Birds of India - The New Synopsis

A complete checklist of bird species and subspecies found in India

Passeriformes (Perching Birds)

Oriolidae (Orioles)

• Oriolus Linnaeus, 1766 Systema Naturæ. Editio duodecima reformata. Tomus I [part 1] 1, p.160 Oriolus galbula Linnaeus, 1766; Type by tautonymy = Coracias oriolus Linnaeus, 1758
  • 660. Maroon Oriole Oriolus traillii (Vigors, 1832)
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 660a. Oriolus traillii traillii (Vigors, 1832) [HB#961]
      Original Description: Pastor Traillii Vigors, 1832 Proceedings of the Committee of Science and Correspondence of the Zoological Society of London Part 1 no.14 p.175 (Darjeeling)
      Distribution: E Himachal, Uttarakhand, N Uttar Pradesh, N Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal, and all NE hill states; sporadic in S W Bengal.
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, UMZC, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, MCZ, ROM, USNM, YPM, LKO
  
  
  • 661. Black-hooded Oriole Oriolus xanthornus (Linnaeus, 1758)
    Alternative Names: Black-headed Oriole
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 661a. Oriolus xanthornus xanthornus (Linnaeus, 1758) [HB#958]
      Original Description: Coracias Xanthornus 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.108 (Chandannagar, W Bengal)
      Distribution: Sub-Himalayan foothills and adjacent plains of E Punjab, SE Himachal, NW Haryana, Delhi region, S Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, S W Bengal, N Bengal, Sikkim, Brahmaputra plains of Assam and adjoining Arunachal, and all NE hill states.
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, MCZ, USNM, YPM, LKO
      Notes: Intergradation zone with maderaspatanus roughly along the Ganga river; details not worked out.
    • 661b. Oriolus xanthornus maderaspatanus Franklin, 1831 [HB#959]
      Original Description: Oriolus madaraspatanus Franklin, 1831 Proceedings of the Committee of Science and Correspondence of the Zoological Society of London Part 1 p.118 (Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh)
      Distribution: Kathiawar in Gujarat (locally), E Rajasthan and adjoining N Gujarat, C India including Madhya Pradesh, N and E Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and adjoining S W Bengal, Odisha, Telangana, NE Ghats of Andhra, W Ghats from Surat Dangs south till the southern tip, Deccan transition zone of the Ghats of Maharashtra and Karnataka, W coastal plains, SE and CE Ghats, and sporadic elsewhere in Deccan and E coastal plains.
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, AMNH, FMNH, USNM
    • 661c. Oriolus xanthornus reubeni Abdulali, 1977 [HB#960a]
      Original Description: Oriolus xanthornus reubeni Abdulali, 1977 Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 73 p.395 (Wrightmyo, South Andaman Is.)
      Distribution: N, Middle, S, and Little Andaman Is. as well as Havelock Is.
      Type Specimen: BNHS#22021 (Holotype).
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK
      Notes: Not as common as other endemic species and subspecies of Andaman Is. Not reports from many islets and very few reports from Middle Andaman.
  
  
  • 662. Indian Golden Oriole Oriolus kundoo Sykes, 1832 [HB#953]
    Original Description: Oriolus Kundoo Sykes, 1832 Proceedings of the Committee of Science and Correspondence of the Zoological Society of London Part 2, p. 87 (Deccan [=Dukhun])
    Taxonomy: Includes baltistanicus Koelz 1939 from Dagoni, Baltistan and turkestanica Zarudny & Kudaschev 1918.
    Distribution: Breeding: Gilgit, Ladakh, and Kashmir along the Himalaya till N Bengal. Also, locally in Indo-Gangetic plains, E Rajasthan, Gujarat, C India, W Bengal, and the peninsula. Non-breeding: Throughout Indian peninsula till the southern tip and east till C Assam and Tripura.
    Type Specimen: NHMUK#1880.1.1.2115 (Syntype).
    Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, MCZ, YPM, TNHM, HYD, GMC, LKO, FTLB
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II. CMS: Appendix II.
    Notes: Andaman Is. report (see RA2012) not investigated.
  
  
  • 663. Eurasian Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus (Linnaeus, 1758) [HB#952]
    Original Description: Coracias oriolus 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.107
    Alternative Names: Golden Oriole (with O. kundoo)
    Distribution: Vagrant. Ladakh.
    Specimens: UMMZ, AMNH
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II. CMS: Appendix II.
    Notes: Two specimens (FMNH #234041 & UMMZ #146800) listed in Koelz (1939, Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 52: 73), initially identified as turkestanica Zarudny & Kudaschev 1918, are now considered as this species following RA2012. They labelled two of the three turkestanica specimens in Koelz's paper as O oriolus. As expected, wing lengths of both the specimens are above 158mm.
  
  
  • 664. Slender-billed Oriole Oriolus tenuirostris Blyth, 1846
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: High. WLPA: Schedule-II. CMS: Appendix II.
    • 664a. Oriolus tenuirostris tenuirostris Blyth, 1846 [HB#955]
      Original Description: Oriolus tenuirostris Blyth, 1846 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 15 p.48,370 (Assam)
      Distribution: Summer: W Arunachal, Nagaland, and Manipur but also Sikkim (once). Winter: Also from N Bengal, W Assam, Meghalaya, and Mizoram.
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, UMMZ, YPM
      Notes: Summer and winter status need better documentation.
  
  
  • 665. Black-naped Oriole Oriolus chinensis Linnaeus, 1766
    Original Description: Oriolus chinensis Linnaeus, 1766 Systema Naturæ. Editio duodecima reformata. Tomus I [part 1] p.160
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II. CMS: Appendix II.
    • 665a. Oriolus chinensis diffusus Sharpe, 1877 [HB#954]
      Original Description: Oriolus diffusus Sharpe, 1877 Catalogue of the birds in the British Museum 22 p.189, p.197-198 (Malabar)
      Distribution: Winter: N Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, adjoining Arunachal, all NE hill states, S W Bengal, Jharkhand, E Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Andhra, Telangana, E Maharashtra, W Ghats from Surat Dangs till the southern tip in Tamil Nadu, W coastal plains, CE Ghats, SE Ghats, and E coastal plains.
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, AMNH, FMNH, MCZ, ROM, LKO
    • 665b. Oriolus chinensis andamanensis Beavan, 1867 [HB#956]
      Original Description: Oriolus andamanensis Beavan, 1867 Ibis (2) 3 (11) p.326-327 (South Andamans)
      Distribution: N, Middle, S, and Little Andaman Is., including islets of N Reef, Interview, Long, Outram, Inglis, Havelock, Neil, Ross (Netaji), Alexandra, Tarmugli, Boat, Rutland, and N Cinque Is.
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, MCZ, ROM, USNM, YPM
    • 665c. Oriolus chinensis macrourus Blyth, 1846 [HB#957]
      Original Description: Oriolus macrourus Blyth, 1846 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal Vol. 15, N° 169 p.46-47 (Nicobar Is)
      Distribution: Car Nicobar Is., C Nicobar group (Tillanchong, Teresa, Bompoka, Trinket, Kamorta, Nancowry, and Katchal Is.), and Great Nicobar Is.
      Type Specimen: ZSI#18952 (Syntype).
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, MCZ, ROM, USNM