Author: Vivek Tiwari, Intel Corp., Santa Clara, CA
Email: vtiwari@scdt.intel.com
This is a brief report and trip-list of my birding during a month long trip to
India in January 1996. In between a conference in Banglore, and family
celebrations in Delhi, I was able to do some birding. It was focused in areas
around Delhi and a couple of days in Banglore. I saw around 180 species,
which I was very happy with, considering that I did not go to hot-spots like
Bharatpur or the Himalayan foothills.
I list the species and comment on some of them. The list is derived from the OBC
checklist that is available on the Web. The third column is the closest common
name for the species as given in Ali and Ripley's Pictorial Guide 1st ed., if it
differs from the OBC name. (For the checklist and a list of bird books for the
Indian Subcontinent, check out my web page:
http://www.ee.princeton.edu/~vivek/indian-birds.html).
I use Ali & Ripley names in the birding summary section.
I would love to receive any comments you may have. Feel free to point out any
sighting that you have doubts about or consider interesting in some regard. It
would be great to relive some of the memories from the trip!
Birding summary:
1. A few times from my rooftop in Paschim Vihar, New Delhi. A crowded, built up
part of the city. Still saw about 20 species including a flock of
GREEN BEE-EATERs, BROWN ROCK CHAT, PAINTED STORKs.
2. 3rd Jan. Most of the day at Okhla. Birding along roads on my motorcycle on
the way to Okhla. Stopped at the bridge near Kalindi Kunj. The hyacinth clogged
river was literally teeming with birds - sandpipers, wagtails, etc. Went on to
Okhla Barrage. Took a boat from near the yatch club to the grassy
island. Was thrilled to find WHITE-TAILED STONE CHAT, STRIATED BABBLERs,
BLACK-THROATED WEAVER, a flattened but still in excellent shape STRIATED WEAVER
nest (guess they breed there) on the island. Grass cuters
were in action all around. I talked to one of them. He said that they let the
grass grow in the monsoon and cut it only in the winters. If that really is the
case, then grass cutting probably doesn't adversely impact the breeding birds
there. The whole area should be given some sort of official protection though,
considering the fact that it harbors many species that most likely are not seen
anywhere else around Delhi. In the evening returned to Kalindi Kunj. Became a
victim of a "chalan" blitz by the UP Police. Had to pay a heavy fine for riding
without registration papers :-< (I used to keep them under the seat). A
CHESTNUT BITTERN provided some consolation.
3. 6th Jan. Indian Institute of Science Campus, Banglore. A short hour and a half
stroll with fellow Nathistory-Indians Robert and Rana. IISc is a birdy campus.
Rewarded with a MOTTLED WOOD OWL. It was being mobbed by Drongos. JUNGLE MYNAs
were common here.
4. 7th Jan morning. Bannerghata National Park on the outskirts of Banglore. Birded
a small section near the zoo with S. Karthikeyan, JN Prasad, and Robert. Excellent
birding. Diverse set of about 65 species. Good selection of flycatchers. Great
daylight views of a GREAT HORNED OWL. Also COMMON ROSEFINCH, SMALL GREEN HERON,
etc. On the way back make a fruitless stop at Siviculture Research Center lands.
Headed out to Hoskote Reservoir, with several stops at tanks along the roadside.
Did not meet any of the folks who had conducted the Asian Waterfowl Census in the
same area earlier in the day.
5. 8th Jan. General strike in Banglore killed plans for going to the bird
sanctuary that's on the BangloreMysore highway. Instead Robert and I took a mobike
to what we thought was another part of Bannerghata National Park. This was off
Kanakpura Road, near Valley School and Krishnamoorthy estates. Interesting
scrub grassland, forest margin habitats. Some interesting birds including
RED-WINGED CRESTED CUCKOO, YELLOW-EYED BABBLER, WHITE-BROWED BULBUL. Rode around
in that area. I really liked the place - undulating landscape, very few people. A
change from the rest of Banglore, which has started resembling Delhi (and I don't
mean that as a complement, even though I am a Delhiite ;->). But this was until
we saw heavy construction. Found out that this is close to the site of a
super-city being built with Japanese collaboration. Oh well ...
