Bird Watching at Dumna

Brown Hawk Owl by Prayut Mandal

The recent discovery of Brown Hawk Owl by Prayut and Aishwarya Mandal coaxed us to visit the Dumane Nature Reserve in Jabalpur. Situated on Dumna Road to the Airport is the Khandari Reservoir home to mugger crocodiles, turtles and numerous fishes. In winters migratory birds flock from far and wide. The place is home to many spotted deer, wild boar, jackal, leopard, langur and rhesus macaque. Besides numerous nocturnal animals can be seen here in the night.    

Some of the bird species that arrive here are osprey, black redstart, wagtails, pipits, larks, greenish warbler, Hume's warbler, Sulfur Bellied warbler, Gray Lag Geese, Eurasian Wigeon, Common Pochard, Coot, Gadwall, Red Crested Pochard, Brahminy Duck, Gargany, Northern Pintail and Shovellor. The resident ducks seen here are the lesser whistling teal, comb duck, and cotton pygmy goose and sometimes the spot billed duck.

Some of the other interesting birds can be seen here. We have seen Golden oriole, black headed oriole, Jerdon's leaf bird, gold fronted leaf bird, barred button quail, jungle bush quail, Tickell's thrush, Long tailed shrike, plum headed parakeet, chestnut shouldered petronia, wire tailed swallow, gray headed and coppersmith barbett, black rumped flame back, white naped woodpecker, yellow crowned woodpecker, scaly breasted munia, large cuckoo shrike, honey buzzard and paddyfield pipit. The surroundings are habitat of Indian courser, ashy crowned finch lark, rufous tailed lark, southern gray shrike, tawny pipit, Indian bush lark, Syke's lark, blue rock thrush and many more.

The Dumna Road and Nature Reserve and nearby villages are the best plac ein Jabalpur for bird watching. Many birders visit Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Pench Tiger Reserve via Jabalpur. They usually stop to see the beautiful Marble Rocks, a visit to Dumna Nature Reserve will add much fun to travel in this city. The visit can be arranged by hotels in Jabalpur City which provide travel services. There are three rooms available at Dumna Nature Reserve. Plans are in process to set up three luxury tents as well for accommodation by MPTDC. 

In order to visit Dumna one has to drive or taxi down half way to the airport. The whole package can be arranged by the hotel you are staying at.                   

Birding in Central India - Some Exciting Finds

During our younger days we would often see the chestnut bittern over head along with a number of egrets. This is a rare sight now. The bitterns are highly dependent upon the reed beds and certain plant species hence susceptible to loss of habitat.   . 

Like any other big town in India Jabalpur to is being rapidly urbanized with large number of colonies springing up every where. Hence many avian species are loosing their habitats. We recently came across a group of yellow and chestnut bitterns breeding in Jabalpur in Central India or MP. 

Two young birding enthusiasts discovered this colony near a local medical college in midst of human habitation. We keenly observed the juveniles and adult bitterns interacting with each other. This was a great sight and heartening as well. We continued birding in and around the area and came across an Isabelline Shrike, Yellow Eyed Babblers, Bronze Winged Jacana feeding their young. The checklist goes as follows:

Isabelline Shrike
Temminck's Stint
Yellow Bottern

Chestnut Bittern
Yellow Eyed Babbler
Ashy Prinia
Plain Prinia
Black Kite
Bronze Winged Jacana
Black Drongo
Rose Ringed Parakeet
Paddyfield Pipit
Pied Bush Chat
Common Stonechat
Chestnut Tailed Starling
Bank Myna
Pied Starling
Common Myna
Purple Moorhen
Indian Moorhen



 

Juvenile Chestnut Bittern

Yellow Bittern

Both Images are by Prayut Mandal from Jabalpur

Prayut Mandal and his bother also discovered in Jabalpur:

Bar Headed Geese 
Whimbrel
Eurasian Curlew


Most of the natural habitats and eco niches are being converted into residential colonies hence the future for many species looks bleak in Jabalpur. Jabalpur was known to have hundred water bodies or small lakes the numbers have come down in recent times. 

Birding at Barha R.F in Jabalpur on 9/6/2013

Barha Reserve Forest is part of Mandla Division but practically is in confines of Jabalpur City. For us Jabalpur City offers good access to birding habitats all around. 

