scattered wetlands, but may also be found in stony plains and deserts, as long as it has access to water. Occasionally, it breeds in farmland. It is distributed in a belt from Ukraine through Kazakhstan to Mongolia and north-eastern China. There is a tiny population in Turkey, and previously it was also found in Morocco where it is now extinct. It has also formerly bred in Romania.

It is a migrant, western populations wintering in north-eastern Africa, from Sudan and Ethiopia westwards to Chad and eastern Nigeria, whereas the East Asian populations migrate along the valleys of the Himalaya in autumn, spending the winter in India, where it occurs in flocks counting thousands. In the winter quarters, it often feeds in farmland.

The demoiselle crane is a common species, altogether counting around 250,000. Overall, it is increasing, even though some populations decline a little due to draining, overgrazing, increased farming, urban development, poisoning by pesticides, and hunting. About 5000 demoiselle cranes and common cranes are shot every year for human consumption during the migration through Afghanistan and Pakistan. In the wintering areas, some birds are shot due to crop damage. The species is classified as vulnerable, and populations in Ukraine and Turkey are threatened.

In Gujarat and Rajasthan, demoiselle cranes are fed with corn, donated by rich Jain traders. The pictures below are from the village of Kichan, Rajasthan, where 5-6000 demoiselle cranes that winter in the area, are traditionally fed. Every morning at dawn, the birds arrive to a certain place in the village, where corn is spread out for them. After feeding they fly out to a nearby dune area to rest.

 

 

 

 

 

This bird, which is restricted to wetlands, was formerly widely distributed in northern Siberia, but has been declining drastically since the 1800s. The eastern population, counting 3500-3800 individuals, predominantly breeds in the Yakutia Republic and a little further eastwards. It is wintering at the Yangtze River in China, 98% in Lake Poyang. A part of this lake is protected, but is threatened by a collection of huge dams, Three Gorges, which now control the annual inundations of the lake area. Other threats include mercury poisoning and oil drilling in Siberia.

The central and western Siberian populations, whionce bred along the Ob River, are now practically extinct. The western population spent the winter around the Caspian Sea. In the 1990s, up to 10 birds could still be seen there, but the number dwindled to 4 in 2002, and just a single bird since 2010.

The central population spent the winter in northern India. In Keoladeo National Park, up to around 200 birds were still found here until the 1960s, but the number was declining alarmingly, and in the 1970s only about 75 birds remained.

The International Crane Foundation attempted to try to save this population by placing eggs of Siberian cranes in nests of common cranes, which would then rear the young. But numbers still declined in Keoladeo to count just 4 individuals in 1996, and the last observation was in 2002. The birds were shot for human consumption during the migration through Afghanistan and Pakistan. In Keoladeo, attempts have been made to hatch eggs of Siberian cranes in nests of sarus cranes, but the young were imprinted on their foster parents and stayed with them year-round in the area.

In Ancient times, the Siberian crane was wintering as far west as Egypt. A relief from Saqqara, which is now in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen, depicts 6 Siberian cranes, and there is also a picture depicting a Siberian crane in Senet’s grave from the 12th dynasty (1991-1785 B.C.). A Siberian crane is also mentioned in a text, written by Egyptian author an-Nuwayri (1279-1332 A.D.).

The pictures below are all from Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan, taken in the 1970s and 1980s. At that time, a few Siberian cranes still spent the winter here, but the species has now been absent for about 20 years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 north-eastern India, southern China, Taiwan, Indochina, and the Philippines, with disjunct populations from Java eastwards to Timor. 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.

Close-ups photos of the bird are shown on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in the Himalaya.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the classical Latin word for swallow.

 

The underside is almost snow-white, the upperparts dark blue, and the cap is chestnut. The female has shorter ‘wires’ on the tail than the male.

The specific name commemorates Norwegian physician, botanist, and geologist Christen Smith (1785-1816). He participated in an expedition to the Canary Islands and Madeira, collecting more than 600 species of plants, of which about 50 were new to science. Later, he joined a scientific expedition, the aim of which was to travel up the Congo River to determine whether it had any connection to the Niger basins further west. The expedition ship HMS Congo was so heavy that it could only negotiate the lower part of the river, and the lighter vessel Dorothy was stopped by rapids 160 km inland. The expedition members continued on foot along the river, but lack of food, hostile natives, and disease soon took their toll, and the expedition members had to turn back. Altogether, 18 of the 56 participants perished, including Smith.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek petros (‘rock’) and khelidon (‘swallow’), alluding to a type of swallow building its nest on rocks.

