[Gutenberg 46017] • Indian Birds: Being a Key to the Common Birds of the Plains of India by Dewar, Douglas -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

INDIAN BIRDS PREFACE PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION CONTENTS PART I A. HINDUSTANI NAMES OF COMMON BIRDS B. CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO STRUCTURAL PECULIARITIES

I. BILLS

Birds with Long Bills

II. CREST

Crested birds

III. LEGS

Birds with very long legs Birds with legs feathered to the toe

IV. TAIL

1. Birds with the tail deeply forked 2. Birds with long tails (i.e. long in proportion to rest of body) 3. Birds with a very short tail 4. Birds in which a part of the tail feathers are prolonged beyond the rest as bristles

V. SEXUAL DIMORPHISM

Birds in which the sexes differ greatly in appearance

C. CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO COLOUR

I. BLACK

1. Birds with a quantity of black in their plumage 2. Black-headed birds 3. Black collaret or gorget or band across the breast 4. Black streak through the eye (i.e. from beak to back of head) 5. Black and another colour 6. Black and two other colours

II. BLUE

Birds with blue in their plumage

III. BROWN

1. Birds whose general hue is earthy brown 2. Birds with chocolate or rich brown in plumage 3. Brown and black birds.

IV. COFFEE OR FAWN COLOUR

1. A fawn-coloured bird with black and white wings and tail 2. Black and coffee colour

V. GREEN

Birds in the plumage of which bright green predominates

VI. GREY

1. Prevailing hue grey 2. The head only grey 3. Grey and black 4. Grey, black, and white 5. Grey and red bird 6. Grey and white

VII. PINK VIII. RED

1. Birds with red in plumage, or having red wattles or red skin on head 2. Red crest 3. Red-legged birds 4. Red patch of feathers under the tail, birds with 5. Red patch of feathers on shoulder, birds with 6. Red patch of skin on side of head, birds with 7. Red and black

IX. WHITE

1. Birds of which the plumage is pure white 2. Birds in the plumage of which white largely predominates 3. Dull-coloured bird whose wings appear all white when flying 4. White bar in wing, birds with 5. Two white bars in wing, birds with 6. White cheeks, birds with 7. Ring of white feathers round eye 8. White and black 9. White, black, and blue 10. White, black, and brown 11. White, black, and chestnut 12. White, grey, and black 13. White, pink, black

X. YELLOW

1. Birds with bright yellow in the plumage 2. Birds with bright yellow or orange legs 3. Birds with dull-coloured upper plumage and bright yellow under parts 4. Yellow patch of feathers under the tail, birds with 5. Yellow patch of feathers on the throat, bird with 6. Yellow patch of skin on side of head or yellow wattles, birds with 7. Yellowish red 8. Yellow and black

XI. BIRDS OF MANY COLOURS

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

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 ARE FOND OF SITTING ON EXPOSED PERCHES, SUCH AS TELEGRAPH WIRES IV. BIRDS WHICH ARE ALMOST INVARIABLY FOUND IN FLOCKS, EXCEPT WHEN NESTING V. FLIGHT

1. Birds of very powerful flight, i.e. birds which spend a great part of the day on the wing 2. Birds which make little sallies into the air from a perch after insects 3. Little birds which fly from the ground some twenty or thirty feet and then drop to the ground, singing as they descend

VI. FEEDING HABITS

1. Birds which feed largely on the ground 2. Birds that run up and down the trunks of trees, on which they find their food 3. Birds that feed largely on insects which they pick off the foliage, sometimes hovering on vibrating wings in order to secure their quarry 4. Birds which feed on insects which they catch in the air by making little sallies from a perch 5. Birds which either catch fish or take their food off the surface of water

VII. BIRDS WHICH HABITUALLY CARRY THE TAIL ALMOST VERTICALLY

PART II Descriptive List of the Common Birds of the Plains of India

NOTES List of abbreviations used The Crows, 1-4 The Babblers, 6-10 The Bulbuls, 14-22 The Red-vented Bulbuls, 15-18 The Red-whiskered Bulbuls, 20 and 21 The Nuthatches, 23 and 24 The Drongos, 25-27 The Warblers, 28-33 The Shrikes, or Butcher Birds, 34-37 The Minivets, 39-41 The Cuckoo-Shrikes, 42 and 43 The Orioles, 44 and 45 The Grackles, or Hill Mynas, 46 and 47 The Starlings, 48-54 The Flycatchers, 55-60 The Fantail Flycatchers, 58-60 The Robins, 61-69 The Weaver Birds, 70-73 The Munias, 74-79 The Finches, 80-82 The Buntings, 83-85 The Swallows, 86-90 Key to the Common Swallows The Wagtails, 91-94 The Pipits, 95 and 96 The Larks, 97-103 The Bush Larks, 99 and 100 The Crested Larks, 101-103 The Finch-Larks, 104 and 105 The Sunbirds, or Honeysuckers, 106-108 The Pittas, 109 The Woodpeckers, 110 and 111 The Barbets, 113 and 114 The Bee-eaters, 116 and 117 The Kingfishers, 118-120 The Hornbills, 121 and 122 The Hoopoes, 123 The Swifts, 124 and 125 The Nightjars, 126 and 127 The Cuckoos, 128-131 The Green Parrots, 132-134 The Owls, 135-139 The Vultures, 141-145 The Birds of Prey, 146-162 The Green Pigeons, 163-164 The Doves, 166-169 The Sand Grouse The Quails The Partridges The Rails, 174-176 The Cranes, 177-179 The Bustards The Jaçanas, 181 and 182 The Lapwings, 183 and 184 The Plovers, 185 and 186 The Curlews, 189 and 190 The Sandpipers, 192-195 The Snipes The Gulls, 196-199 The Terns, 200-205 The Pelicans, 207 and 208 The Cormorants, 209-211 The Ibises, 212-214 The Storks, 216-221 The Herons, 222-225 The Geese, 227 and 228 The Ducks, 229 and 230

INDEX TO DESCRIPTIVE LIST Transcriber’s Notes

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