Barha R.F is on the road to Bargi Dam from Jabalpur Mandla Road. One has to take a right turn from Gaur crossroad and go on straight past TFRI and turn left a little before Rani Durgawati Statue. The jungle road leads to Narrai Nala an enchanting brook on the Narrai stream. The road leads to Udaipur on Mandla Road and another road that goes right into Mandla Forests of Bijadandi has lot of forest cover.    

We limit ourselves to in and around the Narrai Brook going right or left as mood suggests. On Sunday I was in company of Jagat Flora my regular birding companion, Ashok Sengupta a butterfly expert and Divanshu Phd. student at Zoological Survey of India, Jabalpur. 

Barha is an interesting place for birding and springs surprises now and then. Hence when we came across Shama or White Rumped Shama it was an exciting moment. Jagat had seen the bird few days before but nevertheless he was after it to get an image. We saw many interesting birds and the checklists comprised of  Indian Pitta, Stork Billed Kingfisher, Black Naped Monarch, Common Iora, Jungle Myna, Honey Buzzard, Common Hawk Cuckoo, Racket Tailed Drongo, Emerald Dove, Indian Cuckoo (Calls), Tickell's Flycatcher, Thick Billed Flowerpecker,  Asian Paradise Flycatcher (Rufus Male), Black Headed Oriole and Puff Throated Babblers.

Thanks to Ashok Sengupta and Divanshu we were enlightened on many butterflies that fluttered past us and bugs that Mr. Divanshu is expert on.    

Images of Birds Found At Barha R.F. Mandla/Jabalpur
Photo Credits Jagat Flora, Jabalpur

Great Tit

Greenish Warbler

Gray Headed Canary Flycatcher 

WhiteBrowedFantail

Banded Bay Cuckoo

Hawk Cuckoo

Crested Serpent Eagle (juv)

Plain Prinia

Stork Billed Kingfisher

Twany Babbler

Jagat Flora

Me Myself & Malcom

pur

          

Bird Photography By Jagat Flora

Jagat Flora is an accomplished Photographer with good knowledge of birds, butterflies and  wild plants. Most of his images are as an effort of intense bird watching sessions with me. Here are some of the images he has taken in Jabalpur which are not so common.

Black Eagle in Jabalpur

Oriental Turtle Dove

Tickells Thrush Female

Striated Heron

Sulphur Bellied Warbler

 The black eagle is the first time record in Jabalpur. This raptor is found in the foothills and higher reaches Himalayas. This bird descends down to hilly regions of Peninsular India during the winters. 

Summer Time Birding at Kanha

I find summer time birding most fruitful contrary to the popular belief. Due to thin canopy and breeding season birding watching is fun. I have also conducted tours at Kanha and Bandhavgarh in summer with great success.  

This is an ideal time for bird photography since many birds court, breed and nest in this period.Me and my friend have successfully filmed and photographed breeding biology of Asian Paradise Flycatcher in Jabalpur. Dr. Dilip Katiyar is an accomplished photographer.  

Incidentally summer is the best time for animal or tiger photography in Kanha National Park and other tiger reserves in MP. Due to scarcity of wetlands animals congregrate in the core zone of the park near water holes providing photographers with ideal photo opportunity.  

Summer birding is a rising concept. Bird photography and sightings are the best. Recently I was at accommodation in Kanha where I work as birding and nature guide. In two days time I could sight more than fifty species in the surrounding habitat of fields, forests and wetland. 

Thanks to a better infrastructure one can travel to Kanha or Bandhavgarh in summers. Flight or AC train travel, air conditioned taxi, air conditioned rooms all save one from the summer heat. The early morning safaris are cool and so are the late evening safaris.  

Some exciting bird finds

My work as birding guide this year has been good. On my birding trip at Muchmucha near Bandhavgarh, I could locate a large herd of tufted duck. More than hundred flocked together in the water of Mahanadi Dam.

Muchmucha has been a good spot for birding with the added pleasure of locating the big cats. Situated right on the forests of Bandhavgarh the Muchmucha Lodge offers a unique experience of stay in the wild confines of Bandhavgarh National Park in Central India.  The reserve forests offers tiger safaris that are completely in isolation in undisturbed patches.  

The diverse habitats surrounding the Muchmucha Lodge offer a larger varieties of avian species to sight, photograph and film. 

