Birds of the Indian Hills 



THE DICRURID^ OR DRONGO FAMILY 



Several species of drongo or king-crow occur 

 on the Nilgiris, but not one of them is 

 sufficiently abundant to be numbered among 

 the common birds of the hill stations. 



THE SYLVIID^ OR WARBLER FAMILY 



Of the warblers it may be said " their name 

 is legion." So many species exist, and the 

 various species are so difficult to differentiate, 

 that the family drives most field ornithologists 

 to the verge of despair. Many of the Indian 

 warblers are only winter visitors to India. 

 Eliminating these, only two warblers are entitled 

 to a place among the common birds of the 

 Nilgiris. These are the tailor-bird and the 

 ashy wren-warbler. 



At Coonoor the tailor-bird {Orthotomus sarto- 

 rius) is nearly as abundant as it is in the plains. 

 Oates, be it noted, states that this species does 

 not ascend the hills higher than 4000 feet. 

 As a matter of fact, the tailor-bird does not 

 venture quite up to the plateau, but it is per- 

 fectly at home at all elevations below 6000 



feet. This species may be likened to a wren 

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