6. 14th Jan. Spent three hours in Delhi Zoo in late afternoon. Not the best time
of the day, yet the place was very birdy. Huge PAINTED STORK colony, lots of
waterfowl. Also a fleeting glimpse of two BROWN CRAKES. This was in a small marshy
patch, near the railway line close to the bird and primate enclosures.
7. 17th Jan. Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary. A wetland in Haryana. Took an early morning
bus from Dhaula Kuan to Gurgaon. Changed to a Haryana Roadways bus to Sultanpur.
Reached there by 10:30AM. Birded with 4:00PM. Took a ride in a jeep to Gurgaon for
5 rupees on the way back. Then bus back to Delhi. Spent just about 20 Rs for the
whole trip. I am giving these details since I think that Sultanpur is the best bet
for a day of birding around Delhi. I was the lone observer, did not have a scope,
started at 10:30AM and must have walked barely a mile in all. Covered less than
half of the sanctuary, since I was in no rush and still I saw over 90 species!
Great mix of water and land birds. PAINTED SNIPE, ROSY PELICANS, TREE PIPITs,
RED-BREASTED and GREYHEADED FLYCATCHERS, etc. etc. I was supposed to write a report
for the Sultanpur trip for Pratibha. Instead I will mark all the species seen at
Sultanpur in the list below with an (S). My only gripe about the place is that the
sanctuary is now fenced on all sides. While this may be important from the point
of protection, there is a problem. There are now signs of development all around on
the outside of the fence. This just highlights how small an area the sanctuary
actually covers. Many years ago, when the fence wasn't there, the sanctuary seemed
like a vast expanse of wetland and rural landscape. Not so anymore. In any case,
whatever's left needs real protection, and degradation due to the nearby
development should be monitored.
8. 27th Jan. A motorcycle mishap (back tire burst and the bike skidded) on the
night of the 21st, which left me with a severe limp, ruled out plans of spending
the weekend of the 27th at Bharatpur with Ashish. Instead I joined Pratibha Pande
and Raman from WWF for a winter census of Bhindawas Bird Sanctuary. This sanctuary
is in Haryana, about 50 miles from Sultanpur. You need your own transport since
no buses go there. Stopped at Sultanpur first. MARSH HARRIER, and LAPWING. Saw
feral dogs running around in the marsh. These could cause havoc with the breeding
birds. Is something being done about them? Then stopped at many places to check out the
flooded fields along the roads. This was the most impressive aspect of the trip for
me. These fields are a haven for birds. The Asian Waterfowl Census should be
revived in Delhi and it should cover all these spontaneous wetlands. Wonder if the
significance of these seasonal wetlands for migratory birds has been studied or
not. They are not as publicly known as Bharatpur, or Sultanpur, but are probably
more important. LAPWING, AVOCET, RUFF, BLACK-TAILED GODWIT, all kinds of ducks
etc. Bhindawas itself is extremely impressive. It was raptor country -
PALLAS'S FISHING EAGLE, OSPREY, CRESTED SERPENT EAGLE, several unided raptors. I
also found a WRYNECK which would have made my day on its own. Also SPOTTED OWLETS,
another GREAT HORNED OWL. Pelicans, Spoonbills, Ducks, Herons, Cormorants, ...
9. 2nd February. Had some free time in the afternoon while visiting CP. Decided
to go to Lodhi Gardens. Primary aim was to find woodpeckers, and Grey Hornbills.
No luck, even though I must have scanned every tree in the park. About 30 species
in an hour and a half of relaxed birding.
Trip List:
Scientific Name Common Name Common Name
(OBC Checklist) (OBC Checklist) (Ali & Ripley)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anas acuta Northern Pintail Pintail (S)
Anas clypeata Northern Shoveler Shoveller (S)
Anas crecca Common Teal (S)
Anas penelope Eurasian Wigeon Wigeon (S)
Anas platyrhynchos Mallard (S)
Anas poecilorhyncha Spot-billed Duck (S)
Anas strepera Gadwall (S)
Anser anser Greylag Goose
Anser indicus Bar-headed Goose
Aythya ferina Common Pochard
Aythya nyroca Ferruginous Pochard White-eyed Pochard
Tadorna ferruginea Ruddy Shelduck
Apus nipalensis House Swift (S)
Cypsiurus balasiensis Asian Palm-Swift Palm Swift
IISc campus, Banglore.
