Hi Folks,
I recently spent a week in the biodiversity hotspot of the Western Ghats in south-western India. My trip took me to Bandipur National Park, Ooty and the rainforests of Top Slip. In all I saw about 150 species and around 20 of them were either Western Ghat endemics or endemics shared with Sri Lanka. Good birds included Waynaad and Nilgiri Laughingthrushes, Sri lanka Frogmouth, Heart Spotted Woodpecker, Black-throated Munia, White-bellied Blue and Black-and Orange Flycathers. A full trip report with images is available at:
http://www.kolkatabirds.com/south/south_tripreport.htm
And the basic bird list is reproduced below:
Grey Francolin Francolinus pondicerianus
Red Spurfowl Galloperdix spadicea
Grey Junglefowl Gallus sonneratii E
Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus
Lesser Whistling-duck Dendrocygna javanica
Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha
Heart Spotted Woodpecker Hemicircus canente
White-bellied Woodpecker Dryocopus javensis
Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker Dendrocopos nanus
Streak-throated Woodpecker Picus xanthopygaeus
Black-rumped Flameback Dinopium benghalense
Greater Flameback Chrysocolaptes lucidus
White-cheeked Barbet Megalaima viridis E
Coppersmith Barbet Megalaima haemacephala
Malabar Grey Hornbill Ocyceros griseus E
Great Hornbill Buceros bicornis
Common Hoopoe Upupa epops
Malabar Trogon Harpactes fasciatus E/NE
Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis
Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis
Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis
Chestnut-headed Bee-eater Merops leschenaulti
Common Hawk Cuckoo Hierococcyx varius
Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopacea
Blue-faced Malkoha Phaenicophaeus viridirostris
Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis
Vernal Hanging Parrot Loriculus vernalis
Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri
Plum-headed Parakeet Psittacula cyanocephala
Malabar Parakeet Psittacula columboides E
Indian Swiftlet Collocalia unicolor E/NE
Asian Palm Swift Cypsiurus balasiensis
House Swift Apus affinis
Oriental Scops Owl Otus sunia
Sri Lanka Frogmouth Batrachostomus moniliger E/NE
Rock Pigeon Columba livia
Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis
Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis
Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
Pompadour Green Pigeon Treron pompadora
Yellow-footed Green Pigeon Treron phoenicoptera
Mountain Imperial Pigeon Ducula badia
White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus
Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
Common Coot Fulica atra
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
Pheasant-tailed Jacana Hydrophasianus chirurgus
Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus
Black Kite Milvus migrans
Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus
Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus
Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela
Shikra Accipiter badius
Changeable Hawk Eagle Spizaetus cirrhatus
Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
Darter Anhinga melanogaster
Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea
Intermediate Egret Mesophoyx intermedia
Great Egret Casmerodius albus
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Indian Pond Heron Ardeola grayii
Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus
Black Ibis Pseudibis papillosa
Spot-billed Pelican Pelecanus philippensis
Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala
Asian Fairy Bluebird Irena puella
Blue-winged Leafbird Chloropsis cochinchinensis
Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus
Bay-backed Shrike Lanius vittatus
Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach
Rufous Treepie Dendrocitta vagabunda
White-bellied Treepie Dendrocitta leucogastra E
House Crow Corvus splendens
Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos
Black-hooded Oriole Oriolus xanthornus
Large Cuckooshrike Coracina macei
Small Minivet Pericrocotus cinnamomeus
White-bellied Minivet Pericrocotus erythropygius
Scarlet Minivet Pericrocotus flammeus
Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike Hemipus picatus
White-browed Fantail Flycatcher Rhipidura aureola
Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus
White-bellied Drongo Dicrurus caerulescens
Bronzed Drongo Dicrurus aeneus
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus paradiseus
Black-naped Monarch Hypothymis azurea
Common Iora Aegithina tiphia
Large Woodshrike Tephrodornis gularis
Common Woodshrike Tephrodornis pondicerianus
Malabar Whistling Thrush Myophonus horsfieldii E
Orange-headed Thrush Zoothera citrina
Eurasian Blackbird Turdus merula
Black-and-orange Flycatcher Ficedula nigrorufa E
White-bellied Blue Flycatcher Cyornis pallipes E
Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher Cyornis tickelliae
Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis
White-rumped Shama Copsychus malabaricus
Indian Robin Saxicoloides fulicata
Pied Bushchat Saxicola caprata
Chestnut-tailed Starling Sturnus malabaricus
Brahminy Starling Sturnus pagodarum
Common Myna Acridotheres tristis
Jungle Myna Acridotheres fuscus
Southern Hill Myna Gracula indica E/NE
Velvet-fronted Nuthatch Sitta frontalis
Great Tit Parus major
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica
Black-crested Bulbul Pycnonotus melanicterus
Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus
Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer
White-browed Bulbul Pycnonotus luteolus
Yellow-browed Bulbul Iole indica E/NE
Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis
Grey-breasted Prinia Prinia hodgsonii
Ashy Prinia Prinia socialis
Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpebrosus
Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius
Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides
Wynaad Laughingthrush Garrulax delesserti E
Nilgiri Laughingthrush Garrulax cachinnans E
Indian Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus horsfieldii
Tawny-bellied Babbler Dumetia hyperythra
Dark-fronted Babbler Rhopocichla atriceps E/NE
Yellow-eyed Babbler Chrysomma sinense
Large Grey Babbler Turdoides malcolmi
Rufous Babbler Turdoides subrufus E
Jungle Babbler Turdoides striatus
Yellow-billed Babbler Turdoides affinis E/NE
Indian Bushlark Mirafra erythroptera
Jerdon’s Bushlark Mirafra affinis
Ashy-crowned Sparrow Lark Eremopterix grisea
Pale-billed Flowerpecker Dicaeum erythrorhynchos
Purple-rumped Sunbird Nectarinia zeylonica
Crimson-backed Sunbird Nectarinia minima E
Purple Sunbird Nectarinia asiatica
House Sparrow Passer domesticus
Forest Wagtail Dendronanthus indicus
Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea
Baya Weaver Ploceus philippinus
White-rumped Munia Lonchura striata
Black-throated Munia Lonchura kelaarti E/NE
Scaly-breasted Munia Lonchura punctulata
(E – Western Ghats and E/NE WG+ Sri Lanka endemics)
Those interested can also catch up with brief description of the areas covered by following the links in the Trip Report.
This is an enchanting area to bird in and I highly recommend it to those who plan to travel to south asia.
Cheers!
sumit
Hi Sumit,
Very nice list there.
Spent a few days birding The Western Ghats staying at Backwoods in Feb 2004.
Awesome birding,had 29 lifers in one day there !
Spotlighting Nightjars was a particular favourite as well as the raptors.
Frogmouth and Indian Pitta wasnt bad either ! 
Hi Sumit
thanks
great stuff and a useful resource
hope to get there soon and fill a few gaps in the Asian list!
Tim