Birds of India - The New Synopsis

A complete checklist of bird species and subspecies found in India

Passeriformes (Perching Birds)

Estrildidae (Munias)

• Euodice Reichenbach, 1862 Die Singvögel als Fortsetzung der vollständingsten Naturgeschichte und zugleich als Central-Atlas für zoologische Garten und für Thierfreunde pt2 p.46 Loxia cantans Gmelin, 1789; Type by subsequent designation (Sharpe, 1890, Catalogue of the birds in the British Museum, 13, p.368)
  • 1262. Indian Silverbill Euodice malabarica (Linnaeus, 1758) [HB#1966]
    Original Description: Loxia malabarica Linnaeus, 1758 Systema Naturæ per Regna Tria Naturæ, Secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata 1 p.175 (Malabar)
    Alternative Names: White-throated Munia
    Distribution: Throughout the Indian subcontinent from Jammu south till southern tip of peninsula and east till W Bengal and Tripura; sporadic in W coast and coastal Odisha; has occurred in N Bengal and W Meghalaya (Garo hills).
    Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, RBINS, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, YPM, TNHM, HYD, FTLB
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
  
  
• Lonchura Sykes, 1832 Proceedings of the Committee of Science and Correspondence of the Zoological Society of London Part 2 no.18 p. 94 Fringilla nisoria Sykes, 1832; Type by subsequent designation (Sharpe, 1890, Catalogue of the birds in the British Museum, 13, p.326) = Loxia punctulata Linnaeus, 1758
  • 1263. Scaly-breasted Munia Lonchura punctulata (Linnaeus, 1758)
    Alternative Names: Spotted Munia
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 1263a. Lonchura punctulata punctulata (Linnaeus, 1758) [HB#1974]
      Original Description: Loxia punctulata Linnaeus, 1758 Systema Naturæ per Regna Tria Naturæ, Secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata 1 p.173 (Kolkata)
      Distribution: Throughout Indian subcontinent from Kashmir, Jammu, till southern tip of the peninsula in Tamil Nadu, west till Gujarat, and east till W Bengal.
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, MCZ, ROM, USNM, YPM, TNHM, HYD, FTLB, BNHM
    • 1263b. Lonchura punctulata subundulata (Godwin-Austen, 1874) [HB#1975]
      Original Description: Munia subundulata Godwin-Austen, 1874 Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London Part 1 p.48 (Manipur valley)
      Taxonomy: Includes here catervaria Koelz 1954 from Mawphlang, Khasi hills, Meghalaya.
      Distribution: Assam, Arunachal, and all NE hill states.
      Type Specimen: NHMUK#1895.7.14.2861 (Syntype).
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, ROM, YPM
      Notes: Exact region of intergradation with the nominate subspecies not worked out but somewhere in N Bengal or W Assam.
  
  
  • 1264. Black-throated Munia Lonchura kelaarti (Jerdon, 1863)
    Original Description: Munia kelaarti 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.356
    Alternative Names: Rufous-bellied Munia
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 1264a. Lonchura kelaarti vernayi (Whistler & Kinnear, 1933) [HB#1972]
      Original Description: Uroloncha kelaarti vernayi Whistler & Kinnear, 1933 Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 36 p.835 (Sunkarametta [=Sankrametta], Andhra)
      Distribution: NE Ghats of Odisha and NE Andhra.
      Type Specimen: NHMUK#1937.12.21.525 (Holotype).
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK
      Notes: See Rao et al. (2025, IB 21 (2): 61).
    • 1264b. Lonchura kelaarti jerdoni (Hume, 1874) [HB#1971]
      Original Description: Munia jerdoni Hume, 1874 Nests and eggs of Indian birds: rough draft 1 p.448 (Wayanad district, Kerala)
      Distribution: Sporadic and local in NW Ghats from Mumbai region till Goa; CW and SW Ghats; sporadic in the Deccan transition zone in Karnataka; occurs further east in Biligirirangans, Servarayan, and Kolli hills in SE Ghats as well as outcrops of Palani and Varusanadu hills in Tamil Nadu.
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, AMNH, FMNH, USNM, YPM, TNHM
      Notes: Possibly undergone a range expansion to the NW Ghats.
  
