List of birds of Chennai

This is a lists the birds of Chennai, the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Over 130 species of birds have been spotted there. The list includes the local Tamil name. __NOTOC__ Table of contentsNon-passerines: Grebes • Cormorants • Darters • Bitterns, herons and egrets • Storks • Ibises and spoonbills • Flamingos and pelicans • Ducks • Hawks, kites and eagles • Falcons • Pheasants and partridges • Rails, crakes, and coots • Jacanas • Plovers and lapwings • Sandpipers and allies • Snipes and curlew • Gulls • Terns • Sandgrouses • Doves and pigeons • Parrots and parakeets • Cuckoos • Barn owls • Typical owls • Nightjars • Swifts • Kingfishers • Bee-eaters • Rollers and hoopoe • Barbets • WoodpeckersPasserines: Pitta and larks • Swallows and martins • Wagtails and pipits • Cuckooshrikes • Bulbuls • Thrushes and allies • Prinias • Cisticolas • Acrocephalid warblers • Old World warblers • Old World flycatchers • Laughingthrushes • Sunbirds • Old World orioles • Shrikes • Woodshrikes • Drongos • Woodswallows • Crows and treepies • Starlings • Weavers • Munias • SparrowsReferences

Grebes Little grebe, mukkulippan

Cormorants Little cormorant, chinna neer kagam

Darters Darter, pambu thara

Bitterns, herons and egrets Grey heron, sambal narai Purple heron, sen narai Indian pond heron, kuruttu kokku Cattle egret, unni kokku Striated heron, dhosi kokku Great egret, peria kokku Black bittern, karunkurugu Little egret, chinna kokku Chestnut bittern, sengurugu Yellow bittern, manal naarai Intermediate egret, vellai kokku Black-crowned night heron, erakokku or vakkaa

Storks Painted stork, manjal mooku naarai or sanguvalai naarai Asian open-billed stork, nathai kuthi naarai

Ibises and spoonbills Glossy ibis, arival mookan or anril Black-headed ibis, vellai arival mookkan or thaalaikothi chondan

Flamingos and pelicans Greater flamingo, poo narai Spot-billed pelican

Ducks Northern pintail, maarkaliyan Indian spot-billed duck, pulli mookku vathu Lesser whistling duck, cheezhkai siragi or chilli thaaraa

Hawks, kites and eagles Shikra, valluru Eurasian sparrowhawk, kuruvi valluru Besra, chinna valluru Black-winged kite, siria karum parundhu or karuntholl parundhu Brahminy kite, semparundhu or garudan Black kite, kalla parundhu Egyptian vulture, manjal thirudi kazhugu Crested honey buzzard, thaen parundhu Crested serpent eagle, paambu parundhu White-bellied sea eagle White-rumped vulture Short-toed snake eagle Booted eagle at Pallikaranai wetland

Falcons Common kestrel, sivappu valluru

Pheasants and partridges Grey francolin, kowdhari Indian peafowl, neela mayil White-breasted waterhen, kaanang kozhi

Rails, crakes and coots Common coot, naamak kozhi Common moorhen, thaazhai kozhi Grey-headed swamphen, neela thazhai kozhi or neerk kozhi

Jacanas Pheasant-tailed jacana, neela vaal ilai kozhi Bronze-winged jacana

Plovers and lapwings Kentish plover, chinna kottan Little ringed plover, pattani uppukkothi or sinna kottan Pacific golden plover, kalporukki uppukkothi or uppukkothi Red-wattled lapwing, sivappu mookku aalkatti Yellow-wattled lapwing, manjhal mookku aalkatti

Sandpipers and allies Common sandpiper, ullan or kottan Little stint, kosu ullan Black-tailed godwit, karuvaal mukkan Ruff, pedhai ullan Wood sandpiper, pori ullan or vayal ullaan Common greenshank, pachai kaali or periya kottaan Marsh sandpiper, chinna pachai kaali Common redshank, pavazha kaali or sigappukkaal ullan

Snipes and curlew Common snipe, visirivaal ullan or korai kuthi Eurasian curlew, peria kottan or kuthiraimalai kottan Black-winged stilt, pavazhakkaal ullaan Stone curlew, kankiledi or kannadi aalkaatti

Gulls Black-headed gull, kadal kaakkai

Terns Gull-billed tern, parutha alagu aala or kadal kuruvi river tern, aatru aala

