This guide covers 139 birds found in the Andaman and Nicobar (A&N) Islands in WETLAND BIRDS the extreme south-east of India. Islands are unique ecosystems containing many endemic species of avifauna. The A&N islands too have several endemic birds, THICK-KNEE/ TURNSTONES some of which (eg. Narcondam Hornbill) are unique to specific islands. For ease are seen on sandy/ of reference, the species have been sorted into the following 5 categories: rocky beaches DUCKS WETLAND BIRDS WHIMBRELS, CURLEWS & feed on the surface of br Wetlands include ponds, streams, mangroves, marshes and coastal areas, which Birds of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands - a pocket guide to 139 familiar birds islands GOODWITS waterbodies Common Sandpiper Marsh Sandpiper Wood Sandpiper Beach Thick-knee Ruddy Turnstone are important habitats used by birds for feeding, nesting and breeding. Most of Little Egret Intermediate Egret Great Egret have very long beaks the birds in this group (eg. ducks, waders, herons etc) are only seen at wetlands 20 cm 23 cm 20 cm 55 cm 23 cm 63 cm 80 cm 90 cm whereas a few (Cattle Egret, White-throated Kingfisher, Pacific Golden Plover) Cotton Pygmy-Goose COOTS/MOORHENS Andaman Teal are frequently seen away from water as well. Several migratory species of 35 cm look like small ducks but 60 cm waders, ducks and terns visit our wetlands and coasts in winter. Birds of the Andaman lack webbed feet BIRDS OF PREY & Nicobar Islands br Birds of Prey or Raptors hunt and feed on other animals, including smaller birds. They have excellent eyesight, strong feet, sharp talons for hunting, and a hooked a pocket guide to 139 birds of the islands Terek Sandpiper Cattle Egret Pacific Reef Egret beak for tearing into flesh. Among the birds listed in this group, some (eg. Green Sandpiper Whimbrel Eurasian Curlew Brahminy Kite, Barn Owl) have adapted to human habitats, whereas others can 23 cm 23 cm 51 cm 58 cm 43 cm 55 cm be seen in open habitats like farmland/scrub. Some (eg. Serpent Eagles) are Common Moorhen Lesser Whistling-Duck SANDPIPERS forest dwellers. Raptors are also seen hunting at wetlands where there are large 32 cm 42 cm are wading birds with congregations of waterfowl in winter. medium to long bills EGRETS are large birds, usually GROUND FEEDING BIRDS and longish legs Ground Feeders are a diverse group of birds that are primarily terrestrial and white, with long pointed STINTS br feed on the ground. They include large birds like pheasants (eg. Nicobar bills and long neck and legs Curlew Sandpiper are smaller in size and Little Stint Bar tailed Godwit Ruddy Kingfisher Common Kingfisher Megapode), pigeons, crows to medium-sized birds like thrushes and mynas. have smaller beaks than 21 cm 14 cm 39 cm 26 cm Some ground foragers like wagtails are seen at wetlands, and some are forest sandpipers Indian Pond-Heron 25 cm dwellers (eg. Andaman Shama), but most prefer open areas/scrub. This 46 cm category also includes birds like shrikes and chats which may perch low in a Purple Heron bush, but find their prey (small insects/reptiles) on the ground. Eurasian Coot Watercock Ruddy-breasted Crake 86 cm 42 cm 40 cm 22 cm AERIAL FEEDERS Aerial Feeders like swallows and swifts are insectivorous birds that hunt and feed on the wing. They have pointed wings and can often be seen gliding gracefully through the air or performing acrobatics to catch insects. They are very fast in Common Greenshank Long-toed Stint Malayan Night Heron Grey Heron Stork-billed Kingfisher White-throated Kingfisher flight and prefer open areas, and are sometimes seen near water. At dawn and 32 cm 14 cm 51 cm 96 cm 28 cm CRAKES/ RAILS 35 cm dusk, they may be found perching in groups on wires. are shy birds KINGFISHERS ARBOREAL BIRDS sometimes seen in the REDSHANKS HERONS have large heads, strong have red legs while Arboreal Birds are those whose life cycles are associated with trees and shrubs, Slaty-breasted Rail marshy vegetation around Andaman Crake like egrets, have long legs bills and short legs and include a wide variety of birds found in forests, open woodland and urban water bodies and necks and a sharp 27 cm 34 cm GREENSHANKS gardens. Many arboreal birds feed on fruits and berries (eg. bulbuls, imperial have greenish legs with br pointed bill. They retract TERNS pigeons, parakeets), while others feed on insects from bark (eg. woodpeckers), a slightly upturned their neck while flying have long, pointed wings in foliage (eg. cuckoos, orioles, warblers) or in the air (eg. flycatchers, drongos, Common Redshank bill Crab Plover Collared Kingfisher and a graceful flight Blue eared Kingfisher bee-eaters). Some like sunbirds feed on nectar from flowers. Smaller species Chinese Pond Heron Striated Heron 24 cm 17 cm may be seen at low levels while larger birds prefer the forest canopy. 