Birds of India - The New Synopsis

A complete checklist of bird species and subspecies found in India

Passeriformes (Perching Birds)

Cettiidae (Bush Warblers and allies)

• Hemitesia Chapin, 1948 Auk 65, p. 292 Sylvietta neumanni Rothschild, 1908; Type by original designation
  • 830. Pale-footed Bush Warbler Hemitesia pallidipes (Blanford, 1872)
    Taxonomy: Sometimes moved under Hemitesia Chapin, 1948.
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: High. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 830a. Hemitesia pallidipes pallidipes (Blanford, 1872) [HB#1474]
      Original Description: Phylloscopus pallidipes Blanford, 1872 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 41 p.162 (Sikkim)
      Distribution: Uttarakhand, N Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal, Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Cachar, Manipur with pockets of population in N Odisha (Similipal) and NE Andhra (Araku).
      Type Specimen: NHMUK#1876.10.17.3 (Holotype).
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, UMMZ, FMNH, ROM
    • 830b. Hemitesia pallidipes osmastoni (Hartert, 1908) [HB#1475]
      Original Description: Horeites pallidipes osmastoni Hartert, 1908 Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 21 p.107 (Andaman Is)
      Distribution: Middle, S, and Little Andaman Is.
      Specimens: NHMUK, AMNH
      Notes: Most sight reports from the wetlands of Andamans are hard to evaluate considering the presence of Dusky Warbler in that habitat.
  
  
• Urosphena Swinhoe, 1877 Ibis p. 204, pl. 4 Tribura squameiceps Swinhoe, 1863; Type by monotypy
  • 831. Asian Stubtail Urosphena squameiceps (Swinhoe, 1863)
    Original Description: Tribura squameiceps Swinhoe, 1863 Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London Part 2 p. 292
    Alternative Names: Stub-tailed Bush Warbler
    Distribution: Winter vistor: Karimganj (S Assam). Vagrants reported from Buxa, Rabindra Sarovar (both in W Bengal), Jeypore and Haflong (both in Assam).
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II. CMS: Appendix II.
    Notes: See Das (2014, IB 9 (1): 26), Kuriakose (2016, IB 11 (2): 56A), Gassah & Ismavel (2019, IB 15 (1): 30).
  
  
• Tesia Hodgson, 1837 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 6 p.101 Tesia cyaniventris Hodgson, 1837; Type by subsequent designation (Gray, 1840, A list of the genera of birds, with an indication of the typical species of each genus, p.27)
  • 832. Grey-bellied Tesia Tesia cyaniventer Hodgson, 1837 [HB#1471]
    Original Description: Tesia cyaniventer Hodgson, 1837 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 6 p.101
    Alternative Names: Yellow-browed Tesia, Yellow-browed Ground Warbler
    Distribution: Uttarakhand, N Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal, Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Cachar, Manipur, and Mizoram.
    Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, RBINS, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, MCZ, ROM, USNM, YPM
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
  
  
  • 833. Slaty-bellied Tesia Tesia olivea (McClelland, 1840)
    Alternative Names: Slaty-bellied Ground Warbler
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 833a. Tesia olivea olivea (McClelland, 1840) [HB#1472]
      Original Description: Saxicola? olivea McClelland, 1840 Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London Pt7 no.82 p.161 (Assam)
      Distribution: N Bengal, Sikkim Arunachal, Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Cachar, Manipur, and Mizoram.
      Specimens: BNHS, YPM
  
  
• Cettia Bonaparte, 1834 Iconografia della fauna italica per le quattro classi degli animali vertebrati 1, fasc.9 textpl.29 fig.3 cdP Sylvia cetti Marmora, 1820; Type by monotypy and virtual tautonymy = Sylvia cetti Temminck, 1820
  • 834. Chestnut-crowned Bush Warbler Cettia major (Moore, 1854)
    Alternative Names: Large Bush Warbler
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 834a. Cettia major major (Moore, 1854) [HB#1479]
      Original Description: Horeites major Moore, 1854 A catalogue of the birds in The Museum of the Hononrable East-India Company 1 p.323
      Distribution: Breeding: Uttarakhand, N Bengal, Sikkim, and Arunachal. Non-breeding: Adjacent lower elevations including Assam.
      Specimens: NHMUK, UMMZ, FMNH
    • 834b. Cettia major vafra (Koelz, 1954) [HB#1480]
      Original Description: Homochlamys major vafer Koelz, 1954 Contributions from the Institute for Regional Exploration no.1 p.18 (Phulbari, Garo hills, Meghalaya)
      Taxonomy: RA2012 considers this subspecies doubtful as no breeding season records have been traced.
      Distribution: Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Manipur.
      Type Specimen: UMMZ#147870 (Holotype).
      Specimens: UMMZ
      Notes: Cachar record where it is limited to high peaks (Baker 1922) not investigated. See Sharma et al. (2021, IB 17 (6): 180) for records from Manipur that are presumably of this subspecies on range.
  
