Bird sanctuaries in India are famous for their colourful variety of migratory and domestic birds. Bird watchers from around the world invest on tickets and board flights to catch glimpses of India’s great avian population.
“Life is a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get”, goes the classic quote from the movie Forrest Gump. Substitute life with India and one still will be very much on the mark!
India is one country that never ceases to surprise. You come here for spirituality and are hooked onto its urban aura. You board India bound flights looking for grand palaces and forts but are taken in by the quaint, tiny Himalayan towns. And while it maybe the tiger or lion that encourages you to book air tickets, it could be the flying, winged creature that beckons you to reschedule flights back home. Yes, India offers some of the best birding in the world. There is a large variety of the bird species that await enthusiastic travellers. The hobby requires patience but it rewards with great wealth of nature’s incredible beauty. Take a look at different Indian destinations that are top bird watching hotspots!
Corbett National Park (Uttarakhand)
While thousands plan a tour to India’s oldest national park in a hope of eyeing the big, striped cat, a few hundreds are keener on capturing the beautiful and more colourful creatures that fly high in the sky! Corbett National Park, located in the foothills of the Western Himalaya, in the North Indian state of Uttarakhand has a very rich terrain that comprises a wide range of habitats for different forms of lives to exist. People who are solely concerned about the avian population as they board flights to the country, will be thrilled to know that the national park has more than 500 species recorded in the area. Ibisbill, Great Slaty Woodpecker and different raptors can be seen. True blue avian lovers would definitely incorporate Pangot and Sattal tours in the package as it is close to the Corbett and offers better chances of spotting distinct species.
Pangot and Sattal (Uttarakhand)
Pangot and Sattal are two different destinations but are usually offered as single package for keen birders who have made up their mind to purchase flights’ tickets in a bid to unearth India’s ‘flying charm’! Elevated Pangot is known for the sightings of the elusive Cheer Pheasant and the Koklass. Sattal, on the other hand, offers a look at a large variety of middle-elevation Himalayan birds. Pangot is more of a specialised birding spot, while Sattal is more of well-rounded tourist site with different other lures for holiday makers.
Keoladeo Ghana National Park (Rajasthan)
Keoladeo Ghana Park, also and better known as Bharatpur Sanctuary, is one of the leading birding destinations in India. Almost every avian lover who buys air tickets and boards flights to the country make it a point to include this sanctuary of Rajasthan in their holiday schedule. Even for amateurs, it is the right place to start off their tour of India. Some interesting birds seen here are Indian Courser, Demoiselle Cranes, Dalmatian Pelicans, Black Bittern, Large-tailed, Indian and Grey Nightjars, Dusky Eagle Owls and Siberian Ruby-throat.
Goa
Millions book flights’ tickets to Goa, every year, but admittedly it is less to do with the bird species that are spotted in the region and more to do with the wonderful beaches that are abundant in the state. The rich biodiversity in this Indian coastal province has led to the mushrooming of great number of shore birds and rare Western Ghat natives. Different species of kingfishers are found here, and Nilgiri Wood Pigeon and Wynaad Laughingthrush are others that can be located. Even regular leisure vacationers who book tickets on flights to India with no specific intention of birding can give it a shot while holidaying in country’s most popular vacation destination.
