Bird Watching in Sat Tal and Pangot in Uttarakhand

 From Kathgodam in Uttarakhand, your vehicle begins to negotiate a steep climb that continues all through to Nainital Hill Resort at a distance of 35 km. Further up towards Sat Tal and Pangot, the climb is steeper. Despite the steep treacherous climb, you get glimpses of the Himalayan Range that appear sparkling white against the blue backdrop of the yonder blue sky. This is when you realize that you are in a mountainous region.

During the days when it is cloudy, the range is not visible due to the fog that acts as a sunscreen. On the fog-covered days, you can but curse for being out of luck. Although this matters as you miss one of the most picturesque sites on Earth your goal is present. Anyway, the sighting of Himalayan Vultures will make up for the lack of sightings of Himalayas. 

Come high noon or a fog-filled day the birds of Sat Tal and Pangot chirp throughout the day and you can happily spot them. Nainital is the focal point as far as Sat Tal and Pangot are concerned. Sat Tal lies in one direction while the road to Pangot is diametrically opposite. When you access Nainital Sat Tal is midway. For Pangot you have to cross over from Nainital Township.

While Sat Tal is at 1400 MSL Pangot is at 2100 MSL. Sat Tal a destination with seven lakes is populated while Pangot is an isolated place with small hutments and few birding resorts. You need to carry essentials to Pangot although the birding lodges are well stocked but when it snows continuously you get trapped. Nevertheless, Pangot is ideal for high-altitude birds and you will enjoy the trip.

The avifauna differs but not greatly. When winters are at their peak in the Himalayas some rare birds migrate down to Pangot. Below is the list of often targeted birds of both places combined.

Birds of Sat Tal & Pangot 

Chir Pheasant

Koklass Pheasant

Kalij Pheasant

Himalayan Woodpecker

Green Tailed Sunbird

Bronze Drongo

Verditor Flycatcher

Whiskered Yuhina

Blue Throated Barbet

Pied Flycatcher

Rufus Gorgeted Flycatcher

Red Billed Leothrix

Lesser Yellownape

Greater Yellownape

Himalayan Black Lored Tit

Purple Sunbird

Little Forktail

Spotted Forktail

Slaty Backed Forktail

Black-Throated Bush Tit

Pink Browed Rosefinch

Himalayan Bluetail

Golden Bush Robin

Bonelli's Eagle

Himalayan Vulture

Eurasian Vulture

Himalayan Bearded Vulture

Black Eagle

This is a combined checklist of birds of Pangot and Sattal. Almost all the birders visit both the destination on a bird-watching tour in the Himalayan Foothills. The proximity and diverse avifauna is the reason for the combined tour. Both places have a well-developed infrastructure for accommodation, organization, and transport. Birding guides are easily available for hire, and this should be done in advance.

Indiafootprints organizes bird-watching tours in Sat TalPangot in Uttaranchal in North India

Birding at Thattekad

Home to Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary in South India. The destination is located in Nnijiyapalli Hills in Western Ghats which encompasses the Western Ghats. The sanctuary was established in the year 1983 to preserve and protect the bird species and wildlife. The sanctuary was established on the recommendation of World fame ornithologist Salim Ali to the Kerala Government. The sanctuary is 25 sq. Km long and 60 sq. km wide encompassing an area of 1500 sq km.

The species is home to more than 500 avian species and mammals like the Nilgiri Langur, Lion Tailed Macaque, leopard, wild elephants, and the sloth bear. Thattekkad is the only bird sanctuary in the Indian State of Kerala and is situated in Kothamangalam Taluk of Ernakulam District. The destination is like a hill resort encompassing scenic splendor all around. There are other urban attractions near Thaattekad. 

It is home to true tropical forests, tropical deciduous, teak plantations, tropical semi-evergreen forests, and riparian forests. The main wood is mahogany, fruit orchard, and rosewood.       

