We hope the readers enjoyed the
earlier three parts and in this concluding section, we discuss some of
the other interesting names we encountered in our research. The most
intriguing was the Indian Golden Oriole Oriolus kundoo. Kundoo is a
popular Bengali surname, but our research failed to turn up this
illustrious individual after whom this spectacular bird is named.
Similarly which of the ubiquitous Smiths was commemorated in the
Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii? Or indeed after which of the
several Alexanders was the noisy Alexandrine Parakeet celebrated. We
seek the reader’s help in answering some of these questions.
We have often debated our own personal favourite and were unanimous in
our choice. It was
the Rufous - bellied (Beautiful) Niltava Niltava sundara.
A perfect name for a perfect bird!
~ Bikram
Grewal
Place names
Divine names
Attribute
Names
Vernacular Names
Malabar Trogon
“ I vow to thee my country”
Several birds are named after the place they were first reported from
and therefore there are several ‘bengalensis’ (Black-rumped
Flameback Dinopium benghalense,
Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis
etc) as most of the early study was done there. Ironically the
Bengal Bushlark is called Mirafra assamica, causing
consternation to some! Similarly a lot of the Andaman (Brown
Coucal Centropus andamanensis etc) and Nicobar (Nicobar
Pigeon Caloenas nicobarica
etc) birds are named from the islands where they are found. A prime
example is the Narcondam Hornbill Aceros
narcondami found only in this small island. Similarly there exists
Kashmir Nuthatch Sitta Cashmirensis, Darjeeling Woodpecker
Dendrocopos darjellensis and the Manipur Bush Quail Perdicula
manipurensis. The list goes on and on and encompasses Cacher,
Dafla Hills, Malabar and Coromandel Coast besides several others.
Neighbouring countries too are covered such as Burma. Sri Lanka or its
earlier name Ceylon has several birds named after it, such as the
Brown Fish Owl Ketupa zeylonensis. Nepal is another favourite
and there are several birds that carry the name of the country for
example Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis and Blue-naped Pitta
Pitta nipalensis. Cities too get a look in with our favorite being
Indian Little Nightjar Caprimulgus asiaticus gurgoani. An
interesting corruption is the Red Avadavat Amandava amandava,
whose Latin name is supposedly derived form the town of Ahmedabad. A
select list of birds named after places is given below. Some names may
not be current usage.
Abu (Mount):
Hill Station in Sirohi District, Rajasthan,
India
Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus j abuensis
Tawny-bellied Babbler Dumetia h abuensis
Almora:
District city in Kumaon region, Uttarakhand,
India
Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch Sitta c almorae
Alps:
Alpine from the Alps Mountains in Europe
Alpine Swift Tachymarptis melba
Alpine Accentor Prunella collaris
Alpine Chough Pyrrhocorax graculus
Altai:
Mountain range in Central Asia
Altai Accentor Prunella himalayana
Amur:
River bordering Russia and China
Amur Falcon Falco amurensis
Andaman Islands:
Cluster of Islands in the Bay of Bengal
Andaman Teal Anas albogularis
Andaman Serpent Eagle Spilornis elgini
Changeable Hawk Eagle Spizaetus l andamensis
Andaman Crake Rallina canningi
Andaman Wood Pigeon Columba palumboides
Andaman Cuckoo Dove Macropygia rufipennis
Andaman Green Pigeon Treron chloropterus
Green Imperial Pigeon Ducula a andamanica
Andaman Coucal Centropus andamensis
Andaman Barn Owl Tyto deroepstorffi
Andaman Scops Owl Otus balli
Andaman Hawk Owl Ninox affinis
Andaman Nightjar Caprimulgus andamanicus
Andaman Woodpecker Dryocopus hodgei
Large Cuckooshrike Coracina m andamana
Andaman Cuckooshrike Coracina dobsoni
Scarlet Minivet Pericrocotus s andamanensis
Andaman Bulbul Pycnonotus fuscoflavescens
Orange-headed Ground Thrush Zoothera c andamanensis
Andaman Shama Copsychus albiventris
Andaman Flowerpecker Dicaeum virescens
Olive-backed Sunbird Cinnyris j andamanicus
Andaman White-headed Starling Sturnia erythropygia