 

The specific name is derived from the Latin fluvius (‘river’) and colere (‘to inhabit’).

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from the Latin ripa (‘riverbank’), alluding to the preferred breeding habitat of these birds.

 

Previously, it was regarded as a subspecies of the plain martin (R. paludicola), today called brown-throated martin, which is now restricted to Africa.

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

 

 

 

 

 

Jacana was the spelling that Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) used when he named the wattled jacana Parra jacana in 1766 (today Jacana jacana). The original Portuguese spelling was jaçana (pronounced approximately zasana), which was derived from a local Tupi name of the bird, ñahana.

 

The generic name is Latin, meaning ‘water-pheasant’, alluding to its long tail in the breeding plumage.

The specific name takes some explanation. It is derived from Ancient Greek kheirourgos (‘surgeon’). French naturalist, colonial administrator, and explorer Pierre Sonnerat (1748-1814) travelled widely in Asia for many years, where he described numerous species of plants and animals. In his book Voyage à la Nouvelle Guinée (1776), he included an illustration of a bird, which he called Le Chirurgien de l’Isle de Luzon (‘The surgeon of the island of Luzon’), alluding to its long toes and the spine on its wing, which he likened to a surgeon’s scalpel. Based on his description, Italian physician and naturalist Giovanni Scopoli (1723-1788), in his book Deliciae Florae et Faunae Insubricae (1786), named the bird Tringa chirurgus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is Ancient Greek, meaning ‘on the forehead’, derived from metopon (‘forehead’ or ‘brow’), alluding to the clear white eyebrow, stretching from the eye to the hindneck.

 

 

 

 

 

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 brown shrike spends the winter in warmer parts of Asia.

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘crested’ – not an appropriate name for this bird.

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘sentinel’. Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) notes that this bird watches for the approach of hawks and warns other small birds, hence the Swedish name varfågel, derived from varna (‘to warn’) and fågel (‘bird’). However, according to A dictionary of birds, by A. Newton & H. Gadow (1893-1896), the name stems from the usage of the bird as a sentinel by falconers when catching wild hawks. (Source: Jobling, 2010)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The distribution area of two subspecies overlap in northern India and central Nepal, 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.

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’).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘banded’, presumably alluding to the striking black face mask.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek khelidonios (‘swallow-like’), from khelidon (‘swallow’), referring to the elegant flying style of these terns.

 

The specific name, meaning ‘hybrid’ in Latin, was applied by Prussian naturalist Peter Simon Pallas (1741-1811), who presumed that the bird he shot was a hybrid between white-winged tern (C. leucoptera) and common tern (Sterna hirundo). Pallas’s travels are described above under Haliaeetus leucoryphus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek khroizo (‘to colour’) and kephale (‘head’), alluding to the dark head of many of the species in the breeding season.

 

It resembles the widespread black-headed gull (C. ridibundus), but has a pale, ‘staring’ eye.

The specific name is derived from the Latin brunneus (‘brown’) and Ancient Greek kephale (‘head’), alluding to the brown head in the breeding plumage.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name stems from German naturalist and explorer Peter Simon Pallas (1741-1811). During his travels in Siberia and Kyrgyzstan in 1773, he collected a large gull, naming it Larus ichthyaetus, derived from Ancient Greek ikhthys (‘fish’) and aetos (‘eagle’), loosely translated as ‘the fish-eating gull that resembles an eagle’, presumably alluding to its large size. Thus the generic name means ‘fish-eagle’ – a very unfortunate name for a genus of gulls!

 

As explained above, the scientific name of this species means ‘fish-eagle fish-eagle’ – a ridiculous name for a gull.

 

 

 

 

 

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).

 

The specific name is derived from the Latin acutus (‘sharp-pointed’) and cauda (‘tail’).

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is derived from the Latin aurantia (‘orange’), which refers to the colour of the bill.

 

 

 

 

 

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 the Latin argutus (‘noisy’).

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘related to’ or ‘similar to’, presumably another Argya species.

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is derived from the Latin cauda (‘tail’), referring to its very long tail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name honours Major-General John Malcolm (1769-1833), who was administrator and diplomat in the British East India Company, and governor of Bombay 1826-1830.

 

 

 

 

 

It is often confiding. In his novel Kim (1901), English author Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) writes: “By this time, the sun was driving broad golden spokes through the lower branches of the mango trees; the parakeets and doves were coming home in their hundreds; the chattering, grey-backed Seven Sisters, talking over the day’s adventures, walked back and forth in twos and threes almost under the feet of the travelers.”