  
  • 835. Grey-sided Bush Warbler Cettia brunnifrons (Hodgson, 1845)
    Alternative Names: Rufous-capped Bush Warbler
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 835a. Cettia brunnifrons brunnifrons (Hodgson, 1845) [HB#1486]
      Original Description: Prinia brunnifrons Hodgson, 1845 Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London Part 13, no.146 p.29
      Distribution: E Uttarakhand (from Mussoorie), N Bengal, and Sikkim.
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, FMNH, ROM, YPM
    • 835b. Cettia brunnifrons whistleri (Ticehurst, 1923) [HB#1485]
      Original Description: Horeites brunnifrons whistleri Ticehurst, 1923 Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 44 p.28 (Shimla)
      Distribution: Kashmir, Himachal, and Uttarakhand till about Mussoorie.
      Type Specimen: NHMUK#1886.7.8.2196 (Holotype).
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, FMNH
    • 835c. Cettia brunnifrons umbratica (Baker, 1924) [HB#1487]
      Original Description: Horeites brunnifrons umbraticus Baker, 1924 Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 44 p.63
      Taxonomy: Includes muroides Koelz 1954 from Bamanigaon, Assam (FMNH#277599).
      Distribution: Arunachal but descending to lowland Assam in winter; stragglers to Meghalaya.
      Specimens: FMNH
      Notes: Reports from Nagaland, Cachar, and Manipur not evaluated.
  
  
  • 836. Chestnut-headed Tesia Cettia castaneocoronata (Burton, 1836)
    Alternative Names: Chestnut-headed Ground Warbler
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 836a. Cettia castaneocoronata castaneocoronata (Burton, 1836) [HB#1473]
      Original Description: Sylvia? castaneo-coronata Burton, 1836 Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London Part 3, no.34 p.152
      Taxonomy: Includes regia Koelz 1954 from Mizoram.
      Distribution: Along the Himalaya from Himachal and Uttarakhand, through N Bengal and Sikkim, Arunachal, adjoining Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Cachar, Manipur, and Mizoram.
      Specimens: BNHS, AMNH, FMNH
  
  
  • 837. Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti (Temminck, 1820)
    Original Description: Sylvia cetti Temminck, 1820 Manuel d'ornithologie, ou tableau systématique des oiseaux qui se trouvent en Europe (etc.) ed.2, part 1 p.194
    Alternative Names: Cetti's Bush Warbler
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II. CMS: Appendix II.
    • 837a. Cettia cetti albiventris Severtsov, 1873 [HB#1488]
      Original Description: Cettia albiventris Severtsov, 1873 Izvestiya Imperatorskago Obshchestva Lyubitelei Estestvoznaniya, Antropologii i Etnografii 8 pt2 p.131
      Distribution: Winter: Himachal, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Delhi region and adjoining NE Rajasthan, south till Bharatpur.
      Specimens: BNHS, LACM
      Notes: See Abhinav & Sangha (2019, IB 14 (6): 173).
  
