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.