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘striated’ – not a descriptive name, as this bird is not heavily streaked. The name would have been more appropriate for the common babbler (above).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from the Latin garrire (‘to chatter’), referring to the intense noise that many of these birds create when travelling around in groups.

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from the Latin mons (‘mountain’), and Ancient Greek kinklos, which denotes a small unidentified bird, possibly a trush.

 

The specific name is derived from the Latin cachinnare (‘to laugh’).

 

 

 

 

 

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 derived from Ancient Greek haema (‘blood’) and kephale (‘head’), referring to the bright red forehead. The monotonous call of the bird has been likened to the sound produced by a hammering coppersmith, hence the common name.

 

 

 

 

 

It resembles the brown-headed barbet (below), but crown and neck are paler and more heavily streaked.

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name refers to the Malabar Coast of south-western India.

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘green’ – a rather non-descriptive name, as all members of the genus are mainly green.

 

 

 

 

 

It resembles the lineated barbet (above), but crown and neck are darker brown and less heavily streaked.

The specific name refers to Sri Lanka, called Ceylon in the British colonial time. Presumably, the type specimen was collected there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the classical Greek name of the European bee-eater (M. apiaster). Originally it meant ‘endowed with speech’, used in poetry to describe articulated people who ‘divided voices’, from meros (‘portion’) and ops (‘voice’).

 

The specific name was given in honour of French botanist and ornithologist Jean Baptiste Leschenault de la Tour (1773-1826), who travelled widely in Java, India, and South America, bringing large collections of plants and birds back to France.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name refers to the Philippines. Presumably, the type specimen was collected there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 death by his father’s horses. The gods transformed him into a bird, which would imitate the neighing of a horse, but always flee from the sight of horses. Perhaps Aristotle had noticed wagtails taking off because of horses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘reddish’ or ‘rufous’.

The taxonomy of this species is complex. Some of the presently 6 recognized subspecies were formerly treated as subspecies of the Australasian pipit (A. novaeseelandiae), and some authorities regard it as a subspecies of Richard’s pipit (A. richardi).

 

 

 

 

 

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’.

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek kopsykhos, meaning ‘blackbird’ (Turdus merula).

 

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 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 kyanos (‘dark blue’) and ornis (‘bird’), alluding to the fact that most members of the genus have partly blue plumages.

 

The specific and common names commemorate British army officer and naturalist Samuel Richard Tickell (1811-1875), who collected birds, mammals, and other animals in India and Myanmar.

 

 

 

 

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

 

The specific name is derived from the Latin albus (‘white’) and cauda (‘tail’), referring to two small white patches at the base of the tail.

 

 

 

 

 

It is endemic to the central hills of Sri Lanka, usually found above elevations around 900 m.

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the classical Latin word for nightingales, probably derived from luscus (‘half-blind’), presumably in the meaning ‘well hidden’, alluding to the crepuscular habits of these birds, and cano (‘to sing’). Thus, it could be translated as ‘the little-seen songster’.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘Swedish’. Olof Rudbeck the Younger (1660-1740), Swedish naturalist and linguist, professor of medicine, and principal of the university of Uppsala, was a pioneer of botany and ornithology. He collected the bluethroat in Lapland in 1695. To him, the colours of the male resembled those of the Swedish flag (which is today blue with a yellow cross, but in those days the yellow had a more orange hue), and he named it Avis Carolina in honour of the Swedish king Carl XI.

However, by 1758, when Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) renamed the bird, the absolute power of the monarchy had been abolished, and Linnaeus, who normally followed his mentor Rudbeck closely, had strong links with the political party Hattarna (so named due to the hats the members wore). For this reason, he probably considered Svecica to be more politically correct than Carolina.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

In winter, it is found in a vast area, around the Mediterranean, in Ethiopia, from Arabia across southern Iran and the Indian Peninsula to southern and eastern China, Korea, and Japan, and thence southwards to the Philippines and Java.

The eastern subspecies philippensis differs quite a lot from the other races in that the belly of the male is chestnut-coloured. It may merit specific status.

The specific name dates back to English naturalist John Ray (1627-1705) who, in his work The ornithology of Francis Willughby of Middleton (1678), calls it the ‘Solitary Sparrow’, making this comment: “It is wont to sit alone on the tops of ancient Edifices and Roofs of Churches, singing most sweetly, especially in the Morning, whence it took its name.” (Source: Jobling, 2010)

 

 

 

 

 

These birds are widely distributed in Europe, Asia, and Africa, with a single species, the northern wheatear (O. oenanthe), also breeding in Greenland and eastern Canada, and in Alaska and western Canada.

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek oenos ‘wine’ and anthos (‘flower’), alluding to the northern wheatear returning from Africa to Greece in spring, when the grapevines blossom.

The common name is an old folk name of the northern wheatear, meaning ‘white arse’, referring to the conspicuous white rump of the bird.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘brown’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As its name implies, the plumage is very variable. There are 3 distinct morphs. In the black-bellied morph, the male is jet-black with white rump, under tail-coverts, and base and sides of the tail. The female is similar, but sooty black. In the white-bellied morph, the male is similar to the black-bellied morph, but with a white belly. In the white-crowned morph, the male is similar to the white-bellied phase, but crown and nape are white. Females of the last two morphs are brownish instead of black.

Strictly speaking, the Latin word picatus means ‘smeared with tar’, but the common meaning is ‘pied’, i.e. black-and-white.

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

The plumage varies considerably, males of the eastern subspecies having a black mask and upper breast, slaty-grey upperparts, and rufous belly and tail, whereas those of the western subspecies are blackish with whitish vent and secondaries, and a rufous tail.

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek okhros (‘pale yellow’) and oura (‘tail’) – an odd name, as the tail of all subspecies is rufous.

 

 

 

 

 

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).

 

It is sexually dimorphic, males being largely black, with white lower belly, rump, and undertail coverts, and a white wing patch, whereas females are mainly reddish-brown, with white throat and undertail coverts, and a black tail.

According to French naturalist Mathurin Jacques Brisson (1723-1806), in his work Traquet de l’isle de Luçon, from 1760, Maria-capra was the name given to the pied bushchat by the inhabitants of Luzon, Philippines – indeed an odd name, meaning ‘the she-goat of Virgin Mary’. He may have misunderstood, as other sources maintain that it is the Luzon name of the pied fantail (Rhipidura javanica).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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’.

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

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 general, males are much more colourful than the females, and they often also have longer tails. Outside the breeding season, males of many species moult into a much duller eclipse plumage.

 

The generic name alludes to a small bird, mentioned by Greek grammarian Hesychius of Alexandria (5th or 6th Century A.D.) in his work Lexicon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek leptos (‘delicate’ or ‘fine’) and kome (‘hair’). What it refers to is not clear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the classical Latin name of the European golden oriole, being an imitation of its call.

 

The specific name may be a local Indian name of the bird, or from the Hindu mythology, or it may refer to kundu, a surname in Bengali of persons belonging to the Kayastha community.

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Presumably, the name bustard is a distortion of Old French bistarde or oustarde, both derived from the Latin avis tarda (‘slow bird’), perhaps alluding to the gravitational walking style of the larger species.

 

The generic name is a combination of two other genus names, Ardea (herons) and Otis (bustards).

 

The specific name is derived from the Latin niger (‘black’) and ceps (‘-headed’), from caput (‘head’).

 

 

 

 

 

The first part of the generic name refers to the Houbara bustard (Chlamydotis undulata), whereas the second part is from Ancient Greek opsis (‘appearance’), thus ‘resembling the Houbara bustard’.

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘of Bengal’. Strictly speaking, Bengal is the lowland around the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta, but in 1789, when German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin (1748-1804) described the bird, the term ‘Bengal’ indicated a much larger portion of northern India.

The name florican is of unknown origin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name refers to Pandion, a mythical king of Athens. However, there were two kings with that name in Athens. They were frequently confused by later authors, but neither was ever metamorphosed into a bird of prey. Pandion II had four children, one of whom, Nisos of Megara, was transformed into a hawk. This metamorphosis, which is related in detail above under genus Nisaetus, was probably what French naturalist Marie Jules César Lelorgne de Savigny (1777-1851) had in mind, when he moved the osprey to a separate genus in 1809.

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek hals (‘sea’) and aetos (‘eagle’).

The name osprey was first recorded around 1460, a corruption of the Latin avis praedae (‘bird of prey’).

Other pictures, depicting this species, are shown on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in the United States and Canada.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek gymnos (‘naked’) and rhis or rhinos (‘nose’ or ‘nostrils’).

 

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek xanthos (‘yellow’) and the Latin –collis (‘-throated’), from collum (‘neck’).

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the classical Latin word for sparrows.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘belonging to houses’, from domus (‘house’).

Another picture, depicting this species, is shown above at common babbler (Argya caudata), others on the pages Animals: Urban animal life, and Nature: Invasive species.

 

 

 

 

 

Formerly, it was presumed that the gular sac was a means to store food for several days, but this is not the case. This belief was the cause of a funny limerick, written in 1910 by American poet Dixon Lanier Merritt (1879-1972):

 

 

However, recent DNA research has revealed that the 5 Old World species (great white, Dalmatian, pink-backed, spot-billed, and Australian) form one lineage, whereas the American white, the brown, and the Peruvian form another. The great white was the first to diverge from the common ancestor, which suggests that pelicans evolved in the Old World and later spread into the Americas.

Traditionally, pelicans were thought to be related to cormorants, darters, gannets, frigatebirds, and tropicbirds, but genetic research has shown that they form an order, Pelecaniformes, together with herons, the hamerkop (Scopus umbretta), and the shoebill (Balaeniceps rex).

 

The specific name refers to the Philippines, where the species was first collected. It was abundant here until the early 1900s, but became extinct as a breeding bird in the 1960s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cormorants and shags are a cosmopolitan family of about 41 species of small to medium-sized, fish-eating birds. Recent genetic studies have concluded that these birds should be placed in 7 genera: Phalacrocorax (12 species), Leucocarbo (16 species), Microcarbo (5 species), Urile (3 species), Nannopterum (3 species), Gulosus (European shag), and Poikilocarbo (red-legged cormorant).

Numerous cormorant species are presented on the pages Fishing, and Silhouettes.

 

The generic name is a combination of Ancient Greek mikros (‘small’), and the original generic name of cormorants, Carbo, introduced in 1799 by French naturalist Bernard-Germain-Étienne de La Ville-sur-Illon (1756-1825), Count of Lacépède.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek phalakros (‘bald’) and korax (‘raven’), where ‘bald’ refers to the white (but feathered) crown of the great cormorant (below) during the breeding season, whereas ‘raven’ presumably alludes to its otherwise black plumage.

 

In the 1800s, this species was persecuted all over Europe, partly because it was competing with fishermen, partly because its guano destroyed the trees, in which it was breeding. The complete contrast to this persecution is seen in the Far East, where fishermen, for thousands of years, have been using tamed great cormorants for fishing. Pictures, depicting this practice, are found on the page Fishing.

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘charcoal’, naturally alluding to the colour of this bird.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is derived from the Latin fuscus (‘dusky’ or ‘brown’) and collum (‘neck’).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

Three Asian species have been retained in Francolinus, whereas the remaining two Asian species have been moved to the genus Ortygornis (below).

The generic name is derived from Italian francolino. In his work The ornithology of Francis Willughby of Middleton (1678), English naturalist John Ray (1627-1705) writes: “They are by the Italians called Francolini, as it were Franci, that is, Free Fowl, because the common people are forbidden to take them, and Princes grant them freedom of living.”

Maybe francolins had been introduced by royalty to Italy at that time. Otherwise, the talk may be about the grey partridge (Perdix perdix).

 

It is more often heard than seen, often detected by its penetrating, rather nasal call: eek-eek-e-eek-eek, with a short break after the third syllable, and the last two syllables uttered very quickly after each other.

It has been elected as the state bird of Haryana.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the classical Latin word for domestic chickens, which mainly originate from the red junglefowl (G. gallus). More about this issue is found on the page Animals – Animals as servants of Man: Poultry.

 

The specific name commemorates French aristocrat and military officer Marie-Joseph du Motier de La Fayette (1757-1834), who is regarded as a hero in the United States, where he fought in the American Revolutionary War, commanding revolutionary troops in several battles. After returning to France, he was a key figure in the French Revolution of 1789 and the July Revolution of 1830.

I find it rather odd that a Sri Lankan bird was named in honour of this man.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name commemorates French naturalist, colonial administrator, and explorer Pierre Sonnerat (1748-1814), who travelled widely in Asia for many years, describing numerous species of plants and animals.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek ortyx (‘quail’) and ornis (‘bird’), referring to the relatively small size of these francolins.

 

The specific name refers to the former French colony Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu, today called Puduchcheri. The type specimen was collected there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the classical Latin word for peafowl.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘crested’.

The classical Greek word for peacock was taos, derived from Persian tavus. The famous Peacock Throne, in Persian known as Takht-i-Tavus, was a splendid piece of Mughal workmanship, covered in gold and jewels. It was commissioned in the early 17th Century by Emperor Shah Jahan (1592-1666), and located in the Diwan-i-Khas (Audience Hall) in the Red Fort in Delhi. It got its name from two dancing peacocks, depicted at its rear.

By the beginning of the 18th Century, the power of the Mughal Empire was crumbling, and in 1739 Nader Shah (1688-1747), a Turkoman Muslim from north-eastern Iran, invaded Delhi with his army, killing tens of thousands of its inhabitants. When they left in 1739, they brought with them the Peacock Throne and many other valuables as war trophies. When Nader Shah was assassinated by his own officers in 1747, the throne disappeared, most probably being destroyed for its valuables.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘cheerful’, presumably alluding to its colourful plumage.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek dendron (‘tree’) and kopos (‘hard work’), of course alluding to their way of feeding.

 

The specific name commemorates French captain and explorer Marc Joseph Macé Marion-Dufresne (1724-1772), who explored the Indian and Pacific Oceans, making important new discoveries in Tasmania and New Zealand. He was killed by Maoris, when the expedition made a prolonged stay ashore in New Zealand.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek deinos (‘mighty’) and ops (‘appearance’), referring to their colourful plumage.

 

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek psaros (‘speckled like a starling’), from psar (‘starling’), and oides (‘resembling’), alluding to its speckled underside.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the classical Latin word for woodpecker.

 

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

It is quite similar to the slightly larger scaly-bellied woodpecker (P. squamatus), which, however, has no streaks on throat and breast, only on the belly. This species is shown on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in the Himalaya.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek plokeus (‘weaver’), ultimately from pleko (‘to entwine’). It was applied due to the nests of these birds, which are often intricately woven strips of grass or other plants.

 

It breeds in small colonies, building the nest in tall plants along lake shores or in marshes.

The specific name is derived from Tamil manja, a word applied to various weavers.

 

 

 

 

 

It lives in various habitats, including grasslands, secondary forest, shrubberies, and farmland, building a hanging nest from bushes or trees.

The specific name was applied in 1760 by French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson (1723-1806), as he mistakenly believed that the type specimen had been collected in the Philippines. The common name is the Hindi name of the bird.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is a diminutive of the genus name Lorius (lorys), a group of colourful parrots, found in Indonesia and New Guinea. The word lory stems from the Malay luri, a word used for a number of colourful parrots.

The name hanging parrot alludes to the fact that these parrots are able to sleep, hanging upside down. An older name for these birds was lorikeet, a combination of lory and parakeet. Today, this term is used exclusively for members of the subfamily Loriinae, a group of colourful parrots in Australia and New Guinea.

 

Strictly speaking, the specific name means ‘spring’ in the Latin, but it may also mean ‘green’.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is a diminutive of the Latin word for parrots, psittacus, thus ‘small parrot’ – not a very good name, as the genus contains several rather large species.

 

The specific name refers to Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.), whose soldiers brought numerous birds from India back to Europe, presumably including this species. The common name is not very appropriate, as the breast is pink, not red.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is derived from the Latin columba (‘dove’) and Ancient Greek oides (‘resembling’), alluding to the soft, pastel-shaded blue and grey plumage.

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek kyanos (‘dark-blue’) and kephale (‘head’).

Previously, it was regarded as being conspecific with the blossom-headed parakeet (P. roseata), but was since upgraded to a separate species.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek eu (‘good’) and patria (‘descent’), thus ‘of noble descent’. The common name refers to Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.), whose soldiers brought numerous birds from India back to Europe, presumably including this species.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Morning and evening, large flocks fly from and to their night roost, making a racket due to their penetrating call.

The specific name was given in honour of German physician and naturalist Wilhelm Heinrich Kramer (1724-1765), who worked as a phycisian near Vienna for 14 years. In 1756, he published a work entitled Elenchus Vegetabilium and Animalium per Austriam inferiorem Observatorum, a description of flora and fauna of Lower Austria.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

These birds live in open plains, grasslands, and semi-deserts. They belong to two genera, Pterocles (below), and Syrrhaptes with 2 species. The latter are restricted to Central Asia, although Pallas’s sandgrouse (S. paradoxus) is famous for its irregular invasions of Europe.

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek pteron (‘wing’) and kles (‘notable’ or ‘splendid’), alluding to the many beautiful members of the genus.

 

It lives in arid habitats, and in the Indian Subcontinent it is especially common in the Thar and Sindh Deserts.

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘burnt’ or ‘scorched’, referring to the dark belly of the male.

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek akritos (‘confused’) and illas (‘thrush’). What it refers to is not clear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek pyknos (‘thick’ or ‘compact’) and noton (‘back’), applied in 1826 by German zoologist and lawyer Friedrich Boie (1789-1870), who described many new species and several new genera of birds. Presumably, Boie found that these birds were quite compact.

He and his brother Heinrich also described about 50 new species of reptiles.

 

In a zoological context, the specific name merely means ‘of South Africa’. It was applied due to a misunderstanding. When the bird was described in 1760 by French naturalist Mathurin Jacques Brisson (1723-1806) in his Ornithologie, ou, Méthode contenant la division des oiseaux en ordres, sections, genres, especes & leurs variétés, he obviously thought that the type specimen was collected at the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa.

Strictly speaking, the word cafer originates from the Arabic kafir (‘unbeliever’ or ‘infidel’), implying people who did not ‘admit’ (to the blessings of God), i.e. non-Muslims. Later, the term was mainly used for Christians, but in East Africa also for pagan black Africans. In the 1700s, English missionaries in South Africa adopted the word as an equivalent of ‘heathen’, referring to non-Christian black Africans. In the 1900s, it changed meaning, becoming a derogatory term for black Africans in general. (Source: etymonline.com/word/kaffir)

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is derived from the Latin iocosus (‘merry’), from iocus (‘joke’), presumably alluding to its Harlequin-like colours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek leukos (‘white’) and otis (‘-eared’), from ous (‘ear’), referring to the large white patch on the cheek.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘with brush-like tufts’, from penicillus, a diminutive of peniculus (‘brush’). The name refers to the yellow tufts behind the eyes.

Previously, it was placed in the genus Kelaartia, named after Sri Lankan physician and naturalist Edward Frederick Kelaart (1819-1860), who described many plants and animals from the island.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek amauros (‘dusky’ or ‘brown’) and ornis (‘bird’).

 

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek phoinix (‘crimson’ or ‘reddish’) and oura (‘tail’), alluding to its reddish-brown undertail coverts.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the classical Latin word for coot.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘black’.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the Ancient Greek word for the European swamphen (P. porphyrio).

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from the genus name Rallus (rails). The original meaning of the suffix ina denotes something feminine, but in this connection the name merely means ‘resembles rails’.

 

The specific name honours British statesman Charles John Canning (1812-1862), 1st Earl of Canning and Governor-General of India 1856-1862.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first part of the generic name is derived from the Latin amentum, a leather strap, which was attached to a javelin, used in ancient 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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Formerly, fantails were included in the Old World flycatcher family (Muscicapidae), but following a number of genetic studies they now form a separate family, together with two species of silktail (Lamprolia) and the drongo fantail (Chaetorhynchus papuensis).

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek rhipis (‘fan’) and oura (‘tail’). In his book A General Synopsis of Birds (1781-1802), English physician and naturalist John Latham (1740-1837) writes: “flies always with its tail spread in shape of a fan.”

 

The specific name is derived from the Latin aurum (‘gold’), but may also mean ‘brilliant’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek kalidris, a term used by Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) for some grey-coloured water bird.

 

When the breeding season begins, the males gather on an arena on a grassy spot, a so-called lek. When a female arrives at the arena, the males start fighting (in deep silence) to attract the attention of the female. She walks around to survey the entire group before choosing a male, which will mate with her. She then leaves to take care of nest-building, incubating, and chick-rearing by herself.

Previously, this species was named Philomachus pugnax, but genetic research has shown that it is closely related to Calidris sandpipers. The former generic name is derived from Ancient Greek philos (‘loving’) and makhomai (‘to fight’), whereas the specific name is derived from the Latin pugno (‘I fight’) and ax (‘inclined to’).

This bird is widely distributed in Arctic and Northern Temperate areas, from eastern England across northern Europe and Siberia, eastwards to around the Kolyma River. The wintering area includes southern and western Europe, Africa, southern Asia, and Australia.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is Latin, meaning ‘muddy’.

 

It winters in a vast area, including southern Europe, the northern half of Africa, the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Australia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name was applied to the green sandpiper (T. ochropus) by Italian naturalist Ulisse Aldrovandi (1522-1599), who was the founder of the botanical garden of Bologna – one of the first of its kind. The name is derived from Ancient Greek trungas, a thrush-sized, tail-bobbing wading bird, mentioned by Greek scientist and philosopher Aristotle (384-322 B.C.).

 

The specific name is derived from the Latin nebula (‘mist’). It refers to a Norwegian name of the bird, skoddeføll (‘fog-foal’), alluding to its foggy, marshy habitat, and to its call, which was likened to whinnying.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

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

Some authorities still include these birds in the genus Bubo.

 

The specific name alludes to the Coromandel Coast, Karnataka, where the type specimen was collected.

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name refers to Sri Lanka, called Ceylon in the British colonial time. Presumably, the type specimen was collected there.

 

 

 

 

 

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.

Following genetic research, a number of species, which were previously placed in the genus Sturnus, have been moved to other genera, leaving only the common starling and the spotless starling (S. unicolor) in that genus.

 

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 below, see Pastor roseus.

 

The bank myna is similar to the more widespread common myna (below), but is a bit smaller, its plumage is more greyish, and the bare skin around the eye is orange rather than yellow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from graculus, the Latin word for the jackdaw, and pica, the Latin word for the magpie, originally from picata, which, strictly speaking, means ‘smeared with tar’, but in a wider sense ‘black-and-white’, thus ‘the jackdaw-like, black-and-white bird’, alluding to the pied plumage of these birds.

Some authorities include these birds in the genus Sturnus, others in the genus Sturnia.

 

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) says that this bird was called contra by the people of Bengal. Strictly speaking, Bengal is the lowland around the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta, but in the 1700s, the term ‘Bengal’ indicated a much larger portion of northern India.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The bird was first described by Swedish naturalist Pehr Forsskål (1732-1763) in Turkey, during the Danish Royal Expedition to Arabia Felix (Yemen) 1761-1767. He was told by locals that, according to the Koran, it was prohibited to kill this bird, because it was able to eat more than 10,000 grasshoppers a day.

He named it Turdus seleucis, as he thought it was a thrush. When it was realized that it is a starling, the name was changed to Sturnus roseus, and today it is the sole member of the genus Pastor, which is Latin, meaning shepherd, derived from pascere (‘to lead to a pasture’), alluding to the fact that the bird often follows flocks of grazing animals to eat grasshoppers and other insects disturbed by the flock.

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘rose-coloured’, derived from rosa (‘rose’).

The interesting, albeit short, life of Forsskål is described on the page People: Pehr Forsskål – brilliant Swedish scientist.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from the genus name Sturnus, in which these birds were formerly placed. Some authorities still regard them as belonging there.

 

Most authorities now regard blythii as a separate species, the Malabar starling (S. blythii), which has a white head and upper breast, contrasting sharply with an orange-reddish belly and grey back.

However, subspecies nemoricola also looks very different from malabarica, as it is mainly a grey bird without chestnut underparts or tail, only having pale reddish-brown undertail, and sometimes also vent and belly. In my opinion, it also merits specific status. Chestnut-tailed starling is a very bad name for it. Grey starling would be much more descriptive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘living on temples or pagodas’, derived from Portuguese pagoda (‘pagoda’ or ‘temple’). In his work The nests and eggs of Indian birds (1890), English naturalist Allan Octavian Hume (1829-1912) mentions that the bird is often seen on these buildings in southern India.

The common name alludes to the colour on the underside, which resembles that of the robe of certain Brahmins (the uppermost caste of Hinduism).

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from the Latin sturnus (‘starling’), and presumably ornis (‘bird’). The specific name is also Latin, from albus (‘white’) and frons (‘forehead’).

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name was the Ancient Greek name of the Eurasian spoonbill (below), derived from platea (‘broad’), alluding to the spatula-shaped bill.

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek pseudos (‘false’) and ibis (‘ibis’) – a strange name, as these birds are ibises.

 

The specific name is derived from the Latin papilla (‘pimple’), referring to the warty skin on crown and nape.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek threskeia (‘religious worship’) and ornis (‘bird’), alluding to the sanctity of the sacred ibis (T. aethiopicus) in Ancient Egypt.

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The word thrush is derived from Old English throstle, from Proto-Germanic þrustlō, an ancient name for the song thrush (Turdus philomelos). In Old Saxon, þrustlō became throsla, in German Drossel. The latter name was adopted by the Danes, whereas the Swedes use the name trast for these birds, and the Norwegians trost.

A number of thrush species are dealt with on the page Animals – Birds: Thrushes.

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek geo (‘ground’) and kikhle (‘thrush’), referring to the almost exclusively ground-feeding habit of these birds.

 

Subspecies cyanota of southern India is very distinct, having a white face with two vertical black streaks below and behind the eye. It has been suggested that it forms a separate species, but intermediate forms occur where its range overlaps with that of nominate citrina.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the classical Latin word for thrush.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘very similar’, undoubtedly referring to the common blackbird.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As of today, the family Zosteropidae contains 14 genera with about 139 species, but some experts have pointed out that further studies must be made, before the true relationship of white-eyes with other birds can be determined.

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek zoster (‘girdle’) and ops (‘eye’), referring to the bright white eye-ring of most species.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘having prominent eyelids’, derived from palpebra (‘eyelid’), which presumably refers to the white eye-ring.