29 Beautiful Birds Found Only In India's Western Ghats

One of the world's 36 biodiversity hotspots, the Western Ghats, a 1,600 km long mountain range running along India's western coast, is brimming with all forms of life. Over 500 species of birds have been recorded in this region, including many endemics. In this article, we enlist the 29 endemic species of birds in the Western Ghats based on the source here. Some species do have a wider range but have been included in this list as they are predominantly spotted in the Western Ghats.

Malabar Parakeet

Malabar or Blue-winged parakeet in Mangaon, Raigad, Maharashtra, India. Image credit: Shantanu Kuveskar, via Wikimedia Commons.

Scientific Name: Nicopsitta columboides

Conservation Status (IUCN Red List): Least Concern

Habitat Type: Forests, Shrublands

Malabar Grey Hornbill

A Malabar grey hornbill in Thattekad, Kerala. Image credit: Lip Kee via Flickr.com.

Scientific Name: Ocyceros griseus

Conservation Status (IUCN Red List): Vulnerable

Habitat Type: Forests

Malabar Barbet

A Malabar barbet on a fruiting tree. Image credit: Yogendra Joshi via Flickr.com.

Scientific Name: Psilopogon malabaricus

Conservation Status (IUCN Red List): Least Concern

Habitat Type: Forests, Wetlands

Nilgiri Flycatcher

A Nilgiri flycatcher. Image credit: Dharani Prakash via Wikimedia Commons.

Scientific Name: Eumyias albicaudatus

Conservation Status (IUCN Red List): Least Concern

Habitat Type: Forest

White-bellied Blue Flycatcher

White-bellied Blue-flycatcher. Image credit: Hari K. Patibanda via Flickr.com.

Scientific Name: Eumyias albicaudatus

Conservation Status (IUCN Red List): Least Concern

Habitat Type: Forest

Black-and-orange Flycatcher

A pair of Black and Orange Flycatchers. Image credit: Antony Grossyvia Wikimedia Commons.

Scientific Name: Ficedula nigrorufa

Conservation Status (IUCN Red List): Least Concern

Habitat Type: Forests, shrublands

Malabar Woodshrike

Malabar woodshrike in flight at Thattekad in Kerala. 

Scientific Name: Tephrodornis sylvicola

Conservation Status (IUCN Red List): Least Concern

Habitat Type: Forests, shrublands

White-bellied Treepie

A white-bellied treepie. Image credit: Davidvraju via Wikimedia Commons.

Scientific Name: Dendrocitta leucogastra

Conservation Status (IUCN Red List): Least Concern

Habitat Type: Forest

Broad-tailed Grassbird

A broad-tailed grassbird in the Brahmagiris Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka. Image credit: Madhukar Bangalore via Flickr.com.

Scientific Name: Schoenicola platyurus

Conservation Status (IUCN Red List): Near Threatened

Habitat Type: Shrublands, wetlands, grasslands

Rufous Babbler

Scientific Name: Argya subrufa

Conservation Status (IUCN Red List): Least Concern

Habitat Type: Forests, grasslands, shrublands

Wayanad Laughingthrush

Wayanad Laughingthrush. Image credit: Prasanna  Parab from Margao, India  via Wikimedia Commons.

Scientific Name: Pterorhinus delesserti

Conservation Status (IUCN Red List)

Habitat Type: Forests/shrublands

Malabar Starling

A Malabar starling in Dandeli, Maharashtra. Image credit: Prajwalkm via Wikimedia Commons.

Scientific Name: Sturnia blythii

Conservation Status (IUCN Red List): No information available

Habitat Type: Forests

Nilgiri Thrush

A Nilgiri thrush. Image credit: Prashanth Poojary via Wikimedia Commons.

Scientific Name: Zoothera neilgherriensis

Conservation Status (IUCN Red List): No information available

Habitat Type: Shola forests/cloud forests

Nilgiri Sholakili/Blue Robin

A Nilgiri blue robin. Image credit: Nilnetrus via Wikimedia Commons.