The avian species comprise forest species and wetland ones enhancing the avian diversity that attracts thousands of birders and tourists. Most of the visitors are keen ornithologists while the rest are amateur birders that visit the place on holiday. The birds found here are:

• Orange-headed thrush
• Nilgiri Wood Pigeon
• Blue Faced Malkoha
• Large-billed leaf-warbler
• Greater Coucal
• Jerdon's nightjar
• Mountain Hawk Cuckoo
• Indian Cuckoo
• Oriental darter
• Green Imperial Pigeon
• Cormorants
• Chestnut Winged Cuckoo
• White Rumped Needle Tail
• Whiskered terns
• Collared scops owl
• Ceylon frogmouth
• Grey-fronted green pigeon
• Yellow-browed bulbuls 
• Great Eared-Nightjar
• Jungle Nightjar
• Brown Boobook
• Jerdon's Nightjar
• Sri Lanka Bay Owl
• Indian Nightjar
• Savanna Nightjar
• Black Baza
• Malayan Night Heron 
• Crested Serpent-Eagle
• Legge's Hawk-Eagle
• Changeable Hawk-Eagle
• Rufous-bellied Eagle
• Black Eagle
• Crested Goshawk
• Malabar Woodshrike
• Large Woodshrike
• Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike
• Sri Lankan Frogmouth 
• Greenish/Large-billed Leaf Warbler
• Western Crowned Warbler
• Jerdon's Leafbird
• Golden-fronted Leafbird

The list is endless and bird enthusiasts should spend as many days as possible to make a large checklist and enjoy the wildlife as well. The sanctuary is about 12 km from Kothamangalam. The sanctuary is a lowland forest surrounded by the Periyar River. In Kerala Thattekad bird sanctuary is the only one. Altough plenty are found in the reserve forests. 

The Idamalyar forests are 15 km from Thattekad Bird Sanctuary birds found in this forests are Mountain Hawk Eagle, dark-fronted babbler, brown-cheeked fulvetta, brown-backed and white-rumped needletails, and emerald green pigeons.

How to Reach?

The nearest airport is Kochi, which is at a distance of 64 km. The nearest railhead is Aluva while a good road connection provides a journey by road.  

Birding at Pangot in Uttrakhand

 Located at 1400 MSL 14 km from Nainital Resort Pangot is a paradise for bird watchers. During the harsh winters when it snows in the Himalayas, birds descend to Pangot for residence in a warmer climate. Though the destination is not as cold as we presume up there in the Himalayas it is much colder.

Pangot is not a hill resort and only a few birders frequent the place. At 2100 MSL Vinyak Hill is the highest point where you can see the Chir Pheasant, Koklass Pheasant, and the Ultramarine flycatcher. The climb from Pangot township is steep and is manageable only by trained drivers.

Birders make frequent stops to watch the avian species and the Himalayan Mountain Range on a clear day.  There are frequent stops on the way like the Woodpeckers Point where woodpeckers and many interesting species are seen.

• Greater Yellow-naped Woodpecker                       
• Streak-throated Woodpecker                   
• Grey-headed Woodpecker                        
• Scaly-bellied Woodpecker                          
• Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker                          
• Stripe-breasted Woodpecker                    
• Brown-fronted Woodpecker                     
• Himalayan Woodpecker               
• Rufous-bellied Woodpecker      

 Avian species are seen all along the climb from the township. The township is small with few hutments and a store. There are a few resorts in the township that cater to the birders. Nothing Else!   The forest comprises Oak, Deodar, Pine, Cedar, and Juniper Bushes. The species inhabit this vegetation and are not hard to find by ornithologists. 

Birds of Pangot:

• Chir Pheasant
• Koklass Pheasant
• Himalayan Vultures
• Bearded Vulture
• Peregrine Falcon
• Eurasian Vulture
• Bearded Vulture
• Spot Winged Tit
• Brown-fronted woodpecker
• Himalayan Woodpecker
• Rufus bellied woodpecker, Black Eagle 
• Upland Pipit
• Mountain Bulbul,
• Hill partridge
• Lesser racket-tailed drongo
• Pink-browed rosefinch
• Mistle thrush,
• Dark-breasted rosefinch
• Yellow-browed tit
• Blue-winged thrush
• Brown Fronted Woodpecker
• Alpine Accentor
• Himalayan Quail
• Asian Barred Owlet
• Hill Partridge
• Kalij Pheasant
• Asian Palm Swift
• Little Swift
• Large Hawk-Cuckoo
• Himalayan Cuckoo
• Mountain Scops Owl
• Speckled Piculet
• Coal Tit
• Chestnut Crowned Laughing Thrush
• Maroon Oriole
• Fire Breasted Flycatcher
• Green Tailed Sunbird

The list of avain species found at Pangot is endless. If you wish to see Himalayan Birds Pangot is the right place to do so. Birders arrive here to spot birds of Pangot throughout the season. This lone isolated town does not attract general tourists but only ornithologists.