  
  • 1265. White-rumped Munia Lonchura striata (Linnaeus, 1766)
    Alternative Names: White-backed Munia
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 1265a. Lonchura striata acuticauda (Hodgson, 1836) [HB#1967]
      Original Description: Munia acuticauda Hodgson, 1836 Asiatic Researches; or, Transactions of the Society instituted in Bengal, for enquiring into the history, the antiquities, the arts and sciences, and literature of Asia Vol. 19, Part I p.153-154
      Distribution: Uttarakhand, N Uttar Pradesh, N Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal, and all NE hill states.
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, MCZ, ROM, USNM, YPM, LKO
    • 1265b. Lonchura striata striata (Linnaeus, 1766) [HB#1968]
      Original Description: Loxia striata Linnaeus, 1766 Systema Naturæ. Editio duodecima reformata. Tomus I [part 1] 12, p.306
      Taxonomy: Includes here estriata Koelz 1939 from Jagalbet, near Londa, NW Karnataka.
      Distribution: S Gujarat, Maharashtra, SE Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and S W Bengal – extending south all the way till the tip of the peninsula.
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, MCZ, USNM, YPM, TNHM, FTLB
      Notes: Very local in Deccan and hence the population from the northeastern part of its range in EC India nearly disjunct from the western and southern population.
    • 1265c. Lonchura striata fumigata (Walden, 1873) [HB#1969]
      Original Description: Munia fumigata Walden, 1873 The Annals and Magazine of Natural History including Zoology, Botany, and Geology ser. 4, vol. XII, N° 72 p.488 (South Andamans)
      Distribution: N, Middle, S, and Little Andaman Is. as well as the islets of Anderson, Long, Havelock, Neil, Alexandra, and Rutland Is.
      Type Specimen: NHMUK#1888.9.20.936 (Holotype).
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, MCZ, ROM
    • 1265d. Lonchura striata semistriata (Hume, 1874) [HB#1970]
      Original Description: Munia semistriata Hume, 1874 Stray Feathers Vol. 2, N° 1, 2 & 3 p.257 (in text) (Nicobar Is)
      Distribution: Car Nicobar Is. and C Nicobar Is. group (Teresa, Trinket, Kamorta, Nancowry, and Katchal).
      Type Specimen: NHMUK#1887.7.1.2265 (Syntype).
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, USNM
  
  
  • 1266. Tricoloured Munia Lonchura malacca (Linnaeus, 1766) [HB#1978]
    Original Description: Loxia malacca Linnaeus, 1766 Systema Naturæ. Editio duodecima reformata. Tomus I [part 1] 12, p.302 (Belagavi [=Belgaum], N Karnataka)
    Taxonomy: Presence of cinnamon-flanked individuals in Tricoloured Munia flocks variously attributed to Chestnut Munia L. atricapilla (natural or escapees), or hybrids with that species. Such individuals are known from different parts of the range including S India, W Bengal, and Gujarat (Bhatt et al. 2019, IB 14 (6): 166). However, presence of cinnamon-flanked individuals in Tricoloured Munia naturalised populations in C America lends support that these are colour aberrations of this species. Molecular analysis recommended for a more definitive answer. Includes here bakeri Delacour 1943 (new name for orientalis Baker 1925) from Madras [=Chennai].
    Alternative Names: Black-headed Munia (with L. atricapilla)
    Distribution: Throughout India – from Jammu south through Indo-Gangetic plains till W Bengal; Rajasthan and Gujarat; C and S India.
    Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, YPM, TNHM
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    Notes: Range expansion to N India in recent decades.
  