The sighting and photography of  Black Eagle in Jabalpur has been a big surprise considering that this raptor frequents high reaches of Himalayas. That Bar Headed Geese were photographed at Pariat Lake in Jabalpur and the sightings of one lone Greater Flamingo has been heartening. 

It is still too early to understand the movements and spread of avian species in India. Well lot of work has been done by past ornithologists more is needed. The hope lies in a large number of young people taking to birding and photography. These are the hunter gatherers who will store evidence of  bird migration and perhaps the status.    

We had a good photography session at Muchmucha in Bandhavgarh in MP. The stay at the Muchmucha Lodge was a big treat. My client liked all that transpired, especially some lip smacking Indian Food. The accommodation is an ideal winter hideout for birders and wildlife photographers. Avinash Bhai the owner is an exceptional host and keeps the goodies flowing like in the old days whence big shots gathered here before the legislation for hunts.    

Indian Birds - Cinnamon Bittern in Jabalpur

It is a delightful sighting of pair of cinnamon bitterns in Jabalpur. In this city these birds are rare now. During our childhood we used to see them flying. Probably intrigued we used to keep a regular look out for these birds in flight, usually with a mixed flock of egrets.  

The birds are probably nesting in the reed beds near my house. We will look to see if it is possible to photograph them in flight since the nest would be unreachable and we would not like the nesting process.

Bird trek at Bargi Dam in Jabalpur

Bargi Dam

Bay Backed Shrike

Savanna Night Jar

Common Kingfisher

The pictures above have been taken by Mr. Jagat Flora based in Jabalpur.


The birding that day was interesting and we saw many birds. Some good finds were:


Oriental Turtle Dove, White Eyed Buzzard, Long Billed Pipit, Tawny Babbler, White Bellied Minivet, Black Naped Monarch, Racket Tailed Drongo, Sulphur Bellied Warbler, Crested Serpent Eagle, Bay Backed Shrike, Savanna Night Jar, Red Jungle Fowl and Crested Tree Swift.     

Bird Watching at Barha

Thanks to Holi we are able to indulge in more birding - me and my friend Bittu. Yesterday we visited the Barha Reserve Forest in the evening. The expedition was quite successful and the fine weather regaled us. 

We saw

Coppersmith Barbet by Neeraj Vegad

Yellow Crowned Woodpecker
Common Rosefinch
Orange Breasted Green Pigeon
Coppersmith Barbet
Red Jungle Fowl
Black Naped Monarch
Brahminy Starling
Greenish Warbler
Hume's Warbler
House Sparrow
Red Throated Flycatcher
Pied Buschat
Common Stonechat
Chestnut Shouldered Petronia
Plum Headed Parakeet
Rose Ringed Parakeet
Honey Buzzard
Black Shouldered Kite
Tickell's Leaf Warbler
Tawny Babbler
Racket Tailed Drongo
Black Drongo
Jungle Babblers
Indian Roller
Hoopoe
White Breasted Kingfisher
Little Cormorant
Cattle Egret
Striated Heron
White Eye
Black Redstart
Spotted Redshank
Marsh Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper
Black Winged Stilt
Temminck's Stint
Red Wattled  Lapwing
Spotted Dove
Laughing Dove
Eurasian Collared Dove
Little Green Beeeater
Common Myna
Grey Breasted Prinia
Ashy Prinia
Plain Prinia
Common Iora
White Eyed Buzzard
Pariah Kite
Streak Throated Swallow
Tree Pipit
Grey Wagtail
Common Tailor Bird
Purple Sunbird
Red Vented Bulbul

These birding trips are exciting and relieve stress.They challenge your memory and other cognitive skills. The exercise does good to your health. And the peace and tranquility in the forests accords peace to the mind. The striking birds affirm one's faith in nature and assure that the World is real.

Sunday Birding at Dumna in Jabalpur

It appeared to be dull birding day. I had gone alone to Dumna Road. The dense forest around the Khandari Lake is well preserved. This is what is known as Dumna Nature Reserve. The reserve forest outside the reserve is in a mess. Since years this beautiful forest patch has been subject to the woodcutters axe.   

