Myanmar Endemic Birds

Myanmar (Burma) Endemic birds are the species that only can be seen in Myanmar. Myanmar (Burma) holds fourteen endemic bird species. These include White-browed Nuthatch (Sitta victoria), Jerdon’s Minivet (Pericrocotus albiforns), Hooded Treepie (Crypsirina cucullata), Burmese Bushlark (Mirafra microptera), Burmese Tit or Burmese Bushtit (Aegithalos sharpie), White-throated Babbler (Argya gularis), Ayeyarwady Bulbul (Pycnonotus blanfordi), Pale-eyed Bulbul (Pycnonotus davisoni), Grey-crowned Bulbul (Alophoixus griseiceps), Burmese Prinia (Prinia cooki), Irrawaddy Broadbill (Cymbirhynchus affinis), Naung Mung Wren-babbler or Naung Mung Scimitar-babbler (Napothera naungmungensis), Burmese Collared Dove (Streptopelia xenthocycla) and Andaman Green-pigeon (Treron chloropterus).It is increasing since bird watching and researches on birds of Myanmar are getting attention for rich biodiversity and nature conservation. Myanmar Endemic Bird Watching Tour is one of the best seller tours.

Hooded Treepie (Crypsyrina cucullata)

The Hooded Treepie is a species of bird in the family Corvidae. It is endemic to Myanmar (Burma). Its nature habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. It is threatened by habitat loss. It has grey plumage apart from black head, tail.

Myanmar Endemic Birds
Hooded Treepie Crypsyrina cucullata

Bird Song

Myanmar endemic bird Hooded Treepie (Crypsirina cucullata)

Descriptive Notes : 29-31 cm; c. 130-135 g. Small, slender light grey treepie with distinctive black hood and wings and very long black tail.

Habitat: Lowland open dry forests to 950 m, in plains of River Irrawady and River Sittang; little of this for

Distribution : Lowlands of central & south Myanmar.

Jerdon’s Minivet (Pericrocotus albifrons)

Jerdon’s Minivet (Pericrocotus albifrons) is a species of Minivet found in Myanmar (Burma), mostly in dry deciduous forest. It is sometimes considered conspecific with the White-bellied Minivet.

Jerdon's Minivet
Jerdon’s Minivet Pericrocotus albifrons

Bird Song

Myanmar endemic bird Jerdon’s Minivet Pericrocotus albiforns

Habitat: Inhabits semi-desert areas with dry cultivation, scattered scrub and trees, thorn-scrub in lowlands.

Distribution: Plains of central Myanmar

White-throated Babbler (Argya gularis)

White-throated Babbler (Argya gularis) is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is endemic to Myanmar (Burma). This species was formerly placed in the genus Turdoides but following the publication of a comprehensive molecular phylodenitic study in 2018, it was moved to the resurrected genus Argya.

White-throated Babbler
White-throated Babbler Argya gularis

Bird Song

Myanmar endemic bird White-throated Babbler Argya gularis

Descriptive Notes : Very Long-tailed fairly large Chatarrhaea babbler, dark-streaked above with white breast and buff-rufous belly.

Habitat: Scrub and bushes in semi-desert, borders of cultivation, thorn hedges, thickets, patches of bamboo.

Distribution: Dry zone of central & south Myanmar.

Burmese Collared-dove (Streptopelis xanthocycla)

Taxonomy : Turtur decaocta [sic] xanthocyclus Newman, 1906, Minbu and Mangue districts of upper Myanmar. Hitherto considered conspecific with S decaocto, but has darker grey on head, with forehead grey not whitish-grey (1); under parts more strongly tinged pinkish and slightly darker (1); broad yellow eyering (3); longer tail (effect size 3.42), white results in outertail feathers showing equivalently more white (2); slightly different song, with same rhythm and structure of three-note strophe, but pitch higher at start and each note lower than the last, creating a greater cadence (at least 1). Monotypic.

Burmese Collared-dove
Burmese Collared-dove Streptopelis xanthocycla

Descriptive notes: 30-32 cm. Darker than S.decaocto, especially on forehead and upperparts darker, more olive-brown, neck to belly deeper vinous-purple suffused darker grey, becoming.

Habitat: Very common in dry zone, where generally found in open areas and cultivation near villages.

Distribution: Dry plain of central Myanmar; records from China appear all to refer to S. decaocto

Burmese Bushlark (Mirafra microptera)

The Burmese Bushlark or Burmese Lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It is endemic to Myanmar and found in central & south Myanmar.

Burmese Bushlark
Burmese Bushlark Mirafra microptera

Bird Song

Myanmar endemic bird Burmese Bushlark Mirafra microptera

Descriptive Notes: 13.5-15cm, Heavy-bodied large-billed lark with short tail and wings, rather long legs. Has prominent buffish supercilium, buffish-brown ear-coverts.

Habitat: Open areas with scattered bushes and trees, including cultivation, also more barren habitats

Distribution: central & south Myanmar

Burmese Tit or Burmese Bushtit (Aegithalos sharpei)

Burmese Tit or Burmese Bushtit (Aegithalos sharpei) is a species of bird in the family Aegithalidae. It is endemic to west Myanmar. Its natural habitat is temperate forests.

Burmese Tit or Burmese Bushtit
Burmese Tit or Burmese Bushtit Aegithalos sharpei

Taxonomy : Aegithaliscus sharpie Rippon, 1904, Mount Victoria, southern Chill Hills, Myanmar

Forms a superspecies with A. niyeogularis, A. iouschistos and A. bonvaloti; all four sometimes treated as conspecific, but they seem to be morphologically fairly distinct from one another and, while ranges overlap only minimally or not at all, there is no evidence of intergradations or hybridization between any of them. Present species usually treated as conspecific with A. bonvaloti (sometimes with both A. bonvaloti and A. iouschistos when these are combined), but distinctive appearance (closer to that of A. niyeogularis) and geographically remote distribution justify its treatment as a distinct species. Monotypic

Descriptive Notes: 11cm. A typical long-tailed tit in size and shape, with well-graduated tail, Forehead and centre of crown are whitish, grading to cinnamon-brown on rear crown and nape; side.

Habitat: More or less open forest of pines (Pinus) at 2500-3000m.

Distribution: Mt. Victoria and Mindat, in Chin Hills of west Mynamar.

White-browed Nuthatch (Sitta victoriae)

White-browed Nuthatch (Sitta victoriae) is a species of bird in the Nuthatch family. It is endemic to Myanmar. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

Myanmar Endemic Birds
White-browed Nuthatch Sitta victoriae

Bird Song

Myanmar endemic bird White-browed Nuthatch Sitta victoriae

The endangered White-browed Nuthatch is known only from the Mount Victoria area of Myanmar (Burma), where forest up to 2,000 m has been almost totally cleared and habitat between 2,000 – 2,500 m has been heavily degraded. The population of a few thousand birds is decreasing, and no conservation measures are in place.

Descriptive Notes: 11.5 cm. A small Nuthatch with tiny spike-like bill. Has forehead and narrow supercilium (to rear of ear-coverts) whitish, crown to rump dull blue-grey, nape.

Habitat: Dry dipterocarp and pine (Pinus) forest

Distribution: Mt. Victoria and nearby Mindat (Natmataung National Park, south Chin Hills) in west Myanmar.

Pale-eyed Bulbul or Davison’s Bulbul (Pycnonotus davisoni)

The Pale-eyed Bulbul or Davison’s Bulbul (Pyconontus davisoni) has split from Stripe-throated Bulbul (Pycononotus finlaysoni) since 2016. It is endemic to Myanmar and lives in open area, second growth, edges and clearing in broadleaf evergreen and mixed deciduous forests. 

Pale-eyed Bulbul or Davison’s Bulbul Pycnonotus davisoni

Bird Song

Myanmar endemic bird Pale-eyed Bulbul or Davison’s Bulbul Pycnonotus davisoni

Habitat: tropical moist lowland forest and tropical moist montane forest.

Distribution: south & south-west Myanmar

Ayeyarwady Bulbul (Pycnonotus blanfordi)

Ayeyarwady Bulbul
Ayeyarwady Bulbul Pycnonotus blanfordi

Bird Song

Ayeyarwady Bulbul Pycnonotus blanfordi

The Ayeyawady Bulbul (Pynonotus blanfordi) is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds, had split from Streak-eared Bulbul (Pynonotus conradi) since 2016. It is endemic to Myanmar, and easy to see far and wide in Myanmar (except north). Its natural habitat is tropical and subtropical, semi-desert, scrub, garden, bamboo and open deciduous forest.

Burmese Prinia (Prinia cooki)

Myanmar Endemic Birds
Burmese Prinia Prinia cooki

Bird Song

Myanmar endemic bird Burmese Prinia Prinia cooki

The Burmese Prinia (Prinia cooki) is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family. It and the Annam Prinia (Prinia rocki) were formerly lumped as Brown Prinia. The Burmese Prinia had separated recently  from Brown Prinia (Prinia polychroa) as a new endemic species in Myanmar on 17, June, 2019. It found at open area, dry scrubby grassland and shrubby undergrowth in central and east Myanmar.

Grey-crowned Bulbul (Alophoixus griseiceps)

The Grey-crowned Bulbul (Alophoixus griseiceps) is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds, had split from Puff-throated Bulbul (Alophoixus pallidus) since 2016. It is endemic to Myanmar and is found in the Bago (Pegu) Yoma Mountains (central and south Myanmar). Its natural habitat is subtropical, tropical moist lowland and tropical moist montane forests.

Irrawaddy Broadbill (Cymbirhynchus affinis)

The Irrawaddy Broadbill (Cymbirhynchus affinis) is a member of the broadbill family, had split from Black-and-red Broadbill (Cymbirhynchus macrorhynchos) since 2016. It is endemic to Myanmar and its natural habitat is mangrove, subtropical and tropical moist lowland forests. It is found in south and south-west Myanmar. 

Naung Mung Wren-babbler or
Naung Mung Scimitar-babbler 
(Napothera naungmungensis)

The Naung Mung Wren-babbler or Naung Mung Scimitar-babbler (Napothera naungmungensis) is a Myanmar endemic bird species. It is found in the Putoa region in northern Myanmar. Its natural habitat is subtropical, tropical moist lowland and tropical moist montane forests between 50 – 2100m.

Andaman Green-pigeon (Treron chloropterus)

The Andaman Green-pigeon (Treron chloropterus) has split from Pompadour Green-pigeon (Treron pompadora). It is endemic to Myanmar and is found in Coco Islands in the south of Myanmar.