Asian Fairy Bluebird Irena p andamanica
Andaman Drongo Dicrurus andamanensis
Andaman Treepie Dendrocitta bayleyi
Eastern Jungle Crow Corvus andamanensis
Black Baza Aviceda l andamanica
Arunachal Pradesh:
Northeastern State of India
Sclater’s Monal Lophophorus s arunachalensis
Asia:
Jungle Bush Quail Perdicula asiatica
Caspian Plover Charadrius asiaticus
Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans
Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus
Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopaceus
Asian Emerald Cuckoo Chrysococcyx maculatus
Asian Barred Owlet Glaucidium cuculoides
Asian Palm Swift Cypsiurus balasiensis
Blue-throated Barbet Megalaima asiatica
Asian House Martin Delichon dasypus
Asian Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone paradisi
Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa dauurica
Purple Sunbird Cinnyris asiaticus
Asian Pied Starling Gracupica contra
Asian Fairy Bluebird Irena puella
Assam:
Northeastern state of India
Bengal Bushlark Mirafra assamica
Buff-breasted Babbler Pellorneum t assamense
Striated Prinia Prinia c assamica
Blyth’s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus r assamensis
Black-breasted Sunbird Aethopyga s assamensis
Ruby-cheeked Sunbird Chalcoparia s assamensis
Ava:
Ancient name for Myanmar
Alexandrine Parakeet Psittacula e avensis
Babylon:
Ancient city in Mesopotamia
Red-capped Falcon Falco p babylonicus
Bactria:
Region north of Afghanistan
House Sparrow Passer d bactrianus
Eurasian Magpie Pica p bactriana
Little Owlet Athene n bactriana
Baikal Lake:
Lake in Southern Siberia
Baikal Teal Anas formosa
White Wagtail Motacilla a baicalensis
Balasore:
A district town in Orissa State, India
Asian Palm Swift Cypsiurus balasiensis
Bengal:
West Bengal State, India, where the bulk of the early bird
study was conducted
White-rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis
Barred Buttonquail Turnix s bengalensis
Bengal Florican Houbaropsis bengalensis
Greater Painted Snipe Rostratula bengalensis
Lesser Crested Tern Thalasseus bengalensis
Lesser Coucal Centropus bengalensis
Indian Eagle Owl Bubo bengalensis
Common Kingfisher Alcedo a bengalensis
Indian Roller Coracias bengalensis
Black-rumped Flameback Dinopium benghalense
Bengal Bushlark Mirafra assamica
Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus c bengalensis
Rufous-rumped Grassbird Graminicola bengalensis
Black-breasted Weaver Ploceus benghalensis
Bhutan:
Bhutan Laughingthrush Trochalopteron imbricatum
Eurasian Magpie Pica p bottanensis
Brahmaputra River:
India’s largest river, flows through China and
Bangladesh
Striated Laughing Thrush Grammatoptila s brahmaputra
Bugun:
Indigenous people in Arunachal Pradesh, India
Bugun Liocichla
Liocichla bugunorum
Burma:
Now Myanmar
Himalayan Buzzard Buteo burmanicus
Collared Falconet Microhierax c burmanicus
Burmese Shrike Lanius collurioides
Baya Weaver Ploceus p burmanicus
Brown Hawk Owl Ninox s burmanica
Little Green Bee-eater Merops o birmanicus
Cachar:
District in northeastern India
Olive Bulbul Iole v cacharensis
Cachar Wedge-billed Babbler Sphenocichla roberti
Cambay:
Now Khambhat a city in Gujarat
Indian Black Robin Saxicoloides f cambaiensis
Laughing Dove Streptopelia s cambayensis
Caspian Sea:
Largest inland waterbody north of Iran
Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia
Chayul Dzong:
Area in Western China
Fulvous Parrotbill Paradoxornis f chayulensis
China:
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax c sinensis
Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata
Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis
Chinese Sparrowhawk Accipiter soloensis
Blue-breasted Quail Coturnix chinensis
Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis
Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis
Grey-throated Sand Martin Riparia chinensis
Chinese Spot-billed Duck Anas zonorhyncha
Yellow-eyed Babbler Chrysomma sinense
Chinese Fulvetta Alcippe straiticollis
Chinese Bush Warbler Bradypterus tacsanowskius
Black-naped Oriole Oriolus chinensis
Common Green Magpie Cissa chinensis
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax c sinensis
Chumb:
An
area in Pakistan
White-browed Fulvetta Alcippe v chumbiensis
Chin Hills:
Hill range in Northern-western Myanmar extending into
Manipur
Chin Hills Wren Babbler Spelaeornis oatesi
Cochinchinensis:
Old name for Taiwan
Blue-winged Leafbird Chloropsis cochinchinensis
Silver-backed Needletail Hirundapus cochinchinensis
Coromandel:
Southeastern coast of peninsular India
Cotton Teal Nettapus coromandelicus
Rain Quail Coturnix coromandelica
Indian Courser Cursorius coromandelica
Chestnut-winged Cuckoo Clamator coromandus
Dusky Eagle Owl Bubo coromandus
Ruddy Kingfisher Halcyon coromanda
Dafla Hills:
Hill Tract in Assam
Black-throated Parrotbill Paradoxornis n daflaensis
Dalhousie:
Hill station in Himachal named after Lord Dalhousie
Long-tailed Broadbill Psarisomus dalhousiae
Darjeeling:
A hill station and district in North Bengal
Darjeeling Woodpecker Dendrocopos darjellensis
Deccan:
Plateau area in peninsular India
Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella b dukhunensis
White Wagtail Motacilla a dukhunensis
Egypt:
Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus
Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus aegyptius
Eurasia:
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope
Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus
Eurasian Coot Fulica atra
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus
Eurasian Woodcock Scolopax rusticola
Eurasian Stone Curlew Burhinus oedicnemus
Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
Eurasian Eagle Owl Bubo bubo
Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla
Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis
Eurasian Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus
Eurasian Jackdaw Coleus monedula
Europe:
European Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria
European Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur
European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus
European Bee-eater Merops apiaster
European Greenfinch Carduelis chloris
European Linnet Acanthis cannabina
European Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus
European Jay Garrulus glandarius
Ferghana Valley:
Region in Central Asia
Common Rosefinch Carpodacus e ferghanensis
Formosa:
Main island in Taiwan
Baikal Teal Anas formosa
Spotted Wren Babbler Spelaeornis formosus
Beautiful Nuthatch Sitta formosa
Green Avadavat Amandava formosa
Grey Treepie Dendrocitta formosae
Gangetic Valley:
Area around the River Ganges in the plains
Jungle Prinia Prinia s gangetica
Indian Scops Owl Otus b gangeticus
Garo Hills:
Hill tract adjacent to the Khasi Hills in Meghalaya
Buff-breasted Babbler Pellorneum t garoense
Collared Owlet Glaucidium b garoense
Garhwal:
Hilly area in Western Uttarakhand
Black-throated Parrotbill Paradoxornis n garhwalensis
Gilgit:
District in Northern Pakistan
Streaked Laughingthrush Trochalopteron l
gilgit
Gingee:
Fort Town in Tamil Nad, India
Egyptian Vulture Neophron p ginginianus
Bank Myna Acridotheres ginginianus
Gujarat:
State in Western India
Common Tailorbird Orthotomus s guzuratus
Gulmerg:
Hill Station in the State of Jammu & Kashmir, India
Dark-sided Flycatcher Muscicapa s gulmergi
Gurgoan:
City in current day Haryan, India
Indian Little Nightjar Caprimulgus a gurgoani
Hazara:
Region in
Northwest Frontier of Pakistan
Grey Nightjar Caprimulgus i hazarae
Himachal Pradesh:
State in North India
Crimson-browed Finch Propyrrhula subhimachala
Eurasian Eagle Owl Bubo b hemachalana
Himalaya:
Himalayan Buzzard Buteo burmanicus
Himalayan Snowcock Tetraogallus himalayensis
Himalayan Quail Ophrysia superciliosa
Himalayan Swiftlet Aerodramus brevirostris
Himalayan Parakeet Psittacula himalayana
Himalayan Wood Owl Strix nivicola
Himalayan Pied Kingfisher Ceryle lugubris
Himalayan Pied Woodpecker Dendrocopos himalayensis
Himalayan Flameback Dinopium shorii
Altai Accentor Prunella himalayana
Himalayan Red-flanked Bush Robin Tarsiger rufilatus
Himalayan Aberrant Bush Warbler Cettia flavolivacea
Goldcrest Regulus r himalayaensis
White-tailed Nuthatch Sitta himalayensis
Bar-tailed Treecreeper Certhia himalayana
