Species of Conservation Concerns: Birds
Birds – Critically Endangered (CR)
| Species | IUCN | Endemism (India) | Key Habitat | Distribution (Core Areas) | Special / Unique Tags | Legal Protection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baer’s Pochard | CR | No | Freshwater wetlands | NE India, WB, Odisha, Terai | Freshwater diving duck | WPA: Sch I; CMS: Appx I |
| Bengal Florican | CR | No | Grasslands with scrub | Assam, Arunachal, UP; Nepal Terai | Bustard species; courtship dance | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
| Black-naped Pheasant Pigeon | CR | No | Rainforests | Fergusson Island (PNG) | Rediscovered after ~140 years | — |
| Bugun Liocichla | CR | Yes | Shrubby hillsides | Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary | First bird discovered in India post-Independence (2006) | WPA: Sch I |
| Great Indian Bustard (GIB) | CR | No | Dry grasslands & steppe | Rajasthan (Jaisalmer), Gujarat; small pockets elsewhere | Flagship grassland bird; COP-13 CMS mascot | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I; CMS: Appx I |
| Himalayan Quail (Mountain Quail) | CR (Possibly extinct) | Yes | Long grass & scrub on steep slopes | Uttarakhand | Not sighted since 1877 | WPA: Sch I |
| Jerdon’s Courser | CR | Yes | Scrub jungles | Eastern Ghats (AP & Telangana) | Rediscovered in 1986; nocturnal | WPA: Sch I |
| Pink-headed Duck | CR (Possibly extinct) | No | Wetlands with tall grass | India, Bangladesh, Myanmar | Last sighting 1949 | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
| Siberian Crane | CR | No | Shallow freshwater wetlands | Winters at Keoladeo National Park | Long-distance migratory crane | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I; CMS: Appx I |
| Sociable Lapwing | CR | No | Steppes & dry grasslands | Central Asia; winters in N India | Eurasian steppe bird | WPA: Sch I; CMS: Appx I |
| Spoon-billed Sandpiper | CR | No | Coastal mudflats | Breeds in Russia; winters in S & SE Asia | Spatula-shaped bill | WPA: Sch I; CMS: Appx I |
| White-bellied Heron | CR | No | Swamp forests & forested rivers | Arunachal, Assam; Bhutan & Myanmar | Second-largest heron | WPA: Sch I |
| Yellow-breasted Bunting | CR | No | Wet meadows & farmlands | Breeds Eurasia; winters in NE India | Migratory passerine | WPA: Sch I |
Birds – Endangered (EN)
| Species | IUCN | Endemism (India) | Key Habitat | Distribution (Core Areas) | Special / Unique Tags | Legal Protection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black-bellied Tern | EN | No | Large rivers & marshes | Most of India (except Thar & high Himalayas) | Riverine bird; pollution-sensitive | WPA: Sch I |
| Forest Owlet | EN | Yes (Central India) | Dry deciduous forests | MP & Maharashtra | Endemic owl; rediscovered species | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
| Indian Skimmer (Scissors-bill) | EN | No | Large rivers, lakes & estuaries | Major rivers of Indian subcontinent | Skimmer genus (3 species only) | WPA: Sch I |
| Pallas’s Fish Eagle | EN | No | Wetlands, lakes & large rivers | Winters in N & NE India (Assam, Uttarakhand) | Large migratory fish-eagle | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx II; CMS: Appx I |
| Spotted Greenshank | EN | No | Estuaries & coastal mudflats | Breeds Russia; winters in S & SE Asia | Rare migratory sandpiper | CITES: Appx I; CMS: Appx I |
| Steppe Eagle | EN | No | Steppe, semi-desert, mountains | Asia; also E & S Africa | Long-distance migratory raptor | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx II; CMS: Appx I |
| Manipur Bush Quail | EN | Yes (India–Bangladesh) | Damp grasslands & scrub | NE India & Bangladesh | Last sighted 1907; possibly extinct | WPA: Sch I |
Birds – Vulnerable (VU)
| Species | IUCN | Endemism (India) | Key Habitat | Distribution (Core Areas) | Special / Unique Tags | Legal Protection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicobar Megapode (Nicobar Scrubfowl) | VU | Yes (Nicobar Islands) | Coastal forests | Nicobar Islands | Megapode – mound-nesting bird | WPA: Sch I |
| Common Pochard | VU | No | Swamps, marshes, lakes, slow rivers | Most of India (except south of Central Deccan) | Medium-sized diving duck | WPA: Sch I |
| Great Indian Hornbill (Great Pied Hornbill) | VU | No | Tropical evergreen forests | Himalayan foothills, NE India, Western Ghats | Largest hornbill; state bird of Arunachal Pradesh & Kerala | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
| Greater Spotted Eagle | VU | No | Lowland forests near wetlands | Europe to S & SE Asia | Migratory raptor | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx II; CMS: Appx I |
| Narcondam Hornbill | VU | Yes | Open mixed forests | Narcondam Island | Island endemic hornbill | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx II |
