Kashmiri names of Birds of Kashmir

Based on ‘The Birds of Kashmir’ by Samsar Chand Koul, 1939.

The crow family (Corvidae)

The Raven (Corvus corax tibetanus)
Kashmiri name:
Botin kav
Khata in Leh

Common in Ladakh region

The Jungle Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos intermedius)
Kashmiri name:

Diva Kav, Pantsol Kav
Can be seen around higher reaches of Pahalgam
The House Crow (Corvus splendens zugmayeri)
Kashmiri name:
Kav
The Jackdaw (Corvus monedula monedula)
Kashmiri name: 
Kavin
The Red-Billed Chough (Pyrrhocorax Pyrrhocorax)
Kashmiri name:
Wan Kavin
The Yellow Billed Magpie (Urocissa flavirostris cucullata)
Kashmiri name (in Lolab valley):
Lot Raza
The Tit Family (Paridae)
The Grey Tit (Parus major kashmiriensis)
Kashmiri name:
Ranga Tsar
The Crested Black Tit (Lophophanes melanolophus)
Kashmiri name:
Pintsakon
The Babbler Family (Timaliidae)
The Streaked Lavghing-Thush (Trochalopteron lineatum lineatum)
Kashmiri name:
Sheena-pi-pin, The Snow Whistle
The Bulbul Family (Pycnonotidae)
The White-Cheeked Bulbul (Molpastes leucogenys leucogenys)
Kashmiri name:
Bill-bi-chur
The Himalayan Black Bulbul (Microscelis psaroides psaroides)
Kashmiri name:
Wan Bulbul
The Creeper Family (Certhiidae)
The Himalayan Tree-Creeper (Certhia Himalayana)
Kashmiri name:
Koel dider
The Wall-Creeper (Tichodroma muraria)
Kashmiri name:
Lamba dider
The Thrush Family (Turdidate)

The Bush chat (Saxicola torquata)
Kashmiri name:
Dofa Tiriv
The White-Capped Redstart (Chaimarrhornis leucocephals)
Kashmiri name:
Chets tal,
Kumidi in Kolahoi area
The Plumbeous Redstart (Rhyacornis fuliginosa fuliginosa)
Kashmiri name:
Kola Tiriv
The Black Throated Thrush (turdus atrogularis)
Kashmiri name:
Wanda kostur
Tickell’s Thrush (Turdus unicolor) 
Kashmiri name:
Kostur
The Himalayan Whistling Thrush (Myiophoneus temminckii temminckii)
[Lawrence’s The Song Thrush of Kashmir]
Kashmiri name:
Hazar Dastan, Kava Kunur
The Flycatcher Family (Muscicapidae)
The Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paadisi leucagaster)
Kashmiri name:
Young and female, Ranga Bulbul
Adult, Fhambaseer (cotton flake)
The Shrike Family (Lanidae)
The Rufous Backed Shrike (Lanius schach erythronotus)
Kashmiri name:
Hara wataj (wataj means executioner, the bird name is used also as a phrase in Kashmiri for someone mean)
The Campephagidae Family 

The Short Billed Minivet (Pericrocotus Brevirostris Brevirostris)
Kashmiri name:

Wozul mini

The Drongo Family (Dicruridae)
The Indian Grey Dronga (The King Crow) (Dicrurus leucophaeus longicaudatus)
Kashmiri name:
Gankots, Telakots
The Warbler Family (Sylviidae)

The Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus stentoreus brunnescens)

Kashmiri name:
Kurkoch

The Pale Bush Warbler (Horornis pallidus pallidus)
Kashmiri name:
Dofa Pich
The Oriole Family (Oriolidae)
The Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus kundo)
Kashmiri name:
Poshi Nul (flower mongoose)
The Starling Family (Sturnadae)
The Starling (Sturnus vulgaris humii)
Kashmiri name:
Tsini-hangur
The Myna (Acridotheres tristis tristis) (The sad grasshopper eater)
Kashmiri name:
Hor

Cinclidae (Dipper Family)
The White Breasted Dipper (Water Ousel) (Cinclus cinclus kashmiriensis)
Kashmiri name:
Dungal

Family Fringillidae
The Black and Yellow Grosbreak (Perrisospiza icteroides icteroides)
Kashmiri name:
Wyet Tont


The Rosefinch (Carpodacus erythrinus roseatus) (erythrinus wrongly given as crythrinus)
Kashmiri name:
Gulob Tsar

