Birds of India - The New Synopsis

A complete checklist of bird species and subspecies found in India

Passeriformes (Perching Birds)

Irenidae (Fairy-bluebirds)

• Irena Horsfield, 1821 Transactions of the Linnean Society of London (1) 13 p.153 pl.1 Coracias puella Latham, 1790; Type by monotypy
  • 1257. Asian Fairy-bluebird Irena puella (Latham, 1790)
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Moderate. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 1257a. Irena puella puella (Latham, 1790) [HB#1109-1110]
      Original Description: Coracias Puella Latham, 1790 Index ornithologicus, sive systema ornithologiæ; complectens avium divisionem in classes, ordines, genera, species, ipsarumque varietates: adjectis synonymis, locis, descriptionibus, &c. 1 p.171 (Travancore, S India)
      Taxonomy: Includes here sikkimensis Whistler & Kinnear 1933 (Type locality: Sukna, Darjeeling) of NE India; which is sometimes treated as a valid subspecies (see IOC, Avilist).
      Distribution: N Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal, Assam, and all NE hill states; Straggler to Simlipal, Odisha (once). Disjunctly in CW Ghats from about Goa south till the southern tip in Kalakkad; also, in the Deccan transition zone and sporadically in W coastal plains; extends east to Biligirirangans and also, into SE Ghats, at least locally, including Talamalai, Melagiri, Kolli, Servarayan, Kalvarayan, and Chitteri (historical) hills.
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, MCZ, ROM, USNM, YPM, TNHM, BNHM
    • 1257b. Irena puella andamanica Abdulali, 1964 [HB#1110a]
      Original Description: Irena puella andamanica Abdulali, 1964 Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 61(2) p.417 (Long Island, Middle Andamans)
      Taxonomy: Not always recognised (RA2012).
      Distribution: N, Middle, S, and Little Andaman Is. as well as the islets of Interview, Long, Havelock, Neil, Ross (Netaji), Tarmugli, and Rutland Is.
      Type Specimen: BNHS#21747 (Holotype).
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK