Kanha Birding

There is a Silk Cotton Tree near the Hotel Krishan at Mocha in Kanha National Park Buffer. Last time I visited Kanha around this time of the year and found the Gold Mantled Chloropsis a regular visitor. Other birds that I found were Coppersmith Barbet, Spangled Drongo, Chestnut Tailed Starling and Black Drongo.

Down by the riverside we came across temminck's stint, green sandpiper, white browed wagtail, little green bee-eater, black headed oriole, white, eye, black naped monarch, common tailorbird, black redstart, shikra, honey buzzard, common myna, Hume's warbler, greenish warbler, common chiff chaff, racket tailed dromgo, white bellied drongo, greater coucal, common grey hornbill, black rumped flameback, Tickell's Blue flycatcher, ashy prinia, plain prinia, barred jungle owlet and large billed crow.

This was a short trip as my guests from UK were more involved in tiger safari and wildlife photography.

Birding at Kanha is underplayed due to the magnificent beast that enthralls one all all here - The Tiger. The pure Sal forest may not harbor many species but the mixed forest zones and bamboo belts offer exciting birding opportunity and these are in plenty. The altitude variation also provides excellent bird habitat. Most exciting feature is confirmation of fire capped tit and Siberian Ruby Throat at Kanha (Nakti Ghati). Other Northern India visitors include grey bushchat, ultramarine flycatcher, grey headed fish eagle, Pallas's Fish Eagle seen by me. There may other such catch with birders frequented this park.  

All the tiger reserves are good for bird watching tours in MP but less known. There are many birding destination in the State of Madhya Pradesh which are less known.    

Core Zone at Kanha is excellent for forest birds and grassland birds. For birding at open fields, and scrub one needs to score the area outside the park. See earlier Kanha Birding Trip Report.