Field Guide to the Birds of Bangladesh

321 Pages·2021·185.22 MB·English

by  Richard Grimmett, Paul Thompson, Tim Inskipp

Birds of
BANGLADESH
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Richard Grimmett
In loving memory of his mum, Molly Grimmett.
Happy memories shine bright and strong.
Paul Thompson
In memory of David L. Johnson,
for many happy days sharing birds and bird lore in Bangladesh.
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HELM FIELD GUIDES
Birds of
BANGLADESH
Richard Grimmett, Paul Thompson & Tim Inskipp
Illustrated by
Richard Allen, Adam Bowley, Clive Byers, Dan Cole, John Cox,
Gerald Driessens, Carl d’Silva, Martin Elliott, Kim Franklin, John Gale,
Alan Harris, Peter Hayman, Dave Nurney, Craig Robson,
Christopher Schmidt, Brian Small, Jan Wilczur,
Tim Worfolk & Martin Woodcock
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HELM
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
50 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3DP, UK
29 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2, Ireland
BLOOMSBURY, HELM and the Helm logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
First published in the United Kingdom 2021
This electronic edition published in 2021 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Copyright © Richard Grimmett, Paul Thompson and Tim Inskipp, 2021
Illustrations © Richard Allen, Adam Bowley, Clive Byers, Dan Cole, John Cox, Gerald Driessens, Carl d’Silva,
Martin Elliott, Kim Franklin, John Gale, Alan Harris, Peter Hayman, Dave Nurney, Craig Robson, Christopher
Schmidt, Brian Small, Jan Wilczur, Tim Worfolk and Martin Woodcock, 2021
Photographs © IUCN/Sakib Ahmed: p 24T; Sayam U. Chowdhury: 23B, p 27, p 28; M. Monirul H. Khan:
p 25B; Samiul Mohsanin: p 15T, p 16B, p 26; Sirazul Islam Siraz/Alamy: p 21; Paul Thompson: p 15B, p 16T, p
17, p 18, p 19, p 22, p 23T, p 24B, p 25T.
Richard Grimmett, Paul Thompson and Tim Inskipp have asserted their rights under the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Authors of this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
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Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication data has been applied for.
ISBN: HB: 978-1-4729-9059-4
PB: 978-1-4729-3755-1
ePub: 978-1-4729-9248-2
ePDF: 978-1-4729-3756-8
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CONTENTS
Plate Page
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 8
INTRODUCTION 9
TAXONOMY AND NOMENCLATURE 9
PLATES AND SPECIES ACCOUNTS 10
PLUMAGE TERMINOLOGY 11
GEOGRAPHICAL SETTING 12
CLIMATE 14
MAIN HABITATS, THREATS AND BIRD SPECIES 14
Forests 14
Coastal wetlands 16
Freshwater wetlands 17
Grasslands 18
Agricultural land 19
Villages and towns 19
IMPORTANCE FOR BIRDS 20
Species diversity 20
Globally threatened species and endemism 20
Migration 20
BIRDWATCHING AREAS 21
CONSERVATION MEASURES 29
Cultural attitudes 29
Commitment to international conservation agreements 29
Institutional framework for conservation 29
Protected and conservation areas 29
NATIONAL ORGANISATIONS 33
INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS 33
GLOSSARY 34
FAMILY SUMMARIES 36
PLATES AND SPECIES ACCOUNTS
Partridges and Pheasants PHASIANIDAE 1–3 54–58
Buttonquails TURNICIDAE 3 58
Ducks and Geese ANATIDAE 4–8 60–68