Himalayan Greenfinch Carduelis spinoides
Himalayan Beautiful Rosefinch Carpodacus pulcherrimus
Himalayan White-browed Rosefinch Carpodacus thura
Red Crossbill Loxia c himalayensis
Grey Treepie Dendrocitta f himalayensis
Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax p himalayanus
Hindustan:
Old name for India
Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles e hindustan
Loten’s Sunbird Cinnyris l hindustanicus
Hokersar Jheel:
Wetland in Jammu & Kashmir, India
Blunt-winged Reed Warbler Acrocephalus c hokrae
India:
Indian Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha
Indian Vulture Gyps indicus
Indian Spotted Eagle Aquila hastata
Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus
Great Indian Bustard Ardeotis nigriceps
Bronze-winged Jacana Metopidius indicus
Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus Indicus
Indian Stone Curlew Burhinus indicus
Indian Courser Cursorius coromandelica
Painted Sandgrouse Pterocles indicus
Emerald Dove Chalcophaps indica
Indian Cuckoo Cuculus micropterus
Indian Scops Owl Otus bakkamoena
Indian Eagle Owl Bubo bengalensis
Indian Jungle Nightjar Caprimulgus indicus
Indian Swiftlet Aerodramus unicolor
Indian Pygmy Woodpecker Dendrocopos nanus
Indian Pitta Pitta brachyura
Indian Bushlark Mirafra erythroptera
Yellow-browed Bulbul Iole indica
Indian Blackbird Turdus simillimus
White-rumped Shama Copsychus m indicus
Indian Black Robin Saxicoloides fulicatus
Indian Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus horsfieldii
Indian Rufous Babbler Turdoides subrufa
Indian Nuthatch Sitta castanea
House Sparrow Passer d indicus
Whiskered Tern Chlidonias h indicus
Indian Silverbill Euodice malabarica
Indochina:
Region roughly east of India and South of China
Hodgson’s Frogmouth Batrachostomus h indochine
Jaffna:
Large city in
northern Sri Lanka
Black-rumped Flameback Dinopium b jaffnense
Japan:
Japanese Sparrowhawk Accipiter gularis
Common Buzzard Buteo b japonicus
Japanese Quail Coturnix japonica
Large-billed Crow Corvus m japonensis
Java:
Most populous island in Indonesia
Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus
White-bellied Woodpecker Dryocopus javensis
Common Flameback Dinopium javanense
House Swallow Hirundo t javanica
Striated Heron Butorides s javanica
Whiskered Tern Chlidonias h javanicus
Kangra:
Hill area in western Himachal Pradesh, India
White-browed Fulvetta Alcippe v kangrae
Orange-barred Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus p kangrae
Grey-crested Tit Parus d kangrae
Dark-breasted Rosefinch Carpodacus n kangrae
Kathiawar:
Peninsula
in Gujarat, India
Long-tailed Shrike Lanius s kaithiwarensis
Kashmir:
Part
of Jammu & Kashmir State, India
Besra Sparrowhawk Accipiter v kashmirensis
White-throated Dipper Cinclus c cashmirensis
Asian House Martin Delichon d cashmieriense
Kashmir Flycatcher Ficedula subrubra
Spotted Bush Warbler Bradypterus t kashmirensis
Blyth’s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus r kashmirensis
Great Tit Parus Major caschmirensis
Kashmir Nuthatch Sitta cashmirensis
Katchal Island:
Island in the Nicobars
Andamans White-headed Starling Sturnia e katchalensis
Kerala:
State in southern India
Kerala Laughingthrush Trochalopteron fairbanki
Khasi Hills:
Hill tract in Assam, India
Rusty-fronted Barwing Actinodura e khasiana
Black-throated Prinia Prinia a khasiana
Kuban:
Area in Southern Russia surrounding Kuban River
Common Rosefinch Carpodacus e kubanensis
Kumaon:
Hill area in Eastern Uttarakhand, India
Greater Yellownape Picus f kumaonensis
Red-billed Leiothrix Leiothrix l kumainensis
Lahual:
Remote valley
in Himachal Pradesh, India
Grey-backed Shrike Lanius t lahulensis
Laponia:
Historical
province in Sweden
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica
Madras (now
Chennai):
Capital of
Tamil Nadu, India
Black-hooded Oriole Oriolus x maderaspatanus
Indian Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus h maderaspatensis
White-browed Wagtail Motacilla maderaspatensis
Maharatta:
Part of
current day South Maharashtra and Central India
Sykes Nightjar Caprimulgus mahrattensis
