Commonly Occurring Birds in Sector 23,

Gurgaon (year 2016 onwards).

Compiled By: Urmila Duhan.

All these birds have been spotted from my house in

sector 23, Gurgaon.

1. Black Drongo: (Mostly seen in winters)

This bird is completely black in color
almost half the size of a crow. Its typical
feature is its tail which is long, hanging
downwards and is forked.
2. Crow (early riser. Starts crowing even in
the early hours and can be seen
throughout the day i.e., is a hardy bird)
3. Brown Babbler. It can be seen foraging on
the ground. It lives on the trees as well.
Always seen as part of a group of 4-­­7
birds. It has round eyes with white circle
around them. Its chicks hatch in winters.
It hops about 4 inches long, taking both its
legs together.
4. Myna: It comes on the ground for foraging.
Not as close knitted group as the Babbler.
Its body is brownish in color and has
yellow beak. It is many a times seen
fighting with each other (beak fight).
5. Bulbul (red vented): Is not seen on the
ground i.e., mostly on the trees. It has a
thick, black, pointed tuft of feathers over its
head. There is a tuft of small, red feathers
under its tail. It is frequently seen cleaning
its beak by rubbing it on the branch on
which it is sitting. It frequently preens itself
with its beak to give its body a shine and to
rub off any dust. It has a warbling effect in
its call sound.
6. Sunbird (has sharp, melodious voice and
quite loud for its small size. It’s sound
doesn’t have much waviness and is a series
of 4-­­5 tweets. Sometimes there are small
twirls in its tweets. Sometimes short,
squeaky sound like that of a rat is also
made. It mostly feeds on flowers especially
near tree tops and that is when the sun
shines brightly off it, revealing its distinct
purple fluorescent color that can be caught
from many meters away). The bird is
mostly seen in pairs (male, female). When
in flight, it can stop midway in the air,
fluttering its wings in stationary mode
and then continue with its flight. It inserts
its long beak in the flower while hovering
in the air. The male are black with shiny
blue/purple neck and back. The female is
greenish brown in color.
7. Brown Treepie (mostly seen in
winters): It makes an unmistakable loud
sound similar to a car makes when its
ignition is started. It makes about 4-­­5
tweets in a go and then repeats them. Its
size is that of a crow but with a longer
and a hanging tail. Major colors on its
body are brown, black and white.
8. Parrot-­­ Green (red neck ring). Often
seen in pairs or small groups. Courting
behavior includes beak kissing. Males have
red neck collar.
9. Dove (Teh in hindi). It looks like pigeon
but has a rosy tinge to it and is a bit smaller
in size.
10. Pigeon: They are very common-­­
even more common than myna. They
frequently nest in houses like the shaft or
vents. They fly in large groups in a
synchronous way in the morning hours
taking frequent circular path and when
they do that, the sunlight briefly shines off
their silver wings, making a very beautiful
shiny display in the sky. The speed of flying
during this group activity is also high yet
they do not bump into each other. Pairs
can be seen preening each other.
11. Peacock and Peafowl: These are big
birds and can be seen perched up on walls.
They make loud, long sounds especially in
the early morning hours.
12. Koel: It makes a very sweet and
melodious sound which can be heard from
far away (as far as 100 meters in the midst
of heavy traffic). It is all black in color with
ruby eyes. Sometimes I’ve seen it being
chased away by crows.
13. Kite. It flies very high in the sky and
likes to fly in circles many a times with a
large group of kites. But many a times it
flies solo very high up in the sky going with
the wind and therefore does not need to
flap its wings. Its hallmark feature is the
finger like wing tips and a v-­­cut in its rail
feathers.
14. Robin (shown below with white
shoulder stripe). It is found in small groups
(mostly sighted during rainy season) and
makes a chirping sound. Its upturned tail is
its hallmark feature. Its size is little bigger
than house sparrow.
 15. Coppersmith Barbet. First sighted in
March 2018.

Its sound notes are pretty bland although the

notes are long, hollow and periodic produced in
identical fashion. Once the bird starts making
sound, it can continue for few minutes at least.
The sound is like that of coppersmith working
with metals. I have frequently seen it having
fights with fellow tree dwelling birds like
parrot, myna, crow etc. The bird mostly sits
away and aloof. When making sound, its neck
elongates in one direction and then in other
directions to go with the sound.
16. Spotted Owl. (not seen often but it is
around). It is seen solo and can turn its neck
around almost a full circle.
17. Red Eyed Lapwing (teetehree (in
hindi), Vanellus indicus). It is commonly
seen walking around in the grass while
making its typical sharp sound—tee tee
tee. It sometimes runs like an emu.
18. Green Bee Eater or green flycatcher:
First Sighted in April 2017. It is a small bird
(approx. 7 inches long) with a parrot
greenish color all over. Its tail has one
feather longer than the rest of the tail. It is
found in pairs. When in flight, it spreads its
tail feather like a Japanese fan and its lone
long feather sticks out of the fan. It makes a
croaking sound. It is seen sitting on wires.
They mostly sit on overhead electricity wires to
get unhindered access to insects flying in the air.
They are found in pairs. When flying their
spread out wings look like a hand held Japanese
fan with sunlight streaming through the
translucent iron rust colored tips of the wings. A
long tail feather is their hallmark appearance.
Their reddish brown heads resemble the
contrast of reddish brown leaves on a mango
tree. Baby birds can be seen amongst flowerpots
on the ground.
19. White breasted Kingfisher (mostly
in winters and spring season)
20. Brown Hoopoe (rare sighting but it is
around; sighted in 2018 winters): It can be seen
foraging on the ground. It has a fan like head
crest which it spreads periodically and it looks
beautiful. It is commonly mistaken as a
woodpecker. In local dialect, it is called ‘hood
hood’ (resembling its activity sound on the
wood).

21. Green Barbet: It has a typical bird call

resembling that of a croaking frog. First sighted
in March 2019. Seen in pairs. Most common
activity was to hang alongside steep top thick
branches of Jarcunda tree (perhaps making a
bark nest there), or else to sit on top branches
(with very few leaves around) and make the bird
call. The beak remains closed during the call, or
so it seems without a binocular. The partner bird
remains seated beside when one of them is
making calls. Perhaps, it is a relaxing activity.