Grebes PODICIPEDIDAE 8 68
Pigeons and Doves COLUMBIDAE 9–11 70–74
Nightjars CAPRIMULGIDAE 12 76
Frogmouth PODARGIDAE 13 78
Swifts APODIDAE 13 78
Cuckoos CUCULIDAE 14–16 80–84
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Crakes, Rails and Gallinules RALLIDAE 17–18 86–88
Finfoot HELIORNITHIDAE 19 90
Bustards OTIDIDAE 19 90
Cranes GRUIDAE 19 90
Storks CICONIIDAE 20–21 92–94
Ibises and Spoonbill THRESKIORNITHIDAE 21 94
Herons ARDEIDAE 22–24 96–100
Pelican PELECANIDAE 25 102
Cormorants PHALACROCORACIDAE 25 102
Darter ANHINGIDAE 25 102
Thick-knees BURHINIDAE 26 104
Oystercatcher HAEMATOPODIDAE 26 104
Stilt and Avocet RECURVIROSTRIDAE 26 104
Lapwings and Plovers CHARADRIIDAE 27–28 106–108
Painted-snipe ROSTRATULIDAE 29 110
Jacanas JACANIDAE 29 110
Pratincoles GLAREOLIDAE 29 110
Sandpipers and Allies SCOLOPACIDAE 30–35 112–122
Gulls, Terns and Skimmer LARIDAE 36–39 124–130
Jaeger STERCORARIIDAE 37 126
Barn-owl TYTONIDAE 40 132
Typical Owls STRIGIDAE 40–42 132–136
Osprey PANDIONIDAE 43 138
Kites, Hawks and Eagles ACCIPITRIDAE 43–51 138–154
Trogon TROGONIDAE 52 156
Hornbills BUCEROTIDAE 52 156
Hoopoe UPUPIDAE 52 156
Bee-eaters MEROPIDAE 53 158
Rollers CORACIIDAE 53–54 158–160
Kingfishers ALCEDINIDAE 54–55 160–162
Asian Barbets MEGALAIMIDAE 56 164
Wryneck, Piculets and Woodpeckers PICIDAE 57–59 166–170
Falcons FALCONIDAE 60–61 172–174
Parrots and Parakeets PSITTACIDAE 61–62 174–176
Pittas PITTIDAE 63 178
Whistler PACHYCEPHALIDAE 63 178
Broadbills EURYLAIMIDAE 64 180
Orioles ORIOLIDAE 64 180
Erpornis VIREONIDAE 65 182
Cuckooshrikes and Minivets CAMPEPHAGIDAE 65–66 182–184
Woodswallow ARTAMIDAE 66 184
Iora AEGITHINIDAE 66 184
Fantail RHIPIDURIDAE 66 184
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Woodshrikes VANGIDAE 67 186
Monarchs MONARCHIDAE 67 186
Drongos DICRURIDAE 68 188
Shrikes LANIIDAE 69 190
Canary-flycatcher STENOSTIRIDAE 69 190
Tit PARIDAE 69 190
Crows CORVIDAE 70 192
Larks ALAUDIDAE 71 194
Cisticolas and Allies CISTICOLIDAE 72–73 196–198
Reed-warblers ACROCEPHALIDAE 73–74 198–200
Grasshopper-warblers and Grassbirds LOCUSTELLIDAE 75 202
Swallows and Martins HIRUNDINIDAE 76–77 204–206
Bulbuls PYCNONOTIDAE 77–78 206–208
Leaf-warblers PHYLLOSCOPIDAE 79–80 210–212
Bush-warblers SCOTOCERCIDAE 80 212
Old World Warblers and Parrotbills SYLVIIDAE 81 214
White-eye and Yuhina ZOSTEROPIDAE 81 214
Scimitar-babblers and Allies TIMALIIDAE 82 216
Ground Babblers PELLORNEIDAE 83–84 218–220
Laughingthrushes and Allies LEIOTHRICIDAE 84–85 220–222
Nuthatches SITTIDAE 86 224
Starlings and Mynas STURNIDAE 86–87 224–226
Thrushes TURDIDAE 88 228
Chats and Old World Flycatchers MUSCICAPIDAE 89–94 230–240
Fairy-bluebird IRENIDAE 95 242
Leafbirds CHLOROPSEIDAE 95 242
Sunbirds and Spiderhunters NECTARINIIDAE 95, 97 242, 246
Flowerpeckers DICAEIDAE 96 244
Weavers PLOCEIDAE 98 248
Old World Sparrows PASSERIDAE 98 248
Munias ESTRILDIDAE 99 250
Pipits and Wagtails MOTACILLIDAE 100–102 252–256
Finches FRINGILLIDAE 103 258
Buntings EMBERIZIDAE 103 258
APPENDICES
1 Vagrants 260
2 Species list including Bangla names 284
3 Hypothetical and unconfirmed birds that might occur in Bangladesh 300
REFERENCES 308
INDEX 309
QUICK INDEX 320
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors are grateful to the artists whose work illustrates this book, including Alan Harris who executed
the cover.
Richard Grimmett would like to thank George Grimmett for help preparing the text on climate and
the geographical setting for the introduction, and Ella Grimmett for help to arrange and check the species
texts and other assistance. A very grateful thanks also to Helen Taylor for the support and love that has
underpinned our family life.
Also appreciated is the assistance given to Richard Grimmett from colleagues at BirdLife International,
Ian Burfield, Adjoa Boateng and Tom Lambert, to help access information from the BirdLife Data Zone and
for preparing the map on Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas in Bangladesh. The authors have great
admiration and appreciation for the teams at BirdLife and Handbook of the Birds of the World for providing
such an authoritative reference point on the taxonomy, nomenclature and status of the world’s birds, which
has been followed in this work (see opposite). What would the birding and conservation world do without
such rigorous foundations?
Many people have generously shared birding locations, visits and sightings with Paul Thompson, who
in particular thanks David Johnson, Enam Ul Haque and Ronald Halder for their company and pioneering
publications on Bangladesh birds, and Sayam U. Chowdhury for helping compile the burgeoning records of
recent rarities. We again thank Enam Ul Haque, founder of the Bangladesh Bird Club, who kindly provided
Bangla names for all the species recorded.
Work by Carol Inskipp for earlier books, together with Richard Grimmettt and Tim Inskipp (e.g. Birds of
the Indian Subcontinent), has been invaluable in preparing the introduction (especially the family summaries)
and for the species accounts (with regard to habits and voice) and we express our considerable thanks for
allowing us to build off these for this book.
Finally, thanks also go to our publisher Bloomsbury, its commissioning editor Jim Martin, and editors
Alice Ward and Jenny Campbell for their belief in this project; to Tim Harris and Guy Kirwan for editing the
text; and to Julie Dando for preparing final copy of the maps and for the wonderful layout.
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INTRODUCTION
Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated and intensively cultivated countries on Earth, and
remnant natural and semi-natural habitats are under huge pressure. Despite this, the country can boast
the Sundarbans, the largest area of mangrove forest in the world, vast expanses of intertidal habitat and
a fine number of accessible and productive sites to go birdwatching. Even the capital city Dhaka and the
surrounding area has some nice spots to see birds.
Birding is not a widely practiced pastime in Bangladesh, but this is starting to change. Bird photography
is becoming popular and bird clubs are springing up. Domestic tourism and an interest in nature is rapidly
growing, and deshi (national) and foreign birders alike are finding birding to be rewarding, with many
opportunities for new discoveries.
To aid and encourage this interest, and to support researchers and conservation practitioners, this
book aims to present in a readily accessible form information on the occurrence, identification, habits and
habitats of all 705 species reliably recorded in the country up to the end of 2019.
The detailed text covers all 535 bird species regularly occurring in the country or that have bred or were
presumed resident in the past. Accompanying this text, there are 103 colour plates depicting each species
and the variations in plumages with sex and age. There are also distribution maps to provide information
on the extent and nature of each species’ occurrence. Appendix 1 provides information on the 170 species
that have been recorded rarely and are currently considered to be vagrants to the country, although as our
knowledge improves several may prove to be regular.
In addition, Appendix 3 lists 162 species for which there are published references to Bangladesh but
which are considered unproven.
TAXONOMY AND NOMENCLATURE
The taxonomy and nomenclature used follows the Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife
International digital checklist of the birds of the world (HBW and BirdLife International 2019). We have
done this to improve standardisation in the region and follow what has been adopted by, and make life
easier for, birders in Bangladesh (Thompson & Chowdhury 2020). This has resulted in major changes from
Birds of the Indian Subcontinent (Grimmett et al. 2011), which largely followed Inskipp et al. (1996) and Gill
& Wright (2006). The aim is to take account of (although not necessarily follow) the many recent proposals
for taxonomic changes, particularly in Rasmussen & Anderton (2012), Dickinson & Remsen (2013), Dickinson
& Christidis (2014) and del Hoyo & Collar (2014–16). The changes from Birds of the Indian Subcontinent are
too many to list here, but alternative names and taxonomic notes are provided in the species accounts to
help the reader understand these.
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