Ladakh
Checklist of Birds

~ presented by Birds of India

by Otto Pfister

---

This updated check-list - extracted from the 'Birds and Mammals of Ladakh' - is the result of extensive literature research and my own observation and data collection during various trips into the remote areas of the Ladakh region. By no means the list claims to be complete. Any comments, feed-back and amendments are welcome, they will all help to improve and up-date the list. Otto Pfister / 01-2003

GALLIFORMES

Phasianidae

• Snow Partridge Lerwa lerwa *

• Himalayan Snowcock Tetraogallus himalayensis

• Tibetan Snowcock Tetraogallus tibetanus

• Chukar Alectoris chukar

• Tibetan Partridge Perdix hodgsoniae

• Common Quail Coturnix coturnix

• Rain Quail Coturnix coromandelica *

ANSERIFORMES

Anatidae

• Greylag Goose Anser anser

• Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus

• Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea

• Gadwall Anas strepera

• Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope

• Mallard Anas platyrhynchos

• Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata

• Northern Pintail Anas acuta

• Garganey Anas querquedula

• Common Teal Anas crecca

• Red-crested Pochard Rhodonessa rufina

• Common Pochard Aythya ferina

• Ferruginous Pochard Aythya nyroca

• Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula

• Common Merganser Mergus merganser

PICIFORMES

Picidae

• Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla

• Scaly-bellied Woodpecker Picus squamatus

UPUPIFORMES

Upupidae

• Common Hoopoe Upupa epops

CORACIIFORMES

Coraciidae

• European Roller Coracias garrulus

• Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis *

Alcedinidae

• Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis

Meropidae

• Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops persicus

• European Bee-eater Merops apiaster

CUCULIFORMES

Cuculidae

• Pied Cuckoo Clamator jacobinus

• Eurasian Cuckoo Cuculus canorus

• Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopacea

APODIFORMES

Apodidae

• Alpine Swift Tachymarptis melba

• Common Swift Apus apus

• Fork-tailed Swift Apus pacificus

• House Swift Apus affinis

STRIGIFORMES

Strigidae

• Pallid Scops Owl Otus brucei

• Eurasian Eagle Owl Bubo bubo

• Little Owl Athene noctua

• Long-eared Owl Asio otus

• Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus

Caprimulgidae

• Eurasian Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus

COLUMBIFORMES

Columbidae

• Rock Pigeon Columba livia

• Hill Pigeon Columba rupestris

• Snow Pigeon Columba leuconota

• Yellow-eyed Pigeon Columba eversmanni *

• European Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur

• Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis

• Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis

• Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis *

• Red Collared Dove Streptopelia tranquebarica

• Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto

GRUIFORMES

Gruidae

• Siberian Crane Grus leucogeranus *

• Demoiselle Crane Antrapoides virgo

• Black-necked Crane Grus nigricollis

Rallidae

• Water Rail Rallus aquaticus

• Corn Crake Crex crex

• Baillon's Crake Porzana pusilla

• Spotted Crake Porzana porzana

• Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus

• Common Coot Fulica atra

CICONIIFORMES

Pteroclidae

• Tibetan Sandgrouse Syrrhaptes tibetanus

Scolopacidae

• Solitary Snipe Gallinago solitaria

• Pintail Snipe Gallinago stenura

• Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago

• Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa

• Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus

• Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata

• Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus

• Common Redshank Tringa totanus

• Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis

• Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia

• Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus

• Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola

• Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus

• Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

• Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

• Little Stint Calidris minuta

• Temminck's Stint Calidris temminckii

• Dunlin Calidris alpina

• Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea

• Ruff Philomachus pugnax

• Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus

Jacanidae

• Pheasant-tailed Jacana Hydrophasianus chirurgus

Charadriidae

• Ibisbill Ibidorhyncha struthersii

• Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus

• Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta

• Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva

• Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola

• Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula

• Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius

• Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus

• Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus

• Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii *

• Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus

Glareolidae

• Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola

Laridae

• Parasitic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus

• Heuglin's Gull Larus heuglini *

• Pallas's Gull Larus ichthyaetus

• Brown-headed Gull Larus brunnicephalus

• Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus

• Little Gull Larus minutus

• Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica

• River Tern Sterna aurantia

• Common Tern Sterna hirundo

• Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea *

• Little Tern Sterna albifrons

• Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybridus

• White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus

Accipitridae

• Osprey Pandion haliaetus

• Oriental Honey-Buzzard Pernis ptilorhyncus

• Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus

• Red Kite Milvus milvus

• Black Kite Milvus migrans

• Pallas's Fish Eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus

• Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus

• Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus

• Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis

• Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus

• Short-toed Snake Eagle Circaetus gallicus

• Eurasian Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus

• Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus

• Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus

• Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus

• Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus

• Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis

• Upland Buzzard Buteo hemilasius

• Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus

• Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga

• Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis

• Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos

• Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus

Falconidae

• Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus

• Merlin Falco columbarius

• Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo

• Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus

• Saker Falcon Falco cherrug

Podicipedidae

• Little Grebe Tachybatus ruficollis

• Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus

• Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis

Phalacrocoracidae

• Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo

• Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger

Ardeidae

• Little Egret Egretta garzetta

• Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

• Great Egret Casmerodius albus

• Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis

• Indian Pond Heron Ardeola grayii

• Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax

• Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus

• Great Bittern Botaurus stellaris

Threskiornithidae

• Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus

Ciconiidae

• Black Stork Ciconia nigra

PASSERIFORMES

Laniidae

• Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio

• Rufous-tailed Shrike Lanius isabellinus

• Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach

• Grey-backed Shrike Lanius tephronotus

• Lesser Grey Shrike Lanius minor

• Southern Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis

Corvidae

• Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius *

• Black-headed Jay Garrulus lanceolatus *

• Yellow-billed Blue Magpie Urocissa flavirostris *

• Black-billed Magpie Pica pica

• Hume's Groundpecker Pseudopodoces humilis

• Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax

• Yellow-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax graculus

• Eurasian Jackdaw Corvus monedula

• House Crow Corvus splendens

• Carrion Crow Corvus corone

• Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos

• Common Raven Corvus corax

• Eurasian Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus

• Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus

Cinclidae

• White-throated Dipper Cinclus cinclus

• Brown Dipper Cinclus pallasii

Muscicapidae

• Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush Monticola saxatilis

• Blue Rock Trush Monticola solitarius

• Blue Whistling Thrush Myophonus caeruleus

• Tickell's Thrush Turdus unicolor

• Eurasian Blackbird Turdus merula

• Dark-throated Thrush Turdus ruficollis

• Dusky Thrush Turdus naumanni

• Song Thrush Turdus philomelos

• Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata

• Dark-sided Flycatcher Muscicapa sibirica

• Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa dauurica *

• Rusty-tailed Flycatcher Muscicapa ruficauda

• Red-throated Flycatcher Ficedula parva

• White-tailed Rubythroat Luscinia pectoralis

• Bluethroat Luscinia svecica

• Orange-flanked Bush Robin Tarsiger cyanurus

• Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin Cercotrichas galactotes

• Rufous-backed Redstart Phoenicurus erythronota

• Blue-capped Redstart Phoenicurus coeruleocephalus

• Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros

• Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus

• Hodgson's Redstart Phoenicurus hodgsoni *

• White-winged Redstart Phoenicurus erythrogaster

• Blue-fronted Redstart Phoenicurus frontalis

• White-capped Water Redstart Chaimarrornis leucocephalus

• Grandala Grandala coelicolor ?

• Little Forktail Enicurus scouleri

• Common Stonechat Saxicola torquata

• Hume's Wheatear Oenanthe alboniger *

• Variable Wheatear Oenanthe picata

• Pied Wheatear Oenanthe pleschanka

• Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti

• Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina

Sturnidae

• Brahminy Starling

• Sturnus pagodarum

• Rosy Starling Sturnus roseus

• Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris

Sittidae

• Wallcreeper Tichodroma muraria

• Bar-tailed Treecreeper Certhia himalayana

• Winter Wren Troglodytes troglodytes

Paridae

• White-crowned Penduline Tit Remiz coronatus

• Fire-capped Tit Cephalopyrus flammiceps

• Rufous-naped Tit Parus rufonuchalis

• Great Tit Parus major

• Yellow-browed Tit Sylviparus modestus

Hirundinidae

• Sand Martin Riparia riparia

• Plain Martin Riparia paludicola

• Eurasian Crag Martin Hirundo rupestris

• Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

• Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii

• Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica

• Northern House Martin Delichon urbica

• Asian House Martin Delichon dasypus ?

Regulidae

• Goldcrest Regulus regulus

Sylviidae

• Long-billed Bush Warbler Bradypterus major

• Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus

• Black-browed Reed Warbler Acrocephalus bistrigiceps

• Paddyfield Warbler Acrocephalus agricola

• Blyth's Reed Warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum

• Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus

• White-browed Tit-Warbler Leptopoecile sophiae

• Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita

• Mountain Chiffchaff Phylloscopus sindianus

• Plain Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus neglectus *

• Dusky Warbler Phylloscopus fuscatus

• Tickell's Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus affinis

• Sulphur-bellied Warbler Phylloscopus griseolus

• Buff-barred Warbler Phylloscopus pulcher ?

• Hume's Warbler Phylloscopus humei

• Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides

• Large-billed Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus magnirostris

• Tytler's Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus tytleri *

• Western Crowned Warbler Phylloscopus occipitalis ?

• Streaked Laughingthrush Garrulax lineatus *

• Variegated Laughingthrush Garrulax variegatus *

• Garden Warbler Sylvia borin

• Greater Whitethroat Sylvia communis

• Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca

• Barred Warbler Sylvia nisoria

Alaudidae

• Bimaculated Lark Melanocorypha bimaculata

• Tibetan Lark Melanocorypha maxima

• Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla

• Hume's Short-toed Lark Calandrella acutirostris

• Asian Short-toed Lark Calandrella cheleensis *

• Crested Lark Galerida cristata

• Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula

• Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris

Passerinae

• House Sparrow Passer domesticus

• Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis

• Tibetan Snowfinch Montifringilla adamsi

• White-rumped Snowfinch Pyrgilauda taczanowskii

• Plain-backed Snowfinch Pyrgilauda blanfordi

• Forest Wagtail Dendronanthus indicus

• White Wagtail Motacilla alba

• Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola

• Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava

• Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea

• Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis

• Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni *

• Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus

• Rosy Pipit Anthus roseatus

• Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta

• Siberian Accentor Prunella montanella

• Alpine Accentor Prunella collaris

• Altai Accentor Prunella himalayana

• Robin Accentor Prunella rubeculoides

• Rufous-breasted Accentor Prunella strophiata

• Brown Accentor Prunella fulvescens

• Black-throated Accentor Prunella atrogularis

Fringillidae

• Brambling Fringilla montifringilla

• Fire-fronted Serin Serinus pusillus

• European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis

• Twite Carduelis flavirostris

• Eurasian Linnet Carduelis cannabina

• Plain Mountain Finch Leucosticte nemoricola

• Brandt's Mountain Finch Leucosticte brandti

• Crimson-winged Finch Rhodopechys sanguinea *

• Mongolian Finch Bucanetes mongolicus

• Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus

• Red-mantled Rosefinch Carpodacus rhodochlamys

• White-browed Rosefinch Carpodacus thura

• Streaked Rosefinch Carpodacus rubicilloides

• Great Rosefinch Carpodacus rubicilla

• Red-fronted Rosefinch Carpodacus puniceus

• Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella

• Pine Bunting Emberiza leucocephalos

• Rock Bunting Emberiza cia

• Grey-necked Bunting Emberiza buchanani *

• Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana

• Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla

• Chestnut Bunting Emberiza rutila *

• Red-headed Bunting Emberiza bruniceps

• Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus

---

* = no records / observation after 1960 in Ladakh

? = recent appearance / species ID needs confirmation

Otto Pfister January 2003

otto_pfister@hotmail.com

---