Bird Watching in India

 The Indian subcontinent has more than 1300 species of birds but when you add the subspecies the number goes up to 2200. This number is more than other continents or countries of the world. However, the number does not count all the time. Birders' visit is dependent upon the species and experience that the country offers.

India does not lag behind in all these aspects and is rich in the diversity of avifauna. We have an affinity with three zoogeographical zones.

• Pale Arctic
• Ethiopian
• Indo Malayan   

If we add our own zoogeographical zone the number rises to four. There are many subregions that India has an affinity with and this explains the immense diversity in terms of a number of avian species. The birding spots in the country are famous for ornithological quests. Some are home to endemic, rare, and targetted species. Not forgetting the common species which though common differ somewhat in morphological and behavioral aspects.

Most of the birds in India are under serious threat like the Great Indian Bustard, Lesser Florican, Sarus Crane, Black-necked stork,  White Winged Wood Duck, and Indian skimmer to name a few. The greatest threat arises from cement structures being built and advancing urbanization. Lakes, reservoirs, rivers, and other water bodies are shrinking fast. Natural habitats are being into urban structures leaving little space for wetland and shore birds. Deforestation is another big culprit which is fast reducing space for the forest birds.

Like in the case of mammals avians too are facing an existential threat and what will remain in the future is anybody's guess.

Birding in India

It is not a one-way story and conservation initiatives are being used to stem the rot.

Some of the best birding spots in India are

• Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary
• Little Rann of Kutch    
• Chilika Lake
• Thatekkad Bird Sanctuary
• Cold Deserts of Ladakh
• Pangot
• SatTal
• Nal Sarover
• Tal Chhaper
• Chopta Mandal
• Dandeli
• Desert National Park
• Latpancher
• Thor

The spots can be extended with more spots added to the list. If we add the tiger reserves the scope for bird watching in India expands immensely. Tiger reserves, numerous water bodies, and rivers all house a wide variety of avian species. The birding spots are well organized with tourist infrastructure in place.  Transportation is not a problem my advice is to hire a birding guide local or pan India to make the trip a great success.    

Birding at Corbett

 Birding at Corbett

Situated in the State of Uttrakhand in Ramnagar District, Corbett in Himalayan Foothills is a wilderness heaven. It is a tiger reserve, and a National Park well known for its birdlife. It was the first National Park in India notified during British rule in the year 1936. It was the first to be declared as a tiger reserve. Earlier the park was named Haley National Park before it was declared Corbett National Park.

The tiger reserve has an area of 529 sq. km and supports 200 tigers and more than 500 species of birds. The area including the buffer is 1318 sq. km. The birds belong to the resident species, Pale arctic migrants and altitude migrants which add to the numbers. When winter in the Himalayas is extreme due to the snow the avians descend to the foothills hence the destination is full of birds till summer.

Jim Corbett in Nainital District of Uttrakhand along with Sat Tal and Pangot for an amazing avian corridor.  

Corbett Wilderness

Corbett is home to many wild animals including goral which belongs to the Malayan subregion. Other animals found here are hog deer, swamp deer, wild elephant, chital, sambar, sloth bear, Himalayan Black Bear, yellow-throated marten, langur, jackal, fox, and rhesus macaque. Other small mammals found here are pangolins, otters, porcupines, and civet cats.

As mentioned earlier the reserve is rich in birdlife.

