Question map
With reference to India's biodiversity, Ceylon frogmouth, Coppersmith barbet, Gray-chinned minivet and White-throated redstart are
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 1 (Birds). All four species mentioned are distinct avian species found within the Indian subcontinent.
- Ceylon frogmouth: A nocturnal bird found in the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka, known for its cryptic plumage.
- Coppersmith barbet: A common resident bird in India, easily identified by its metronomic call that sounds like a hammer striking copper.
- Gray-chinned minivet: A small, brightly colored passerine bird found in the forests of the Himalayas and Northeast India.
- White-throated redstart: A migratory bird species typically found in the high-altitude shrublands and forests of the Himalayan region.
Options 2, 3, and 4 are incorrect because these species lack the biological characteristics of primates (mammals), reptiles (scaly ectotherms), or amphibians (semiaquatic vertebrates). Their taxonomic classification strictly falls under the class Aves.
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis question exposes the limit of 'bookish' knowledge. It is unfair to those relying solely on standard texts like Shankar IAS, but a 'sitter' for anyone with a hobby in nature watching or who reads 'The Hindu' Sunday Magazine. The strategy is to recognize 'Family Names' (Barbet, Minivet) rather than memorizing 1,300 individual species.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Provides the taxonomic breakdown for India's vertebrate fauna and explicitly names 'Class Aves'.
- Shows 'Class Aves' as a recognized taxonomic class within India's biodiversity counts.
- Lists 'Coppersmith Barbet Psilopogon haemacephalus' in the India bird checklist (Indian BIRDS publication).
- Inclusion in this bird checklist ties the species to avian taxonomy (i.e., Aves).
- Lists 'Grey-chinned Minivet Pericrocotus solaris Blyth, 1846' in the Indian birds checklist.
- Presence in the checklist indicates it is an avian species (part of Class Aves).
Gives explicit counts and a separate category for 'birds' (1200 species) indicating that many species in India are grouped under a distinct taxonomic/organismal class.
A student could use that birds are a recognised class in these biodiversity lists and check a field guide or online database to see if the four species are listed under that class.
States India’s ranking 'ninth in birds', treating birds as a major, identifiable group within national biodiversity.
Use this grouping to infer that species with bird-like common names (e.g., 'barbet', 'minivet', 'redstart') likely fall into that class and verify via a bird checklist or map.
Provides examples of named bird species in India (peacock, sarus crane, great Indian bustard), showing how common names are used to list birds in these texts.
A student can compare the common-name pattern (e.g., 'barbet', 'redstart') with listed bird examples to suspect these four are birds and then confirm with a bird field guide.
Mentions specific bird taxa in regional biogeographic lists (e.g., white-breasted swiftlet) demonstrating that regional faunal lists include bird species by common names.
Knowing these are included among regional bird entries, a student could consult regional bird checklists or range maps to place the four species into the same category.
Lists protected areas with 'Dominant Species Protected' including named birds (great-pied hornbill, weaver), indicating birds are treated as a distinct group in conservation contexts.
Since conservation lists segregate birds, a student can look up whether the four species appear in such protected-area bird lists or databases to infer their taxonomic grouping.
- [THE VERDICT]: Bouncer (for static readers) / Sitter (for observers). Source: General Awareness / Nature columns in newspapers (e.g., The Hindu's 'Wild corner').
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Indian Biodiversity > Taxonomy > Recognition of Faunal Families (beyond just Endangered species).
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Learn to categorize by suffix: 1. Birds: Babblers, Pittas, Trogons, Hornbills, Coursers, Prinias. 2. Reptiles: Skinks, Agamas, Geckos, Kraits. 3. Primates: Loris, Macaques, Langurs, Gibbons. 4. Amphibians: Caecilians (limbless), Bush Frogs.
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: Shift from 'IUCN Status Rote Learning' to 'Taxonomic Literacy'. When you see a new animal name in the news, first tag its Class (Bird/Mammal/Reptile) before memorizing its conservation status.
Determining the taxonomic class for named species requires recognizing they belong to the bird class, Aves, a major faunal group in India.
High-yield for UPSC ecology and biodiversity questions because many species-level questions require mapping familiar species names to their higher taxonomic ranks. Mastery helps in rapid elimination in MCQs and in writing concise answers in mains when asked about faunal groups and conservation priorities.
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 5: Natural Vegetation and National Parks > WILDLIFE > p. 41
- Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 4: BIODIVERSITY > IndIA – A MegA-BIodIversIty nAtIon. > p. 22
Regional and protected-area species lists group organisms by taxonomic groups (for example, separate listings for birds) which aids class-level identification of species.
Important for prelim and mains to link species names to habitats and conservation status; helps answer questions on national parks, species protection priorities, and distribution patterns by taxon.
- Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 4: BIODIVERSITY > Table 4.10 (Contd.) > p. 40
- Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 4: BIODIVERSITY > Biogeographic zones of India > p. 27
Knowing that birds form a sizeable component of India's fauna informs expectations about encountering many bird species names in biodiversity questions.
Useful for framing answers on biodiversity significance, conservation priorities, and exam questions that compare richness across taxa; connects ecology, biogeography and conservation topics.
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 9: Indian Biodiversity Diverse Landscape > INI}IAN BIODIVERSITY T}IVERSE LANDSCAPE > p. 151
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 5: Natural Vegetation and National Parks > WILDLIFE > p. 41
Caecilians. These are limbless Amphibians found in the Western Ghats (often confused with snakes or earthworms). If UPSC asks about 'Ichthyophis', know it is an Amphibian, not a reptile.
The 'One-Friend' Rule. In lists like this, options are rarely mixed (e.g., '1 is bird, 2 is reptile'). If you identify just ONE species, you solve the whole question. 'Coppersmith Barbet' is a common city bird with a 'tuk-tuk' call (like beating copper). If you know Barbet = Bird, then [A] Birds is the only logical answer.
Ecological Indicators (GS3): Species like the Ceylon Frogmouth are 'indicator species' for healthy Tropical Wet Evergreen Forests. Their presence confirms the structural integrity of the canopy, linking biodiversity directly to Climate Change resilience.