Bird Images at Kanha National Park in Central India

Though a tiger heaven Kanha National Park is an excellent destination for bird watching with more than two hundred species recorded so far. New bird discoveries is a constant happening. The hotspot is rich in forest species though wetland and shore birds can also be checklisted during the winters. 

Some of key resident species are the Malabar Pied Hornbill, Paradise Flycatcher, Indian Pitta, Black Naped Monarch, Shama, Brown Hawk Owl, Brown Wood Owl, Mottled Wood Owl, Serpent Eagle, Hawk Eagle, Honey Buzzard, White Eyed Buzzard, Booted Eagle, Grey Headed Fish Eagle, Jerdon's Baza, Crested Goshawk, Shikra, White Rumped Needletail, Bar Winged Flycatcher Shrike, White Cheecked Orange Headed Thrush, Tickell's Thrush, Pygmy Cotton Teal, Lesser Whistling Teal, and many many more......

Among the winter visitors are the Black Redstart,Tickell's Leaf Warbler, Hume's Warbler, Sulphur Bellied Warbler, Greenish Warbler, Grey Buschat, Siberian Rubythroat, Palas Fish Eagle(Rare), Rufus Bellied Eagle,Verditor Flycatcher, Green Sandpiper, Nortern Pintail, Gray Lag Geese, Bar Headed Goose, Common Teal, Richard's Pipit and more....      

Here are some bird pictures from Kanha

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Scarlet Minivet

Isabelline Shrike

Little Egret

Crested Hawk Eagle

Bhamani Starling

White Eyed Buzzard

King Vulture

Black Stork

Black Rumped Flameback

Lesser Adjutant Stork

Honey Buzzard

Richard's Pipit

Honey Buzzard

Blue Capped Rock Thrush

Spotted Owlet

Shikra

Magpie Robin

Crested Tree Swift Female

Indian Roller

White Backed Vulture Juvenile

Crested Serpent Eagle Juvenile

Large Grey Cuckoo Shrike

White Throated Kingfisher

Shikra

Twany Babbler

While the birding goes year around the thick canopy in October is stressful though the full range of migrants continue to arrive throughtout the winters. The best period hence is from mid November onwards lasting upto June 15 since rainy weather may impede excusrions after mid June. 

Birding is not allowed on foot in the core area hence jeep safaris are ideal way of watching lovely avian. However on foot birding can take place outside the core in the buffer region. Anoter   

Kanha National Park is not the place for wetlands or shore birds niether it is a place for studying winter migrants. Hence birders should aim for forest birding using good pair of binoculors and a medium sized lens perhaps upto 600mm. A bean bag and a tripod will be very helpful. 

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????????  

More birds at Barha Jabalpur

Bird watching is exciting and gets more exciting if you see/hear interesting species. In summers birds of diverse habitat congregate around water sources. This is the case of birds at Barha reserve forest near Jabalpur Mandla.

In today's morning birding I heard calls of India Pitta (Pitta brachuyra) just as we entered the forest. This bird I had noted earlier only for a brief period between March and April and thought it migrated locally (Kanha?). But today's calls means it stays here for more extended period or could be permanent resident.

More calls: Indian scimitar babbler, Shikra,

Sightings:

Black headed oriole (Oriolus xanthogenys)

Black-naped monarch

Asian paradise flycatcher

White browed flycatcher

White browed bulbul

Bonelli's eagle

Crested Serpent eagle (Adult + juvenile)

Honey buzzard

Greater racket tailed drongo (Dicrurus paradeseus)

Puff throated babbler

Common hawk cuckoo

Pied crested cuckoo (Clamator jacobinus)

Grey breasted prinia

Brown fish owl (Ketupa zeylonensis)

Crested tree swift (Hemoprocine longipenis)

Common Iora

My checklist of bird of Jabalpur is consistently increasing (over 260). Thanks to frequent bird watching trips lately in all seasons. Except my friend Bittu ,I have yet to come come across bird watchers in Jabalpur town which by all means is a large town in India. It is expected that many more youths/elders/men/women would take interest in our birds and contribute somehow to learning about avian wonders and conserving them as a result.