Great Tit Parus m maharattarum
Jungle Myna Acridotheres f mahrattensis
Indian Scops Owl Otus b marathae
Malabar:
Area between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea in
Southern India
Malabar Parakeet Psittacula columboides
Malabar Trogon Harpactes fasciatus
Malabar Grey Hornbill Ocyceros griseus
Malabar Pied Hornbill Anthracoceros coronatus
Malabar Barbet Megalaima malabarica
Indian Scops Owl Otus b malabaricus
Jungle Owlet Glaucidium r malabarica
Malabar Trogon Harpactes fasciatus
Malabar Lark Galerida malabarica
Malabar Woodshrike Tephrodornis sylicola
Malabar Whistling Thrush Myophonus horsfieldii
White-rumped Shama Copsychus malabaricus
Jungle Babbler Turdoides s malabarica
Indian Silverbill Euodice malabarica
Grey-headed Starling Sturnia malabarica
Malabar White-headed Starling Sturnia blythii
Maldives Islands:
Groups of atolls in the Indian Ocean
White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis p malvidus
Oriental Pratincole Glareola maldivarum
House Crow Corvus s malevidicus
Malaysia:
Black Eagle Ictinaetus malayensis
Asian Koel Eudynamys s malayanus
Zitting Cisticola Cisticola j malaya
Malacca:
State in Malaysia
Tricoloured Munia Lonchura malacca
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer m malaccensis
Manila:
Capital of Philippines
Purple Heron Ardea p manilensis
Manipur:
North-eastern State of India
Manipur Bush Quail Perdicula manipurensis
Manipur Fulvetta Alcippe manipurensis
Manipur Aberrant Bush Warbler Cettia f weberi
Red-headed Tit Aegithalos c manipurensis
Brown-throated Treecreeper Certhia d manipurensis
Manchuria:
Historical region in north-eastern China
Manchurian Bush Warbler Cettia canturians
Mekran Hills:
On the
coast of Pakistan
Grey Francolin Francolinus p mecraensis
Mishmi Hills:
Hill District in Arunachal Pradesh,
India
Mishmi Wren Babbler Spelaeornis badeigularis
Mizoram:
State in Northeastern India
Strong-footed Bush Warbler Cettia f mizorum
Mongolia:
Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus
Mongolian Finch Bucanetes mongolicus
Grasshopper Warbler Locustella n mongolica
Mount Saramati:
Highest Peak in Nagaland, India
Rufous-vented Tit Parus r saramati
Nagaland:
State in North East India
Naga Wren Babbler Spelaeornis chocolatinus
Chestnut-vented Nuthatch Sitta nagaensis
Namdhapa:
National Park in Eastern Arunachal Pradesh, India
Coral-billed Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus f namdhapa
Narcondam Island:
Small volcanic Island in Andaman Sea
Narcondam Hornbill Aceros narcondami
Nepal:
Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis
Mountain Hawk Eagle Spizaetus nipalensis
Koklass Pheasant Pucrasia m nipalensis
Forest Eagle Owl Bubo nipalensis
Rufous-necked Hornbill Aceros nipalensis
Blue-naped Pitta Pitta nipalensis
Nepal House Martin Delichon
nipalensis
Little Swift Apus a nipalensis
Large Cuckooshrike Coracina m nipalensis
Winter Wren Troglodytes t nipalensis
Cutia Cutia nipalensis
Nepal Wren Babbler Pnoepyga immaculata
Spiny Babbler Turdoides nipalensis
Hoary-throated Barwing Actinodura nipalensis
Nepal Fulvetta Alcippe nipalensis
Black-throated Parrotbill Paradoxornis nipalensis
Great Tit Parus m nipalensis
Wallcreeper Tichodroma m nepalensis
Rusty-tailed Treecreeper Certhia nipalensis
Green-tailed Sunbird Aethopyga nipalensis
Dark-breasted Rosefinch Carpodacus nipalensis
Brown Bullfinch Pyrrhula nipalensis
Newar:
Indigenous People of the Kathmandu Valley
Brown Wood Owl Strix l newarensis
Nicobar Islands:
Chain of Islands in Eastern Indian Ocean
Great Nicobar Serpent Eagle Spilornis klossi
Nicobar Sparrowhawk Accipiter butleri
Nicobar Megapode Megapodius nicobariensis
Slaty-breasted Rail Rallus s nicobariensis
White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis p midnicobarica
Nicobar Pigeon Caloenas nicobarica
Nicobar Imperial Pigeon Ducula nicobarica
Nicobar Parakeet Psittacula caniceps
Long-tailed Parakeet Psittacula l nicobarica
Nicobar Scops Owl Otus alius
Oriental Scops Owl Otus s nicobaricus
Nicobar Bulbul Hypsipetes nicobariensis
Nicobar Jungle Flycatcher Rhinomyias nicobaricus
Crimson Sunbird Aethopyga s nicobarica