The Goldfinch (Carduelis caniceps caniceps)
Kashmiri name:
Sehara


The House Sparrow (Passer domesticus parkini)
Kashmiri name:
Tsar

The Gold Fronted Finch (Metaponia pusilla)
Kashmiri name:
Adult, Tyok
Young, Taer

The Green Finch (Hypacanthis spinoides spinoides)
Kashmiri name:
Saboz Tsar

The Meadow Bunting (Emheriza cia stracheyi)
Kashmiri name:
Won Tsar

Hirundinidae (Swallow Family)
The Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
Kashmiri name:
Katij

Motacillidae (Wagtail Family)
The White Wagtail (Motacilla alba hogsoni)
Kashmiri name:
Dobbai

The Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea melanope)
Kashmiri name:
Khak Dubbai

The Yellow-headed Wagtail (Motacilla citreola citreoloides)
Kashmiri name:
Ledor Dub-bai

Alaudidae (Lark Family)
The Little Skylark (Alauda gulgula guttata)
Kashmiri name:
Dider

Order – Pici Picidae (Woodpecker Family)
The Green Woodpecker (Picus squamatus squamatus)
Kashmiri name:
Koel Makots

The Pied Woodpecker (Dryobates himalayensis)
Kashmiri name:
Hor Koel Makots
Koel-Ku-Kor (tree hen) Koel Tatak in Lolab area

The Wryneck (Iynx torquilla japonica)
Kashmiri name:
Viri Mot

Order – Anisodactyli (Coraciadae Family)
The Roller (Coracias garulla semenowi)
Kashmiri name:
Nila Krash

Meropioae Family
The Bee-Easter (Merops apiaster)
Kashmiri name:
Tulri Khav

Alcedinidae (King-Fisher Family)
The Blue King-Fisher (Alcedo atthis pallasii)
Kashmiri name:
Kola tonch

The Pied King-Fisher (Ceryle rudis leucomelanura)
Kashmiri name:
Hora Kola Tonch

The Upupidac (Hoopoe Family)
The Hoopoe (Upupa epops epops)
Kashmiri name:
Satut

Order – Coccyges Cuculida (Cuckoo Family)
The Pied Crested Cuckoo (Lamator jacobinus)
Kashmiri name:
Hor Kuk

Order – Psittaci 
Psittacidae (The Parrot Family)
The Slaty Header Parakeet
Kashmiri name:
Tota, Shoga in Lolab valley

Order – Striges The Strigidae (Owl Family)
The Indian Barn Owl (Tyto alba Javanica)
Kashmiri name:
Rata Mogul

Order – Accipitres (The Birds of Prey)

The Pandionidae Family
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus haliaetus)
Kashmiri name:
?

Gypidae (The Vulture Family)
The Himalayan Griffon (Gyps Himalayensis)
Kashmiri name:
Grad

The Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus percnopterus)
Kashmiri name:
Patyal

Falconidae (Birds of Prey)
Pallas Fishing Eagle (Cuncuma leucorypha)
Kashmiri name:
Gada Grad

The Black-Eared Kite (Milvus migrans lineatus)
Kashmiri name:
Gont

The Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
Kashmiri name:
Bohar

Order – Columbidae Family Columbidae
The Turtle Dove (Streptopelia orientalis meena)
Kashmiri name:
Wan Kukil

The Ring Dove (Streptopelia decaocto decaocto)Kashmiri name:

Kukil
Order – Gallinae  (Family Phasianidae)
The Chakor (Alectoris graeca chukar)
Kashmiri name:
Kakov
Order – Grallae (Family Rallidae)
The Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus parvifrons)
Kashmiri name:
Tech
The Purple Coot (Porphyrio pollocephalus pollocephalus)
Kashmiri name: 
Wan Tech
The Common Coot (Fulica atra atra)
Kashmiri name:
Kolar, Kav-put
Family Jacanidae
The Pheasant-Tailed Jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus)
Kashmiri name:
Govind Kav, Gair Kov
Family Charadriidae
The Common Sand Piper (Tringa Hypoleuca)
Kashmiri name:
Tont Kon, Kula Kavin
Order – Gaviae Family Lardiae
The Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias leucopareia indica)
Kashmiri name:
Kreu

Order – Herodiones Family Ardeidae
The Common Heron (Ardea cinerea cinerea)
Kashmiri name:
Brag

The Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax nycticorax)
Kashmiri name:
Bor

The Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus minutus)
Kashmiri name:
Goi

Order- Anseres-Ducks Family Anatidae
The Mallard (Anas platyrhyncha platyrhyncha)
Kashmiri name:
Male, Neluj, Female, Thuj

Order-Pygopodes Family Podicipidae
The Dabchick (Podiceps ruficollis albipennis)
Kashmiri name:
Pind

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Some additional names from ‘The Cyclopædia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia, Commercial Industrial, and Scientific: Products of the Mineral, Vegetable, and Animal Kingdoms, Useful Arts and Manufactures, Volume 3’ by Edward Balfour, 1885.

