Birding Goa, India - 2016

The Indian state of Goa is often considered an ideal destination as an introduction to Oriental birding. It is easily accessible from the UK, very safe and welcoming with, at least during the period November to March, a pleasant climate and most importantly the birding is superb.

Andy Warr and I spent two weeks birding around North Goa earlier this year. We flew with Thomson's from Gatwick on one of their comfortable Boeing Dreamliner aircraft, the flight taking just under 10 hours. Even though it was dark when we arrived in the early hours of January 28th, birding started as soon as we stepped out of Dabolim Airport. House Crows could be heard calling in trees while we waited for our bus to the Marinha Dourada Hotel. Located at Arpora, this hotel has been a firm favourite with birders for the past two decades and although it is now in need of upgrading it does provide an ideal base. This is due to it being within easy walking distance of many key birding sites, including Arpora Woods, Baga Hill and Baga Fields while the hotel grounds and nearby pools can also be very productive.

It was dawn by the time we arrived at the hotel, and once checked in we were off birding. Concentrating our efforts around the hotel grounds and adjacent pools we were soon familiarising ourselves with some of the commoner birds of the area including White-browed Wagtail, White-throated and Stork-billed Kingfishers, Brahminy and Black Kites, Booted Eagle, Osprey, Shikra, Barn, Red-rumped and Wire-tailed Swallows, Scaly-breasted and White-rumped Munias, Ashy Drongo, Oriental Magpie Robin, Alexandrine, Plum-headed and Ring-necked Parakeets, Common Tailorbird, Asian Koel, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Blue-tailed and Green Bee-eaters, Jungle Myna, Asian Paradise and Asian Brown Flycatchers, Southern Coucal, White-cheeked Barbet, Long-tailed Shrike, Indian Yellow Tit, Greenish and Blyth's Reed Warblers, Rufous Treepie, Chestnut-tailed and Rose-coloured Starlings, Purple-rumped Sunbird, White-breasted Waterhen, Indian Pond and Striated Herons, Cattle, Great White, Intermediate and Little Egrets and Little Cormorant. Surprisingly, it was here where we saw our only Pale-billed Flowerpecker of the trip.

Black Kites at Baga Hill. Picture: Brian Stretch

Black Kites at Baga Hill. Filmed by Brian Stretch

Our daily routine often started around dawn at 6am and continued through to late morning by which time birding became less productive as birds were more elusive during the heat of the day. Occasionally we would plough on, especially when in more open areas or by water as there was always something to see. Late afternoon to dark at around 6pm was always a magical time as birds again became more conspicuous as they headed off to roost for the night.

Over the following two days we explored the aforementioned local hotspots of Baga Hill, Baga Fields and Arpora Woods. The former site brought us our first endemic of the trip, the stunning Vigor's Sunbird around the gardens along the route up the hill along with numerous Purple and Purple-rumped Sunbirds. Our first Indian Peafowl of the trip was also seen along the summit ridge, together with Indian Robin, Indian Golden Oriole, Rose-coloured Starling, Common Myna, Thick-billed and Nilgiri Flowerpeckers, Golden-fronted and Jerdon's Leafbirds, Tickell's Blue Flycatcher, White-browed Bulbul, White-spotted Fantail, Spotted Dove, Small Minivet, Common Iora, Coppersmith Barbet, Little Swift and Oriental Honey Buzzard. Nearby, Baga Fields is an extensive area of damp grassland, cultivated fields and scrubby margins and provided our first views of Black Drongo, Indian Roller, Pied Bushchat, Brown Shrike, Siberian Stonechat, Malabar Lark, Paddyfield Pipit, Plain Prinia and Pintail Snipe together with more familiar European species including Marsh Harrier, Hoopoe, Red-rumped Swallow, Tree Pipit, Bluethroat and Zitting Cisticola. Arpora Woods provided more arboreal species including Loten's Sunbird, Bar-winged Flycatcher Shrike, Common Woodshrike, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater and Ashy Woodswallow, while the nearby pools offered a good selection of waders including Lesser Sand Plover, Red-wattled Lapwing, Pacific Golden Plover, Marsh Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper and Temminck's Stint.

