Birds of India

Birds Of India

This is a list of the bird species recorded in India. The avifauna of India includes around 1301 species, of which 42 are endemic, 1 has been introduced by humans, and 26 are rare or accidental. Two species have been extirpated in India and 82 species are globally threatened. The Indian Peacock (Pavo cristatus) is the national bird of India.

More recent birds discovered in India include the Bugun Liocichla which was discovered in Arunachal Pradesh in 2006. Besides this, a few birds considered to be extinct have been rediscovered an example being the Jerdon's Courser. Some others have been elevated from subspecies to full species.

This list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families, and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) are broadly based on the International Ornithologists’ Union list (version 3.2). The family accounts at the beginning of each heading reflects this taxonomy, as do the species counts found in each family account.

The following tags have been used to highlight certain relevant categories, but not all species fall into one of these categories. Those that do not are commonly occurring, native species.

  • (A) Accidental A species that rarely or accidentally occurs in India.
  • (E) Endemic A species endemic to India.
  • (I) Introduced A species introduced to India as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions.
  • (Ex) Extirpated A species that no longer occurs in India although populations exist elsewhere.


Table of contents

Non-passerines: Megapodes . Pheasants and partridges . Ducks, geese and swans . Loons . Shearwaters and petrels . Storm petrels . Grebes . Flamingos . Tropicbirds . Storks . Ibises and spoonbills . Bitterns, herons and egrets . Pelicans . Frigatebirds . Boobies and gannets . Cormorants . Darters . Osprey . Hawks, kites and eagles . Falcons . Bustards . Finfoot . Rails, crakes, gallinules, and coots . Cranes . Buttonquails . Thick-knees . Oystercatchers . Crab Plover . Ibisbill . Avocets and stilts . Plovers and lapwings . Painted snipe . Jacanas . Sandpipers and allies . Pratincoles and coursers . Gulls . Terns . Skimmers . Skuas . Sandgrouse . Pigeons and doves . Parrots and allies . Cuckoos . Barn owls . Typical owls . Frogmouths . Nightjars . Treeswifts . Swifts . Trogons . Typical rollers . Kingfishers . Bee-eaters . Hoopoes . Hornbills . Barbets . Honeyguides . Woodpeckers and allies .

Passerines: Broadbills . Pittas . Woodshrikes . Woodswallows . Ioras . Cuckoo-shrikes . Whistlers and allies . Shrikes . Old World orioles . Drongos . Fantails . Monarch flycatchers . Crows, jays, ravens and magpies . Waxwings . Grey Hypocolius . Titmice . Penduline tits . Long-tailed tits . Larks . Bulbuls . Swallows and martins . Old World warblers . Cisticolas and allies . Babblers . Parrotbills . White-eyes . Fairy-bluebirds . Goldcrest . Wrens . Nuthatches . Wallcreeper . Treecreepers . Starlings . Thrushes and allies . Old World flycatchers . Dippers . Leafbirds . Flowerpeckers . Sunbirds and spiderhunters . Sparrows . Weavers and allies . Waxbills and allies . Accentors . Wagtails and pipits . Siskins, crossbills and allies . Buntings .

See also References

Read more about Birds Of India:  Megapodes, Pheasants and Partridges, Ducks, Geese and Swans, Loons, Shearwaters and Petrels, Storm Petrels, Grebes, Flamingos, Tropicbirds, Storks, Ibises and Spoonbills, Bitterns, Herons and Egrets, Pelicans, Frigatebirds, Boobies and Gannets, Cormorants, Darters, Osprey, Hawks, Kites and Eagles, Falcons, Bustards, Finfoot, Rails, Crakes, Gallinules, and Coots, Cranes, Buttonquails, Thick-knees, Oystercatchers, Crab Plover, Ibisbill, Avocets and Stilts, Plovers and Lapwings, Painted Snipe, Jacanas, Sandpipers and Allies, Pratincoles and Coursers, Gulls, Terns, Skimmers, Skuas, Sandgrouse, Pigeons and Doves, Parrots and Allies, Cuckoos, Barn Owls, Typical Owls, Frogmouths, Nightjars, Treeswifts, Swifts, Trogons, Typical Rollers, Kingfishers, Bee-eaters, Hoopoes, Hornbills, Barbets, Honeyguides, Woodpeckers and Allies, Broadbills, Pittas, Woodshrikes, Woodswallows, Ioras, Cuckoo-shrikes, Whistlers and Allies, Shrikes, Old World Orioles, Drongos, Fantails, Monarch Flycatchers, Crows, Jays, Ravens and Magpies, Waxwings, Grey Hypocolius, Titmice, Penduline Tits, Larks, Bulbuls, Swallows and Martins, Long-tailed Tits, Old World Warblers, Cisticolas and Allies, Babblers, Parrotbills, White-eyes, Fairy-bluebirds, Goldcrest, Wrens, Nuthatches, Wallcreeper, Treecreepers, Starlings, Thrushes and Allies, Old World Flycatchers, Dippers, Leafbirds, Flowerpeckers, Sunbirds and Spiderhunters, Sparrows, Weavers and Allies, Waxbills and Allies, Accentors, Wagtails and Pipits, Buntings, Siskins, Crossbills and Allies

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