  
• Abroscopus Baker, 1930 The fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Birds. 2nd ed. Ed.2, 7 p.192 Abrornis superciliaris Blyth, 1859; Type by subsequent designation (Hartert & Steinbacher, 1934, Die Vögel der paläarktischen Fauna. Systematische Übersicht der in Europa, Nord-Asien und der Mittelmeerregion vorkommenden Vögel. Ergänzungsband, 3, p.239)
  • 838. Yellow-bellied Warbler Abroscopus superciliaris (Blyth, 1859)
    Original Description: Abrornis superciliaris Blyth, 1859 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 28 p.414
    Alternative Names: Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Warbler
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 838a. Abroscopus superciliaris flaviventris (Jerdon, 1863) [HB#1622]
      Original Description: Abrornis flaviventris Jerdon, 1863 The birds of India; being a natural history of all the birds known to inhabit continental India: with descriptions of the species, genera, families, tribes, and orders, and a brief notice of such families as are not found in India, making it a manual of ornithology specially adapted for India 2, pt. 1 p.203 (Darjeeling)
      Taxonomy: New name for albigularis Blyth 1861.
      Distribution: N Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal, Assam, and all NE hill states.
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, UMMZ, FMNH, ROM, USNM, YPM
    • 838b. Abroscopus superciliaris drasticus Deignan, 1947 [HB#1623]
      Original Description: Abroscopus superciliaris drasticus Deignan, 1947 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 60 (4) p.20 (Margherita, Tinsukia district, Assam)
      Distribution: E Assam and NE Arunachal.
      Type Specimen: USNM#265060 (Holotype).
      Specimens: BNHS, UMMZ, FMNH, USNM, YPM
  
  
  • 839. Rufous-faced Warbler Abroscopus albogularis (Moore, 1854)
    Alternative Names: White-throated Flycatcher Warbler
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Moderate. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 839a. Abroscopus albogularis albogularis (Moore, 1854) [HB#1626]
      Original Description: Abrornis albogularis Moore, 1854 A catalogue of the birds in The Museum of the Hononrable East-India Company 1 p.340
      Distribution: Arunachal, adjoining Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Cachar, Manipur, and Mizoram. Historically, in Sikkim and N Bengal.
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, UMMZ, FMNH, ROM, USNM, YPM
  
  
  • 840. Black-faced Warbler Abroscopus schisticeps (Gray & Gray, 1847)
    Alternative Names: Black-faced Flycatcher Warbler
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 840a. Abroscopus schisticeps schisticeps (Gray & Gray, 1847) [HB#1624]
      Original Description: Culicipeta schisticeps Gray & Gray, 1847 Catalogue of the specimens and drawings of mammalia and birds of Nepal and Thibet. Presented by B. H. Hodgson, Esq. to the British Museum p.67,153
      Distribution: Uttarakhand, N Bengal, and Sikkim.
      Specimens: NHMUK, UMMZ, FMNH, ROM, USNM, YPM
    • 840b. Abroscopus schisticeps flavimentalis (Baker, 1924) [HB#1625]
      Original Description: Abrornis schisticeps flavimentalis Baker, 1924 Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 44 p.63
      Distribution: Arunachal, Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram; sporadic in E Assam.
      Specimens: UMMZ
      Notes: Several specimens from Nagaland (UMMZ#189022-36).
  
  
• Phyllergates Sharpe, 1883 Catalogue of the birds in the British Museum 7, pp. 176 229 Orthotomus euculatus [sic] Temminck, 1836; Type by monotypy
  • 841. Mountain Tailorbird Phyllergates cucullatus (Temminck, 1836)
    Original Description: Orthotomus euculatus Temminck, 1836 Nouveau recueil de planches coloriées d'oiseaux, pour servir de suite et de complément aux planches enluminées de Buffon livr.101 pl.599 fig.3,text
    Alternative Names: Golden-headed Tailorbird, Leafworker
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 841a. Phyllergates cucullatus coronatus (Blyth, 1861) [HB#1541]
      Original Description: Orthotomus coronatus Blyth, 1861 Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London Part 2 p.200 (Darjeeling)
      Distribution: N Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal, Assam, Meghalaya, Cachar, Manipur, and Mizoram.
      Type Specimen: NHMUK#1862.1.17.27 (Syntype).
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH
  
  
• Tickellia Blyth, 1861 Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1861, Part 2 p. 199 Abrornis? hodgsoni Moore, 1854; Type by monotypy
  • 842. Broad-billed Warbler Tickellia hodgsoni (Moore, 1854)
    Alternative Names: Broad-billed Flycatcher Warbler
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Moderate. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 842a. Tickellia hodgsoni hodgsoni (Moore, 1854) [HB#1627]
      Original Description: Abrornis? hodgsoni Moore, 1854 A catalogue of the birds in The Museum of the Hononrable East-India Company 1 p.412
      Taxonomy: Includes rupchandi Koelz 1954 from Kohima, Nagaland.
      Distribution: N Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram.
      Specimens: NHMUK, UMMZ, FMNH, ROM, USNM
  