Accipiter badius Shikra
Aquila nipalensis Steppe Eagle Eastern Steppe Eagle
Aquila rapax Tawny Eagle
More than once. Couldn’t resolve between the two.
Circus aeruginosus Western Marsh Harrier Marsh Harrier (S)
At Sultanpur. Two. Were chasing a couple of feral dogs! Were themselves being
chased by crows.
Elanus caeruleus Black-winged Kite (S)
Okhla, Bannerghata, Sultanpur.
Gyps bengalensis White-rumped Vulture Indian Whitebacked Vulture(S)
Gyps indicus Long-billed Vulture Indian Longbilled Vulture (S)
I got into the habit of scanning every vulture kettle. Did not see any _indicus_ around Delhi.
But two individuals at Sultanpur really stood out from the rest.
Haliaeetus leucoryphus Pallas's Sea-Eagle Pallas's Fishing Eagle
A couple at Bhindawas. "Inseparable from large rivers and jheels", according to
Salim Ali. Was certainly true at Bhindawas.
Haliastur indus Brahminy Kite
Milvus migrans Black Kite Pariah Kite (S)
Pandion haliaetus Osprey
Bhindawas.
Pernis ptilorhyncus Oriental Honey-buzzard Honey Buzzard
Spilornis cheela Crested Serpent-Eagle
Excellent close views of an individual perched on a trailside tree. Bhindawas.
Anhinga melanogaster Oriental Darter Darter (S)
Ardea cinerea Grey Heron (S)
Ardea purpurea Purple Heron (S)
Ardeola grayii Indian Pond-Heron Pond Heron (S)
Bubulcus ibis Cattle Egret (S)
Butorides striatus Striated Heron Little Green Heron
Flushed an individual at the lake at Bannerghata, near the zoo.
Casmerodius albus Great Egret Large Egret (S)
Egretta garzetta Little Egret (S)
Ixobrychus cinnamomeus Cinnamon Bittern Chestnut Bittern
Fleeting glimpse at a nice bright bird at Kalindi Kunj, Okhla. Vanished into
the aquatic vegetation and didn't remerge.
Mesophoyx intermedia Intermediate Egret Smaller Egret (S)
Nycticorax nycticorax Black-crowned Night-Heron Night Heron (S)
Himantopus himantopus Black-winged Stilt (S)
Recurvirostra avosetta Pied Avocet Avocet
Flooded fields on the way to Bhindawas.
Vanellus duvaucelii River Lapwing Spurwinged Lapwing
Several individuals neatly arranged in a row at Okhla Barrage. Nice.
Vanellus indicus Red-wattled Lapwing (S)
Vanellus leucurus White-tailed Lapwing (S)
Sultanpur.
Vanellus vanellus Northern Lapwing Lapwing (S)
Sultanpur. Also flooded fields on the way to Bhindawas.
Ciconia episcopus Woolly-necked Stork Whitenecked Stork
Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus Black-necked Stork
Mycteria leucocephala Painted Stork (S)
Larus ridibundus Common Black-headed Gull Blackheaded Gull
Can't say for sure i I saw a Brownheaded Gull too or not. The one's I checked
all seemed to lack the white "mirrors" on the primaries.
Sterna aurantia River Tern Indian River Tern
Pelecanus onocrotalus Great White Pelican Rosy Pelican (S)
Maybe as many as 50 at Sultanpur. A large number also scattered around at
Bhindawas.