Snow-capped redstart

Blue-capped redstart

Bar-headed geese

Large Niltava

Small Niltava

Greater white-fronted goose

Paradise flycatcher

Lesser racket-tailed drongo

Greater racket-tailed drongo

Ruddy Shelduck

Red Crested Pochard

Lesser whistling teal

Great woodpecker

Himalayan Woodpecker

Rufus bellied woodpecker

Eurasian Pintail

Shoveler

Gadwall

Greater Flamingo

Great Crested Grebe

Little Pied Flycatcher

Lesser Fish Eagle

Hill Pigeon

Wood Pigeon

Yellow-legged green pigeon

Orange-bellied green pigeon

Emerald Dove

Wedge  Tailed green pigeon

Great Hornbill

Malabar Pied Hornbill

Common Grey Hornbill

Shama

Black Redstart

Rufus georgette flycatcher

European White Stork

Black-necked stork

Pallas Fish Eagle

Collared Scops Owl

Tawny Owl

Brown Wood Owl

 Plumbeous Water Redstart

The list is endless.

Tourism at Corbett

Tourism is organized at:

Dhikala Zone

Jhirna

Sitbani

Durga Devi Zone

Garjiya

Bijarani

Dhela

These are the best places to visit for excursions in the park. A stay at Dhikala Complex for one night is advised for bird watching at Dhikala Zone (Dhangadi Gate). You should book the safari at Corbett in advance as entry is limited. Safaris can be booked online or at the office of the field director at Ramnagar. The best time to visit is winter and early summer. There are many luxury and budget hotels for a stay at Ramnagar.

Distance for New Delhi  

Corbett is at a distance of 255 km from New Delhi via Moradabad. The nearest Aiports are at Pantnagar and Lucknow.  

Chambal And Bharatpur Birding

Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is well known all over India and abroad while Chambai is coming into the limelight. It was once in the limelight for many bandits that dwelled in the land proliferated by ravines and dunes an unproductive land that gained notoriety because of the bandits. All that is past and tourism has replaced the crime-ridden past. Chambal is a river sanctuary that encompasses three states namely:

• Uttar Pradesh
• Madhya Pradesh
• Rajasthan

The long stretch of river spans more than 700 km with a substantial area covered by the sanctuary. The sanctuary is home to several avian species, turtles, marsh crocodiles, and the gharial. It supports several mammalian and reptilian species on its banks and all these are major attractions for tourists who primarily come here for bird watching and boating on the river. 

Bharatpur is a 28 sq. km sanctuary and home to over 300 avian species. It is World famous with a majority of visitors arriving from overseas.  Both Bharatpur and Chambal are approachable from Agra roughly at a distance of 70 kilometers. The best season for bird watching at these destinations is winter when the Palearctic migrants arrive.

Boating is organized at Chambal by the lodge owner at Bah in Uttar Pradesh about 70 km from Agra. It is also organized at Dholepur in Madhya Pradesh about 50km from Bharatpur.

Boating organized at Chambal River Sanctuary is for about 2.50 hours and offers sightings of turtles, gharial, and marsh crocodiles. Several avians are seen. The most coveted species to see at Chambal are the Indian Skimmer, Bonelli's Eagle, Indian Eagle Owl, Laggar Falcon, Sand Lark, Booted eagle, Pallas gull, Eurasian Wigeon, Gadwall, Northern Shoveler, Mallard, Gargeny, Ferruginous Pochard, Red-crested pochard, Common Shelduck, Comb Duck, Common Quail, Rain Quail, Rock bush quail, Painted Francolin, Greater flamingo, Lesser flamingo, Great crested grebe, Yellow necked green pigeon, painted Sand grouse,  Chestnut-bellied sandgrouse, Savanna nightjar, Pied avocet, Kentish plover, Lesser sand plover, Long-billed plover, River lapwing, Ruff, Terek sandpiper, Common redshank, Brown-headed gull, Lesser black-backed gull, Little tern, Caspian tern, Black-bellied tern,  Booted eagle, Pallid Harrier, Northern goshawk, long-legged buzzard, Eurasian buzzard, Brown boobook, Black-rumped flame back, Red-necked falcon, White-tailed lapwing      