  
• Horornis Hodgson, 1845 Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London Part 13, no.146 p. 31 Horornis fortipes Hodgson, 1845; Type by subsequent designation (Seebohm, 1881, Catalogue of the birds in the British Museum, 5, p.133)
  • 843. Manchurian Bush Warbler Horornis canturians (Swinhoe, 1860)
    Alternative Names: Chinese Bush Warbler, Korean Bush Warbler, Japanese Bush Warbler (with H. diphone)
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II. CMS: Appendix II.
    • 843a. Horornis canturians canturians (Swinhoe, 1860) [HB#1476]
      Original Description: Arundinax canturians Swinhoe, 1860 Ibis p.52
      Distribution: Winter: Historically from N Bengal, Meghalaya (Khasi hills), and Cachar.
      Specimens: FMNH
      Notes: No recent reports from anywhere in India. FMNH #240944 from Byrnihat in Assam-Meghalaya border.
  
  
  • 844. Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler Horornis fortipes Hodgson, 1845
    Alternative Names: Strong-footed Bush Warbler, Brown-flanked Bush Warbler
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 844a. Horornis fortipes pallidus (Brooks, 1871) [HB#1477]
      Original Description: Horeites pallidus Brooks, 1871 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal p.210 (Kashmir)
      Distribution: W Himalaya in Kashmir, Himachal, and Uttarakhand – straggler to adjoining plains as well as Ladakh.
      Type Specimen: NHMUK#1886.7.8.2011 (Syntype).
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH
    • 844b. Horornis fortipes fortipes Hodgson, 1845 [HB#1478]
      Original Description: Horornis fortipes Hodgson, 1845 Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London Part 13, no.146 p.31
      Taxonomy: Includes manis Koelz 1954 from Khasi hills and mizorum Koelz 1954 from Mizo hills.
      Distribution: N Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal, Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Cachar, Manipur, and Mizoram.
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, UMMZ, FMNH, YPM
  
  
  • 845. Hume's Bush Warbler Horornis brunnescens (Hume, 1872) [HB#1484]
    Original Description: Horeites brunnescens Hume, 1872 Ibis p.109 (Neighbourhood of Darjeeling)
    Alternative Names: Yellowish-bellied Bush Warbler (with H. acanthizoides EL)
    Distribution: Uttarakhand, N Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal – also reported from Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram.
    Type Specimen: NHMUK#1886.7.8.2185 (Holotype).
    Specimens: NHMUK, UMMZ, FMNH
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Moderate. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    Notes: Its presence in NE hill states, though expected, is not backed by specimens, photographs or audio recordings.
  
  
  • 846. Aberrant Bush Warbler Horornis flavolivaceus (Blyth, 1845)
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 846a. Horornis flavolivaceus flavolivaceus (Blyth, 1845) [HB#1481 & 1580]
      Original Description: N[eornis]. flavolivacea Blyth, 1845 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 14 p.590
      Taxonomy: Phylloscopus subaffinis arcanus Ripley 1950 was a misidentified specimen of this taxon (see Alström et al. 1993, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 113 (4): 207).
      Distribution: Locally in Kashmir and Himachal, more widely in Uttarakhand, N Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal, and Assam.
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, UMMZ, FMNH
    • 846b. Horornis flavolivaceus stresemanni (Koelz, 1954) [HB#1482]
      Original Description: Neornis flavolivaceus stresemanni Koelz, 1954 Contributions from the Institute for Regional Exploration no.1 p.17 (Mawryngkneng, Khasi hills, Meghalaya)
      Taxonomy: Not always recognised (RA2012). Includes circumspectus (Koelz 1954) from Mawphlang, Khasi hills, Meghalaya. The entire Koelz collection from the type locality is in UMMZ and hence so would be the type specimen. Exact holotype number not obtained.
      Distribution: Garo and Khasi hills in Meghalaya.
      Specimens: UMMZ, FMNH
    • 846c. Horornis flavolivaceus weberi (Mayr, 1941) [HB#1483]
      Original Description: Horeites flavolivaceus weberi Mayr, 1941 Ibis (14) 5 (2) p.244
      Taxonomy: Includes alexanderi Ripley, 1951 from Phek-Meluri Road, about 100km east of Kohima, Nagaland (probably near Khomi).
      Distribution: Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram.
      Specimens: UMMZ, FMNH, YPM