I did see some interesting feathers:

Bay Backed Shrike
Long Tail Shrike
White Eyed Buzzard
Common Stonechat
Indian Robin
Common Chiffchaff
Grey Francolin
Jungle Bush Quail
Black Redstart
Red Breasted Flycatcher
Chestnut Tailed Starling
Rosy Pastor
Shikra
Black Drongo
Plum Headed Parakeet

Great Tit
Roseringed Parakeet
Common Tailorbird
Plain Prinia
Grey Breasted Prinia
Ashy Prinia
House Sparrow
Chestnut Shouldered Petronia
White Naped Woodpecker
Black Rumped Flameback
Indian Roller
Brahminy Myna
Common Myna
Purple Sunbird
Paddyfield Pipit
Ashy Crowned Sparrow Lark
Rufous Tailed Lark
White Browed Wagtail
Red Wattled Lapwing 

A day well spent but the forest destruction appalled me. A large junk of land has been given to IIIT institute. A five star hotels in being planned besides the expansion of airport which will devour more natural land. 

This is development????????  

Birding at Jabalpur - 22/1/2012

I took the road that leads to Narmada River. I went along the way that reaches the banks of the river. I did not go to the banks but restircted myself to the road. Below is the cehceklist of bird I saw:

Barn Swallows
Green Sand Piper
Common Chiff Chaff
Lesser Whitethroat
Grey Wagtail
Black Winged Stilts
Temminck's Stint
Yellow Wattled Lapwing
Red Wattled Lapwing
Nakta or CompDuck
Lesser Whistling Teal
Cotton Pygmy Goose
Coot
Great Egret
Median Egret
Little Cormorant
Ringed Rose Parakeet
Pied Starling
Cattle Egret
Greater Coucal
Greenish Warbler
Black Redstart
Common Redshank
Common Sandpiper
Wire Tailed Swallow
Pied Kingfisher
White Throated Kingfisher
Barhminy Starling
House Sparrow
Black Winged Kite
Pariah Kite
Purple Swamphen
Baya Weaver
Bronze Winged Jacana
Pond Heron
Little Grebe

As usual this was a short birding trip and wanted to score the banks but fell short of time die to a pressing engagement with a client.  Well more to come.


 

Sunday Birding Jabalpur - 8-12-2012

We went to Barha Reserve Forest for early morning birding. In the company were a group of amateur nature photographers. It is encouraging to see people indulge in nature photography which is a healthy sport. They were young and excited to accompany a birder for a birding session and photography.   

In this foggy and cold morning and We could see:
 

Streak Throated Swallows
Red Wattled Lapwing
Oriental Turtle Dove
Tailor Bird (Call)
Black Headed Oriole
Verditor Flycatcher
Black Nape Monarch
Grey Headed Canary Flycatcher
Striated Heron
Barn Swallows
Plain Martin
Rufus Treepie
Racket Tailed Drongo
Black Drongo
Greenish Warbler
Hume's Warbler (Calls)
Common Kingfisher
Pied Kingfisher
White Throated Kingfisher
Black Rumped Flameback
Grey Hornbill
Crested Serpent Eagle
Common Kestrel

Shikra
Tickell's Blue Flycatcher
Black Ibis
Pond Heron

Little Cormorant
Jungle Babbler
Black Lored Tit (Calls)
Great Tit
Grey Wagtail
Brown Cheeked Fulvetta (Calls)
Rose Ringed Parakeet
Plum Headed Parakeet
Green Pigeon (Calls)
Spotted Dove (Calls)
Laughing Dove
Long Tailed Shrike
Red Kite
Magpie Robin
Indian Robin

Brown Headed Barbet (Calls)
Crimson Breasted Barbett (Coppersmith) (Calls)

This was a short two hour trip but we are planning to go for a long trip another Sunday. The long trip should result in much greater checklist with some exciting species.

Long Billed Vulture Photo

Photo: Neeraj Vegad Jabalpur

A critically endangered bird this vulture now inhabits few ecosystems that support its breeding biology. The bird makes nest on steep cliff out of the reach of humans. 

Birding at Marble Rocks

The magical mystical falls Dhuandhar on River Narmada are the beginning of the gorge that Capt Forsyth so vividly described - Marble Rocks. Much remains of the magnificent splendor the he described excpet the surroundings have become devoid of greenery in recent times. 

A concrete pathway and driveway with an overhead rope way has opened new vista of tourism. The river were once surrounded with dense forests on the cliffs - all gone now.  Wherever man steps in destruction is bound to occur.

