Continuing the list of
1,224 bird species reliably recorded from India, together with their status
categories. In total there are 1219 extant native species including migrants
and vagrants (but excluding 3 species now known to be extinct in the
country, and 2 introduced species). There are 923 breeding species (911
residents, plus 12 suspected residents).
Explanation of
status categories:
R = widespread resident
r =
very local resident
W = widespread winter visitor
w
= sparse winter visitor
P = widespread migrant
p =
sparse migrant
V = vagrant
? = status uncertain
rI
= introduced resident
(ex) = extinct
Family: Ardeidae
Ardea cinerea RW Grey Heron
Ardea goliath r?V Goliath Heron
Ardea insignis r White-bellied
Heron
Ardea purpurea RW? Purple Heron
Ardea sumatrana V? Great-billed Heron
Ardeola bacchus r Chinese Pond-Heron
Ardeola grayii R Indian Pond-Heron
Botaurus stellaris W Great Bittern
Bubulcus ibis R Cattle Egret
Butorides striatus R Striated Heron
Casmerodius albus Rw Great Egret
Egretta garzetta R Little Egret
Egretta gularis R Western Reef-Egret
Egretta sacra r Pacific Reef-Egret
Gorsachius melanolophus R Malayan Night
Heron
Ixobrychus cinnamomeus R Cinnamon Bittern
Ixobrychus flavicollis R Black Bittern
Ixobrychus minutus R Little Bittern
Ixobrychus sinensis R Yellow Bittern
Mesophoyx intermedia R Intermediate Egret
Nycticorax nycticorax R Black-crowned
Night-Heron
Family: Burhinidae
Burhinus giganteus r Beach Thick-knee
Burhinus oedicnemus R Eurasian
Thick-knee
Burhinus recurvirostris R Great Thick-knee
Family: Charadriidae
Charadrius alexandrinus RW Kentish Plover
Charadrius asiaticus V Caspian Plover
Charadrius dubius RW Little Ringed
Plover
Charadrius hiaticula V Common Ringed
Plover
Charadrius leschenaultii W Greater Sand
Plover
Charadrius mongolus sW Mongolian Plover
Charadrius placidus w Long-billed Plover
Charadrius veredus V Oriental Plover
Elseyornis melanops V? Black-fronted
Dotterel
Haematopus ostralegus W Eurasian
Oystercatcher
Himantopus himantopus R Black-winged Stilt
Ibidorhyncha struthersii r Ibisbill
Pluvialis apricaria V Eurasian
Golden-Plover
Pluvialis fulva W Pacific
Golden-Plover
Pluvialis squatarola W Grey Plover
Recurvirostra avosetta rW Pied Avocet
Vanellus cinereus W Grey-headed
Lapwing
Vanellus duvaucelii R River Lapwing
Vanellus gregarius w Sociable Lapwing
Vanellus indicus R Red-wattled
Lapwing
Vanellus leucurus W White-tailed
Lapwing
Vanellus malabaricus R Yellow-wattled
Lapwing
Vanellus vanellus W Northern Lapwing
Family: Ciconiidae
Anastomus oscitans R Asian Openbill
Ciconia boyciana V Oriental Stork
Ciconia ciconia W White Stork
Ciconia episcopus R Woolly-necked
Stork
Ciconia nigra W Black Stork
Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus R Black-necked Stork
Leptoptilos dubius R Greater Adjutant
Leptoptilos javanicus R Lesser Adjutant
Mycteria leucocephala R Painted Stork
Family: Falconidae
Falco amurensis s?P Amur Falcon
Falco cherrug w Saker Falcon
Falco chicquera R Red-necked Falcon
Falco columbarius wp Merlin
Falco jugger R Laggar Falcon
Falco naumanni w?p Lesser Kestrel
Falco pelegrinoides w Barbary Falcon
Falco peregrinus RW Peregrine Falcon
Falco severus R Oriental Hobby
Falco subbuteo rW Eurasian Hobby
Falco tinnunculus RW Common Kestrel
Microhierax caerulescens r Collared Falconet
Microhierax melanoleucus r Pied Falconet
Family: Fregatidae
Fregata andrewsi V Christmas
Frigatebird
Fregata ariel V Lesser Frigatebird
Fregata minor V Great Frigatebird
Family: Gaviidae
Gavia arctica V Arctic Loon
Family: Glareolidae
Cursorius coromandelicus R Indian Courser
Cursorius cursor rw Cream-colored
Courser
Dromas ardeola w Crab Plover
Glareola lactea R Small Pratincole
Glareola maldivarum R Oriental
Pratincole
Glareola pratincola w Collared
Pratincole
Rhinoptilus bitorquatus r Jerdon's Courser
Family: Jacanidae
Hydrophasianus chirurgus R Pheasant-tailed
Jacana
Metopidius indicus R Bronze-winged
Jacana
Family: Laridae
Anous minutus V? Black Noddy
Anous stolidus r Brown Noddy
Catharacta lonnbergi V Brown Skua
Catharacta maccormicki V South Polar Skua
Chlidonias hybridus RW Whiskered Tern
Chlidonias leucopterus w White-winged Tern
Chlidonias niger V Black Tern
Gygis alba r Common White-Tern
Larus brunnicephalus sW Brown-headed Gull
Larus cachinnans w Yellow-legged Gull
Larus canus V Mew Gull
Larus fuscus W Lesser
Black-backed Gull
Larus genei W Slender-billed
Gull
Larus hemprichii V Sooty Gull
Larus ichthyaetus W Great Black-headed
Gull
Larus marinus V? Great Black-backed
Gull
Larus minutus V Little Gull
Larus ridibundus W Common
Black-headed Gull
Rynchops albicollis R Indian Skimmer
Stercorarius parasiticus p Parasitic Jaeger
Stercorarius pomarinus p Pomarine Jaeger
Sterna acuticauda R Black-bellied Tern
Sterna albifrons R Little Tern
Sterna anaethetus s Bridled Tern
Sterna aurantia R River Tern
Sterna bengalensis R Lesser
Crested-Tern
Sterna bergii R Great Crested-Tern
Sterna caspia W Caspian Tern
Sterna dougallii r Roseate Tern
Sterna fuscata s Sooty Tern
Sterna hirundo sW Common Tern
Sterna nilotica rW Gull-billed Tern
Sterna paradisaea V Arctic Tern
Sterna repressa s White-cheeked Tern
Sterna sandvicensis w Sandwich Tern
Sterna saundersi s? Saunders's Tern
Sterna sumatrana r Black-naped Tern
Family: Pelecanidae
Pelecanus crispus w Dalmatian Pelican
Pelecanus onocrotalus rW Great White
Pelican
Pelecanus philippensis r Spot-billed
Pelican
Family: Phaethontidae
Phaethon aethereus V/s? Red-billed
Tropicbird
Phaethon lepturus V White-tailed
Tropicbird
Phaethon rubricauda r Red-tailed
Tropicbird
Family: Phalacrocoracidae
Phalacrocorax carbo RW Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax fuscicollis R Indian Cormorant
Phalacrocorax niger R Little Cormorant
