The Common Birds of the Nilgiris 



together ignored or given but the briefest 

 mention. 



This article does not deal exhaustively with 

 the birds of the Nilgiris ; it is merely a short 

 account of the birds commonly seen in the 

 higher regions of those hills during the summer 

 months. To compile an exhaustive list would 

 be easy. I refrain from doing so because a 

 reader unacquainted with Indian ornithology 

 would, if confronted by such a list, find it 

 difficult to identify the common birds. 



With this by way of introduction, I will 

 proceed to describe the birds in question, 

 dealing with them according to the classifica- 

 tion adopted in the standard book on Indian 

 ornithology — the bird volumes of the "Fauna 

 of British India " series. 



THE CORVID^ OR CROW FAMILY 



This family is not nearly so well represented 



on the Nilgiris as it is in the Himalayas. The 



only crow found on the Nilgiris is the Indian 



corby (Gorvus macrorhynchus) — the large black 



crow familiar to persons living in the plains. 



He, alas, is plentiful in the various hill 



stations ; but it is some consolation that the 



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