Phalacrocorax carbo Great Cormorant Cormorant (S)
Phalacrocorax fuscicollis Indian Cormorant Indian Shag
Phalacrocorax niger Little Cormorant (S)
Tachybaptus ruficollis Little Grebe (S)
Rostratula benghalensis Greater Painted-snipe Painted Snipe (S)
4 dull males at Sultanpur skulking together at water's edge. Did see that
the Painted Snipe is a "feeble and clumsy flier", but couldn't verify if
Salim Ali is also correct in saying that it is "indifferent as a table
bird and hardly worth powder and shot." ;->
Gallinago gallinago Common Snipe Fantail Snipe
A group of 3 at Bhindawas. Bill looked awfully long.
Limosa limosa Black-tailed Godwit
Flooded fields on the way to Bhindawas. Also at Bhindawas.
Philomachus pugnax Ruff
Flooded fields on the way to Bhindawas.
Tringa glareola Wood Sandpiper
Tringa hypoleucos Common Sandpiper (S)
Tringa ochropus Green Sandpiper
Tringa totanus Common Redshank Redshank
Platalea leucorodia Eurasian Spoonbill Spoonbill (S)
Many at Sultanpur and Bhindawas.
Pseudibis papillosa Red-naped Ibis Black Ibis (S)
Threskiornis melanocephalus Black-headed Ibis White Ibis (S)
Columba livia Rock Pigeon Blue Rock Pigeon(S)
Streptopelia chinensis Spotted Dove (S)
Streptopelia decaocto Eurasian Collared-Dove Indian Ring Dove(S)
Streptopelia senegalensis Laughing Dove Little Brown Dove(S)
Alcedo atthis Common Kingfisher (S)
Ceryle rudis Pied Kingfisher (S)
Coracias benghalensis Indian Roller (S)
Halcyon smyrnensis White-throated Kingfisher Whitebreasted Kingfisher(S)
Merops orientalis Little Green Bee-eater Green Bee-eater(S)
Centropus sinensis Greater Coucal Coucal (S)
Cuculus varius Common Hawk-Cuckoo (S)
Eudynamys scolopacea Asian Koel Koel
Francolinus pondicerianus Grey Francolin Grey Partridge (S)
Pavo cristatus Indian Peafowl Common Peafowl (S)
Perdicula asiatica Jungle Bush-Quail
Well, a flock of quail was seen landing at Bannerghata. I rushed to the bush
where they landed, and while I could hear them scurrying about a few feet
from me, couldn't see even one well enough. Typical. Jungle Bush-Quail is the
safest best, but who knows.
Grus antigone Sarus Crane (S)
Two pairs with one young bird each, at Sultanpur.
Grus grus Common Crane (S)
3 at Sultanpur.
Amaurornis akool Brown Crake
Fleeting glimpse of two birds at Delhi Zoo. There is a corner of the zoo where
there is a pipeline and a water -tank kind of a structure. Railway line is
nearby. This is close to the enclosures for Macaws etc. Saw the Crakes in a
marshy patch here.
Amaurornis phoenicurus White-breasted Waterhen (S)
Fulica atra Common Coot Coot (S)
Gallinula chloropus Common Moorhen Moorhen (S)
Porphyrio porphyrio Purple Swamphen Purple Moorhen (S)
Cisticola juncidis Zitting Cisticola Streaked Fantail Warbler
At Hoskote Reservoir. Perched on a wire over a paddy field. Unusual behavior for
this species.
Prinia hodgsonii Grey-breasted Prinia Franklin'’s Wren-warbler
Bannerghata and Valley School area.
Prinia inornata (N) Plain Prinia Plain Wren-warbler(S)
Prinia socialis Ashy Prinia Ashy Wren-warbler(S)
Prinia sylvatica Jungle Prinia Jungle Wren-warbler
Bannerghata.
Aegithina nigrolutea Marshall's Iora
Excellent! At Mahavir Jayanti Park, Delhi Ridge.
Corvus levaillantii Jungle Crow (S)
Corvus splendens House Crow (S)
Dendrocitta vagabunda Rufous Treepie Indian Tree Pie (S)
Dicrurus caerulescens White-bellied Drongo
Bannerghata.
Dicrurus leucophaeus Ashy Drongo
Dicrurus macrocercus Black Drongo (S)
Hypothymis azurea Black-naped Monarch Blacknaped Flycatcher
A handsome female. Making short sallies from the understory of a tall tree.
