List of birds of Chennai

This is a lists the birds of Chennai, the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Over 130 species of birds have been spotted there. The list includes the local Tamil name.

Grebes

 * Little grebe, mukkulippan

Cormorants

 * Little cormorant, chinna neer kagam

Darters

 * Darter, pambu thara

Bitterns, herons and egrets

 * Grey heron, sambal narai
 * Purple heron, sen narai
 * Indian pond heron, kuruttu kokku
 * Cattle egret, unni kokku
 * Striated heron, dhosi kokku
 * Great egret, peria kokku
 * Black bittern, karunkurugu
 * Little egret, chinna kokku
 * Chestnut bittern, sengurugu
 * Yellow bittern, manal naarai
 * Intermediate egret, vellai kokku
 * Black-crowned night heron, erakokku or vakkaa

Storks

 * Painted stork, manjal mooku naarai or sanguvalai naarai
 * Asian open-billed stork, nathai kuthi naarai

Ibises and spoonbills

 * Glossy ibis, arival mookan or anril
 * Black-headed ibis, vellai arival mookkan or thaalaikothi chondan

Flamingos and pelicans

 * Greater flamingo, poo narai
 * Spot-billed pelican

Ducks

 * Northern pintail, maarkaliyan
 * Indian spot-billed duck, pulli mookku vathu
 * Lesser whistling duck, cheezhkai siragi or chilli thaaraa

Hawks, kites and eagles

 * Shikra, valluru
 * Eurasian sparrowhawk, kuruvi valluru
 * Besra, chinna valluru
 * Black-winged kite, siria karum parundhu or karuntholl parundhu
 * Brahminy kite, semparundhu or garudan
 * Black kite, kalla parundhu
 * Egyptian vulture, manjal thirudi kazhugu
 * Crested honey buzzard, thaen parundhu
 * Crested serpent eagle, paambu parundhu
 * White-bellied sea eagle
 * White-rumped vulture
 * Short-toed snake eagle
 * Booted eagle at Pallikaranai wetland

Falcons

 * Common kestrel, sivappu valluru

Pheasants and partridges

 * Grey francolin, kowdhari
 * Indian peafowl, neela mayil
 * White-breasted waterhen, kaanang kozhi

Rails, crakes and coots

 * Common coot, naamak kozhi
 * Common moorhen, thaazhai kozhi
 * Grey-headed swamphen, neela thazhai kozhi or neerk kozhi

Jacanas

 * Pheasant-tailed jacana, neela vaal ilai kozhi
 * Bronze-winged jacana

Plovers and lapwings

 * Kentish plover, chinna kottan
 * Little ringed plover, pattani uppukkothi or sinna kottan
 * Pacific golden plover, kalporukki uppukkothi or uppukkothi
 * Red-wattled lapwing, sivappu mookku aalkatti
 * Yellow-wattled lapwing, manjhal mookku aalkatti

Sandpipers and allies

 * Common sandpiper, ullan or kottan
 * Little stint, kosu ullan
 * Black-tailed godwit, karuvaal mukkan
 * Ruff, pedhai ullan
 * Wood sandpiper, pori ullan or vayal ullaan
 * Common greenshank, pachai kaali or periya kottaan
 * Marsh sandpiper, chinna pachai kaali
 * Common redshank, pavazha kaali or sigappukkaal ullan

Snipes and curlew

 * Common snipe, visirivaal ullan or korai kuthi
 * Eurasian curlew, peria kottan or kuthiraimalai kottan
 * Black-winged stilt, pavazhakkaal ullaan
 * Stone curlew, kankiledi or kannadi aalkaatti

Gulls

 * Black-headed gull, kadal kaakkai

Terns

 * Gull-billed tern, parutha alagu aala or kadal kuruvi
 * river tern, aatru aala

Doves and pigeons

 * Blue rock pigeon, mada pura
 * Spotted dove, pulli pura or mani pura
 * Little brown dove, chinna thavittu pura

Parrots and parakeets

 * Rose-ringed parakeet, senthaar pynkili or kili

Cuckoos

 * Greater coucal, shenbagam or kalli kaakka
 * Red-winged crested cuckoo, sevviragu kondai kuyil or kondai kuyil
 * Jacobin cuckoo, sudalai kuyil or paruthi kuyil
 * Asian koel, kokilam or kuyil
 * Brainfever bird, akka kuyil parundhu kuyil
 * Blue-faced malkoha, pachai vayan kuyil

Barn owls

 * Barn owl, koogai andhai or saavu kuruvi

Typical owls

 * Short-eared owl, kuttai kaadhu aandhai or aandhai
 * Spotted owlet, pulli aandhai
 * Eurasian eagle owl, komban aandhai

Nightjars

 * Indian nightjar, chinna pakki or pakki

Swifts

 * House swift, nattu uzhavaran
 * Asian palm swift, panai uzhavaran or uzhavaarakkuruvi

Kingfishers

 * Small blue kingfisher, siraal meenkothi
 * Pied kingfisher, karuppu vellai meenkothi
 * Stork-billed kingfisher, peria alagu meenkothi
 * Black-capped kingfisher, karunthalai meenkothi
 * White-throated kingfisher, venthondai meenkothi

Bee-eaters

 * Green bee-eater, pachai panchuruttan or panchuruttan
 * Blue-tailed bee-eater, neelawal panchuruttan

Rollers and hoopoe

 * Indian roller, panangadai
 * Hoopoe, kondalathi

Barbets

 * Coppersmith barbet, semmaarbu kukkuruvaan or kalutharuppan

Woodpeckers

 * Lesser golden-backed woodpecker, ponmudhugu maram kothi

Pitta and larks

 * Indian pitta, thottakkallan or arumani kuruvi
 * Oriental skylark, chinna vaanambadi
 * Ashy-crowned sparrow lark, sambalthalai vaanambadi
 * Jerdon's bushlark, pudhar vaanambadi

Swallows and martins

 * Barn swallow, thagaivilaan or thaampaadi

Wagtails and pipits

 * Paddyfield pipit, pullu porukki
 * Grey wagtail, kodikkaal vaalatti
 * yellow wagtail, manjal vaalatti
 * White-browed wagtail, kulathu kuruvi

Cuckooshrikes

 * Black-headed cuckooshrike, karunthalai kuyil keechaan
 * Small minivet, chinna minchittu

Bulbuls

 * Red-vented bulbul, kondai kuruvi
 * Red-whiskered bulbul, thondai koluthi
 * White-browed bulbul, manjal thondaikuruvi
 * Common iora, maambazha kuruvi

Thrushes and allies

 * Orange-headed thrush, senthalai poonkuruvi

Prinias

 * Plain prinia, thinu kuruvi
 * Ashy prinia, saambal kadhirkuruvi

Cisticolas

 * Common tailorbird, thaiyal chittu

Acrocephalid warblers

 * Blyth's reed warbler, kadhirkuruvi

Old World warblers

 * Yellow-billed babbler, thavittu kuruvi

Old World flycatchers

 * Indian robin, vannaathi kuruvi
 * Oriental magpie robin, vannathi kuruvi
 * Indian paradise flycatcher, vethi vaalkuruvi
 * Pied bushchat, pudhar chittu

Laughingthrushes

 * Common babbler, thavittu chilamban
 * Large grey babbler, periya saambal silamban
 * Jungle babbler, kaattu silamban

Sunbirds

 * Purple sunbird, thaen chittu
 * Loten's sunbird
 * Purple-rumped sunbird

Old World orioles

 * Indian golden oriole, maangkuyil
 * Black-naped oriole

Shrikes

 * Brown shrike, pazhuppu keechaan
 * Long-tailed shrike, kattukuruvi or pey kuruvi

Woodshrikes

 * Common woodshrike, kattu keechaan

Drongos

 * Black drongo, karichchaan

Woodswallows

 * Ashy woodswallow, madam puraa

Crows and treepies

 * Jungle crow, andan kakkai or karun kakkai
 * House crow, kakkai
 * Rufous treepie, vaal kakkai

Starlings

 * Common myna, naahanavaai
 * Brahminy starling, pappathi naahanavai
 * Rosy starling, chola kuruvi

Weavers

 * Streaked weaver, Karungeetru Thookkanam kuruvi
 * Baya weaver, Thookanaan kuruvi

Munias

 * Tricoloured munia, thinaikuruvi
 * Scaly-breasted munia, nellu kuruvi
 * White-rumped munia, venmudhugu chillai

Sparrows

 * House sparrow, oor kuruvi
 * Indian silverbill, nellu kuruvi