Anyway while my guests were busy visiting the falls I was busy bird watching on the cliff bang opposite. I could see some house martins flying all around the Egyptian Vultures most of them were juvenile. It was quite late but I did manage to see a blue rock thrush female. These birds visit the rocky surroundings near the hills of Bargi which are nearby. Another good sightings was rufous tailed larks sitting pensively on of the rocks.  White wagtail and large pied wagtails were in plentyful. 

I could not sight the Brown Fish Owl which frequent the boating area and surroundings. But they are certainly visible during the evening time whence they come out of the fissures amidst the marble rocks in the over hanging cliffs.       

Near by there is an old bridge that leads to Marble Rock underneath you can discover a colony of streak throated swallows. This is where you can see Brahminy Ducks and an occasional rare visitor the avocet.

Red wattled lapwing, house sparrows, are ubiquitous in Jabalpur. Humes warbler, brown rock chat and a purple sunbirds male in eclipse was what I could see before we moved on.  

Western Crowned Warbler in Jabalpur

Red Jungle Fowl

Plain Prinia

Ashy Crowned Sparrow Lark

Bird Checklist Jabalpur 

Sunday 23/10/2011 Barha R.F Jabalpur MP India

I had seen this bird earlier about seven years back but could not confirm the features due to bad light. Today's birding yielded much better sighting and a new bird added to my list.

Western Crowned Warbler
Tickell's Leaf Warbler
Hume's Warbler
Greenish Warbler
Brown Cheeked Fulvetta
Black Naped Monarch
Paradise Flycatcher
Red Throated Flycatcher (Female)
Tickell's Blue Flycatcher
Black Headed Oriole
Golden Oriole Juvenile
Black Drongo
Racket Tailed Drongo 
Pond Heron
Black Redstart
Common Sandpiper
Red Wattled Lapwing
Grey Wagtail
Streat Throated Swallow
Large Cuckoo Shrike
Large Babbler
Jungle Babbler
Common Tailor Bird (Calls)
Gray Breasted Prinia (Calls)
Plain Prinia (Calls)
White Eye
Common Iora (Calls)
Rufous Treepie
Common Myna
Little Grebe
Little Cormorant
Cattle Egret
Indian Robin (Calls)
Rose Ringed Parakeet
Plum Headed Parakeet (Calls)
Common Grey Hornbill (Calls)
Grey Francolin 
Red Vented Bulbul
Pariah Kite
Black Shouldered Kite
Spotted Dove (Calls)
Black Rumped Flameback
Red Jungle Fowl (Calls)
Purple Heron (Flight)
Wooly Necked Stork 
Black Ibis

As the winter sets in more migrants are to arrive this will make birding more interesting. This November I will be leading a group to Kanha and Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in MP. This is a combined tiger safari/birding and wildlife photography tour of 10 days. I am very Happy!

Birds Seen at Barha Range Jabalpur

It was lazy birding but we could not sight new migrants on this Sunday. We saw some black winged stints and streak throated swallows which breed under the Gaur Bridge on the way. the other birds we saw where:

Black lored tit
Tickell's Blue Flycatcher (Calls)
Chestnut  Headed Myna or Chestnut Tailed Starling
Common Myna
Hoopoe
Red Jungle Fowl
Black Hooded Oriole (Calls)
Juvenile Golden Oriole
Black Drongo
Honey Buzzard
Short Toed Snake Eagle
Pariah Kite
Rose Ringed Parakeet
Plum Headed Parakeet
Barred Jungle Owlet (Calls)
Common Iora
Common Wood Shrike (Calls)
Brown Cheeked Fulvetta
Little Grebe
Tailor Bird
Grey Breasted Prinia
Plain Prinia
Ashy Prinia
Bronze Winged Dove
Greenish Warbler
Little Cormorant 
Jungle Babbler
Large Grey Babbler

The vegetation is still very dense and visibility is not very deep hence less avian species is noted. The arrival of migrants is yet to peak.  We are keen to meet with our feathered friends from  abroad.






 

Old Acquaintances Return - Winter Migrants

The rains have stopped, well nearly and we have been to our first birding trip post monsoon. As usual we visited Barha as part of study to find out which migrants arrive first in Jabalpur. One of the few arrivals we met with were black redstart, barn swallows on the way to the Barha Forest Range.

At Barha we sighted the Greenish Warbler which along with the Hume's Warbler is most abundant in Jabalpur Region. Oriental turtle dove seems to have swift movement forth and back.  We also saw Grey Wagtail alight on the banks of a small puddle in between the forests. Green sandpiper also returns early we should see it soon. Some bird seem to spen less time in winter quarters and more time in India. The monsoon break is big by all mean and lasts from June to Septmber mid and I get somewhat disoriented with birding.

Nevertheless the monsoon has come to an end and birdwatching has started. Hurray! Other resident birds we saw today were honey buzzard, Indian roller, spotted dove, laughing dove, rose ringed parakeet, black hooded oriole, streak throated swallow, puff throated babbler, common iora, tickle's blue flycatcher, gray vented bulbul, white eye, pied starling, common myna, red wattled lapwing, red breasted,  ashy and plain prinia.

Our favorite birding spot is around forests at the bank of Narrai Nala, This is a small perennial stream which emerges from nearby mountains. This where the martyred Maharani Gurgawati was killed by her enemies. Some years back the place was inhabited by lot of chinkaras, barking deer, wild boar and spotted deer they have all been hunted down though barking deer can still be seen but rarely. The gang of poachers still enter the forests in quest of wild boar and red jungle fowl. Logging continues day to day and the density is going down with no hope for future. An occasional tiger or leopard migrates from near by forests but returns due to paucity of prey base.     

We will keep an eye on for more arrivals and make a note here. Earlier at my house three nesting took place on the same vine. First to nest was purple sun bird followed by spotted munia and Indian silver bill on the latter's nest. 

Bird Watching at Kanha National Park

I recently visited Kanha on three day tour with my English clients. They were birders of repute and main focus was on birds. The timing was good since it was still cold and the migrants were  very much present.

We started from Jabalpur on 20/2/2011 for Kanha. On the way we made a brief  stop at Gaur River Bridge. We could sight:

Green Sand Piper
Wood Sand Piper
Common Kingfisher
Common Red Shank
Black Winged Stilt
Temminck Stint
Streak Throated Swallows
Egrets
Black Ibis

We moved on straight for Kanha Tiger Reserve since we did not wish to miss the evening birding and safari there. We arrived in time for lunch and left for the park after consuming it. It did not seem to be the right day as clouds set in and it began to drizzle in the park. But anyway we saw many birds and tiger of course. We spent three days in Kanha Bird Watching in the park as well as outside. Lot of time was spent chasing the tiger as well.

We saw:
Common Myna
Gold mantled chloropsis
Spangled Drongo
White Bellied Drongo
Black Drongo
Racket Tailed Drongo
Pied Starling
Rosy Starling
White Rumped Shama
Yellow Fronted Woodpecker
White Naped Woodpecker
Black Rumped Flameback
White Browed Flycatcher
Verditor Flycatcher
Black Naped Monarch
Black Hooded Oriole
Golden Oriole
Common Iora
Asian Paradise Flycatcher
Blyth's Reed Warbler
Hume's Warbler
Greenish Warbler
Common Chiff Chaff
Ultramarine Flycatcher
White Eye
Brown Headed Barbet
Crimson Breasted Barbet
Painted Snipe
Common Snipe
Red  Avadavat
Zitting Cisticola
Red Rumped Swallows
Wire Tailed Swallows
Crested Tree Swift
Plain Martin
Grey Francolin
Painted Francolin
Tickell's Flycatcher
Red Breasted Flycatcher
Magpie Robin
Brown Cheeked Fulvetta
Red Spurfowl
Red Jungle Fowl
Oriental Honey Buzzard
Crested Serpent Eagle
Crested Hawk Eagle
White Rumped Vulture
King Vulture
Shikra
Common Kestrel
White Eyed Buzzard (Calls)
Spotted Dove
Laughing Dove
Barred Jungle Owlet
Spotted Owlet
Indian Scops Owl
Yellow Fronted Green Pigeon
Indian Scimitar Babbler
Jungle Babbler
Purple Sunbird
Long Tailed Minivet
Small Minivet
Rufous Treepie
Large Cuckoo Shrike
Common Hawk Cuckoo
Shirkeer Malkoha
Lesser Whistling Teals
Northern Pintail
Wooly Necked Stork
Chestnut Shouldered Petronia
Rose Ringed Parakeet
Plum Headed Parakeet
Alexandrine Parakeet
Pied Kingfisher
White Throated Kingfisher
Common Stonechat
Pied Stonechat
Brown Rock Chat
White Ibis
Plain prinia
Jungle Prinia
Ashy Prinia
Common Tailor Bird
Yellow Eyed Babbler
Little Cormorant
Indian Cormorant
Brahminy Starling
Yellow Wattled Lapwing
Red Wattled Lapwing
Eurasian Thicknee
Rufous Tailed Lark