Indian Roller at Arpora. Picture: Brian Stretch

The time had arrived for what we anticipated would be the highlight of the trip, four days in the mountains and jungles of the Western Ghats, staying at the famous Backwoods Camp. We were collected from the hotel at 4.30am along with six other birders who were also staying at the Marinha Dourada: David Ousey, Bob Kenworthy, Steve Brown, Billy Jackson, Mark Gibson and Dougie Dickson. Two hours later we arrived in birding paradise and as soon as we stepped off the mini-bus there were birds everywhere: Orange Minivet, Malabar Grey Hornbill, Blyth's Starling, Grey-breasted Prinia, Spangled Drongo, Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, Black-hooded Oriole, Crested Treeswift, Chestnut-shouldered Petronia, Brown-headed Barbet and the state bird of Goa, Flame-throated Bulbul. Once settled in to our chalets and fortified by a Backwoods breakfast we were taken on a guided walk around the camp by Leio, one of the camp's founding partners. Within minutes we were watching Greater Flameback, Orange-headed Thrush, Sri Lankan Frogmouth, Black-naped Oriole, Yellow-browed Bulbul, Golden-fronted Leafbird, Crested Serpent Eagle, Indian Swiftlet and Malabar Parakeet. We also made our first visit to the wonderful Tambdi Surla Temple, set amongst pristine jungle habitat. Here we noted our first Malabar Whistling Thrush, Indian Blue Robin, White-bellied Blue Flycatcher, Malabar Barbet and Mountain Imperial Pigeon while Black and Legge's Hawk Eagles were seen over a distant ridge. On our return to Backwoods Camp we were dropped off at the start of the entrance track to walk the remainder of the route and while doing so we saw three flyover Great Hornbills. The real purpose of the exercise though was to provide us with views of one of the 'stars of the show': Indian Pitta. After several minutes we were afforded good views as a single bird fed along the track. On a subsequent visit to Tambdi Surla we visited after dusk and had good views of a perched Jerdon's Nightjar. 

Chalet at Backwoods Camp. Picture: Brian Stretch

Sri Lankan Frogmouth at Backwoods Camp. Picture: Andy Warr

Birding near Backwoods Camp. Picture: Brian Stretch

Spangled Drongo at Backwoods Camp. Filmed by Brian Stretch

Tambdi Surla Temple. Picture: Brian Stretch

Female White-bellied Blue Flycatcher at Tambdi Surla. Picture: Andy Warr

Orange-headed Thrush at Backwoods Camp. Picture: Brian Stretch

The daily routine at Backwoods Camp is tea or coffee and biscuits at 6.30am then out birding until around 10am, back for breakfast then out again until lunch at around 1pm. The afternoon is then free to either bird the local area or rest before another trip late afternoon/early evening before dinner. We took several walks in the surrounding jungle and clearings which yielded Nilgiri Blackbird, Heart-spotted and White-bellied Woodpeckers, Black-rumped Flameback, Brown-cheeked Fulvetta, Dark-fronted and Puff-throated Babblers, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Syke's and Western Crowned Warblers, Black-naped Monarch, Vernal Hanging Parrot, Grey-fronted Green Pigeon, Asian Fairy Bluebird and a superb male Malabar Trogan.

Male Malabar Trogan at Backwoods Camp. Picture: Brian Stretch

Oriental Honey Buzzard and Shikra near Backwoods Camp. Picture: Andy Warr

We also spent a morning at nearby Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary, which in common with Backwoods Camp, forms part of the wider protected area of Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary. This was to be the most productive area we visited with highlights including Crested Hawk Eagle, Little Spiderhunter, Tawny-bellied Babbler, Dusky Crag Martin, Verditer Flycatcher, Bronzed Drongo, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Brown-breasted Flycatcher, White-rumped Shama and the most colourful bird of the trip, Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher. We returned to the camp where the good birding continued with Asian Palm Swift, Grey-headed Bulbul and Rufous-bellied Eagle being further additions to our burgeoning trip list.

Sadly, our time at Backwoods had come to an end but it had been a fabulous experience and we said our goodbyes to Leio and his team before returning to Arpora. We spent the remainder of the day in the grounds of the Biera Mar Hotel at Baga, a well know haunt for visiting birders. The gardens overlook some superb marshland habitat and provide one of the best chances of seeing Cinnamon Bittern. An elusive bird was seen but not the hoped for Painted Snipe for which this marsh was once famed.

There are several local taxi drivers cum bird guides who, for a very modest fee, will show visiting birders some of the scarcer and harder to find species, saving a great deal of time and effort when the former is at a premium. Therefore we enlisted the services of one such guide, 'Rayman' who collected us from the hotel one afternoon and took us to see a White-eyed Buzzard and a Brown Fish Owl.

White-eyed Buzzard near Arpora. Filmed by Brian Stretch

Brown Fish Owl near Calungute. Picture: Brian Stretch

For larophiles, Morjim Beach is a must visit location with the familiar Black-headed Gull found alongside both Slender-billed and Brown-headed Gulls. Larger species were represented by Steppe, Heuglin's and the mighty Great Black-headed Gull, many of which were in their stunning breeding plumage. However during our visit many of the gulls were roosting on distant sandbanks in the Chapora River mouth so we hastily chartered a boat to enable us to obtain closer views. We also noted small numbers of Gull-billed, Greater and Lesser Crested Terns and a single Western Reef Egret. Back on the beach we had great views of Kentish Plover alongside Greater and Lesser Sand Plovers while just behind the beach is a network of sand dunes and beach huts. This is a regular wintering site for Bay-backed Shrike which we saw well along with Barred Buttonquail, Brahminy Starling and a totally unexpected flyover Black-naped Oriole.

Greater Crested, Lesser Crested & Sandwich Terns with Brown-headed, Slender-billed & Steppe Gulls at Morjim. Picture: Andy Warr

Great Black-headed Gulls at Morjim with Heuglin's and Steppe Gulls behind. Picture: Andy Warr

Bay-backed Shrike at Morjim. Picture: Brian Stretch

Bay-backed Shrike at Morjim. Filmed by Brian Stretch

We also visited nearby Siolim Marsh, a vast wetland teeming with birds, many viewable at close range from the causeway that dissects the area. Our target bird here was the increasingly scarce River Tern and we were fortunate to see two birds along with Painted and Woolly-necked Storks, Black-headed and Glossy Ibises, Pied Kingfisher and Pheasant-tailed Jacana amongst large numbers of wetland species. Later that day we returned to the hotel to find two Indian Scops Owls were again roosting in a clump of bamboo near the kitchens, providing incredibly close views.

River Tern at Siolim. Picture: Andy Warr

River Tern at Siolim. Filmed by Brian Stretch

Indian Scops Owl at Marinha Dourada Hotel. Picture: Brian Stretch

Following another visit to Baga Hill we were walking back to our hotel when I decided to take a look over the wall of an overgrown garden. Remarkably, the first bird I saw was an Indian Pitta just 20 feet away, sat motionless in a shaded hollow where it remained long enough for Andy to obtain the image below.

Indian Pitta near Baga Hill. Picture: Andy Warr

Carambolim is another vast, bird rich area, comprising a large lake, extensive marshes, paddy fields and woodland. Good numbers of Indian Spot-billed Duck, Ruddy Shelduck, Purple Swamphen, Indian and Little Cormorants were noted along with a wide selection of waders, ibises, herons, egrets and storks, while a single Indian Spotted Eagle and Citrine Wagtail were seen. The woodland area apparently has roosting Brown Hawk Owl and in common with many birders we failed to locate any although we did see several Indian Peafowl and a Greater Spotted Eagle.

Indian Peafowl at Carambolim. Picture: Brian Stretch

Another early start saw us at Dona Paula, located just south of the state capital, Panjim. This is a recognised site for Ashy-crowned Sparrow Lark and although we drew a blank with this species, we obtained stunning views of a pair of Yellow-wattled Lapwing while two Oriental Skylarks and several Indian Robins were also seen. Nearby Santa Cruz marsh is a truly amazing wetland with large numbers of cormorants, herons, egrets, storks, wildfowl and waders present and here we recorded new birds for the trip including Lesser Adjutant, Watercock, Paddyfield Warbler and a rare visitor to Goa, White-tailed Plover.

Yellow-wattled Lapwing at Dona Paula. Picture: Brian Stretch

Black-winged Kite at Arpora. Filmed by Brian Stretch

A return trip to Bondla, around a one and a half hour drive from the coast, again lived up to expectations with fantastic views of Forest Wagtail, White-rumped Shama and a pair of Malabar Trogans in the same view as an Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher (!) while three new prized species were also found: a pair of Blue-bearded Bee-eaters, Indian Grey Hornbill and Besra.

Blue-eared Bee-eater at Bondla. Filmed by Brian Stretch

When in Goa a boat trip along the River Zuari is a must. Specially organised 'kingfisher cruises' depart on specific dates, bookable through Backwoods Camp and our trip had been arranged for our last day in Goa. We met up with Leio for the 8am departure and were soon on our way to search for our two target kingfishers, Black-capped and Collared. These were duly seen along with Stork-billed, White-throated and Common Kingfishers while bonus birds included Slaty-breasted Rail, Indian Great Reed Warbler and the beautifully plumaged Orange-breasted Green Pigeon (sadly, I have since learnt that Mr Kamath passed away in July, so the future of the river cruises is currently uncertain). On our return from the cruise we stopped off at Batim Lake where a wide range of waterfowl were present including huge numbers of Lesser Whistling Ducks and forty or so Garganey. Later in the day we visited Mayem Lake with 'Rayman' where we saw our final new species of the trip, Jungle Nightjar; two birds were roosting in trees near the edge of the lake. A Crested Hawk Eagle, Little Spiderhunter and several Orange-breasted Green Pigeons were also noted here before it was time to head to the airport for our flight back to London.

The river cruise boat with Leio onboard and Mr Kamath (right)

Cruising along the River Zuari with Mr Katmath

Black-capped Kingfisher on the River Zuari. Picture: Brian Stretch

Orange-breasted Green Pigeon beside the River Zuari. Picture: Brian Stretch

Crested Hawk Eagle at Maem Lake. Picture: Andy Warr

Jungle Nightjar at Maem Lake. Filmed by Brian Stretch

Jungle Nightjar at Maem Lake. Picture: Brian Stretch

In two weeks we had clocked up 250 species, some familiar, many unfamiliar. We could have spent whole days at many of the key sites we visited, rather than just an hour or two and there were many sites we simply didn't have time to explore. For any birder contemplating a trip to Goa for the first time I can't recommend it highly enough. It is home to an amazing array of birds and other wildlife, set amongst fabulous scenery with friendly people and is a great cultural experience in its own right. In fact we enjoyed it so much we are now planning a return visit in January 2017.

Written by Brian Stretch

Trip list:

Barred Buttonquail Turnix suscitator

Grey Junglefowl Gallus sonneratii

Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus

Lesser Whistling Duck Dendrocygna javanica

Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea

Gadwall Anas strepera

Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope

Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha

Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata

Northern Pintail Anas acuta

Garganey Anas querquedula

Common Teal Anas crecca

Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla

Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker Dendrocopus nanus

White-bellied Woodpecker Dryocopus javensis

Black-rumped Flameback Dinopium benghalense

Greater Flameback Chrysocolaptes lucidus

Heart-spotted Woodpecker Hemicircus canente

Indian Pitta Pitta brachyura

Brown-headed Barbet Psilopogon zeylanicus

White-cheeked Barbet Psilopogon viridis

Malabar Barbet Psilopogon malabaricus

Coppersmith Barbet Psilopogon haemacephalus

Indian Grey Hornbill Ocyceros birostris

Malabar Grey Hornbill Ocyceros griseus

Malabar Pied Hornbill Anthracoceros coronatus

Great Hornbill Buceros bicornis

Common Hoopoe Upupa epops

Malabar Trogon Harpactes fasciatus

Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis

Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis

Blue-eared Kingfisher Alcedo meninting

Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher Ceyx erithacus

Stork-billed Kingfisher Halcyon capensis

White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis

Black-capped Kingfisher Halcyon pileata

Collared Kingfisher Todiramphus chloris

Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis

Blue-bearded Bee-eater Nyctyornis athertoni

Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis

Blue-tailed Bee-eater Merops philippinus

Chestnut-headed Bee-eater Merops leschenaulti

Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopacea

Southern Coucal Centropus parroti

Vernal Hanging Parrot Loriculus vernalis

Alexandrine Parakeet Psittacula eupatria

Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri

Plum-headed Parakeet Psittacula cyanocephala

Malabar Parakeet Psittacula columboides

Indian Swiftlet Collocalia unicolor

Asian Palm Swift Cypsiurus balasiensis

Little Swift Apus affinis

Crested Treeswift Hemiprocne coronata

Barn Owl Tyto alba

Indian Scops Owl Otus bakkamoena

Brown Fish Owl Ketupa zeylonensis

Spotted Owlet Athene brama

Sri Lanka Frogmouth Batrachostomus moniliger

Jungle Nightjar Caprimulgus indicus

Jerdon’s Nightjar Caprimulgus atripennis

Rock Pigeon Columba livia

Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis

Orange-breasted Green Pigeon Treron bicincta

Grey-fronted Green Pigeon Treron affinis

Mountain Imperial Pigeon Ducula badia

Slaty-breasted Rail Gallirallus striatus

White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus

Watercock Gallicrex cinerea

Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio

Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus

Common Coot Fulica atra

Pintail Snipe Gallinago stenura

Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago

Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata

Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus

Redshank Tringa totanus

Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis

Greenshank Tringa nebularia

Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus

Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola

Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

Sanderling Calidris alba

Temminck’s Stint Calidris temminckii

Dunlin Calidris alpina

Ruff Philomachus pugnax

Pheasant-tailed Jacana Hydrophasianus chirurgus

Bronze-winged Jacana Metopidius indicus

Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus

Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus

Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva

Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius

Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus

Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus

Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii

Yellow-wattled Lapwing Vanellus malarbaricus

Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus

White-tailed Lapwing Vanellus leucurus

Steppe Gull Larus barabensis

Heuglin’s Gull Larus heuglini

Great Black-headed Gull Larus ichthyaetus

Brown-headed Gull Larus brunnicephalus

Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus

Slender-billed Gull Larus genei

Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica

River Tern Sterna aurantia

Lesser Crested Tern Sterna bengalensis

Greater Crested Tern Sterna bergii

Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis

Osprey Pandion haliaetus

Oriental Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhyncus

Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus

Black Kite Milvus migrans

Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus

White-bellied Sea Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster

Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela

Eurasian Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus

Shikra Accipiter badius

Besra Accipiter virgatus

White-eyed Buzzard Butastur teesa

Black Eagle Ictinaetus malayensis

Indian Spotted Eagle Aquila hastata

Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga

Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus

Rufous-bellied Eagle Hieraaetus kienerii

Crested Hawk Eagle Nisaetus cirrhatus

Legge's Hawk Eagle Nisaetus kelaarti

Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus

Oriental Darter Anhinga melanogaster

Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger

Indian Cormorant Phalacrocorax fuscicollis

Little Egret Egretta garzetta

Western Reef Egret Egretta gularis

Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

Purple Heron Ardea purpurea

Great White Egret Casmerodius albus

Intermediate Egret Mesophoyx intermedia

Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis

Indian Pond Heron Ardeola grayii

Striated Heron Butorides striatus

Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax

Cinnamon Bittern Ixobrychus cinnamomeus

Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus

Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus

Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala

Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans

Woolly-necked Stork Ciconia episcopus

Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus

Indian Pitta Pitta brachyura

Asian Fairy Bluebird Irena puella

Jerdon's Leafbird Chloropsis jerdoni

Golden-fronted Leafbird Chloropsis aurifrons

Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus

Bay-backed Shrike Lanius vittatus

Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach

Rufous Treepie Dendrocitta vagabunda

House Crow Corvus splendens

Jungle Crow Corvus macrorhynchos

Ashy Woodswallow Artamus fuscus

Indian Golden Oriole Oriolus kundoo

Black-naped Oriole Oriolus chinensis

Black-hooded Oriole Oriolus xanthornus

Small Minivet Pericrocotus cinnamomeus

Orange Minivet Pericrocotus flammeus

Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike Hemipus picatus 

White-spotted Fantail Rhipidura albogularis

Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus

Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus

White-bellied Drongo Dicrurus caerulescens

Bronzed Drongo Dicrurus aeneus

Spangled Drongo Dicrurus hottentottus

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus paradiseus

Black-naped Monarch Hypothymis azurea

Asian Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone paradisi 

Common Iora Aegithina tiphia

Common Woodshrike Tephrodornis pondicerianus

Malabar Whistling Thrush Myophonus horsfieldii

Orange-headed Thrush Zoothera citrina

Indian Blackbird Turdus simillimus

Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa dauurica

Brown-breasted Flycatcher Muscicapa muttui

Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva

Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias thalassina

White-bellied Blue Flycatcher Cyornis pallipes

Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher Cyornis tickelliae

Bluethroat Luscinia svecica

Indian Blue Robin Luscinia brunnea

Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis

White-rumped Shama Copsychus malabaricus

Indian Robin Saxicoloides fulicata

Siberian Stonechat Saxicola torquata

Pied Bushchat Saxicola caprata

Chestnut-tailed Starling Sturnus malabaricus

Blyth's Starling Sturnus blythii 

Brahminy Starling Sturnus pagodarum

Rose-coloured Starling Sturnus roseus

Common Myna Acridotheres tristis

Jungle Myna Acridotheres fuscus

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch Sitta frontalis

Indian Yellow Tit Machlolophus aplonotus

Sand Martin Riparia riparia

Dusky Crag Martin Hirundo concolor

Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii

Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica

Streak-throated Swallow Hirundo fluvicola

Grey-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus priocephalus

Flame-throated Bulbul Pycnonotus gularis 

Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus

Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer

White-browed Bulbul Pycnonotus luteolus

Yellow-browed Bulbul Iole indica

Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis

Grey-breasted Prinia Prinia hodgsonii

Ashy Prinia Prinia socialis

Plain Prinia Prinia inornata

Paddyfield Warbler Acrocephalus agricola

Blyth’s Reed Warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum

Indian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus brunnescens

Booted Warbler Hippolais caligata 

Sykes’s Warbler Hippolais rama

Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius

Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides

Western Crowned Warbler Phylloscopus occipitalis

Puff-throated Babbler Pellorneum ruficeps

Tawny-bellied Babbler Dumetia hyperythra

Dark-fronted Babbler Rhopocichla atriceps

Jungle Babbler Turdoides striatus

Brown-cheeked Fulvetta Alcippe poioicephala

Malabar Lark Galerida malabarica

Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula

Thick-billed Flowerpecker Dicaeum agile

Pale-billed Flowerpecker Dicaeum erythrorhynchos

Nilgiri Flowerpecker Dicaeum concolor

Purple-rumped Sunbird Nectarinia zeylonica

Crimson-backed Sunbird Nectarinia minima

Purple Sunbird Nectarinia asiatica

Loten’s Sunbird Nectarinia lotenia

Vigor's Sunbird Aethopyga vigorsii

Little Spiderhunter Arachnothera longirostra

House Sparrow Passer domesticus

Chestnut-shouldered Petronia Petronia xanthocollis

Forest Wagtail Dendronanthus indicus

White-browed Wagtail Motacilla maderaspatensis

Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola

Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava

Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea

Richard’s Pipit Anthus richardi

Paddyfield Pipit Anthus rufulus

Blyth’s Pipit Anthus godlewskii

Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis

Baya Weaver Ploceus philippinus

White-rumped Munia Lonchura striata

Scaly-breasted Munia Lonchura punctulata