The Birds of Burma

Mystical Burma (Myanmar) is hidden inside the pages of this classic book, now re-issued and updated by the late author, B.E. Smythies. Fewer than a score of important papers has appeared on Burmese birds since 1945, but birdwatchers have continued to add a trickle of new species to the list. These findings have been fully incorporated into the new edition. New taxonomic work on groups such as bushlarks and warblers has helped to push the total of birds recorded in Burma to virtually one thousand – amongst the richest in the world for a country of this size. The plates for this edition have been re-photographed from the original paintings, which survive after one of the most dramatic escape stories in ornithological history. These paintings help to document the changing birdlife described in the text, from the decline of the great waterbird colonies, of pelicans and cormorants, to the new wave of records produced by tourism and birdwatching today.

• DEDICATION ix
• PREFACE TO FOURTH EDITION xi
• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xiii
• INTRODUCTION 1
• GLOSSARY 18
• LIST OF COLOUR PLATES 19
• DISTRIBUTION MAP 26
• COLOUR PLATES 29
• Order PODICIPEDIFORMES: Grebes 95
• Family PODICIPEDIDAE: Grebes 95
• Order PROCELLARIIFORMES: Petrels and Shearwaters 96
• Family PROCELLARI1DAE: Petrels and Shearwaters 96
• Order PELE’CANIFORMES: Tropicbirds 96
• Family PHAETHONTIDAE: Tropicbirds 96
• PELECANIDAE: Pelicans 97
• SULIDAE: Boobies 99
• PHALACROCORACIDAE: Cormorants. Shags, Darters 99
• Order CICONIIFORMES: Herons, Storks, etc 102
• Family ARDEIDAE: Herons. Egrets. Bitterns 102
• CICONIIDAE: Storks 112
• THRESKIORNITHIDAE: Spoonbills. Ibises 116
• Order ANSERIFORMES: Swans, Geese, Ducks 118
• Family ANATIDAE: Swans, Geese, Ducks 118
• Subfamily ANSERINAE: Geese 119
• DENDROCYGNINAE: Treeducks or Whistling Ducks 122
• ANATINAE: Surface-feeders 123
• Tribe TADORNINI: Shelducks 123
• Tribe CAIRININI: Perching Ducks 124
• Tribe ANATINI: Surface-feeders 127
• Tribe AYTHYINI: Diving Ducks 133
• Tribe MERGINI: Sawbills 136
• Order FALCONIFORMES: Vultures, Hawks, Eagles, Falcons 137
• Family PANDIONIDAE: Osprey 137
• ACCIPITRIDAE: Vultures, Hawks, Eagles, etc. 138
• FALCON1DAE: Falcons 159
• Order GALLIFORMES: Pheasants, Partridges, Quails 164
• Family PHASIANIDAE: Pheasants, Partridges, Quails 164
• Order GRUIFORMES: Cranes, Rails, etc. 179
• Family TURNICIDAE: Buttonquails 179
• GRUIDAE: Cranes 180
• RALLIDAE: Rails, Crakes, Moorhens, etc. 182
• HELIORNITHIDAE: Finfoots 188
• OTIDIDAE: Bustards 189
• Order CHARADRHFORMES: Waders, Gulls, Terns, etc. 190
• Family JACAN1DAE: Jacanas 190
• HAEMATOPODIDAE: Oystercatchers 191
• CHARADRIIDAE: Plovers, Sandpipers, Snipe 191
• Subfamily CHARADRIINAE: Plovers 192
• SCOLOPACINAE: Curlews, Sandpipers, Snipe 198
• Family ROSTRATULIDAE: Painted-Snipe 213
• RECURVIROSTRIIDAE: Stilts, Avocets, Ibisbill 214
• BURHINIDAE: Stone Curlews 215
• GLAREOLIDAE: Pratincoles 217
• STERCORARIIDAE: Skuas and Jaegers 218
• LARIDAE: Gulls, Terns and Skimmers 219
• Order COLUMBIFORMES: Pigeons 227
• Family COLUMBIDAE: Pigeons, Doves 227
• Order PSITTACIFORMES: Parrots 238
• Family PSITTACIDAE: Parrots, Parakeets 238
• Order CUCULIFORMES: Cuckoos 242
• Family CUCULIDAE: Cuckoos 242
• Subfamily CUCULINAE: Cuckoos 243
• PHAENICOPHAINAE: Malkohas 251
• CENTROPODINAE: Coucals or Crow-Pheasants 253
• Order STRIGIFORMES: Owls 255
• Family STRIG1DAE: Owls 255
• Subfamily TYTONINAE: Barn Owls 256
• STRIGINAE: Owls, Owlets, etc. 257
• Order CAPRIMULGIFORMES: Frogrnouths, Nightjars 265
• Family BATRACHOSTOMIDAE: Frogmouths 265
• CAPRIMULGIDAE: Nightjars 266
• Order APODIFORMES: Swifts 270
• Family APODIDAE: Swifts 270
• HEMIPROCNIDAE: Treeswilts 276
• Order TROGONIFORMES: Trogons 277
• Family TROGONIDAE: Trogons 277
• Order CORACIIFORMES: Kingfishers, Bee-eaters, Rollers, etc. 279
• Family ALCEDINIDAE: Kingfishers 279
• MEROPIDAE: Bee-eaters 286
• CORACIIDAE: Rollers 289
• UPUPIDAE: Hoopoe 291
• BUCEROTIDAE: Hornbills 292
• Order PICIFORMES: Barbets, Woodpeckers 296
• Family MEGALAIMIDAE: Barbets 296
• INDICATORIDAE: Honeyguides 301
• PICIDAE: Woodpeckers, Piculets, Wryneck 302
• Subfamily PICINAE: Woodpeckers 302
• PICUMNINAE: Piculets 316
• JYNGINAE: Wrynecks 317
• Order PASSERIFORMES: Perching Birds 318
• Family EURYLAIMIDAE: Broadbills 318
• PITTIDAE: Pittas 321
• ALAUDIDAE: Larks 326
• HIRUNDINIDAE: Martins, Swallows 330
• LANIIDAE: Shrikes 335
• ORIOLIDAE: Orioles 337
• DICRURIDAE: Drongos 340
• ARTAMIDAE: Wood-Swallows 344
• STURNIDAE: Mynas, Starlings 344
• CORVIDAE: Crows, Magpies, Treepies. Jays. etc. 351
• CAMPEPHAGIDAE: Wood-Shrikes, Cuckoo-Shrikes, Minivets 359
• IRENIDAE: Fairy-Bluebirds, Ioras, Leafbirds 367
• PYCNONOTIDAE: Bulbuls 370
• TIMALIIDAE: Babblers 382
• Subfamily PELLORNEINAE: Jungle Babblers 383
• POMATORHINAE: Scimitar Babblers, Wren Babblers 386
• TIMALIINAE: Babblers 394
• CHAMAEINAE: Babblers, Parrotbills 399
• TURDOIDINAE: Laughingthrushes, etc. 403
• Family MUSCICAPIDAE: Flycatchers 431
• Subfamily MUSCICAPINAE: Typical Flycatchers 431
• MONARCHINAE: Monarch and Paradise Flycatchers 444
• RHIPIDURINAE: Fantail Flycatchers 447
• Family PACHYCEPHALIDAE: Whistlers 449
• SYLVIIDAE: Warblers 450
• TURDIDAE: Robins. Chats, Thrushes. etc. 478
• Subfamily ERITHACINAE: Robins 478
• SAXICOLINAE: Chats 489
• ENICURINAE: Forktails 493
• TURDINAE: Thrushes 496
• MYOPHONINAE: Whistling Thrushes 503
• COCHOINAE: Cochoti 504
• Family TROGLODYTIDAE: Wrens 505
• CINCLIDAE: Dippers 505
• PRUNELLIDAE: Accentors 506
• PARIDAE: Tits 508
• SITTIDAE: Nuthatches 512
• CERTHIIDAE: Treecreepers 516
• MOTACILLIDAE: Wagtails, Pipits 517
• DICAEIDAE: Flowerpeckers 525
• NECTARINIIDAE: Sunbirds, Spiclerhunters 528
• NECTARINIINAE: Sunbirds 528
• ARACHNOTHERINAE: Spiderhunters 535
• Family ZOSTEROPIDAE: White-eyes 537
• PLOCEIDAE: Weavers, Sparrows. Munias 539
• Subfamily PLOCEINAE: Weavers 539
• PASSERINAE: Sparrows 541
• ESTRILDINAE: Munias 544
• Family FRINGILLIDAE: Finches 547
• EMBERIZIDAE: Buntings 554
• B.E. SMYTHIES(1912-1999) 559
• BIBLIOGRAPHY 565
• INDEX TO COMMON AND SCIENTIFIC NAMES 579