Indian Birds: A Key to the Common Birds of the Plains of India, by Douglas Dewar

5. Two white bars in wing, birds with

1. The Iora (13).
2. (Hen) Rose-Finch (80).

6. White cheeks, birds with

1. The White-eared Bulbul (19).
2. The Red-whiskered Bulbuls (20 and 21). (Also a small patch of crimson feathers on cheeks.)
3. The Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch (23).
4. The Pied Myna (54).
5. The Indian Bush Chat (63). (The patch in this species is on the sides of the neck, not on the cheeks.)
6. (Cock) Sparrow (82).
7. The Ashy-crowned Finch-Lark (105).
8. The Golden-backed Woodpecker (111). (The white on the cheeks is intersected by a number of thin black lines.)
9. The Black Partridge (172).
10. The Common Crane (177). (In this species the white runs down each side of the long neck.)
11. The Red-wattled Lapwing (183). (Here a white band runs from eye down the neck.)
12. The Yellow-wattled Lapwing (184). (Here a white band runs from eye to eye round the back of the head.)

7. Ring of white feathers round eye

1. The Indian White-eye (12).
2. The Brown Flycatcher (55). (Ring not very conspicuous.)
3. The Grey-necked Bunting (83). (Ring not very conspicuous.)

X. YELLOW

1. Birds with bright yellow in the plumage

1. The Indian White-eye (12).
2. The Iora (13).
3. The Common Green Bulbul (14). (Patch of yellow on forehead.)
4. The White-eared Bulbul (19). (Yellow patch under the tail.)
5. The White-browed Bulbul (22). (Pale yellow patch under tail.)
6. (Hen) Minivets (39, 40, and 41).
7. The Orioles (44 and 45).
8. The Grackles or Hill Mynas (46 and 47). (Black birds with yellow beak, legs, and wattles.)
9. The Common Myna (52). (Yellow beak, legs, and patch of skin behind eye.)
10. The Pied Myna (54). (Orange patch of skin behind eye.)
11. The Grey-headed Flycatcher (56).
12. (Cock) Bayas (at breeding season) (70-73).
13. The Green Munia (78).
14. The Yellow-throated Sparrow (81).
15. The Black- and Red-headed Buntings (84 and 85).
16. The Grey and Grey-headed Wagtails (93 and 94).
17. (Cock) Purple-rumped Sunbird (108).
18. The Indian Pitta (109).
19. The Yellow-fronted Woodpecker (110). (Spotted black and white bird with yellow forehead.)
20. The Golden-backed Woodpecker (111). (Back golden yellow.)
21. The Pheasant-tailed Jaçana (182). (Back of neck golden yellow in breeding plumage.)
22. The Yellow-wattled Lapwing (184).
23. The Cattle Egret (in breeding plumage) (223). (Yellow plumes grow from back of head.)

2. Birds with bright yellow or orange legs

1. The Yellow-eyed Babbler (10).
2. The Grackles (46 and 47).
3. The Mynas (51-53).
4. The Common Hawk-Cuckoo (128). (Not very bright.)
5. The majority of Birds of Prey. (The yellow varies from dull to bright.)
6. The Green Pigeons (163 and 164).
7. The Black Partridge (172). (Reddish orange.)
8. The Stone Curlew (180).
9. The Red- and Yellow-wattled Lapwings (183-184).
10. The Herring-Gulls (198 and 199).
11. The Little Tern (205). (Orange in summer, brownish in winter.)
12. The Barred-headed Goose (228).
13. The Shoveller (230).

3. Birds with dull-coloured upper plumage and bright yellow under parts

1. The Indian White-eye (12).
2. The Iora (13).
3. The Grey-headed Flycatcher (56).
4. The Green Munia (78).
5. The Black- and Red-headed Buntings (84 and 85).
6. The Grey and Grey-headed Wagtails (93 and 94).

4. Yellow patch of feathers under the tail, birds with

1. The White-eared Bulbul (19).
2. The White-browed Bulbul (22).

5. Yellow patch of feathers on the throat, bird with

The Yellow-throated Sparrow (81).

6. Yellow patch of skin on side of head or yellow wattles, birds with

1. The Grackles (46 and 47).
2. The Common and Pied Mynas (52 and 54).
3. The Yellow-wattled Lapwing (184).

7. Yellowish red

The Brahminy Duck (229). (This bird is mainly of a ruddy yellow hue.)

8. Yellow and black

(Vide Black and yellow.)

XI. BIRDS OF MANY COLOURS

9. Birds in the plumage of which at least four bright colours appear

1. (Cock) Purple-rumped Sunbird (108).
2. The Indian Pitta (109).
3. The Coppersmith (114).
4. The Common Kingfisher (119).
5. The Green Pigeons (163).
6. The Peafowl (170).

D. CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO HABITS

I. Birds having remarkable cries.
II. Birds whose nests are likely to be found in any garden in the plains.
III. Birds that habitually sit on exposed perches.
IV. Birds that go about in flocks.
V. Flight.
VI. Feeding habits.
VII. Birds which habitually carry the tail almost vertically.

