The Andaman Islands are a biodiversity hotspot, boasting a selection of flora and fauna not found anywhere else on earth. For visiting birdwatchers, there are 21 species of endemic birds of the Andamans to seek. Despite this rich diversity, the Andamans are not as popular as other regional birding destinations. Therefore, this article series aims to highlight these unique endemics, thus inspiring more people to visit the Andamans for birding.
Endemic Birds of the Andamans – Part 3: Endemic Passerines
Birdwatching Asia went on a birding adventure to the Andaman Islands in late November 2024. Arun Singh, one of the local bird guides based in Port Blair, was our bird guide throughout. Our trip was remarkably successful, as we saw 135 bird species, including all the endemics (except the Narcondam Hornbill).
This article will highlight the final seven species of endemic birds of the Andamans. For information on the other endemics, head over to the links below:
- Part 1: Endemic nocturnal birds (5 species, plus one endemic subspecies)
- Endemic birds of the Andamans – Part 2: The Andaman Teal, serpent-eagle, coucal, woodpecker, and crake, as well as three species of endemic pigeons.
The photos and information in this article come mainly from our experience birding there. Each entry comes with a photo, a short description, where to see it, and our experience seeing them. The main reference sources are eBird, Xeno-canto and Wikipedia.
Number of endemic passerine birds of the Andamans:
Passerine birds are part of the taxonomic order Passeriformes, the world’s largest order of birds today. This order includes a diverse array of birds, ranging from Pittas to Pipits. Amongst birders the world over, these birds are collectively referred to as ‘perching birds’.
There are seven species of endemic perching birds in the Andamans. They are:
- Andaman Cuckooshrike. IUCN: Near Threatened (NT).
- Andaman Drongo
- Andaman Treepie. IUCN: Vulnerable (VU).
- Andaman Bulbul
- White-headed Starling
- Andaman Shama
- Andaman Flowerpecker
1) Andaman Cuckooshrike (Coracina dobsoni)

The first on this list coincidentally is the last Andaman endemic species we saw during our trip. The Andaman Cuckooshrike has dark grey upperparts and densely barred white underparts. A similar Oriental Cuckooshrike also occurs on the Andamans, but this species lacks the barring on the underparts.
These birds live in forest habitats and prefer to stay at the canopy level, making them rather hard to see. Moreover, they’re a naturally uncommon species and considered Near Threatened by the IUCN. Reliable places to see them include Chidiyatapu, Kalatang/Shoal Bay and Ferrargunj forest.
We had to search for this bird a bit, but finally saw a pair on our last birding day at the Andamans.
2) Andaman Drongo (Dicrurus andamanensis)
Similar to many drongos, this bird is wholly black and has a long, forked tail. Closer inspection reveals that the tips of the fork slightly curls outwards.

This sleek bird is one of the more common endemic birds of the Andamans. They live in forests and forest edges where they’re usually quite conspicuous and noisy. They often participate in mixed-species feeding flocks (‘bird waves’). Indeed, we saw them flocking together with the Greater Racket-tailed Drongo and Andaman Treepie on several occasions.
A similar-looking species, the Black Drongo, also occurs on the Andamans. However, the Black Drongo lives in open habitats and has a slightly smaller bill.
3) Andaman Treepie (Dendrocitta bayleii)

A beautiful relative of the crow that should have made it into our pre-trip top 5 must-see endemic birds of the Andamans. The Andaman Treepie is rather dark overall, with a black head, wings and tail, brown back and underparts. The eyes are bright yellow, contrasting starkly with the rest of its plumage.
This is a very active bird, clambering amongst the foliage like a squirrel or a malkoha and taking short flights to cross gaps in the vegetation. They prefer to move about in flocks; indeed, we saw a flock of 40 birds at Chidiyatapu. These birds also participate in ‘bird waves’.
It lives in forests and is quite easily seen in Chidiyatapu, Shoal Bay, and Kalatang. However, they are not easy birds to photograph due to their preference for dimly lit areas. During our visit, we saw these birds relatively often. Nevertheless, they are classed as ‘Vulnerable’ by the IUCN, with their population likely declining due to habitat loss.
4) Andaman Bulbul (Microtarsus fuscoflavescens)

The Andaman Bulbul is one of only two bulbuls native to the Andamans (the other is the familiar Red-whiskered Bulbul). It has olive-green upperparts, a slightly darker face, bright yellowish-green underparts, and gorgeous blue eyes. It’s closely related to and resembles its mainland Asia counterpart, the Black-headed Bulbul. Indeed, their plumage differs only in head colour.
The Andaman Bulbul is a common species easily seen in forest habitats throughout the archipelago. They’re also quite tame and will forage near the ground, especially at fruiting bushes.
5) White-headed Starling (Sturnia erythropygia)
They are very easy to identify, as they have a rather distinctive plumage. The birds have snowy white heads, underparts, pale grey backs, and contrasting black wings and tails. The legs and the bill are yellow with a bluish base. A beautiful starling indeed, somewhat reminiscent of a Bali Myna without the crest.

This bird can be found throughout the Andamans and on a few islands in the Nicobar archipelago. This starling favours more open habitats than the other birds in this list. Thus, look for them along forest edges, cultivation and lightly wooded areas. They’re gregarious and roam about in flocks, sometimes in the company of other species.

According to our guide, this bird is common and usually easy to see. However, for whatever reason, it took us a while to find them. We finally saw a flock of about 50 birds on the last day of our trip (just before encountering the Andaman Cuckooshrike).
6) Andaman Shama (Copsychus albiventris)
This long-tailed, robin-like bird resembles the White-rumped Shama from mainland Southeast Asia. Indeed, plumage-wise, the Andaman Shama differs from its mainland cousin by having a white belly instead of rufous.
It lives in forest areas and inhabits the lower story of the jungle. Good places to see them include Chidiyatpu, Kalatang and Shoal Bay. According to our guide, the shama is usually reliably seen since it readily responds to call playback.
Having said that, we had difficulty seeing them during our trip. We could often hear them singing, but invariably, they fail to show themselves. Eventually, we saw one at Kalatang, but the view wasn’t good as the bird was hidden deep in the vegetation. And we only saw it because it was chasing an Orange-headed Thrush!

7) Andaman Flowerpecker (Dicaeum virescens)
A petite flowerpecker with plain plumage. The Andaman Flowerpecker has a drab olive-green upperparts, pale underparts and a yellowish vent. It resembles several other unremarkably plumaged flowerpecker species, but thankfully, the Andaman Flowerpecker is the only flowerpecker found in the archipelago.
This bird is quite common, especially around trees with small fruits. Nevertheless, they are challenging to photograph, as they’re small and flit around rapidly and endlessly. Moreover, they tend to stay at the upper levels of the trees. As a result, we couldn’t get any photos of this species.
Conclusion
The endemic birds of the Andamans are the main attraction for birders to visit this idyllic archipelago. Most of the endemic perching birds found here are relatively common. Nevertheless, a couple of species may be more tricky to find. Regardless, all of them are a delight to see and worthy additions to your life lists!
References
- BirdLife International (2025) Species factsheet: Andaman Cuckooshrike Coracina dobsoni. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/andaman-cuckooshrike-coracina-dobsoni on 08/01/2025.
- BirdLife International (2025) Species factsheet: Andaman Treepie Dendrocitta bayleii. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/andaman-treepie-dendrocitta-bayleii on 08/01/2025.