Doves and pigeons Blue rock pigeon, mada pura Spotted dove, pulli pura or mani pura Little brown dove, chinna thavittu pura

Parrots and parakeets Rose-ringed parakeet, senthaar pynkili or kili

Cuckoos

Greater coucal, shenbagam or kalli kaakka Red-winged crested cuckoo, sevviragu kondai kuyil or kondai kuyil Jacobin cuckoo, sudalai kuyil or paruthi kuyil Asian koel, kokilam or kuyil Brainfever bird, akka kuyil parundhu kuyil Blue-faced malkoha, pachai vayan kuyil

Barn owls Barn owl, koogai andhai or saavu kuruvi

Typical owls Short-eared owl, kuttai kaadhu aandhai or aandhai Spotted owlet, pulli aandhai Eurasian eagle owl, komban aandhai

Nightjars Indian nightjar, chinna pakki or pakki

Swifts House swift, nattu uzhavaran Asian palm swift, panai uzhavaran or uzhavaarakkuruvi

Kingfishers Small blue kingfisher, siraal meenkothi Pied kingfisher, karuppu vellai meenkothi Stork-billed kingfisher, peria alagu meenkothi Black-capped kingfisher, karunthalai meenkothi White-throated kingfisher, venthondai meenkothi

Bee-eaters Green bee-eater, pachai panchuruttan or panchuruttan Blue-tailed bee-eater, neelawal panchuruttan

Rollers and hoopoe Indian roller, panangadai Hoopoe, kondalathi

Barbets Coppersmith barbet, semmaarbu kukkuruvaan or kalutharuppan

Woodpeckers Lesser golden-backed woodpecker, ponmudhugu maram kothi

Pitta and larks Indian pitta, thottakkallan or arumani kuruvi Oriental skylark, chinna vaanambadi Ashy-crowned sparrow lark, sambalthalai vaanambadi Jerdon's bushlark, pudhar vaanambadi

Swallows and martins Barn swallow, thagaivilaan or thaampaadi

Wagtails and pipits Paddyfield pipit, pullu porukki Grey wagtail, kodikkaal vaalatti yellow wagtail, manjal vaalatti White-browed wagtail, kulathu kuruvi

Cuckooshrikes Black-headed cuckooshrike, karunthalai kuyil keechaan Small minivet, chinna minchittu

Bulbuls Red-vented bulbul, kondai kuruvi Red-whiskered bulbul, thondai koluthi White-browed bulbul, manjal thondaikuruvi Common iora, maambazha kuruvi

Thrushes and allies Orange-headed thrush, senthalai poonkuruvi

Prinias Plain prinia, thinu kuruvi Ashy prinia, saambal kadhirkuruvi

Cisticolas Common tailorbird, thaiyal chittu

Acrocephalid warblers Blyth's reed warbler, kadhirkuruvi

Old World warblers Yellow-billed babbler, thavittu kuruvi

Old World flycatchers Indian robin, vannaathi kuruvi Oriental magpie robin, vannathi kuruvi Indian paradise flycatcher, vethi vaalkuruvi Pied bushchat, pudhar chittu

Laughingthrushes Common babbler, thavittu chilamban Large grey babbler, periya saambal silamban Jungle babbler, kaattu silamban

Sunbirds Purple sunbird, thaen chittu Loten's sunbird Purple-rumped sunbird

Old World orioles Indian golden oriole, maangkuyil Black-naped oriole

Shrikes Brown shrike, pazhuppu keechaan Long-tailed shrike, kattukuruvi or pey kuruvi

Woodshrikes Common woodshrike, kattu keechaan

Drongos Black drongo, karichchaan

Woodswallows Ashy woodswallow, madam puraa

Crows and treepies Jungle crow, andan kakkai or karun kakkai House crow, kakkai Rufous treepie, vaal kakkai

Starlings Common myna, naahanavaai Brahminy starling, pappathi naahanavai Rosy starling, chola kuruvi Indian pied myna

Weavers Streaked weaver, Karungeetru Thookkanam kuruvi Baya weaver, Thookanaan kuruvi

Munias Tricoloured munia, thinaikuruvi Scaly-breasted munia, nellu kuruvi White-rumped munia, venmudhugu chillai

Sparrows House sparrow, oor kuruvi Indian silverbill, nellu kuruvi

References