Oriental White-eye Zosterops p nicobaricus
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus p nicobariensis
Nile River:
Large river mostly in Egypt
Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica
Nilgiri Hills:
Hill Tract spanning Tamil Nadu and Kerala, India
Nilgiri Wood Pigeon
Columba elphinstonii
Nilgiri Pipit Anthus nilghiriensis
Nilgiri Thrush Zoothera neilgreiensis
Nilgiri Flycatcher Eumyias albicaudatus
Pied Bushchat Saxicola c nilghiriensis
Nilgiri Flowerpecker Dicaeum concolor
Oriental White-eye Zosterops p nilghiriensis
Nuristan:
A province in Afghanistan
Variegated Laughingthrush Trochalopteron v nuristanicum
Oriental Region:
Oriental Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhyncus
Oriental Plover Charadrius veredus
Black-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles orientalis
Oriental Bay Owl Phodilus badius
Oriental Scops Owl Otus sunia
Little Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis
Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis
Oriental Pied Hornbill Anthracoceros albirostris
Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula
Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis
Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpebrosus
Orissa:
State in coastal eastern India
White-throated Fantail Rhipidura a orissae
Pacific:
Of the Pacific Oceans
Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva
Pacific Swift Apus pacifica
Palni Hills:
Mountain range in Tamil Nadu
Oriental White-eye Zosterops p palniensis
Pamirs:
Mountains in Central Asia
Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius
m pamirensis
Brandt’s Mountain Finch Leucosticte b pamirensis
Patkai Hills:
Hill range in Northeastern India
White-crested Laughingthrush Garrulax l patkaicus
Pegu:
City in Myanmar
Streaked Weaver Ploceus m peguensis
Peking
(now Beijing): Old
name of China’s Capital
Common Swift Apus a pekinensis
Peninsular (India):
South of the Vindhyas
Crested Goshawk Accipiter t peninsulae
Common Hill Myna Gracula r peninsularis
Persia: Current day
Iran
Lesser Short-toed Lark Calandrella r persica
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops persicus
House Sparrow Passer d persicus
Philippines:
Spot-billed Pelican Pelecanus philippensis
Blue-tailed Bee-eater Merops philippinus
Baya Weaver Ploceus philippinus
Pondicherry:
Union Territory,
Southeastern coast of India.
Grey Francolin Francolinus pondicerianus
Common Woodshrike Tephrodornis pondicerianus
Poona (Pune):
Important town in Maharashtra
Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa d poonensis
Punjab:
State in Northern India
Jungle Bush Quail Perdicula a punjabi
Rajputana:
Old name for Rajasthan
Spotted Creeper Salpornis s rajputanae
Rangoon:
Current day Yangon, Capital of Myanmar
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus p rangoonensis
Senegal:
Spotted Sandgrouse Pterocles senegallus
Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis
Seheria: Town near Kolkata, West Bengal
Crimson Sunbird Aethopyga s seheriae
Siberia:
Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola f sibirica
Siberian Crane Grus leucogeranus
Siberian Thrush Zoothera sibirica
Dark-sided Flycatcher Muscicapa sibirica
Siberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus c tristis
Sikkim:
Himalayan
State in
eastern India
Striated Laughing Thrush Grammatoptila s sikkimensis
Sikkim Wedge-billed Babbler Sphenocichla humei
Goldcrest Regulus r sikkimensis
Asian Fairy Bluebird Irena p sikkimensis
Simla:
A hill-station in Himachal Pradesh, India
Lesser Yellownape Picus c simlae
Bar-throated Minla Minla s simlaensis
Variegated Laughingthrush Trochalopteron v simile
Lemon-rumped Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus c simlaensis
Yellow-browed Tit Sylviparus m simlaensis
Sind:
A province in Pakistan
Sind Pied Woodpecker Dendrocopos assimilis
Indian Bushlark Mirafra e sindiana
Jungle Babbler Turdoides s sindiana
Yellow-bellied Prinia Prinia f sindiana
Sind Sparrow Passer pyrrhonotus
Spain:
Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis
Sri Lanka:
(Incorporating its old names Galle, Taprobane, Sinhala, Ceylon &
Serendib)
Crested Hawk Eagle Spizaetus c ceylanensis
Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus
Ceylon Spurfowl Galloperdix bicalcarta
Ceylon Junglefowl Gallus lafayetii
Jungle Bush Quail Perdicula a ceylonensis
Ruddy-breasted Crake Porzana f zeylonica
Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus I lankae
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus h ceylonensis
Ceylon Wood Pigeon Columba torringtonii
Spotted Dove Streptopelia c ceylonensis
Ceylon Green Pigeon Treron pompadora
Ceylon Hanging Parrot Loriculus beryllinus
Ceylon Bay Owl Phodilus assimilis
Serendib Scops Owl Otus thilohoffmannii
Brown Fish Owl Bubo zeylonensis
Ceylon Frogmouth Batrachostomus moniliger
Little Swift Apus a singalensis
Common Kingfisher Alcedo a taprobana
Ceylon Grey Hornbill Ocyceros gingalensis
Brown-headed Barbet Megalaima zeylanica
Ceylon Small Barbet Megalaima rubricapillus
Ceylon Woodshrike Tephrodornis affinis
Ceylon Scaly Thrush Zoothera imbricata
Ceylon Whistling Thrush Myophonus blighi
Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis
Ceylon Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus melanurus
Ceylon Rufous Babbler Turdoides rufescens
Yellow-billed Babbler Turdoides a taprobanus
Sri Lankan Bush Warbler Elaphronis palliseri
Thick-billed Flowerpecker Dicaeum a zeylonense
Purple-rumped Sunbird Leptocoma zeylonica
Ceylon White-eye Zosterops ceylonensis
Ceylon Hill Myna Gracula ptilogenys
Black-hooded Oriole Oriolus x ceylonensis
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus p ceylonicus
Ceylon Crested Drongo Dicrurus lophorinus
Ceylon Blue Magpie Urocissa ornata
(Great) Steppe:
Ecological zone in Central Asia and Russia
Steppe Buzzard Buteo b vulpinus
Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis
Sumatra:
Island in Indonesia
Black-naped Tern Sterna sumatrana
Surat:
Large town in Gujarat
Spotted Dove Streptopelia c suratensis
Tahiti:
Island in French Polynesia in Southern Pacific Ocean
House Swallow Hirundo tahitica
Taymyr:
Peninsula in
Siberia
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa l taymryensis
Terek:
River in Caucasus
Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus
Tibet:
Blood Pheasant Ithaginis c tibetanus
Tibetan Snowcock Tetraogallus tibetanus
Tibetan Partridge Perdix hodgsonii
Tibetan Eared Pheasant Crossoptilon harmani
Tibetan Sandgrouse Syrrhaptes tibetanus
Eurasian Eagle Owl Bubo b tibetanus
Tibetan Blackbird Turdus maxima
Dusky Warbler Phylloscopus f tibetanus
Great Tit Parus Major tibetanus
Tibetan Siskin Carduelis thibetana
Large-billed Crow Corvus m tibetosinensis
Common Raven Corvus c tibetanus
Tranquebar:
Modern day
Tharangambadi,
fishing village in Tamil Nadu, India
Red Collared Dove Streptopelia tranquebarica
Travancore:
Former princely state in current-day southern Kerala, India
Pied Kingfisher Ceryle r travancoreensis
Indian Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus h travencorensis
Long-billed Pipit Anthus s travancorensis
Indian Yellow Tit Parus a travancoreensis
Baya Weaver Ploceus p travancoreensis
Trinkut:
Island in
Nicobar
Blue-breasted Quail Coturnix c trinkutensis
Tundra:
Artic region
in far northern hemisphere
Common Ringer Plover Charadrius h tundrae
Turkestan:
A region in Central Asia
Hill Pigeon Columba r turkestanica
Menetries’s Warbler Sylvia m turcmenica
Vellore:
District town in Tamil Nadu, India
Jungle Bush Quail Perdicula a vellorie
Vindhyas:
Hills in west-central India
Tawny Eagle Aquila r vindihiana
Yunnan:
Province in South-western China
Bar-throated Minla Minla s yunnanensis
Olive-backed Pipit Anthus h yunnanensis
Striated Prinia Prinia c yunnanensis
Chinese Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus yunnanensis
Goldcrest Regulus r yunnanensis
Wynaad: District
in Northern Kerala, India
Wynad Laughingthrush Dryonastes delesserti
Ziarat:
District in Baluschistan, Pakistan
Great Tit Parus m ziaratensis
TOP
Oriental Turtle Dove
'In the name of God'
Some birds were named (mostly by Col. Sykes) after Hindu deities or
from mythology and they include:
Spotted Owlet
Athene brama.
