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.
