| Frugivorous Fruit-eating | Mirror White spots in wing-tips, mainly of gulls |
| Fulvous Brownish-yellow | Monotypic Of a single form with no subspecies |
| Game birds Pheasants, partridges and allied species | Montane Pertaining to mountains |
| Gape Basal part of the beak (mainly for young birds and raptors) | Monsoon Rainy season in India |
| Genera Plural of genus | Morph One of several distinct types of plumage in the same species |
| Genus Group of related species | Moult Seasonal shedding of plumage |
| Ghats Hills parallel to the east and west coast of India | Nail Hook on tip of upper mandible |
| Gorget Band across upper chest | Nape Back of neck |
| Granivorous Grain-eating | Nares Nostril openings |
| Gregarious Sociable Living in communities or flocks | Necklace Narrow line round neck |
| Gular pouch Loose area of skin extending from throat as in pelicans and hornbills | Nictitating Membrane Transparent fold of skin forming a third eyelid |
| Gular stripe Narrow and often dark stripe running down from the centre of throat | Nidicolous Chicks that remain in nests for a long duration after hatching |
| Guttural From the throat | Nidifugous Chicks that leave the nests soon after hatching |
| Hackles Long and pointed neck feathers | Nidification Relating to nests or nesting |
| Hawking Capturing insects in flight | Nocturnal Active at night |
| Hepatic Rust or liver coloured plumage phase, mainly in female cuckoos | Nomadic Species without specific territory except when breeding |
| Hood Dark-coloured head and throat | Nominate First sub-species to be formally named |
| Hunting party Group of birds usually of different species, seeking food | Non-passerine All order of birds except for Passerines |
| Hybridization Cross-breeding between two different species | Notch Indentations in outline of feathers, wing or tail |
| Immature Plumage phases prior to adult | Nuchal Crest Crest along back of neck |
| Incubate Giving warmth for eggs to hatch | Nullah Dry or wet stream bed or ditch |
| Iris Coloured eye membrane surrounding pupil | Nuptial Plumage Breeding plumage |
| Irruption Mass movement of a population from one place to another | Ocelli Brightly-coloured ‘eye-like’ spots as on peacocks |
| Jheel Shallow lake or wetland | Occipital Back of head |
| Jizz Essence or striking characteristics of a species | Oology Study of bird’s eggs |
| Juvenile Immature bird immediately after leaving nest | Orbital ring Narrow ring of skin or feathers round the eye |
| Lamellae Small stiff comb-like membrane on inner edge of bill used for sieving food | Order Group of related families |
| Lanceolate Lance-shaped. Slim and pointed | Paddy-fields Rice fields often flooded |
| Lantana Invasive aggressive shrub introduced to the region | Paleartic Old World and arctic zone |
| Leading edge Front edge of wing | Parasitic Deriving sustenance or taking advantage of others, like cuckoos laying eggs in other bird’s nest |
| Lek Sociable courtship gatherings | Passerines Perching and song birds |
| Lobe Fleshy extensions to side-edges of toes of some birds | Pectoral Breast area |
| Local Unevenly distributed with a region | Pelagic Ocean-going |
| Loranthus Parasitical bush that grows on tress and frequented by flowerpeckers | Pellet Indigested material regurgitated by owls |
| Lores Area between eye and bill base | Phase Colour form of a species |
| Lump Treatment of one or more forms previously treated as distinct species as race of a single species | Pied Black and white |
| Malar Stripe on side of throat | Plumage Feathers of a bird |
| Mandible Each of the two parts of bill | Plumes Long, showy feathers, acquired during the breeding season |
| Mangrove Coastal salt-resistant trees or bushes | Polyandrous Female having more than one mate |
| Mantle Back, between wings | Polygamous Male with more than one mate |
| Mask Dark plumage round eye and ear-coverts | Polymorphic Taking several forms |
| Mesial Stripe Central throat stripe | Postocular Area behind the eye |
| Migration Seasonal movement between distant places | Precocial Young hatched sighted and downcovered, e.g. ducklings |
| Predator Who feeds on other birds or animals | |
| Primaries Outer flight feathers in wing |
