Birds of Greenwoods City

We’d been birding a few years before moving to Greenwoods City in Gurgaon but our yard birding got the much needed impetus on moving to this residential complex. There are 5 landscaped parks in the complex and each proudly sports tree groves or at least a row of trees on its periphery. One in front of our house has a bamboo grove in a corner, a Kadamb tree right in the middle and Kaniar, Laburnum, Bottlebrush, Gulmohur, Earpod Wattle and more on its 4 sides. The trees are high but not dense. They get pruned annually so lose their girth in the process. This also means that they aren’t appropriate for making large nests by birds. Still, it’s been great to see some birds making do with them.  We’ve kept track of birds seen over the last 9 years of our stay here–even though the density of House Crows, Rock Pigeons, Laughing Doves and Jungle Babblers tends to be higher than prettier Oriental White-eyes or Coppersmith Barbets, we consider ourselves fortunate for a close look at any birds…as also for possibilities of spotting winter and passage migrants.

Kishore has had an album on birds of Greenwoods city in his gallery that would give an excellent idea of how these birds look, but here’s my meticulously maintained checklist for those birding in Gurgaon 🙂

1. Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus – Usually a single male with 2-3 females in tow
2. Coppersmith Barbet Megalaima haemacephala – Heard regularly; once saw 4 together in Aug 2006
3. Indian Grey Hornbill Ocyceros birostris – Only once in Mar 2007
4. Common Hoopoe Upupa epops – Seen on multiple occasions but not often
5. White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis – Heard regularly
6. Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis – Good numbers from March onwards
7. Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopacea – Heard regularly in peak summer
8. Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis – Seen only twice
9. Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameriI – Regular sightings
10. Rock Pigeon Columba livia – Regular sightings
11. Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto – Regular sightings
12. Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis – Regular sightings
13. Yellow-footed Green Pigeon Treron phoenicoptera – Seen March onwards
14. Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus – Seen March through summer
15. Shikra Accipiter badius – Regular sightings
16. Indian Pond Heron Ardeola grayii – Only once breeding plumage in June 2010
17. Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach – Only once in April 2005
18. Rufous Treepie Dendrocitta vagabunda – Regular sightings– at least 2 resident pairs
19. House Crow Corvus splendens – Regular sightings
20. Eurasian Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus – Only once in Aug 2006
21. Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus – Seen them nesting
22. Asian Paradise-flycatcher Terpsiphone paradise – Seen twice: Feb 2005 and Mar 2009
23. Orange-headed Thrush Zoothera citrine – Only once in Dec 2007
24. Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva – First noticed in April 2009
25. Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias thalassina – Only once in March 2007
26. Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis – First noticed in Mar 2012
27. Bluethroat Luscinia svecica – Only once in December 2007
28. Indian Robin Saxicoloides fulicata – Regular sightings
29. Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros – Winter migrant – Noticed from Nov 2007
30. Brahminy Starling Sturnus pagodarum – Rare sightings but seen multiple times
31. Asian Pied Starling Sturnus contra – Regular sightings
32. Common Myna Acridotheres tristis – Regular sightings
33. Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer – Regular sightings
34. Ashy Prinia Prinia socialis  – Regular sightings
35. Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpebrosus – Regular sightings
36. Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius – Regular sightings
37. Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita – Rare sightings – Ist in Sept 2006
38. Jungle Babbler Turdoides striatus – Regular sightings
39. Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca – Winter migrant – good numbers every winter
40. Purple Sunbird Nectarinia asiatica – Regular sightings
41. House Sparrow Passer domesticus – Regular sightings