Chukar Alectoris chukar
A family of five crossing the road connecting
Rampur to Narkanda.
Black Francolin Francolinus francolinus
Regularly met or heard
Hill Partridge Arborophila torqueola
Only one call recorded on the Chail - Kufri
road.
Brown-fronted Woodpecker Dendrocopos auriceps
A few met - common around Kasauli.
Himalayan Woodpecker Dendrocopos himalayensis
One observation of a bird in flight near Kufri.
Scaly-bellied Woodpecker Picus squamatus
Regular at Kasauli. One or two met elsewhere.
Grey-headed Woodpecker Picus canus
One sighting only on the Chail-Kufri road.
Great Barbet Megalaima virens
Seen or heard every day.
Common Hoopoe Upupa epops
A couple met. One at Narkanda.
White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis
One near Narkanda at over 8,000 feet.
Irregular.
Crested Kingfisher Megaceryle lugubris
Single record on the Narkanda - Rampur stretch
Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis
Lowalnds
Blue-tailed Bee-eater Merops philippinus
A couple on the road going down to Kalka
Large Hawk Cuckoo Hierococcyx sparverioides
Heard
Common Hawk Cuckoo Hierococcyx varius
Heard lowlands
Eurasian Cuckoo Cuculus canorus
One on a roadside wire
near Narkanda. Another near
Chail.
Lesser Cuckoo Cuculus poliocephalus
One heard at Narkanda
Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopacea
Seen/heard regularly
Alexandrine Parakeet Psittacula eupatria
Only at Kasauli
Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri
Uncommon. Seen at lower elevations
Slaty-headed Parakeet Psittacula himalayana
One flock on the road to Kasauli
Plum-headed Parakeet Psittacula
cyanocephala
Omnipresent in large numbers
Asian Barred Owlet Glaucidium cuculoides
One or two each day
Rock Pigeon Columba livia
Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis
Strangely very few seen
Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis
Lowlands
Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis
Regular
Red Collared Dove Streptopelia tranquebarica
A few
Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon Treron sphenura
Two sightings. Both around 5000 feet
Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus
A pair on the open ground around Chail Cheer
Phesantry (2250m). Must be a new high-elevation record !
Oriental Honey-buzzard Pernis ptilorhyncus
A couple observed. One
just as we entered Himachal near Kala Amb.
Black Kite Milvus migrans
A few noted - some at over 8000 feet.
Slender-billed Vulture Gyps tenvirostris
A flock of 5-6 flying over Nahan
Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis
Regular and in good numbers
Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela
A calling pair was the only sighting
Shikra Accipiter badius
One or two met each day.
White-eyed Buzzard Butastur teesa
An adult near Kala Amb
Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
Not uncommon
Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo
A pair flying over Hatu Resort, Narkanda and
possibly going to roost.
Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius
Only one observation on the Chail-Kufri road.
Black-headed Jay Garrulus lanceolatus
One near Nahan and another near Kasauli.
Yellow-billed Blue Magpie Urocissa flavirostris
Breeding pair collecting nesting material at
Sarahan
Red-billed Blue Magpie Urocissa erythrorhyncha
Regular. A pair near Kandaghat
were almost tame.
Rufous Treepie Dendrocitta vagabunda
One or two met
Grey Treepie Dendrocitta formosae
Rare. Encountered twice at about 7000 feet.
Spotted Nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes
Four birds seen and a couple heard. All between
Chail and Kufri.
House Crow Corvus splendens
Not common
Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos
The commonest bird observed. In large numbers
everywhere.
Eurasian Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus
One near Sainj
Rosy Minivet Pericrocotus roseus
A lovely pair between Nahan and Banethi
Black Drongo Dicrurus
macrocercus
Observed
Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus
Regularly met in small numbers
Asian Paradise-flycatcher Terpsiphone paradisi
A brilliant male near Parwanoo
and another at Thanedar
Blue-capped Rock Thrush Monticola cinclorhynchus
fairly common in small numbers
Blue Whistling Thrush Myophonus caeruleus
Infrequent.
Plain-backed Thrush Zoothera mollissima
One near Kufri
Grey-winged Blackbird Turdus boulboul
A nesting female on the Chail-Kufri road
Eurasian Blackbird Turdus merula
Possibly this species seen briefly at Kasauli.
Ultramarine Flycatcher Ficedula superciliaris
A couple inside Kufri zoo.
Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias thalassina
Strangely very few seen
Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis
One small flock only near Narkanda
Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis
Seen regularly in small numbers
Indian Robin Saxicoloides fulicata
A few observed in the lowlands
Plumbeous Water Redstart Rhyacornis fuliginosus
One on the bridge near Nogli
Spotted Forktail Enicurus maculatus
Single observation of bird that popped out
almost below our feet at Kandaghat
Hodgson's Bushchat Saxicola
insignis
A surprise find for the
area of a late 1st winter male about a 1000 feet downhill of
Sarahan. Hodgson's is considered to be a vagrant in Himachal.
Siberian Stonechat Saxicola maura
A few near Rampur
Pied Bushchat Saxicola caprata
Regular at lower elevations
Grey Bushchat Saxicola ferrea
Abundant
Brown Rock-chat Cercomela fusca
One seen near Kala Amb
Chestnut-tailed Starling Sturnus malabaricus
A few met
Common Myna Acridotheres tristis
Jungle Myna Acridotheres fuscus
regular
Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch Sitta castanea
A nesting pair between Nahan and Banethi
Bar-tailed Treecreeper Certhia himalayana
One near Kufri and a pair at Kasauli
Spot-winged Tit Parus melanolophus
Regular at higher elevations. Most breeding.
Great Tit Parus major
Fairly common at suitable altitudes.
Green-backed Tit Parus monticolus
A few around Narkanda and Sarahan.
Black-lored Tit Parus xanthogenys
One sighting only
Black-throated Tit Aegithalos concinnus
Very few encounters. One flock near Kufri and
another at Kasauli.
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Regular
Himalayan Bulbul Pycnonotus leucogenys
Common as soon as you hit the hills.
Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer
Regularly met in small numbers
Black Bulbul Hypsipetes leucocephalus
Common at all elevations in the hills
Striated Prinia Prinia criniger
A few recorded everyday.
Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpebrosus
One or two sightings of small feeding flocks.
Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler Cettia fortipes
Heard everywhere and seen more than once.
Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius
Few observations
Ashy-throated Warbler Phylloscopus maculipennis
One near Kufri
Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus
trochiloides
A few at Kasauli
Western Crowned Warbler Phylloscopus occipitalis
Breeding birds at and near Narkanda
Grey-hooded Warbler Seicercus xanthoschistos
Oddly very few met - fairly scarce.
Streaked Laughingthrush Garrulax lineatus
Common
Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus erythrogenys
Heard only
Jungle Babbler Turdoides striatus
Many at Kasauli
Red-billed Leiothrix Leiothrix lutea
Pair at Kasauli
Rufous Sibia Heterophasia capistrata
Single bird at Kufri
Pale-billed Flowerpecker Dicaeum erythrorhynchos
A couple seen
Purple Sunbird Nectarinia asiatica
One or two met only
House Sparrow Passer domesticus
Russet Sparrow Passer rutilans
Regular
Chestnut-shouldered Petronia Petronia xanthocollis
Small flock near Kala Amb
White Wagtail Motacilla alba
One on the Sutlej river near Rampur
Yellow-breasted Greenfinch Carduelis spinoides
A few near Narkanda
Crested Bunting Melophus lathami
A spanking male near Parwanoo.
Another on the Chail-Kufri road.
Rock Bunting Emberiza cia
A few met near Narkanda.
