Birding Trip Report Kanha and Bandhavgarh

Julien Gonin

Marine Gonin  

Julien & Marine

France 

Guests: Courtyard House Kanha
Tiger Den Resort Bandhavgarh

Courtesy Indiafootprints Tour Operator  

It was a trip for bird watching at India's Finest Reserves Kanha and Bandhavgarh National Park. Well it was much more than a birding trip since we combined it with tiger safari and managed to see many animals besides the tiger. 

Julien is a professional birder from France and conducts tours in Northern India including Bharatpur and Chambal. This was his first trip to Central Indian parks, and I am sure he was not disappointed. He plans to operate birding tours in this region in near future. Marine his wife was equally enthusiastic and accompanied us throughout on the tour.    

We covered many zones of the tiger reserves including outer areas. The result in a short period was spectacular. We check-listed around 165 species. Down below is a short list of discoveries. 

• Pale Footed Bush Warbler
• Bonelli's Eagle
• Tickell's Leaf Warbler
• Hume's Warbler
• Greenish Warbler
• Blyth's Pipit
• Long Billed Pipit
• Rufus Tailed Bush Lark
• Booted Eagle
• Crested Serpent Eagle
• Crested Hawk Eagle
• White Eyed Buzzard
• Black Naped Monarch
• Paddyfield Warbler
• Bronze Winged Jacana
• White Backed Vulture
• King Vulture
• Long Billed Vulture
• Little Grebe
• Bronze Winged Dove
• Oriental Turtle Dove
• Zitting Sisticola
• White Cheeked Orange Headed Thrush 
• Common House Martin
• Wire Tailed Swallow
• White Tailed Needletail
• Dusky Crag Martin
• Barn Swallow
• Red Rumped Swallow 
• Alexandrine Parakeet
• Streak Throated Woodpecker
• Black Rumped Flameback
• Shikra
• Canary Flycatcher
• Yellow Footed Green Pigeon
• Green Sandpiper
• Striated Heron 
• Open Billed Stork
• Lesser Adjutant Stork
• Black Stork
• Black Ibis
• Indian Moorhen
• Whitebreasted Waterhen
• Indian Scops Owl
• Mottled Wood Owl (Call)
• Brown Fish Owl
• Gold Fronted Chloropsis
• Tawny Bellied Babbler
• Chestnut Bellied Nuthatch
• Red Breasted Flycatcher
• Tickell's Blue Flycatcher
• Lesser WhiteThroat
• Shama
• Pied Bushchat
• Gray Bushchat
• Tree Pipit
• Great Tit
• Black Lored Tit
• Brown Cheeked Fulvetta
• Gray Wagtail
• Thick Billed Flowerpecker
• Pale Billed Flowerpecker
• White Rumped Munia
• Petronia
• Crested Bunting Female
• Blue Bearded Beeeater
• Indian Scimitar Babbler
  
  
  Among the mammals we saw:
• Tiger
• Gaur
• Barking Deer
• Swamp Deer
• Gray Mongoose
• Spotted Deer
• Wild Boar
• Langur
• Rehsus Macaque
• Sambar

The trip was an exciting exploration of the wild places. And could catch birders attention from around the World  to Kanha and Bandhavgarh which are only known for tigers.

Bandhavgarh Mountain

Gaur

Malabar Pied Hornbill

Tigress

Picks courtesy the birders..