| River Tern | VU | No | Rivers & freshwater lakes | Indian subcontinent & SE Asia | Inland riverine tern | WPA: Sch I |
| Sarus Crane | VU | No | Wet & dry grasslands, farmlands | N & Central India (except Thar) | Tallest flying bird; non-migratory | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx II |
| Mrs Hume’s Pheasant (Hume’s Bar-tailed Pheasant) | VU | No | Tropical & subtropical forests | NE India, China, Myanmar, Thailand | State bird of Manipur & Mizoram; flagship bird of Manipur | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
Birds – Near Threatened (NT)
| Species | IUCN | Endemism (India) | Key Habitat | Distribution (Core Areas) | Special / Unique Tags | Legal Protection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black-necked Crane | NT | No | High-altitude grassy wetlands | Ladakh; migrates to Arunachal Pradesh & Bhutan | State bird of UT Ladakh; high-altitude crane | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I; CMS: Appx I |
| Spot-billed Pelican (Grey Pelican) | NT | No | Freshwater & saline wetlands | Peninsular India, Terai, Himalayan foothills | Colonial breeder in trees | WPA: Sch II |
| White-eyed Pochard | NT | No | Fresh standing freshwater bodies | Europe to South & SE Asia | Rare diving duck; avoids flowing rivers | WPA: Sch II |
| Nicobar Pigeon (Nicobar Dove) | NT | No | Forests & scrublands | Andaman & Nicobar Islands; SE Asia | Closest living relative of Dodo | WPA: Sch I |
| Swamp Francolin (Swamp Partridge) | NT | No | Natural grasslands & wet croplands | Himalayan foothills | Grassland galliform bird | — |
| Lesser Adjutant | NT | No | Rivers, lakes & agricultural wetlands | NE India, Gangetic plains, Eastern & Western Ghats | Large stork; wetland specialist | WPA: Sch I |
| Greater Adjutant (Hargila) | NT | No | Wetlands, mangroves, urban areas | Assam (largest colony), Bhagalpur (Bihar) | Tall tree nester; urban scavenger stork | WPA: Sch I |
Birds – Least Concern (LC)
| Species | IUCN | Endemism (India) | Key Habitat | Distribution (Core Areas) | Special / Unique Tags | Legal Protection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amur Falcon | LC | No | Open woods & marshes | Asia → E & S Africa (long-distance migrant) | World’s longest-distance migrating raptor; Nagaland = Falcon Capital | WPA: Sch II; CITES: Appx II; CMS: Appx II |
| Bar-headed Goose | LC | No | High-altitude lakes; winter fields | Breeds Central Asia; winters across India | One of the highest-flying birds | WPA: Sch II |
| Black-and-orange Flycatcher | LC | Yes (Western Ghats) | Shola forests & ravines | Nilgiri, Palni & Annamalai hills | Western Ghats endemic | WPA: Sch II |
| Common Hill Myna | LC | No | Evergreen & wet deciduous forests | Eastern India & SE Asia | State bird of Chhattisgarh; famous mimic | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx II |
| Edible-nest Swiftlet | LC | No | Coastal caves & crevices | Andaman Islands; SE Asia | Edible nests made of saliva | — |
| Greater Flamingo | LC | No | Saline lagoons & saltpans | Most of India (except high Himalayas & NE) | State bird of Gujarat; largest flamingo | WPA: Sch II; CITES: Appx II |
| Grey Heron | LC | No | Wetlands & water bodies | Most of India (except deserts & high Himalayas) | Widespread wetland heron | WPA: Sch II |
| Himalayan Bulbul | LC | Yes (Himalayas) | Forests, shrublands & towns | Himalayan region | Hill bulbul species | WPA: Sch II |
| Little Egret | LC | No | Fresh, brackish & saline wetlands | Europe, Africa, Asia & Australia | Migratory wetland bird | WPA: Sch II |
| Nilgiri Flycatcher | LC | Yes (Western Ghats) | Evergreen & shola forests | Western Ghats | Sexual dimorphism (blue male) | WPA: Sch II |
| Snow Partridge | LC | No | Alpine pastures above treeline | High Himalayas & China | High-altitude gamebird | WPA: Sch II |
| House Sparrow | LC | No | Human habitations | Almost global (except China, Japan, Siberia) | State bird of Delhi (2012) | WPA: Sch II |
| White-bellied Sea Eagle | LC | No | Coasts, mangroves & estuaries | India, Sri Lanka, SE Asia, Australia | Official bird of Kasaragod district (Kerala) | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx II |
| Oriental Darter (Snakebird) | LC | No | Shallow inland wetlands | Most of India (except high Himalayas); common in Assam | Spear-like neck; fish-eating water bird | WPA: Sch II |
| Oriental White Ibis (Indian White Ibis) | LC | No | Marshes, lakes, paddy fields, mangroves | Indian subcontinent & SE Asia; common in W India | Also called black-headed ibis | WPA: Sch II |
| Painted Stork | LC | No | Marshes, lakes, flooded fields | River plains of Indian subcontinent & SE Asia | Large colonial nesting stork | WPA: Sch II |
| Yellow-throated Bulbul | LC | Yes (Deccan Peninsula) | Rocky scrub & forests | Deccan Plateau | Quarrying & mining sensitive | WPA: Sch IV |