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.