This is a list of the bird species of India and includes extant and recently extinct species recorded within the political limits of the Republic of India as defined by the Indian government. There have been 1396 species recorded as of 2025, of which 84 are endemic to the country. 98 species are globally threatened. The Indian peacock (Pavo cristatus) is the national bird of India. This list does not cover species in Indian jurisdiction areas such as Dakshin Gangotri and oceanic species are delineated by an arbitrary cutoff distance. The list does not include fossil bird species or escapees from captivity.
This list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) follow the conventions of the IOC World Bird List, version 13.1. This list also uses British English throughout. Any bird names or other wording follows that convention.
The following tags have been used to highlight several categories. The commonly occurring native species do not fit within any of these categories.
(V) Vagrant - Also known as a rarity, it refers to a species that rarely or accidentally occurs in India-typically less than ten confirmed records. (E) Endemic - a species endemic to India (Ex) Local extinction - a species that no longer occurs in India although populations exist elsewhere
Ducks, geese, and waterfowl Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae
Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating. There are 45 species which have been recorded in India.
+Common nameBinomialCommentsFulvous whistling duckDendrocygna bicolorLesser whistling duckDendrocygna javanicaRed-breasted gooseBranta ruficollis(V); vulnerableBarnacle goose Branta leucopsis Bar-headed gooseAnser indicusGreylag gooseAnser anserTaiga bean gooseAnser fabalis(V)Tundra bean gooseAnser serrirostris(V); by some authorities considered a variety of Anser fabalisGreater white-fronted gooseAnser albifronsLesser white-fronted gooseAnser erythropus(V); vulnerableMute swanCygnus olor(V)Tundra swanCygnus columbianus(V); race bewickii sometimes treated as a speciesWhooper swanCygnus cygnus(V)Knob-billed duckSarkidiornis melanotosCommon shelduckTadorna tadornaRuddy shelduckTadorna ferrugineaWhite-winged duckAsarcornis scutulataCritically endangeredMandarin duckAix galericulata(V)Cotton pygmy gooseNettapus coromandelianusBaikal tealSibirionetta formosa(V)GarganeySpatula querquedulaNorthern shovelerSpatula clypeataGadwallMareca streperaFalcated duckMareca falcataEurasian wigeonMareca penelopeIndian spot-billed duckAnas poecilorhynchaEastern spot-billed duckAnas zonorhyncha(V)MallardAnas platyrhynchosNorthern pintailAnas acutaEurasian tealAnas creccaAndaman tealAnas albogularis(E); near threatenedMarbled duckMarmaronetta angustirostrisNear threatenedPink-headed duckRhodonessa caryophyllacea(E); critically endangered (possibly extinct)Red-crested pochardNetta rufinaCommon pochardAythya ferinaVulnerableBaer's pochardAythya baeriCritically endangeredFerruginous duckAythya nyrocaNear threatenedTufted duckAythya fuligulaGreater scaupAythya marilaLong-tailed duckClangula hyemalis(V); vulnerableCommon goldeneyeBucephala clangulaSmewMergellus albellusCommon merganserMergus merganserRed-breasted merganserMergus serrator(V)White-headed duckOxyura leucocephalaEndangered
Megapodes Order: GalliformesFamily: Megapodiidae
The Megapodiidae are stocky, medium-large chicken-like birds with small heads and large feet. All but the malleefowl occupy jungle habitats and most have brown or black colouring. There is one species within India. Common nameBinomialStatusNicobar megapodeMegapodius nicobariensis(E); vulnerable
Pheasants and allies
Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae
The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds which consists of quail, partridges, snowcocks, francolins, spurfowl, tragopans, monals, pheasants, peafowl and jungle fowl. In general, they are plump (although they vary in size) and have broad, relatively short wings.
+Common nameBinomialCommentsSnow partridgeLerwa lerwaHimalayan snowcockTetraogallus himalayensisTibetan snowcockTetraogallus tibetanusChukar partridgeAlectoris chukarBlack francolinFrancolinus francolinusPainted francolinFrancolinus pictusChinese francolinFrancolinus pintadeanusGrey francolinOrtygornis pondicerianusSwamp francolinOrtygornis gularisNear threatenedTibetan partridgePerdix hodgsoniaeCommon quailCoturnix coturnixJapanese quailCoturnix japonicaNear threatenedRain quailCoturnix coromandelicaKing quailSynoicus chinensisJungle bush quailPerdicula asiaticaRock bush quailPerdicula argoondah(E)Painted bush quailPerdicula erythrorhyncha(E)Manipur bush quailPerdicula manipurensis(E); endangeredHimalayan quailOphrysia superciliosa(E); critically endangered (possibly extinct)Hill partridgeArborophila torqueolaRufous-throated partridgeArborophila rufogularisWhite-cheeked partridgeArborophila atrogularisChestnut-breasted partridgeArborophila mandelliiNear threatenedMountain bamboo partridgeBambusicola fytchiiRed spurfowlGalloperdix spadicea(E)Painted spurfowlGalloperdix lunulata(E)Blood pheasantIthaginis cruentusWestern tragopanTragopan melanocephalusVulnerableSatyr tragopanTragopan satyraBlyth's tragopanTragopan blythiiVulnerableTemminck's tragopanTragopan temminckiiKoklass pheasantPucrasia macrolophaHimalayan monalLophophorus impejanusSclater's monalLophophorus sclateriRed junglefowlGallus gallusGrey junglefowlGallus sonneratii(E)Kalij pheasantLophura leucomelanosCheer pheasantCatreus wallichiiVulnerableMrs. Hume's pheasantSyrmaticus humiaeVulnerableTibetan eared pheasantCrossoptilon harmaniGrey peacock-pheasantPolyplectron bicalcaratumIndian peafowlPavo cristatusGreen peafowlPavo muticus(Ex); endangered
Frogmouths
Order: PodargiformesFamily: Podargidae
The frogmouths are a group of nocturnal birds related to the nightjars. They are named for their large flattened hooked bill and huge frog-like gape, which they use to take insects. There are two species which have been recorded in India. +Common nameBinomialCommentsSri Lanka frogmouthBatrachostomus moniligerssp. roonwali in IndiaHodgson's frogmouthBatrachostomus hodgsoni
Nightjars Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Caprimulgidae
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds that usually nest on the ground. They have long wings, short legs and very short bills. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is camouflaged to resemble bark or leaves.
+Common nameBinomialCommentsGreat eared nightjarLyncornis macrotisJungle nightjarCaprimulgus indicusGrey nightjarCaprimulgus jotakaEuropean nightjarCaprimulgus europaeusSykes's nightjarCaprimulgus mahrattensisJerdon's nightjarCaprimulgus atripennisLarge-tailed nightjarCaprimulgus macrurusAndaman nightjarCaprimulgus andamanicus(E)Indian nightjarCaprimulgus asiaticusSavanna nightjarCaprimulgus affinis
Treeswifts
Order: ApodiformesFamily: Hemiprocnidae
The treeswifts, or crested swifts, are closely related to the true swifts. They differ from the other swifts in that they have crests, long forked tails and softer plumage. There is one species which occurs in India. +Common nameBinomialCommentsCrested treeswiftHemiprocne coronata
Swifts
Order: ApodiformesFamily: Apodidae
Swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang. There are 17 species which have been recorded in India.
+Common nameBinomialCommentsPlume-toed swiftletCollocalia affinisIndian swiftletAerodramus unicolorHimalayan swiftletAerodramus brevirostrisEdible-nest swiftletAerodramus fuciphagusWhite-rumped spinetailZoonavena sylvaticaWhite-throated needletailHirundapus caudacutusSilver-backed needletailHirundapus cochinchinensisBrown-backed needletailHirundapus giganteusAsian palm swiftCypsiurus balasiensisAlpine swiftTachymarptis melbaCommon swiftApus apusPallid swiftApus pallidus(V)Pacific swiftApus pacificus ssp. kurodaeBlyth's swiftApus leuconyxDark-rumped swiftApus acuticaudaNear threatenedLittle swiftApus affinisHouse swiftApus nipalensis
Bustards
Order: OtidiformesFamily: Otididae
Bustards are large terrestrial birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old World. They are omnivorous and nest on the ground. They walk steadily on strong legs and big toes, pecking for food as they go. They have long broad wings with "fingered" wingtips and striking patterns in flight. Many have interesting mating displays. +Common nameBinomialCommentsGreat Indian bustardArdeotis nigriceps(E); critically endangeredAsian houbaraChlamydotis macqueeniiVulnerable; earlier as subspecies of houbara bustard, Chlamydotis undulataBengal floricanHoubaropsis bengalensisCritically endangeredLesser floricanSypheotides indicusCritically endangeredLittle bustardTetrax tetrax(V); near threatened
Cuckoos Order: CuculiformesFamily: Cuculidae
The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs. Many are brood parasites. There are 24 species which have been recorded in India.
+Common nameBinomialCommentsGreater coucalCentropus sinensisLesser coucalCentropus bengalensisAndaman coucalCentropus andamanensisSirkeer malkohaTaccocua leschenaultiiBlue-faced malkohaPhaenicophaeus viridirostrisGreen-billed malkohaPhaenicophaeus tristisChestnut-winged cuckooClamator coromandusJacobin cuckooClamator jacobinusAsian koelEudynamys scolopaceusAsian emerald cuckooChrysococcyx maculatusViolet cuckooChrysococcyx xanthorhynchusHorsfield's bronze cuckooChrysococcyx basalis(V)Banded bay cuckooCacomantis sonneratiiPlaintive cuckooCacomantis merulinusGrey-bellied cuckooCacomantis passerinusSquare-tailed drongo-cuckooSurniculus lugubrisFork-tailed drongo-cuckooSurniculus dicruroidesLarge hawk-cuckooHierococcyx sparverioidesCommon hawk-cuckooHierococcyx variusHodgson's hawk-cuckooHierococcyx nisicolorLesser cuckooCuculus poliocephalusIndian cuckooCuculus micropterusHimalayan cuckooCuculus saturatusCommon cuckooCuculus canorus
Sandgrouse
Order: PterocliformesFamily: Pteroclidae
Sandgrouse have small, pigeon like heads and necks, but sturdy compact bodies. They have long pointed wings and sometimes tails and a fast direct flight. Flocks fly to watering holes at dawn and dusk. Their legs are feathered down to the toes. There are seven species which have been recorded in India. India has the largest number of sandgrouse of any country. +Common nameBinomialCommentsTibetan sandgrouseSyrrhaptes tibetanusPallas's sandgrouseSyrrhaptes paradoxus(V)Pin-tailed sandgrousePterocles alchata(V)Chestnut-bellied sandgrousePterocles exustusSpotted sandgrousePterocles senegallusBlack-bellied sandgrousePterocles orientalisPainted sandgrousePterocles indicus
Pigeons and doves
Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere. There are 34 species found in India