Bird Guide

The Bay-backed Shrike, Lanius vittatus, is a member of the bird family Laniidae, the shrikes.It is a widespread resident breeder in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, and has recently been recorded from Sri Lanka. It nests in bushes in scrubby areas and cultivation, laying 3-5 eggs.It is smallish shrike at 17cm, maroon-brown above with a pale…

The Blue-faced Malkoha, Phaenicophaeus viridirostris , is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes, which also includes the roadrunners, the anis, and the Hoatzin.It is restricted to Sri Lanka and southern India. The Blue-faced Malkoha is a bird of open forests and scrub jungle. It nests in a thorn bush, the typical…

Any bird that’s basically all-green has to be either a parrot or one of the Bee-eaters such as Blue-cheeked, but these two groups have completely different bill shapes and the ‘green’ bee-eaters have distinctive orange underwings. A bigger problem for most European birdwatchers is knowing which species of parrot it is but the combination of…

Smallest barbet at 17 cm. The dark, stout bill is fringed with bristles or barbs, which give the barbets their name. It is brightly coloured, with red legs and feet; bright green upperparts; greenish white underparts with diagnostic bold green streaks; black-bordered yellow face with black eye stripes, red forecrown and throat patch. Sexes are…

With a flash of white tail feathers and a flurry of dark-tipped wings, the Eurasian Collared-Dove settles onto phone wires and fence posts to give its rhythmic three-parted coo. This chunky relative of the Mourning Dove gets its name from the black half-collar at the nape of the neck. A few Eurasian Collared-Doves were introduced…

The Asian Paradise-flycatcher breeds from Turkestan to Manchuria. It is migratory, wintering in tropical Asia. The adult male Asian Paradise-flycatcher is about 20 cm long, but the long tail streamers double this. It has a black crested head, chestnut upperparts and pale grey underparts. The female of all races resembles the chestnut male, but has…

The White-browed Wagtail is a large wagtail at 21cm. This is a slender bird, with the characteristic long, constantly wagging tail of its genus. It has black upperparts, head and breast, with a white supercilium and large white wingbar. The rest of the underparts are white. The female has the black coloration less glossy than…

Pond herons are one of the most commonly found species of the Indian subcontinent. Docile by nature, they can be seen in their natural habitat as well as on the outskirts of villages. The first description related to the Pond heron bird was given in the year 1832, by Colonel W. H. Sykes. The bird…

Spot-billed Duck, also called Grey Duck, this bird is found in the wetlands of India. Large dark brown duck with scaly-pattern plumage. Bill is black with yellow, orange spot on the base of bill. Its size is 60 cm.Has buff face with black stripe through eyes to crown, black-brown crown, brown, gray and black overall…

The short, thick-necked Cattle Egret spends most of its time in fields rather than streams. It forages at the feet of grazing cattle, head bobbing with each step, or rides on their backs to pick at ticks. This stocky white heron has yellow plumes on its head and neck during breeding season. Originally from Africa,…