Scientific Name: Sholicola major

Conservation Status (IUCN Red List): Near Threatened

Habitat Type: Forest

White-bellied Sholakili/Blue Robin

A white-bellied sholakili. Image credit: Mike Prince via Flickr.com.

Scientific Name: Sholicola albiventris

Conservation Status (IUCN Red List): Near Threatened

Habitat Type: Forest

Nilgiri Flowerpecker

A Nilgiri flowerpecker in Thattekad, Kerala. Image credit: Lip Kee Yap from Singapore, Republic of Singapore via Wikimedia Commons.

Scientific Name: Dicaeum concolor

Conservation Status (IUCN Red List): Least Concern

Habitat Type: Forest

Nilgiri Pipit

A Nilgiri pipit. Image credit: PJeganathan via Wikimedia Commons.

Scientific Name: Anthus nilghiriensis

Conservation Status (IUCN Red List): Vulnerable

Habitat Type: Grassland, rocky areas

Nilgiri Woodpigeon

A Nilgiri woodpigeon. Image credit: Gautam Krishnan via Flickr.com.

Scientific Name: Columba elphinstonii

Conservation Status (IUCN Red List): Vulnerable

Habitat Type: Forest

Grey-fronted Green-pigeon

A grey-fronted green pigeon. Image credit: T. R. Shankar Raman via Wikimedia Commons.

Scientific Name: Treron affinis

Conservation Status (IUCN Red List): Least Concern

Habitat Type: Forest

Sahyadri Sunbird

A Sahyadri sunbird. Image credit: Shantanu Kuveskar via Wikimedia Commons.

Scientific Name: Aethopyga vigorsii

Conservation Status (IUCN Red List): Least Concern

Habitat Type: Forests, grasslands, shrublands

Crimson-backed Sunbird

A crimson-backed sunbird. Image credit: Hari K. Patibanda via Flickr.com.

Scientific Name: Leptocoma minima

Conservation Status (IUCN Red List): Least Concern

Habitat Type: Forest

Palani Chilappan/Laughingthrush

A Palani Laughingthrush. Image credit: Chandru0072 via Wikimedia Commons.

Scientific Name: Montecincla fairbanki

Conservation Status (IUCN Red List): Near Threatened

Habitat Type: Shrublands

Ashambu Chilappan/Laughingthrush

An Ashambu laughingthrush. Image credit: Seshadri.K.S via Wikimedia Commons.

Scientific Name: Montecincla meridionalis

Conservation Status (IUCN Red List): Vulnerable

Habitat Type: Forests, shrublands

Banasura Chilappan/Laughingthrush

A Banasura laughingthrush. Image credit: Ferns Nature Conservation Society via Wikimedia Commons.

Scientific Name: Montecincla jerdoni

Conservation Status (IUCN Red List): Endangered

Habitat Type: Forests

Nilgiri Chilappan/Laughingthrush

A Nilgiri laughingthrush. Image credit: Sidharth Srinivasan via Wikimedia Commons.

Scientific Name: Montecincla cachinnans

Conservation Status (IUCN Red List): Near Threatened

Habitat Type: Forests, shrubland

Flame-throated Bulbul

A flame-throated bulbul. Image credit: Hari K. Patibanda via Flickr.com.

Scientific Name: Rubigula gularis

Conservation Status (IUCN Red List): Least Concern

Habitat Type: Forests, wetlands

Grey-headed Bulbul

A pair of grey-headed bulbul. Image credit: Sahana M via Wikimedia Commons.

Scientific Name: Brachypodius priocephalus

Conservation Status (IUCN Red List): Near Threatened

Habitat Type: Forests

Malabar Lark

A Malabar crested lark. Image credit: Sandeep Gangadharan via Flickr.com.

Scientific Name: Galerida malabarica

Conservation Status (IUCN Red List): Least Concern

Habitat Type: Grasslands, shrublands, rocky places

White-cheeked Barbet

A nesting white-cheeked barbet. Image credit: Samyak Wildlife via Wikimedia Commons.

Scientific Name: Psilopogon viridis

Conservation Status (IUCN Red List): Least Concern

Habitat Type: Forests