Since habits of birds vary according to circumstances, none of the lists given are exhaustive. They merely serve as rough guides. Thus, if a nest be found in the compound it is in all probability the nest of one of the species set forth in the list given, but it may, of course, belong to some other species. The list is nevertheless useful, as out of twenty nests found in any garden in the plains nineteen of them will also certainly belong to birds set forth in my list. Having determined that a given bird in all probability belongs to one of these species, it should not be difficult to arrive at its name by a process of elimination.

I. BIRDS HAVING REMARKABLE CRIES

Call

Name of Bird

No. of Bird in Part II

A loud metallic coch-lee, coch-lee, or cogee, cogee

Indian Tree-pie 5

Squeaks like that of a revolving axle that requires oiling

The Seven Sisters 6

A striking whistle, like that of a human being

The Idle Schoolboy 11

A sweet little tinkling song

The Bulbuls 15-22

A cheery whistle, heard chiefly at dawn, which Cunningham describes as “chēyk, chĕchi chĕyk, chēȳk chĕchi chēȳ chēȳh”

The King Crow 25

A loud to-wee, to-wee, to-wee

The Tailor Bird 28

A snapping noise

Ashy Wren-warbler 31

A pretty, mellow tanti-tuia

The Woodshrike 38

A loud, mellow, peeho, peeho

The Orioles 44 & 45

Keeky, keeky, keeky . . . churr, churr, kok, kok, kok

The Common Myna 52

A whistle of about six notes, like the first bars of the “Guards Valse”

The Fantailed Flycatchers 58-60

A song like that of a canary

Purple Sunbird 107

A loud, screaming call

Golden-backed Woodpecker 111

A loud, monotonous, penetrating kutur kutur, kuturuk

Green Barbet 113

A monotonous, metallic tonk, tonk, tonk, like the tapping of a hammer on metal

The Coppersmith 114

A loud, rattling scream

White-breasted Kingfisher 120

A low ūk, ūk, ūk

The Hoopoe 123

A shrill, trembling scream

The Swift 124

A sound like a stone sliding over ice

The Common Nightjar 126

Chuk, chuk, chuk, like the tapping of a plank with a hammer

Horsfield’s Nightjar 127

A crescendo “brain-fever, brain-fever, BRAIN-FEVER”

Brain-fever Bird 128

A crescendo “ku-il, ku-il, KU-IL”

The Koel 130

A low, sonorous, owl-like whoot, whoot, whoot

The Crow-Pheasant 131

Loud screams uttered during flight

The Paroquets 132-134

“A torrent of squeak and chatter and gibberish,” kucha, kwachee, kwachee, kwachee, kwachee rapidly uttered in a shrieking, chattering tone

The Spotted Owlet 135

A weird screech, heard at night

The Barn Owl 136

A single hoot repeated monotonously at regular intervals of ten seconds, oomp

The Scops Owl 138

At early dawn. “Turtuck, turtuck, turtuck, turtuck, turtuck, turtuck, tuckatu, chatucka tuckatuck. The words or dissyllables sounding rather low at first and with considerable pauses between, and the intervals decreasing and the tone getting louder till they end rapidly” (Tickell)

The Jungle Owlet 139

Loud resonant calls uttered when the bird is high up in the air

The Fish-Eagles 148-150

Peculiar squeaking wail uttered while the bird is sailing in the air

The Brahminy Kite 151

A mournful wailing trill, chee-hĭ hĭ hĭ hĭ hĭ hĭ, uttered on the wing

The Pariah Kite 152

A sharp double whistle

The Shikra 158

A plaintive cūkoo-coo-coo

The Spotted Dove 166

A soft subdued cuk-cuk-coo-coo-coo

The Little Brown Dove 167

Kŭ-kŭ—kŭ

The Indian Ring Dove 168

A deep grunting coo-coo-coo

The Red Turtle Dove 169

A loud pe-haun, rather like the miau of a cat

The Peafowl 170

A harsh, high-pitched, rapidly uttered juk-juk, tee-tee-tur

The Black Partridge 172

Three single harsh notes followed by a succession of shrill, ringing pateela-pateela-pateelas

The Grey Partridge 173

A very loud, hoarse, reiterated call, not easy to describe

The White-breasted Water-hen 174

Loud, penetrating, trumpet-like calls

The Cranes 177-179

Wild-sounding cry, heard at night

The Stone Curlew 180

A loud, shrill “Did he do it? Pity to do it!”