Black Bulbul
Hypsipetes ganeesa,
Brahminy Kite
Haliastur garuda
Black Kite
Milvus m govinda
Sykes Lark
Galerida deva
Sykes’s
Warbler Hippolais rama
Brown Wood Owl
Strix l indranee
Oriental
Turtle Dove Streptopelia o meena
The
sub-species of the Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava beema are not
named after a hero of the Mahabharata but after the Bhima River in
Maharashtra. It is also important to note that not all names are in
current usage.
Gallus gallus murghi
Some bird names derived from
the vernacular
Baya Weaver: Baya is a Hindi
word for a weaver bird
Baza: From the Hindi term Baaz
for a hawk
Besra: Hindi term for Accipiter
virgatus
Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius
pandoo: From the Marathi name pandu used to describe
the blue male.
Bulbul: Persian name for
Bulbul or ‘Nightingale of the east’
Cheer Pheasant:
From the Chir Pine habitat of the species
Chukar: Chukur being the
Hindi name for the bird
Cochoa: Nepali term cocho
for the bird
Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis Cheela:
Cheel being the generic Hindi/Bengali
term for eagle
Crimson-breasted Woodpecker Dendrocopos cathpharius:
From the Hindi word kathpora used to
describe woodpeckers
Cutia: Nepali name khutya
for the bird
Scaly Thrush Zoothera dauma:
From Bengali dama for Orange-headed Thrush
Laggar Falcon: Local Hindi/Persian
name Luggar for the bird
Malkoha: From
Nepali malkowa and Sri Lankan
mal-koha
Mesia: From the Nepali word meishiya
for the bird
Mountain Imperial Pigeon:
Ducula badia From the Nepalese word dukul
Minla: From the Nepalese for
the Red-tailed Minla
Munia: Generic Hindi word for
birds of the family
Myna/Mynah: From the
local word maina
used for the Sturnus family
Niltava: From the Nepalese word
niltau for Rufous-bellied Niltava
Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus
saularis: From the Hindi saulari
Oriental Scops Owl Otus sunia:
From the Nepalese word sunya for
the Scops Owl
Pitta: From the Telegu word
pitta for small bird
Kalij Pheasant: Khalij is the
common local name for the species in its range
Koel: From Bengali word kokil for
the bird
Koklass Pucrasia macrolopha:
From the Nepali word pokras for the Koklass
Red Junglefowl Gallus g murghi:
Local name murgi
for domestic fowl
Rufous-bellied Niltava Niltava sundara:
From the local word Sundar or
beautiful
Sand Lark Calandrella raytal:
From the Hindi name reytal for
the bird
Sarus Crane: From the Sanskrit
word sarash or Hindi
saras meaning lake
Shama: From the Hindi syam and
the Bengali shayma
Shikra: From the
Hindi word shikar or Bengali shikre
for the bird
Sirkeer Malkoha: From the
Gujarati name sirkee for the bird
Sibia: From the Nepalese name
sibya for Rufous Sibia
Scarlet Finch Haematospiza sipahi:
From the Hindi
word sipahi
signifying scarlet.
Snow Partridge Lerwa lerwa:
From the Bhutanese word
lerwa for the bird
Streaked Weaver Ploceus manyar:
From Tamil manya
Tesia: From the Nepali word
tisi for
Grey-bellied Tesia
White-browed Piculet Sasia ochracea:
From the Nepali name sasia for
the bird
White-eyed Buzzard Butastur teesa:
From the Hindi name
tisa for the bird
Yuhina: From the
Nepalese yuhin for the Stripe-throated Yuhina
