Top 10 Birds Commonly Found in India

Birds are one of the beautiful inventions of the lord. Birds are around us everywhere from parks to gardens. Since India is a home to natural beauty likes green lushes, a valley of flowers and beautiful lakes, Birds are more likely to make their living in the Indian subcontinent. Whether it is garden, village, or agricultural areas, you can see hundreds of thousands of bird species. Whenever you see such amazing species, you may be out of curiosity to identify the types and know something about the birds that you interested.

Some of the birds can be seen across their own habitats while many birds are adapted to our human life. Of such, Black Dongo cannot survive without human as they feed on meals that we cook. Although there are many common species, we have handpicked the top 10 Indian common birds. Not all the given species are found in all the Indian cities and you won’t see some of these common birds in your cities. Do you want to know more about the exciting birds, just have a look over the article.

List of Most Common Birds in India

10. Red-vented Bulbul

The red-vented bulbul stands at 10^th place among the list of top 10 common birds in India. It belongs to the popular bulbul family and is resident across the Indian subcontinent. Although it is the common bird in India, bulbil also resides in Tibet, Sri Lanka and Burma. This beautiful bird has been discovered in many other parts of the world.

Recently, it is found in Pacific islands including Tonga, Hawaii, Samoa, and Fiji.  Red-vented bulbil feed on petals and fruits. It builds their living nests at a height of 2 to 3 m. They are more likely to breed from June to September. These birds can be seen along with the Danaus Plexippus.

9. Laughing Dove

Next, to the Red-vented Bulbil, Laughing Dove is the most common bird in India. Having the name Laughing Dove doesn’t mean it has smiling outlook. Laughing dove is found in the dry farmland and forest. The origin of this beautiful bird is Indian subcontinent. You can easily catch the laughing dove in Indian forest and local areas. The laughing dove is also called as a little Brown dove. It is more likely to feed on seeds, grains, and grass. It also consumes small insects to make a living.

8. Blue Kingfisher

With the long tail and bluish head, Blue kingfisher stands 8^th place on the list of top 10 common birds in India. You might have heard of the name, Blue Kingfisher, which resides in the Indian subcontinent. The blue kingfisher is commonly found across river, pools and other water bodies. This bird species can be seen with Pied Kingfisher.  While fishing, this is one of the common Indian bird you can see with ease.

The blue kingfisher is also known as river kingfisher and Eurasian kingfisher, which has extended its habitat from Europe to North Africa. It mostly resides in Indian and migrates to areas where the climate is cold & freezing. It has a pleasant appearance with a short tail and large head. The blue head adds charms to its appearance. Blue fisher feeds mainly on river food like fish and prawn. It has a sharp visual effect to see prey under water. It lays white eggs at the riverbank.

7. Asian Koel

On the list, Asian Koel stands at 7^th place on the list. This beautiful bird species can be seen anywhere in India. From Cuckoo Family, Asian Koel feeds on small fruits like berries. The female bird looks brownish while the male one is greenish black with red eyes. You can enjoy watching this Asian Koel, especially during the Monsoon period. The beauty and charm of Asian Koel grab many tourists across the country. It is the reason why Asian Koel is being emphasized in many epics and poems.

6. Black ongo

Black Dongo holds 6^th rank on our list. As the name suggests that this beautiful bird is in whole black color. Although the origin of Black Dongo is Indian subcontinent, it is also found in Southern Asia. It feeds on small insects. Since it is resident in the village, you can spot it in agricultural areas, cropland etc.

Despite the pleasant black appearance, it has aggressive features. This fearless bird species will attack other species often. Black Dongo looks like a crow, thus it is formerly called asking crow. With its strong wings, Black Dongo easily catches small prey and other insects. It has short legs, hence it hides in thorny bushes, scrubs etc. Interestingly, you can see the Black Dongo sitting in electrical wires.

5. Indian Roller

 With the charming and pleasant appearance, Indian Roller stands at 5^th place on the list. Unlike other common Indian birds, Indian Roller is one of the most common birds of India.  It can be easily seen across the trees, grassland, and forest areas. Indian Roller is commonly known as Neelkanth or Blue Jay. They extend its habitat from Iraq to Indochina. It is usually found across the roadside trees and gardens. Indian Roller does not migrate to other areas for seasonal movements. The largest populations of this species are found in India. You can see this beautiful species in grassland, scrub and other areas.

4. Green Bee Eater

Next, to the Greater Coucal, Green Bee Eater is the common bird in India. From the name itself, you can be very clear that Green Bee Eater mostly feeds on small insects like Green Bee. You can see the species around scrub, grassland, forest and agricultural areas.  It is the passionate bird in the bee-eater family. This small creature is mostly found in the Nile valley, western Arabia, Gambia etc. However, it is commonly found in the Indian subcontinent, thus making it the most common birds in India. Since it is insect eaters, you can see in grassland, scrubs, and areas where small insects are living.

3.  Greater Coucal

Greater Coucal stans at 3^rd place on the list. The Greater Coucal spread its habitat ranges from India to Indonesia. They are commonly seen across the garden, agricultural areas, and roadside trees. It is the member of the cuckoo family. It has a black head with reddish eyes. The coppery brown wings give it crow-like appearance. Since they are weak fliers, you can see the birds in its vegetation. It can feed on small insects.

The bird is also found in urban grounds. Like other bee-eaters, this greater coucal is bright colored and grow up to 9 inches. The entire plumage is bright green with bluish chin and throat. If you are in Africa and Arabia, you can see these birds in arid areas. These fearless birds can use the fence wires and electric wires. The breeding starts from March to June. Being solitary nesters, Greater Coucal makes a tunnel across the river and breed on it. They nest in mud banks.

2. Rose Ringed Parrot

Next, to the sunbirds, Rose Ringed Parrot is the most beautiful bird in India.  The habitat spread its range up to Africa. The Rose Ringed parrot is also known as Ring-Necked Parrot. Due to its pleasant appearance, Rose Ringed parrot is used as a symbol for Tamil poems. It feeds on fruits, vegetables, nuts, berries, seeds etc. The Rose-ringed Parakeet prefers living in the low land plains of Africa and tropical Asian countries. More than 6000 species are found in the Ethiopian highlands and Himalayas. This bird mostly lives in rural areas where there are plenty of natural vegetations, green lushes etc. They are also found in the thorny scrub and savannah woodland.  A huge population of Rose Ringed Parrot lives in Pakistan and some Indian cities.

1. The Sunbirds

Our top pick for the Indian common bird is the sunbirds. It can be seen all across the country. These small, beautiful sunbirds can feed on insects, spiders, and other small insects. Sunbirds are small yet pleasant species from the old world. Mostly, Male sunbirds are bright-colored with iridescent feathers and long tails. Their habitats extend from South Asia to the Middle East and from Southern China to Indonesia. The sunbirds feed on nectar and small insects like spiders, ants etc.

This was the list of top 10 common birds in India. Our generation travels a long way from dinosaur to sunbirds. Most of our children and us may not be able to enjoy birds watching as the number of rare birds species are started to decline slowly. Many of the well-known species are fall under the extinct category. We should take immediate steps to prevent the birds from going into endangered mode. To protect our environment and save the birds, it is the sole responsibility of everyone to take care of the birds. Which is your favorite bird in the list? How do you take care of your pets and garden birds? Do let us know in the comments.