The Red-wattled Lapwing 183

Like the above, but shorter

The Yellow-wattled Lapwing 184

Clappering of the beak

The Storks 216-221

A soft but penetrating chakwa or á-onk (Stuart Baker)

The Brahminy Duck 229

II. BIRDS WHOSE NESTS ARE LIKELY TO BE FOUND IN ANY GARDEN IN THE PLAINS

1. The Indian House Crow (3). (In tall trees.) (Also the Corby (1) in Madras.)
2. The Common Babbler (6). (In a bush; eggs blue.) (Not in Madras.)
3. One or other of the species of “Seven Sisters” (7-9). (In a bush; eggs blue.)
4. One or other of the Red-vented Bulbuls (15-18). (In a bush or plant growing in the verandah; eggs pale pink, blotched with reddish brown.)
5. One or other of the Red-whiskered Bulbuls (20 and 21). (Locally. Nest as in 4.)
6. The White-browed Bulbul (22). (In Madras only. Nest in bush, eggs as in 4.)
7. The King Crow (25). (Tiny cup in fork of tree.)
8. The Indian Tailor Bird (28). (In bush or plant growing in verandah. Two or three leaves stitched together.)
9. The Orioles (44 and 45). (In trees, very frequently quite close to that of a King Crow.)
10. The Brahminy Myna (51). (In hole in building.)
11. The Common Myna (52). (In hole in building or tree.)
12. The Pied Myna (54). (In low tree.) (Not in Punjab or S. India.)
13. The Indian Paradise Flycatcher (57). (In one of lower branches of tree.)
14. One or other of the Fantailed Flycatchers (58-60). (In a low tree or bush.)
15. The Brown Rock Chat (64). (Inside a building on a ledge.) (Not in S. India.)
16. The Indian Robins (66 and 67). (Very often on a window-sill.)
17. The Magpie Robin (68). (In hole in a wall or tree; eggs green with reddish blotches.)
18. The Yellow-throated Sparrow (81). (In hole in tree.)
19. The Common Sparrow (82). (Anywhere on the verandah or inside the bungalow.)
20. The Indian Pied Wagtail (92). (In hole in building.)
21. The Purple Sunbird (107). (Nest suspended from a bush or a rafter in the verandah.)
22. The Purple-rumped Sunbird (108). (Nest as in case of 21.)
23. The Golden-backed Woodpecker (111). (In hole in tree, which the bird hollows out.)
24. The Barbets (113 and 114). (In hole in tree, which the birds hollow out.)
25. The Indian Roller (115). (In hole in tree or building.)
26. The Indian Hoopoe (123). (In hole in tree or building.)
27. The Indian Swift (124). (In verandah or a deserted building.)
28. The Crow-Pheasant (131). (In a dense thicket.)
29. The Green Parrots (132-134). (In holes in trees; sometimes buildings.)
30. The Spotted Owlet (135). (In hole in tree or building.)
31. The Common Pariah Kite (152). (High up in tall trees.)
32. The Shikra (158). (In trees.)
33. The Doves (166-169). (In trees, and in the case of the Little Brown Dove often in the verandah.)
34. The Paddy Bird (224). (High up in tree.)

III. BIRDS THAT ARE FOND OF SITTING ON EXPOSED PERCHES, SUCH AS TELEGRAPH WIRES

1. The Crows (1-4).
2. The Drongos (25 and 26).
3. The Shrikes (34-37).
4. The Bush Chats (61-63).
5. The Common Sparrow (82).
6. The Swallows (88-90).
7. The Indian Roller (115).
8. The Bee-eaters (116 and 117).
9. The Kingfishers (118-120).
10. The White-eyed Buzzard (147).
11. The Doves (166-168).

IV. BIRDS WHICH ARE ALMOST INVARIABLY FOUND IN FLOCKS, EXCEPT WHEN NESTING

1. The Babblers (7-9). (Small flocks of seven or eight.)
2. The Indian White-eye (12).
3. The Nuthatches (23 and 24).
4. The Minivets (39-41). (Small flocks.)
5. The Cuckoo-Shrikes (42 and 43). (Small flocks.)
6. The Rose-coloured Starling (48). (Very large flocks.)
7. The Indian Starling (49).
8. The Grey-headed Myna (50). (Small flocks.) (The other species of Myna frequently, but by no means invariably, congregate in flocks.)
9. The Weaver Birds (70-73). (Small flocks.)
10. The Munias (74-79). (Especially the Red Munia.)
11. The Common Rose-Finch (80).
12. The Buntings (83-85). (Feed on the ripening grain.)
13. The Hornbills (121 and 122). (Small flocks.)
14. The Swifts (124 and 125).
15. The Green Parrots (132-134).
16. The Spotted Owlet (135). (Very small flocks; probably family parties.)
17. The Vultures (141-143). (Only when feeding on a carcase.)
18. The Common Peafowl (170). (Small parties.)
19. The Common and Demoiselle Cranes (177 and 179). (The Saras Crane never goes in flocks.)
20. The Plovers (185 and 186).
21. The Little Stint (195).
22. The Indian Skimmer (206).
23. The Spoonbill (215).
24. The Cattle Egret (223).
25. The Night Heron (225).
26. The Common Flamingo (226).
27. The Geese (227 and 228).
28. The Shoveller (230).
29. Many of the Gulls and Terns go about in flocks.