I. BLACK
1. Birds with a quantity of black in their plumage
(a) All Black
1. The Indian Corby ([1]). 2. The Raven ([2]). 3. The King Crow ([25]). 4. The Large Racket-tailed Drongo ([27]). 5. (Cock) Sunbirds ([106] and [107]). (These are really dark purple, but sometimes look black from a distance.) 6. (Cock) Koel (bill green, eyes red) ([130]). 7. (Young) Scavenger Vultures ([144] and [145]). 8. Coot ([176]). (White bill and shield on forehead.) 9. The Indian Shag ([210]).
(b) Mainly Black
1. The Indian House Crow ([3]). This and ([4]) have grey necks, darker in ([4]). 2. The Burmese House Crow ([4]). 3. The Malabar Whistling Thrush ([11]). (Patches of cobalt-blue.) 4. The Grackles ([46] and [47]). (Yellow wattles and white bar in wing.) 5. The Indian Starling ([49]). (With small yellow or whitish spots.) 6. The Common Indian Swift ([124]). (Smoky brown, with white bar across rump.) 7. The Palm Swift ([125]). (Brownish black.) 8. The Crow-Pheasant ([131]). (Wings chestnut brown.) 9. The Black Vulture ([141]). (Red head, white breast and patch on each thigh.) 10. The White-backed Vulture ([143]). (Very dark grey, with white back.) 11. (Cock) Black Partridge ([172]). (With narrow white bars and broad chestnut collar.) 12. White-breasted Water-hen ([174]). (Very dark grey, with white face, throat, and chest, and red under tail.) 13. The Large and Little Cormorants ([209] and [211]). (White throat.) 14. Black Ibis ([213]). (Top of head red, white patch on wing.)
2. Black-headed birds
1. The Indian Tree-Pie ([5]). 2. (Cock) Iora ([13]). 3. The Red-vented Bulbuls ([15]-[19]). (Small crest.) 4. The Red-whiskered Bulbuls ([20] and [21]). (Large pointed crest.) 5. The Minivets ([39] and [40]). 6. The Black-headed Cuckoo-Shrike ([42]). 7. The Black-headed Oriole ([45]). 8. The Rose-coloured Starling ([48]). 9. The Black-headed Myna ([51]). 10. The Common Myna ([52]). (With yellow patch of skin behind eye.) 11. The Paradise Flycatcher ([57]). 12. The Indian Redstart (cock in spring) ([65]). 13. The Magpie Robin (cock) ([68]). 14. The Shama ([69]). 15. The Black-headed Munia ([74]). 16. The Chestnut-bellied Munia ([75]). 17. The Black-headed Bunting (in spring) ([84]). 18. The Purple-rumped Sunbird ([108]). (The head and breast are not black in this species, but look black from a distance.) 19. The Crow-Pheasant ([131]). 20. (Male) Pied Harrier ([156]). 21. The Bronze-winged Jaçana ([181]). 22. The Red-wattled Lapwing ([183]). (Red wattle and sides of neck white.) 23. The Yellow-wattled Lapwing ([184]). (Yellow wattle, back of neck white.) 24. The Terns (especially in summer) ([200]-[205]). 25. The White Ibis ([212]). 26. The White-necked Stork ([217]). (Neck white.) 27. The Black-necked Stork ([218]). 28. The Night Heron ([225]). 29. The Indian Spur-winged Plover ([184a]).
3. Black collaret or gorget or band across the breast
1. The Bengal Red-whiskered Bulbul ([20]). 2. The Southern Red-whiskered Bulbul ([21]). (Collaret interrupted.) 3. The White Wagtail (patch on breast) ([91]). 4. The Ashy-crowned Finch-Lark ([105]). (Black cross on throat.) 5. The Common Indian Bee-eater ([116]). 6. Some of the Bustards. (Not dealt with in this book.) 7. The Pheasant-tailed Jaçana ([182]). 8. The Little Ringed Plover ([186]). 9. The Painted Stork ([220]).
4. Black streak through the eye (i.e. from beak to back of head)
1. The Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch ([23]). 2. The Velvet-fronted Nuthatch ([24]). 3. The Shrikes ([34]-[37]). 4. The Indian Oriole ([44]). (Rather a patch than a streak.) 5. The Ashy-crowned Finch-Lark ([105]). 6. The Indian Pitta ([109]). 7. The Bee-eaters ([116] and [117]).
5. Black and another colour
(a) Black and blue
1. The Malabar Whistling Thrush ([11]). 2. The Velvet-fronted Nuthatch ([24]). (Whitish throat, lower parts greyish.) 3. The Indian Blue Rock Pigeon ([165]). (Slaty blue, with black wing bars and red legs.)
(b) Black and brown (chestnut)
1. The Indian Tree-Pie ([5]). (Silver-grey on wings, grey bars on tail, which is long.) 2. The Common Myna ([52]). (White in wings and tail, yellow legs, and patch of skin behind eye.) 3. (Hen and young) Indian Paradise Flycatcher ([57]). 4. (Cock) Brown-backed Indian Robin ([66]). (Red patch under tail.) 5. The Chestnut-bellied Munia ([75]). 6. The Crow-Pheasant ([131]). (A black bird with brown wings).
(c) Black and coffee or fawn colour
The Rose-coloured Starling ([48]).
(d) Black and grey
1. The Indian House Crow ([3]). 2. The Burmese House Crow ([4]). 3. The Black-headed Cuckoo-Shrike ([42]). (Lower abdomen white and white tip to tail.) 4. The Large Cuckoo-Shrike ([43]). 5. The Bank Myna ([53]). (Red patch of skin on side of head and buff wing bar.) 6. The Open-bill ([221]). (When not in breeding plumage.)
(e) Black and pink
The Rose-coloured Starling (cock) ([48]).
(f) Black and red
1. The Indian Scarlet Minivet (cock) ([41]). 2. The Short-billed Minivet (cock) ([42]). 3. The Indian Redstart (cock in spring) ([65]). (Red is dull; outer tail feathers brown.) 4. The Black-backed Indian Robin (cock) ([67]). (A black bird with red patch under tail.) 5. The Common Swallow ([88]). (Upper plumage has bluish tinge; some white in tail.) 6. The Red-rumped Swallow ([90]). (Upper plumage has bluish tinge.) 7. The Black Vulture ([141]). (White breast and patch on thigh.) 8. The Black Ibis ([213]). (Small white patch on wing.)
(g) Black and white
1. The White-bellied Drongo ([26]). 2. The Grackles ([46] and [47]). (Black birds with white wing bar, yellow wattles, bills, and legs.) 3. The Pied Myna ([54]). (Orange bill and patch behind eye.) 4. (Cock) Paradise Flycatcher ([57]). (White bird with long tail and black head and crest.) 5. The Fantail Flycatchers ([58]-[60]). 6. (Cock) Pied Bush Chats ([61] and [62]). 7. The Magpie Robin ([68]). 8. The Large Pied Wagtail ([92]). 9. The Indian Pied Kingfisher ([118]). (Spotted black and white like a Hamburgh fowl.) 10. The Common Indian Swift ([124]). (Very dark brown, with white bar across back.) 11. The Pied-crested Cuckoo ([129]). 12. The Indian White-backed Vulture ([143]). (Very dark grey, with white back.) 13. (Cock) Pied Harrier ([155]). 14. The Coot ([176]). 15. (Cock) Black-winged Stilt ([187]). (Long-legged white bird with black back and wings.) 16. The Avocet ([188]). (White wading bird with black markings.) 17. The Indian Skimmer ([206]). (Dark brown and white.) 18. The Cormorants ([209] and [211]). (Black birds with white throat.) 19. The White Ibis ([212]). (White bird with black head.) 20. The White Stork ([216]). (White bird with black in wings; red bill and legs.) 21. The White-necked Stork ([217]). (Black bird with white neck and lower parts.) 22. The Black-necked Stork ([218]). 23. The Painted Stork ([220]). 24. The Open-bill ([221]).
(h) Black and yellow
1. (Cock) Iora (in summer) ([13]). (Two white bars in wing.) 2. (Hen) Scarlet and Short-billed Minivets ([39] and [40]). 3. The Orioles ([44] and [45]). 4. The Grackles ([46] and [47]). (Black birds with yellow bill, wattles, and legs, and white wing bar.)
6. Black and two other colours
(a) Black, blue, and white
The Velvet-fronted Blue Nuthatch ([24]). (The white is greyish.)
(b) Black, brown, and white
1. The Black-tailed Godwit ([191]). 2. The Barred-headed Goose ([228]). (Plumage greyish brown; bill and legs yellow.) 3. The Indian Spur-winged Plover ([184a]).
(c) Black, chestnut, and white
1. (Cock) Indian Bush Chat ([63]). 2. The Shama ([69]). 3. The Black-headed Munia ([74]). 4. The Chestnut-bellied Munia ([75]). 5. (Cock) Black Partridge ([172]). 6. The Bronze-winged Jaçana ([181]).
(d) Black, fawn-colour, and white
The Indian Hoopoe ([123]).
(e) Black, grey, and white
1. The Indian Grey Shrike ([34]). 2. The Black-headed Cuckoo-Shrike ([42]). 3. The White Wagtail ([91]). 4. The Ashy-crowned Finch-Lark ([105]). 5. The Gulls* ([196]-[199]) 6. The Terns* ([200]-[205]) 7. The Night Heron ([225]). 8. The Barred-headed Goose ([228]). (Greyish brown; bill and legs yellow.)
* Wings very pale grey
(f) Black, pink, and white
The Common Flamingo ([226]).