Great Snow Pheasant

Kashmiri name:
Gor-ka-gu and Ku-buk-der
Impeyan, or monal (Lophophorus impeyanus)
Kashmiri name:
Male, Lont and Ham, female
Chukor (Caccabis chukor. Gray)
Kashmiri name: 
Kau-kau (see Koul’s naming)
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Still some more from ‘The Valley of Kashmir’ (1895) by Walter Lawrence, (who does point mention that Kashmiris, even if they loved them, had little knowledge about birds around him)
The Snow Partridge (in Gilgit, Koreish)
The Himalayan Snow Cock (Ram chikor of sportsmen ; Gurka-kao in Kashmir)

The Chikor Partridge (Kashmiri, kak)

Lophophorus refulgens. The Monaul Pheasant (Kashmiri, male Sunal or Suna ‘ Murg ‘ ; female Haum)

The Simla Horned Pheasant (Rang RawuI of some Kashmiris; Riar in Hazara)

The Kashmir Pucras Pheasant. Commonly called Koklas
The Bald Coot (Kashmiri, Kolar)

The Laughing Gull (Kashmiri, Krind)

The European Common Tern (Kashmiri, Kreu)

The Curlew (Kashmiri, Golar)
The Woodcock (Kashmiri, Zar Batchi)
The Grey Goose (Kashmiri, Ans)
The Ruddy Shielddrake (Kashmiri, Tsakao)
The Shoveller  (Kashmiri, Honk)
The Gadwall (Kashmiri, Budan)
The Pintail Duck (Kashmiri, Sok Pachin)
The Widgeon (Kashmiri, Shiewrni Budan)
The common Teal (Kashmiri, Keus)
The Blue-winged Teal (Kashmiri, Kulkilar)
The Red-crested Pochard (Kashmiri, Tur)
The White-eyed Duck (Kashmiri, Harwat)
The Smew (Kashmiri. Gagur)
The Lesser Cormorant (Kashmiri, Mung) [The word that triggered this post thanks to a recollection by my grandmother]
The European Cuckoo (Kashmiri, Shakuk or kuku)
The Eastern Calandra Lark. (Fall in Kashmiri.)
The Indian Great Reed Warbler (Kashmiri, Karkat, Kurkoch of Kaul )
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Some from: Grierson, George Abraham. A dictionary of the Kashmiri language. Calcutta: Asiatic Society of Bengal, 1932.

(f.-kröshü -क्रा&above;शू&below;), a certain bird, the European Roller (Coracias garrula) (L. 136, nilakraish); cf. nīla-krôshu, s.v. nīl 2.-pūtu -पूतु&below; । पार्वतीयः कपोतःm. a kind of pigeon

32 Replies to “Kashmiri names of Birds of Kashmir”

  1. Good to see a blog which presents the state of J&K as an integral part of the union of India yet highlighting it's uniqueness. It brings to life the very founding theme of the country – 'unity in diversity'. Thank you Vinayak.

  2. Great Info …However, it would've been wonderful to have the pictures of the birds named pasted besides their names…

      1. Streaked laughing thrush is known as ‘Yakud ‘in North Kashmir,also the birds voice call is believed to be ‘sheeni pee pee’

  3. For Raven, there should be a correction as it should be بۄٹہٕ کاو (bwaṭü kāv , wa as in dwad for milk in kashmiri) as بۆٹِنؠ (boṭiny) is the feminine of bwaṭü and it can't go along with kāv which is a masculine noun. بۆٹِنؠ کٲوِنؠ (boṭiny kaaeeviny) is plausible for the female of bwaṭü kāv.

  4. It would have been wonderful, if photos in color would have accompanied these descriptions of the birds. I understand it is a difficult task. Most of these birds may get extinct in near future as urbanization has already destroyed their habitat, picture may be the only way to arouse interest in general population to help preserve the environment.

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