28 cm 40 cm br 52 cm (Little Green Heron) 42 cm Gender symbols indicate where the male and female of the species look different. If no symbols are shown, it means that they look similar. Baillon’s Crake Pheasant-tailed Jacana br br Migratory birds which come to A&N Islands during the winter months Oct- 18 cm 30 cm Mar, from their breeding grounds in the Himalayas or Central Asia/Europe. Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher Lesser Crested Tern Greater Sand Plover Lesser Sand Plover 14 cm 36 cm Birds endemic to the A&N islands and found nowhere else in the world. 23 cm 20 cm Yellow Bittern Cinnamon Bittern Size indicates the length of the bird from beak tip to tail tip; br indicates breeding plumage. 38 cm BITTERNS 38 cm JACANAS are secretive birds with have elongated toes and PLOVERS Bird illustrations used with permission from "Birds of the Indian Subcontinent" by Richard shorter neck than herons can walk on floating leaves have short bills and necks. Grimmett, Carol Inskipp and Tim Inskipp. They run in short spurts On the cover row-wise from left to right: Collared Kingfisher, White-breasted Woodswallow, SNIPES SWAMPHENS/ WATERHENS to hunt for prey, then Andaman Teal, Long-tailed Parakeet, Andaman Wood Pigeon, Andaman Crake pause and stand erect are superbly camouflaged are seen around the and have very long, WITH SUPPORT FROM White-breasted edges of waterbodies Grey-headed (Purple) Pacific Golden Plover Little Ringed Plover Common Snipe slender bills Whiskered Tern Black naped Tern Little Tern CONCEPT Garima Bhatia & Suhel Quader Waterhen Swamphen Pin-tailed Snipe 24 cm 35 cm 22 cm DESIGN Aditi Mendoza & Aditi Elassery 32 cm 43 cm 24 cm 15 cm 26 cm 26 cm www.early-bird.in COVER PHOTOGRAPHS Jainy Kuriakose ncf-india.org BIRDS OF PREY GROUND FEEDING BIRDS ARBOREAL BIRDS SHRIKES often perch on a low BEE-EATERS branch or twig KOELS/CUCKOOS have long rounded bills and often perch on wires SEA EAGLES BULBULS Blue-tailed Chestnut-headed MEGAPODE prefer open areas and have bulky bodies and Bee-eater Bee-eater can be seen near the coast MAGPIE ROBINS & SHAMAS long tails, and loud, is a large flightless bird are seen in groups Indian Cuckoo Asian Koel 25 cm 19 cm and on beaches, while Brown Shrike are accomplished Oriental Magpie Robin repetitive calls FLYCATCHERS found only on the Nicobar have small flattened bills 18 cm songsters and mimics 20 cm 33 cm 43 cm SERPENT & HAWK EAGLES Islands PARROTS/ PARAKEETS are birds of the forests PIGEONS/DOVES have screeching calls White-bellied Sea Eagle Changeable Hawk Eagle have stout bodies with Red-whiskered Bulbul often uttered in flight Andaman Bulbul 68 cm 70 cm Nicobar Megapode short necks Nicobar Pigeon 20 cm 17 cm 43 cm 41 cm Black-naped Monarch Asian Brown Flycatcher Andaman Shama Orange-headed Thrush Violet Cuckoo Black-naped Oriole 16 cm 13 cm 21 cm 21 cm 17 cm ORIOLES 27 cm Long-tailed Parakeet Red-breasted Parakeet are brightly coloured Andaman Serpent-Eagle Crested Serpent-Eagle THRUSHES STARLINGS 47 cm 38 cm with fluty songs 55 cm 56 cm have a fluty song are related to mynas and Emerald Dove Red Collared Dove HORNBILLS are often seen in flocks KITES 27 cm 23 cm SPARROWS & MUNIAS FAIRY BLUEBIRDS COUCALS are large birds with are hawk-like birds seen are seed-eaters with are usually in the canopy. DOLLARBIRD are shy birds with a big downcurved bills around habitation thick conical bills The red eye is distinctive Asian Glossy Starling Oriental Dollarbird booming call Indian Golden Oriole Black-hooded Oriole often perches high on 20 cm a bare branch 28 cm BAZA, BESRA & House Sparrow White-rumped Munia TREEPIES 25 cm 25 cm Alexandrine Parakeet SPARROWHAWKS CROWS 15 cm 11 cm Vernal Hanging Parrot are related to crows Brahminy Kite are smaller raptors seen Besra are noisy birds with 14 cm but have long tails 53 cm in wooded areas 48 cm 32 cm Andaman Coucal long straight bills Rock Pigeon 48 cm 33 cm AERIAL FEEDING BIRDS Asian Fairy Bluebird Andaman Cuckooshrike White-headed Starling Small Minivet 21 cm 16 cm Narcodam Hornbill Andaman Treepie 25 cm CUCKOOSHRIKES 26 cm MINIVETS Nicobar Sparrowhawk Black Baza 47 cm 32 cm have long rounded tails are slender, colourful 32 cm 33 cm and pointed wings House Crow Large-billed Crow birds seen in groups 40 cm 47 cm WOODPECKERS have a sturdy bill to WARBLERS Glossy Swiftlet Edible nest Swiftlet Brown-backed IMPERIAL & probe tree trunks Dusky Warbler are dull coloured, Scarlet Minivet WAGTAILS 10 cm 12 cm Needletail GREEN PIGEONS 11 cm hyperactive birds 22 cm are slender birds which 23 cm usually stay high in the often walk with tail wagging canopy, where they feed Large Cuckooshrike on fruits and seeds 30 cm Andaman Woodpecker MYNAS 38 cm Grey Wagtail make screeching calls Yellow Wagtail Andaman Scops Owl Oriental Scops Owl Andaman