At Bharatpur, it is guided birding. The best birding guides are available in Bharatpur. The birds seen are

mustached warbler, dusky warbler, rubythroat, Lesser Whistling Duck, Sarus Crane, plum-headed parakeet, Bar-headed Goose, Ferruginous pochard, Marbled Teal, Common Crane, Wigeon, Gadwall, Baer's Pochard, Greater Scaup,  Tufted duck, Baikal Teal, Yellow Legged Button Quail, Barred Button Quail, Mallard, Pintail snipe, Common snipe, Common Quail, Indian eagle, Blue Tailed Barbet, Blue Cheeked Barbet, Grey Bellied Hawk Cuckoo, Common Cukoo, Sirkeer Malcoha, Alpine Swift, Short Eared Owl, Oriental Scops Owl, Brown Hawk Owl, Dusky eagle owl, Pale Backed Pigeon, Demoiselle crane, Red collared dove, Water rail, Brown crake,           Greater spotted eagle, Brown Capped Pigmy Woodpecker, Yellow Crowned Pigmy Woodpecker, Bonelli's Eagle, Honey buzzard, Steppe Eagle, Tawny eagle,Marble Teal, Black francolin, Chestnut bellied sandgrouse, Pintail snipe, Jack snipe, Black tailed godwit,  Eurasian Curlew,Pheasant and Bronze winged Jacana, Red necked phalarope,Pacific goled plover, Ballions crake, Water cock, Grey nightjar, Long-tailed nightjar, and Peregrine Falcon.

There are many more interesting species in these destinations. Thus for birders bird watching atBharatpur and Chambal is the best option. Both destinations can be covered in one itinerary.

Birding at Kanha National Park

Kanha is popular for tiger safaris and people enjoy seeing the big cats and other wild animals. Yet the destination with 250 bird species is slowly getting popular for the fantastic opportunity it provides to birders. Tourists miss the fantastic ecosystem in the mad chase for tigers and they miss the amazing avians that flock around. This magnificent tiger reserve and National park is getting popular with bird watchers and every year a large number of enthusiasts arrive here.   

The diverse topography is very much suitable for forest birds and to some extent grass birds. The wetland species are few and some arrive in winter due to small water bodies in the core area of the park. Some water bodies inside the tiger reserve are home to Eurasian wigeon, Northern pintail, common teal, garganey, Graylag geese, and a few more species but winter migrants do not arrive here in large numbers.  

 Other birds that are seen here are Indian pitta, barred button quail, black drongo, racket-tailed drongo Eurasian thicknee, Scops owl, Oriental scops owl, Brown fish owl, jungle owlet, honey buzzard, long-billed vulture, white-eyed buzzard, black-shouldered kite,  Large and median egrets, Greater Cormorant,  Osprey,  Tickell's blue flycatcher, tawny babbler, Asian paradise flycatcher, Palas Fish Eagle, Shama, verditor flycatcher, Gray Headed Fish Eagle, black-naped monarch,  Wooly Necked Stork, open billed stork,  Lesser Adjutant Stork, and the common shore birds.  

The best areas for bird watching at Kanha are: Sravan Taloa, Anicut at Nakti Ghati, Bija, and Bahmni Dadar, the buffer tourism areas, Link No 7,  8, and 9. The mixed forest, water bodies, Lakes, bamboo clumps, wild bushes, and meadows offer sightings of many birds. Marshy grasslands hold interesting species like bush chats, munias, parakeets, pipits, and larks. 

The Indian scimitar babbler, common grey hornbill, Malabar pied hornbill, common snipe, and painted francolin, are also seen in Kanha Tiger Reserve. The common avians are the common iora, yellow-eyed babbler, gray-breasted prinia, brown-cheeked fulvetta, ashy and plain prinia, common tailor bird, red-rumped swallow, white-rumped munia, purple sunbird, red avadavat, green munia, scaly and tricolor munia among the grassy patches and near the banks of ponds and small lakes.

Birding on the outskirts of  Kanha National Park is most rewarding.  Some of the preferred areas for birding outside parks are village fields,  Banjar River, Ganghar Nala Bank, and the village confines.  The enthusiasts visit the core and the outskirts as well.

A lot of birding tour operators organize birding tours at Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh. Birding in groups is always rewarding. But the most rewarding company is that of the birding guide and naturalist. Enthusiasts should barry a good pair of binocs and bird books while going in for bird watching at Kanha National Park in Central India. Spotting scopes are not required in this destination.