  
  • 1267. Chestnut Munia Lonchura atricapilla (Vieillot, 1807)
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 1267a. Lonchura atricapilla rubronigra (Hodgson, 1836) [HB#1976]
      Original Description: Munia rubroniger Hodgson, 1836 Asiatic Researches; or, Transactions of the Society instituted in Bengal, for enquiring into the history, the antiquities, the arts and sciences, and literature of Asia Vol. 19, Part I p.153
      Taxonomy: Intergrades with the nominate subspecies in E Nepal.
      Distribution: Historically in terai and plains of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar but now curiously only reported sporadically from N Uttar Pradesh.
      Specimens: ZSI, NHMUK, AMNH, YPM
      Notes: Investigation into its former range needed and possibly is getting replaced by Tricoloured Munia. Population now almost entirely restricted to Nepal with Uttar Pradesh reports being stragglers from Nepal. Birds reported from Delhi could have been escapees (Vyas 2019, IB Monograph 1: 78). RA2012 includes 'Indian Punjab' in its range while AR2001 includes Jagadhri (Haryana) as the western limit.
    • 1267b. Lonchura atricapilla atricapilla (Vieillot, 1807) [HB#1977]
      Original Description: Loxia atricapilla Vieillot, 1807 Histoire naturelle des plus beaux oiseaux chanteurs de la zône torride p.84 pl.LIII (Lower Bengal)
      Distribution: W Bengal, adjoining Jharkhand, E Bihar and N Odisha, Brahmaputra plains of Assam and E Arunachal, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Cachar, Manipur, and Tripura.
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, RBINS, FMNH, MCZ, YPM
  
  
• Amandava Blyth, 1836 The natural history of Selborne, with its antiquities; naturalist's calendar, &c. A new edition, with notes by Edward Blyth p.44 Amandava punctata Blyth, 1836; Type by monotypy = Fringilla amandava Linnaeus, 1758
  • 1268. Green Munia Amandava formosa (Latham, 1790) [HB#1965]
    Original Description: Fringilla formosa Latham, 1790 Index ornithologicus, sive systema ornithologiæ; complectens avium divisionem in classes, ordines, genera, species, ipsarumque varietates: adjectis synonymis, locis, descriptionibus, &c. 1 p.441 (India)
    Alternative Names: Green Avadavat
    Distribution: C India – historically from Rajasthan, N Gujarat till Lucknow and SW Bihar; south till Mahableshwar (Maharashtra) and NE Andhra. Now local and restricted to a few known pockets – Mt. Abu region, Jhansi (S Uttar Pradesh), Amaravati (N Maharashtra), and NE Ghats of S Odisha, SE Chhattisgarh, and NE Andhra.
    Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, FMNH, MCZ, USNM, YPM, LKO
    IUCN: Vulnerable. SoIB: High. WLPA: Schedule-I. CITES: Appendix II.
    Endemic: Endemic to India.
  
  
  • 1269. Red Munia Amandava amandava (Linnaeus, 1758)
    Alternative Names: Red Avadavat
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 1269a. Amandava amandava amandava (Linnaeus, 1758) [HB#1964]
      Original Description: Fringilla amandava Linnaeus, 1758 Systema Naturæ per Regna Tria Naturæ, Secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata 1 p.180 (Kolkata)
      Distribution: Throughout India – widespread and sometimes locally at least – from Jammu south till the southern tip of peninsula; west till Gujarat, and east through the Brahmaputra plains of Assam.
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, RBINS, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, MCZ, ROM, USNM, YPM, TNHM, HYD
      Notes: Species has expanded its range in a few parts of India.
  
  
• Erythrura Swainson, 1837 On the Natural History and Classification of Birds 2, p. 280 Erythrura viridis Temminck, 1837; Type by monotypy = Fringilla sphecura Temminck, 1821= Loxia prasina Sparrman, 1788
  • 1270. Pin-tailed Parrotfinch Erythrura prasina (Sparrman, 1788)
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Recent addition.
    • 1270a. Erythrura prasina prasina (Sparrman, 1788)
      Original Description: Loxia prasina Sparrman, 1788 Museum Carlsonianum, in quo novas et selectas aves, coloribus ad vivum brevique descriptione illustratas (etc.) fasc.3 no.lxxi pl.72,73
      Distribution: Vagrant. Mizoram only.
      Notes: See Sailo et al. (2025, Science Vision 1-3:1), indicating the species might be more regular than it seems.