India has over 1,200 bird species, a total few countries can match. They are spread right across the country, from the Himalayas in the north to the Western Ghats in the south, the central plains, the deserts and scrub of the west and the mangroves of the east. Here is a pick of the best birding places in India.
Sattal and Pangot
This place takes its name from a group of seven connected freshwater lakes. Sattal, near Nainital, sits at 1,370 metres in the lower Himalayas, and with over 500 resident and migratory species it is a fine birding spot. Pangot, about 15 km from Nainital, holds around 580 species. Together they make the best of the Kumaon region. Look for cheer, kalij and koklass pheasant, along with Himalayan bulbul, red-billed blue magpie, Himalayan woodpecker, blue-throated barbet, black-headed jay, green-tailed sunbird and russet sparrow.
Chopta
Chopta, in the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttarakhand, is a quiet, unspoiled place in the western Himalayas, supporting over 240 bird species. Its forests of deodar, pine and rhododendron have earned it the nickname “mini Switzerland”. Among the birds are Himalayan monal, crested goshawk, upland buzzard, snow partridge, bearded vulture, scarlet finch, cheer pheasant and pied thrush.
Corbett
Jim Corbett National Park, famous as India’s first tiger reserve, covers about 1,300 sq km in Uttarakhand. Its mix of forest, grassland and river valley makes it one of India’s richest bird areas, with over 550 species. Look for cinereous vulture, booted eagle, blue-tailed bee-eater, Indian ring dove and Indian peafowl, as well as scarcer birds like blue-winged minla, ultramarine flycatcher and long-tailed broadbill.
Bharatpur
About 200 km south of Delhi, Keoladeo National Park at Bharatpur is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of India’s best birding spots. Across about 30 sq km of wetland, swamp, woodland and dry grassland it holds some 375 resident and migratory species. Look for sarus crane, Indian peafowl, painted stork, ruddy shelduck, spoonbill, flycatchers, shanks and hawks.
Little Rann of Kutch
The Little Rann of Kutch is a flat, salt-crusted desert, the southern extension of the Great Rann. The Wild Ass Sanctuary here, with its dunes and open flats, holds close to 200 bird species, and great numbers of migratory birds arrive in winter. Look for common and demoiselle crane, lesser flamingo, Dalmatian pelican, short-eared owl and Montagu’s harrier.
Desert National Park
Desert National Park covers about 3,162 sq km of the Thar Desert. It is hot and very dry, but that does not deter the birds that live here or pass through. It is a stronghold of the critically endangered Great Indian bustard, and you may also see tawny eagle, desert warbler, black-bellied and spotted sandgrouse, and rufous-tailed shrike.
Great Rann of Kutch
The Great Rann of Kutch takes in semi-arid desert, thorn forest, saline marsh and grassland. In Kutch, India’s largest district, it sits on a migratory route and records around 370 species. Passage birds include European nightjar, blue-cheeked bee-eater, European roller and greater whitethroat, and you may also find tawny and Bonelli’s eagle and the grey hypocolius.
Thattekad
Thattekad, in Kerala, is one of the best birding sites in southern India. Set between arms of the Periyar River, its 25 sq km of rainforest, deciduous forest and marsh support around 250 species, among them Oriental bay owl, Nilgiri flycatcher, grey-headed bulbul, black baza, Malabar parakeet and whistling thrush.
Dandeli
Dandeli, in Karnataka, is a place of rainforest and river valley. As well as wildlife safaris, rafting and boating, it is a strong birding spot, with over 250 species. Four of India’s nine hornbill species live here, along with yellow-footed green pigeon, black drongo, Asian paradise flycatcher and white-rumped shama.
Sundarbans
The Sundarbans, at the southern tip of Bengal where the Ganga, Meghna and Brahmaputra form the world’s largest delta, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site covering about 4,200 sq km in India and more in Bangladesh. Much of it is inaccessible, but where you can go it holds around 230 bird species, including black-capped kingfisher, streak-throated woodpecker, grey-headed lapwing, small minivet, Asian openbill, greenish warbler and purple sunbird.
Mangalajodi
The Mangalajodi wetlands, on the northern edge of Chilika Lake, hold around 300,000 birds of over 100 species. Migrants reach the brackish lagoons from as far as Russia and Mongolia. The local villagers, once bird-hunters, now run community-based ecotourism and help protect the birds. Species here include sandpipers, egrets, garganey, northern pintail, purple swamphen and tufted duck.
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