Tree Pipit
Chestnut Bellied Nuthatch
Common Grey Hornbill
Barn Swallows
Chestnut Tailed Starling
Brown Shrike
Long Tailed Shrike
Indian Robin
Oriental Turtle Dove
Little Ring Dove
Asian Koel


The trip was successful, courtesy IndiaFootprints. Contrary to the belief that Sal Forests are not good for birding. Pure Sal Belts and Bamboo offer little birding.But mixed forests, scrubs, wetlands, grasslands in Kanha provide amazing bird species to watch. It is very important that one should be familiar with the habitats before organizing a birding expedition. I was desperate to see White Browed Bulbul, Blackbird, Orange breasted green pigeon, Twany babbler,  Red headed and black headed bunting  which I have seen in Jabalpur. I missed identifying Ashy Minivet due to bad light. Our guest wished to see the Blue breasted button quail, but i knew these are rare bird often seen near village fields. I have sen it once near my residence at village outskirts.   

Bird expeditions are never complete since the avian species always maintain their own timings and places.  We could not see much of Munias as white bellied and the lot. I have realized you should feel happy in what you come across after all they are free wings.  

The best time for birding in Kanha is of course winters the migrant stay till Feb/March some as long as  April. The  summer birding is as interesting since thin canopy allows some grand sightings of birds like Indian Pitta and Orange Headed Ground Thrush etc. On earlier trip we had come across Pallas fish eagle and grey bush chat. The latter female posed some problems for me in the North he..he.  

Besides tiger reserves Jabalpur has lot to offer for bird watching expeditions in Madhya Pradesh. Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary, Pachmarhi, Amarkantak are some of the places which are top rated for birding in Central India. These destination are yet unexplored. 

Besides birds we saw Tiger, Indian Bison or Gaur, Spotted Deer, Swamp Deer, Jungle Cat, Wild Boar, Sambar Deer, Jackal and Barking Deer. Hanuman Langur, Spotted Deer are common wild animals in Kanha. We also came across Rhesus Macaque on the way. 

Interesting bird find Jabalpur

On our recent birding trip to Barha reserve forest and Mandla Road we came across and some interesting finds.

Though found in this region we were luck to see the Red headed bunting pairs on tree tops and one male black headed bunting alongside them. This has added to our list of Buntings found in Jabalpur region and increased the numbers of bird check listed by me so far. Another interesting sight was large number of chestnut tailed mynas at Gaur river.    

Central India is an interesting birding destination for water birds as towns like Jabalpur have lot of water bodies small and big. The forest belts offer sightings of lot many bird that are resident and winter visitors. Pipits, Larks and warblers are some of the regular visitors. 

Parks as Kanha Bandhavgarh and Pench have been visited for tiger safaris in India. Thanks to work done by many naturalists a good check list has been complied of birds found in this region.Of late they are becoming popular for birding trips as well  Hence popularity of Birding tours in MP is on increase. One can sight as many as two hundred and fifty birds on frequent bird tours to tiger reserves.  

More work at Pench and Panna tiger reserves will surely yield some interesting finds. I visit Pench much less hence do not have the opportunity for birding frequently.   

White capped bunting

Our second great discovery in Central Indian city of Jabalpur was recent sighting of white capped bunting along with a group of common rosefinch. The first was sighting of white browed Bulbul. This was at Barha which is a forest near Jabalpur full of bird life.

This bird is a ground feeder and visits Central India in winters. The only other bunting I have seen in and around Jabalpur is the crested bunting. 

Once populated with big cats tigers and leopards the forest do not hold any mammalian life thanks to poaching. The forest is excellent bird habitat with winter migrants like Hume's warbler, Sulpher bellied warbler and Greenish warbler seen with regularity. Other migrants are black redstart, red throated flycatcher and wagtails.   

On our regular bird watching trips we see lot of forest birds that are found in Kanha and Bandhavgarh.  I have check listed more than 80 species of forest birds.

Barha Reserve forest is the best birding spot to those on birding trips at Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh.