Birding At Tadoba Tiger Reserve

The birds abound but the search is for the tiger. This is a mistake most of the wildlife lovers make whence they visit a tiger reserve in Central India. This happens everywhere even at Tadoba which has recently become most popular destination for tourism.    

The tiger is enchanting and everybody wishes to see one. But if you are solely concentrating on one animal you miss many other species especially the birds at Tadoba. The place abounds with avian species and they are everywhere. They can be found in the forests, amidst bamboo clumps, grasslands, rivers, ponds and lakes and also in the surroundings outside the National Park.  

Albeit in the tiger reserves most of the species found are those that dwell amidst the trees and grasslands. But if there are sufficient water bodies, rivers and other wetlands the chances of migratory shore and deep diving species being sighted is very high.  Hence for birders the mix of habitats results in checklisting a vast number of species during a safari or a nature walks in the precincts of the reserve. 

Hence this is the way a bird tour is organised at Tadoba. A few rounds of tiger safari in the park is mixed with nature walks in the forest periphery, village fields and a drive to a large wetland. This way the trip is sure to result in high number of sightings of avian species. If you have a good birding guide your trip is going to be big success.    

Some of the species seen while touring this reserve are shown in the photographs below: 

Black Shouldered Kite 

Blue Bearded Beeeater

Brown Fish Owl 

Spotted Owlet 

Serpent Eagle

Lesser Whistling Teal 

Red Jungle Fowl 

Racket Tailed Drongo

Ashy Sparrow Finch Lark 

Ashy Prinia

Yellow Eyed Babbler

Banded Bay Cuckoo

Coppersmith Barbet

Bar Headed Geese

Baya

Black Francolin  

Black Headed Bunting  

Bhamani Myna

Black Ibis

Black Headed Oriole 

Black Lored Tit 

Black Naped Flycatcher 

Black Stork 

Black Rumped Flameback 

Female Redstart 

Indian Vulture

The best season for birding at Tadoba is the winter time. This is the period whence most of the migratory species arrive here. But in summer with the canopy reducing down it becomes the place to find the resident species in open. Hence for resident bird photography early summer is the best time. Bird photographers should take note of this. 

For excursions in the core zone a permit is required which can be arranged by the hotel you are staying at. 

Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve is near Chandrapur which is about one hundred fifty km from Nagpur Airport in the State of Maharashtra in India. 

Birding At Bandhavgarh in Central India

Known popularly as a tiger safari destination Bandhavgarh is a birder's heaven. With more than two hundred and fifty species of avian the reserve is a paradise. All the birding tours that I have conducted here have been a big success. 

Francolin

Black Rumped Flameback 

Grey Headed Fish Eagle

Lesser Adjutant Stork

Indian Vulture

The diverse terrain is home to many forest birding species, while one has to scour a larger confine to target wetland and shore birds. The added advantage of birding in Bandhavgarh is the presence of the tiger. Wherever you are birding a chance appearance of tiger or that matter a leopard is possible. That is why birding tours here are so exciting and rewarding. 

Wildlife photographers who seek the tiger invariably end up photographing many of these enchanting avian species. The exotic surrounds of the forests and swampy grasslands hook up the birder no end.  The ancient ruins and architectural splendours are a treat to the eye. To seek avian friends in such esoteric surroundings is an opportunity of a life time. 

Bandhavgarh geography comprises of low lying hills and cliffs with steep edges, marshy grasslands, Sal and mixed forest and bamboo with intervening mountain rivers, lakes and small water bodies.  These are excellent nesting grounds for resident species. The Bandhavgarh Hillock rising 800 MSl proves ideal for nesting Malabar Pied and Grey Hornbills besides the Indian Vulture. Since there are many steep cliffs Indian Vultures nest here in large numbers.     

Paradise flycatchers prefer the shore of the rivulets with dense thickets as breeding grounds. Other flycatchers seen here are the Black Naped, Taiga, Tickell's blue and the winter migrant verditer flycatcher. 

Pigmy Cotton Goose

Silverbill

Peacock

Red Avadavat

Yellow Eyed Babbler

Other targeted species are the painted francolin, Indian Pitta, orange headed thrush, racket tailed drongo, golden and black headed oriole, crested serpent and hawk eagle, honey buzzard, grey headed fish eagle, white rumped and king vulture, barred buttonquail, lesser adjutant and open billed storks, spangled drongo, Tickell's Thrush, Iora, minivets, warblers, parakeets, brown fish owl, brown wood owl, mottled wood owl, Alexendrine parakeet, peregrine falcon, black rumped flameback, white naped and yellow crowned woodpeckers, brown headed pigmy and streak throated woodpeckers, rufus woodpecker, blue bearded bee eater, to name a few...         

Barred Jungle Owlet

Common Kingfisher

Common Woodshrike

Indian Eagle Owl

Indian Bushlark

Small Minivet

White Eyed Buzzard

Verditor Flycatcher

The best season is during the winters from October onwards however the strain is reduced whence the canopy thins out in summers but by that time migrants have departed. Summer birding in Bandhavgarh is excellent with hordes of resident birds to checklist. The best period for summer activity is March and April while May and June are very hot. But the heat not withstanding the period is excellent for bird photography. 

All Images By John Matthai  

Fall of The Sparrow

World Sparrow Day 
20 March  

Incidentally it was a dead yellow throated sparrow that turned Dr.Salim Ali into an ornithologist and conservationist. We have all grown up the vicinity common house sparrow. I remember hoards in my old house chirping, feeding and nesting.   

They were part of the house and us taken for granted the commensal of men could not withstand modernity as it has entered the vicious form that we see today. 

The reduction in numbers is an indicator of serious environmental concern. Since  a long time the reduction in their population has been noted in urban areas which they inhabit the most. This reduction in numbers is directly related to our lifestyle as well our way of farming. We are using number of chemicals which are toxic to birds and humans in long time as well. The toiletries, garden chemicals and pesticides used in farms are contributing to slow death of avian species Worldwide. The chemicals flowing through the outlets are ingested by birds which eventually affects their eggs and hence breeding. 

While the house sparrow lives in towns, cities and villages other species of sparrows prefer different habitats. The house sparrow (passer domesticus) is the most affected inhabiting human habitations. 

The continuing urbanisation is taking its toll due intolerance present generation since the sparrows used to nest in old houses. In modern construction there is no space for this avian and few nesting grounds are available. 

The population reduction is also due to the destruction of trees and forests. Constant large scale urbanisation has lead to reduction in number of trees and groves which the bird prefers. The scrub land another of its habitat too has been affected by rampant colonisation in India.     

Classification of Sparrows 

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Passeriformes

Suborder: Passeri

Infraorder: Passerida

Superfamily: Passeroidea

Family: Passeridae

Kanha National Park - Winter & Summer Birding

Birding at Kanha

Kanha National Park along with other tiger reserves in Central India are a heaven for bird watchers. Albeit degree of difficulty is very high in winters whence the migrants arrive. The thick canopy makes visibility a challenge and greater efforts have to be made to identify avian by interpreting their calls.   

Indian SCops Owl - Monu Dubey

Brown Hawk Owl - Prayut Mandal 

Cinnamon Bittern - Prayut Mandal 

Black Rumped Flameback - Sanjeev Patel  

Northern Taxa like the Pallas Fish Eagle, Grey Headed Fish Eagle, Grey Bushchat, Osprey, Gray Lag Geese, Siberian Ruby Throat, Verditor Flycatcher, bar winged flycatcher shrike can be seen along with wintering pipits, warblers and some teals.   

Winters accord excellent opportunity to enhance skills in identifying the warblers and wintering pipits. In this region the latter are scarce but nevertheless there.  But by all means this is a strenuous and stressful exercise. Anyway better birding starts from December on words whence water begins to recede and canopy begins to thin down. 

The ever exciting tiger chases will always be there to interfere merrily. Some serious birders tell me not to indulge in the tiger chase. I am happy with that because the run for avian accords me to sharpen my birding skills especially after a gap of three months whence the park is closed. 

Painted Stork - Shreyas

For birders going into the park the Khatia Zone in the buffer with lot of mix canopy and bamboo provides ideal opportunity for birding in an open jeep. The expeditions are more challenging on the jeep safaris since getting down is not allowed.  For a bird watching apart from Khatia Zone moving in the buffers is a good experience hence all zones and buffer zone areas should be explored. 

Keeping in mind the degree of difficulty winter tours should be of longer duration especially if the mega fauna is on the  menu. Summer birding could be shorter due to increased visibility of birds and mammals. 

Overseas visitors arriving from cold climes should acclimatise themselves with warm weather mid March onward. 

Summer Birding at Kanha

In the summers migrants leave but thinning canopy offers wonderful opportunity to watch the resident birds like the painted francolin, Indian Pitta, Orange headed ground thrush, Malabar Pied Horn Bill, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Black Naped Flycatcher to name a few. 

The tiger reserve is home of forest birds and those expecting wetland species will be disappointed due to the absence of large water bodies.  Under most circumstances good quality binoculars are more than enough with little use of spotting scope.   

Birding can spring few surprises like my discovery of blue capped rock thrush earlier, rufus bellied eagle, pale footed bush warbler and spot bellied eagle owl. Sighting vagrants, passage migrants  and some undiscovered species will make your trip exciting. Hire a good birding guide from among the naturalists in Kanha during the trip.      

           

Birds of Kanha - Spot Bellied Eagle Owl

Jonathan & Emma UK
Guest Courtyard House Kanha
Date 20/4/2017

On recent visit to Kanha National Park we came around interesting birds. In summer time winter migrants are not seen leaving the sandpipers and black redstart which leave a little later.  But March onwards Kanha National Park in Central India is ideal for summer birding. In this period one can find some of the migratory bird species and as the summer increases and foliage reduces resident species are seen all over.  

Hence it is delightful experience to find summer residents some of which are hidden in the dense canopy or bush during the winters. The added advantage is that many water sources become redundant and birds conscribing to various niche habitats gather around the remaining water holes, stream and lakes. 

Many a discoveries are made during this period of avian that are not checklisted earlier at this tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh. 

On this trip we came across Spot Bellied Eagle Owl perched high on a skeletal branch. In the initial stages the guide pronounced it as Brown Fish Owl but I was not convinced. Hence looking through the binoculars I could make out that it was Spot Bellied Eagle Owl without any doubt. An image has been taken of this species at the same time which I am expecting to be sent.               

Rufus Bellied Eagle at Kanha

Rufus Bellied Eagle at Kanha

Pete & Pam UK at Courtyard House

We saw this raptor hunting at Kanha National Park last year. We were fortunate to photograph this passage migrant again this year in February 2017.

Photo: Pete & Pam

  This raptor has been recorded probably for the first time at Kanha.

✅ Birding in Remote Forests of Eastern Himalayas

✅ Birding in Remote Forests of Eastern Himalayas