Right above our heads at a cafeteria outside the zoo at Bannerghata.
Oriolus oriolus Eurasian Golden-Oriole Golden Oriole (S)
Pericrocotus cinnamomeus Small Minivet
A flock of Small Minivets, adorning a bush at Bannerghata.
Pica pica Black-billed Magpie
Paris airport. I have never had a chance to see these in India.
Rhipidura albicollis White-throated Fantail Whitespotted Fantail Flycatcher
An individual of the ssp. _albogularis_ (Whitespotted ...), foraging for
insects in a bush at Bannerghata.
Tephrodornis pondicerianus Common Woodshrike (S)
Along the highway, outside Sultanpur.
Terpsiphone paradisi Asian Paradise-Flycatcher Paradise Flycatcher
A "brown-phased" individual. The road outside the zoo at Bannerghata was
flycatcher paradise that morning!
Carpodacus erythrinus Common Rosefinch
Bannerghata.
Hirundo concolor Dusky Crag-Martin
As always, flying about the main building in IIT Delhi.
Hirundo daurica Red-rumped Swallow (S)
Hirundo rustica Barn Swallow Swallow (S)
Hirundo smithii Wire-tailed Swallow
Only sighting at Lodhi Gardens, Delhi.
Riparia paludicola Plain Martin Plain Sand Martin
Okhla Barrage.
Chloropsis aurifrons Golden-fronted Leafbird
Bannerghata.
Chloropsis cochinchinensis Blue-winged Leafbird Goldmantled Leaf Bird
Bannerghata.
Lanius cristatus Brown Shrike Brown Shrike
Bannerghata, Banglore.
Lanius excubitor Northern Shrike Grey Shrike
Lanius schach Long-tailed Shrike Rufousbacked Shrike(S)
Lanius vittatus Bay-backed Shrike (S)
Cercomela fusca Indian Chat Brown Rock Chat (S)
Many places, including the roof of my own house.
Copsychus saularis Oriental Magpie-Robin Magpie-Robin (S)
Culicicapa ceylonensis Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher Greyheaded flycatcher(S)
An animated individual at Sultanpur (was it already displaying?).
Also Bhindawas.
Cyornis tickelliae Tickell's Blue-Flycatcher
Bannerghata, Banglore.
Ficedula parva Red-breasted Flycatcher (S)
Luscinia svecica Bluethroat (S)
Phoenicurus ochruros Black Redstart (S)
Delhi Zoo and Sulanpur. In both cases the birds were behaving exactly as they
as described in the Handbook. Hopping down to the ground from a low-hanging
branch, and then back up.
Saxicola caprata Pied Bushchat (S)
Saxicola leucura White-tailed Stonechat
On the grassy river-island at Okhla Barrage. Took some finding but my patience
was rewarded by an individual that flew in close to inspect me.
Saxicola maura Siberian Stonechat Stone Chat
On a wire, near Khapadwas Bird Sanctuary, on the way to Bhindawas.
Saxicoloides fulicata Indian Robin (S)
Dicaeum erythrorhynchos Pale-billed Flowerpecker Tickell's Flowerpecker
Nectarinia asiatica Purple Sunbird (S)
Nectarinia lotenia Long-billed Sunbird Loten's Sunbird
Another South-Indian specialty seen at Bannerghata.
Nectarinia zeylonica Purple-rumped Sunbird
Anthus rufulus Paddyfield Pipit (S)
A number of Pipits did go unid'ed. When will the new field guides arrive?
Anthus trivialis Tree Pipit (S)
A nice flock at Sultanpur.
Lonchura malabarica White-throated Silverbill Whitethroated Munia(S)
Valley School area, Banglore, and Sultanpur.
Lonchura punctulata Scaly-breasted Munia Spotted Munia
Valley School area, Banglore. Mixed in with the Whitethroated Munias.
Lonchura striata White-rumped Munia Whitebacked Munia
Bannerghata, Banglore.
