Birds of Pakistan

Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long, pointed bills, short legs and stubby tails. There are 93 species worldwide and 5 species which occur in Pakistan. Common kingfisher,  Alcedo atthis Common kingfisher - Rawal Lake White-throated kingfisher,  Halcyon smyrnensis White-throated kingfisher - Rawal Lake Black-capped kingfisher,  Halcyon pileata  (A) Crested kingfisher,  Megaceryle lugubris Crested kingfisher - Margalla Hills Pied kingfisher,  Ceryle rudis Pied kingfisher - Rawal Lake

Sparrows are small passerine birds. In general, sparrows tend to be small, plump, brown or grey birds with short tails and short powerful beaks. Sparrows are seed eaters, but they also consume small insects. There are 11 species which occur in Pakistan. House sparrow,  Passer domesticus House sparrow - Rawal Lake Spanish sparrow,  Passer hispaniolensis Sind sparrow,  Passer pyrrhonotus Russet sparrow,  Passer rutilans Russet sparrow (Female) - Naran Russet sparrow (Male) - Naran Dead Sea sparrow,  Passer moabiticus Eurasian tree sparrow,  Passer montanus Chestnut-shouldered petronia,  Petronia xanthocollis Chestnut-shouldered petronia - Lakeview Park Yellow Throated Sparrow - Lakeview Rock petronia,  Petronia petronia

Finches are seed-eating passerine birds, that are small to moderately large and have a strong beak, usually conical and in some species very large. All have twelve tail feathers and nine primaries. These birds have a bouncing flight with alternating bouts of flapping and gliding on closed wings, and most sing well. There are 137 species worldwide and 31 species which occur in Pakistan. Common chaffinch,  Fringilla coelebs Brambling,  Fringilla montifringilla Plain mountain-finch,  Leucosticte nemoricola Black-headed mountain-finch,  Leucosticte brandti Brandt's or Black Headed Mountain Finch --- Khunjrab Top Dark-breasted rosefinch,  Carpodacus nipalensis Common rosefinch,  Carpodacus erythrinus Common Rosefinch (Male) - Talhar Velly Common rosefinch (Female) - Rawal Lake Beautiful rosefinch,  Carpodacus pulcherrimus Pink-browed rosefinch,  Carpodacus rhodochrous White-browed rosefinch,  Carpodacus ...

Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds. Their flight is strong and direct and they are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country. They eat insects and fruit. Plumage is typically dark with a metallic sheen. Spot-winged starling,  Saroglossa spilopterus Jungle myna,  Acridotheres fuscus Jungle myna - H-9, Islamabad Bank myna,  Acridotheres ginginianus Bank myna - H-9, Islamabad Common myna,  Acridotheres tristis Common myna - Trail 5 Pied myna,  Gracupica contra Pied myna - H-9, Islamabad Daurian starling,  Agropsar sturninus  (A) Chestnut-tailed starling,  Sturnia malabarica Spot-winged starling - Lakeview Park  Brahminy starling,  Sturnia pagodarum Brahminy starling - H-9, Islamabad Brahminy starling - H-9, Islamabad Rosy starling,  Pastor roseus Rosy starling, Hunza European starling,  Sturnus vulgaris Co...

The family Corvidae includes crows, ravens, jays, choughs, magpies, treepies, nutcrackers and ground jays. Corvids are above average in size among the Passeriformes, and some of the larger species show high levels of intelligence. Eurasian jay,  Garrulus glandarius Black-headed jay,  Garrulus lanceolatus Black-headed jay - Margalla Hills Gold-billed magpie,  Urocissa flavirostris Yellow-Billed Blue Magpie - Margalla Hills Rufous treepie,  Dendrocitta vagabunda Rufous treepie - Margalla Hills Grey treepie,  Dendrocitta formosae Grey treepie - Margalla Hills Eurasian magpie,  Pica pica Black-billed magpie --- Gojal Hunza Eurasian nutcracker,  Nucifraga caryocatactes Large-spotted nutcracker,  Nucifraga multipunctata

Shrikes are passerine birds known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns. A typical shrike's beak is hooked, like a bird of prey. Red-backed shrike,  Lanius collurio Isabelline shrike,  Lanius isabellinus Red-tailed shrike,  Lanius phoenicuroides Brown shrike,  Lanius cristatus Brown Shrike  --- Head Marala, Sialkot (Feb 2018) Bay-backed shrike,  Lanius vittatus Long-tailed shrike,  Lanius schach Long-tailed shrike - H-9, Islamabad Grey-backed shrike,  Lanius tephronotus Great grey shrike,  Lanius excubitor Southern grey shrike,  Lanius meridionalis Lesser grey shrike,  Lanius minor  (A)

The fantails are small insectivorous birds which are specialist aerial feeders. White-throated fantail,  Rhipidura albicollis White-throated fantail - Margalla Hills White-throated fantail - Margalla Hills White-browed fantail,  Rhipidura aureola Yellow-bellied fantail,  Chelidorhynx hypoxantha Yellow-bellied fantail (Juvenile) - Margalla Hills