Motacilla alba White Wagtail
Motacilla cinerea Grey Wagtail
Motacilla citreola Yellow-hooded Wagtail Yellowheaded Wagtail
Motacilla flava Yellow Wagtail
Motacilla madaraspatensis White-browed Wagtail Large Pied Wagtail
Passer domesticus House Sparrow (S)
Ploceus benghalensis Black-breasted Weaver Blackthroated Weaver Bird
A female/imm. Based on a couple of field
guides and the Handbook. Lacked streaks on the underparts, ruling out
STREAKED WEAVER BIRD. But lacked the black band on the breast of a breeding
male BLACKTHROATED WEAVER BIRD. I did find an old Streaked Weaver Bird nest.
Maybe both kinds breed there. BAYA probably breeds there too.
Ploceus philippinus Baya Weaver Baya
Pycnonotus cafer Red-vented Bulbul (S)
Pycnonotus jocosus Red-whiskered Bulbul
Many times in Banglore. But only once in the North. At Lodhi Gardens in Delhi.
Also no WHITECHEEKED BULBULs anywhere. Alarming.
Pycnonotus luteolus White-browed Bulbul
Bannerghata and Valley School area, Banglore.
Acridotheres fuscus Jungle Myna
IISc campus, Banglore.
Acridotheres ginginianus Bank Myna (S)
Acridotheres tristis Common Myna (S)
Sturnus contra Asian Pied Starling Pied Myna
Sturnus pagodarum Brahminy Starling
Only place I saw then was where I know they are a given. Outside my old dorm
in IIT Delhi. Did I miss them or are they really declining in Delhi?
Sturnus vulgaris Common Starling Starling
A refreshing change. Seeing them where they are not artificially introduced.
Acrocephalus dumetorum Blyth's Reed-Warbler (S)
Chrysomma sinense Yellow-eyed Babbler (S)
Valley School area, Banglore, and Sultanpur.
Hippolais caligata Booted Warbler
Bannerghata, Banglore.
Orthotomus sutorius Common Tailorbird Tailor Bird (S)
Phylloscopus collybita Common Chiffchaff (S)
All over. Including the "mystery-birds" at Sulanpur and Bhindawas. As
discussed on Nathistory-India, the Chiffchaff-like birds with black gapes,
were most likely Chiffchaffs that had been feeding on Eucalyptus flowers.
Phylloscopus magnirostris Large-billed Leaf-Warbler
Siviculture Research Center, Banglore.
Phylloscopus trochiloides Greenish Warbler Dull Green Leaf Warbler(S)
Phylloscopus humei Hume's Warbler (S)
Sylvia curruca Lesser Whitethroat (S)
Many at Sulanpur.
Turdoides affinis Yellow-billed Babbler Whiteheaded Babbler
Valley School area, Banglore.
Turdoides caudatus Common Babbler
Turdoides earlei Striated Babbler
Grass river-island at Okhla Barrage.
Turdoides malcolmi Large Grey Babbler (S)
Turdoides striatus Jungle Babbler
Zosterops palpebrosus Oriental White-eye White-eye
Megalaima haemacephala Coppersmith Barbet (S)
Megalaima viridis White-cheeked Barbet Small Green Barbet
Megalaima zeylanica Brown-headed Barbet Large Green Barbet
Dinopium benghalense Black-rumped Flameback Lesser Goldenbacked Woodpecker
Sadly only one sighting. At Bhindawas. The apparent lack of woodpeckers had
me worried throughout. Given I didn't really go anywhere that could be called
real woods, I did spend time in reasonable habitat. Is there a real decline, or
was I just unlucky?
Jynx torquilla Eurasian Wryneck Wryneck
Certainly wasn't unlucky with this one. Found a skulker at Bhindawas. Was pretty
thrilled.
Psittacula cyanocephala Plum-headed Parakeet Blossomheaded Parakeet
Psittacula krameri Rose-ringed Parakeet (S)
Athene brama Spotted Owlet (S)
Sultanpur and Bhindawas.
Bubo bengalensis Rock Eagle-Owl Eagle-owl or Great Horned Owl
Bannerghata and Bhindawas.
Strix ocellata Mottled Wood-Owl
IISc campus, Banglore.
Upupa epops Eurasian Hoopoe Hoopoe (S)
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