North India Birding

Bird watching is popular all over the World. It is one of the fastest growing recreation with people of all ages taking part in it. The number of bird watchers is so phenomenal that whole industry has been created by it.

India has over thirteen percent of bird species of the World. Out of total twenty seven orders the country has twenty orders and seventy seven families out of total one hundred fifty five.

Hence it is a coveted destination for birders. The country has many protected areas some of which are popular for birding. There are many sanctuaries which are popular for organized and guided bird watching.

The most coveted species in India are the less seen or highly resplendent birds. Nevertheless birding is all encompassing and birders like to see a large number of species wherever they go.

Birds like the Flamingo, Cranes, Bustards, Pheasants, Ducks, Sun Birds, Raptors are most keenly watched.

The list is long so I will quote a few.

Black Necked Crane
Greater Flamingo
Lesser Flamingo
Great White Pelican
Dalmatian Pelican
Blood Pheasant
Monal
Koklas Pheasant
Cheer Pheasant
Ibisbill
Sarus Crane
Jerdon's Courser
Great Hornbill
Malabar Pied Hornbill
Oriental Pied Hornbill
Eurasian Eagle Owl
Spot Bellied Eagle Owl
Common Crane
Asian Paradise Flycatcher
Bristled Grass Bird
White Bellied Tree Pie
Himalayan Griffon
Lammergier or Bearded Vulture
Long Billed Vulture
White Backed Vulture.

It depends upon what a birder likes to see but the above avian species will certainly entice him. Most of the Indian Birding expeditions in North India target these birds.

There are plenty of birding destinations in Northern India. A large number of birders visit this region in quest of rare and endemic avian species. The high profile diversity of Northern Birds is due to altitude variation which forces seasonal migration from high altitude to low and vice verse.

There are more than six hundred species found in the region - some at the great Himalayan heights. Birding destinations in Himachal Pradesh are Chail, Narkanda, Pin Valley, Trithan Valley, Lahual, Chattru, Manali. The notable bird species of Himachal Pradesh are Alpine Accentor, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Black & Yellow Grosbeak, Yellow Billed Blue Magpie, White Collard Black Bird, Variegated Laughing Thrush, Ultramarine flycatcher, Rufous Vented Tit, Russet Sparrow, Rufous Breasted Accentor, Rufous Naped Tit, Pink Browed Rosefinch, Monal Pheasant, Orange Flanked Bush Robin, Himalayan Woodpecker, Himalayan Griffon, Bearded Vulture, Red Headed Bull Finch, Red Billed Chough, Grey Crested Tit and so on.

The most popular regions are in the famous North India Birding Circuit: New Delhi (Okhla) Sultanpur, Bharatpur, Nainital, Ranikhet, Chambal River, Corbett Tiger Reserve, Ranthambhore National Park. Leh & Ladakh is home to some interesting avian species like Black Necked Crane, Some good areas are: Khardungla Pass, Rumbak Valley, Zingchan, Puga, Polo Konga and - Tso Kar.

Birding in Bharatpur: This little bird paradise stands out among other destinations. It is a place that cannot be ignored by the birders. This protected area is home to more than three hundred avian species. The wetlands are good place to watch shore birds, divers and waders.

The bird sanctuary is also a good nesting site. A large number of painted storks, open billed storks, spoonbills, night heron, purple heron, pond heron, grey heron and cormorants breed here. Nearby places like Bund Baretha and Bayan are also included in the tours.

Some of the species found here are:

Grey Francolin, Coot, Tickle’s Thrush, Blue rock thrush, Ashy and Plain Prinia, Indian Roller, Whiskered Tern, River Tern, Indian Robin, Eurasian Sparrow hawk, Shikra, Greylag Geese, Dusky Fish Owl, Brown Fish Owl, Gadwall, Bar-headed Geese, Spot-billed Duck, Northern Pintail, Collared Scops Owl, Common Teal, Black-rumped Flameback, Brown-headed Barbet, Hoopoe, Common Kingfisher, White Throated Kingfisher, Spotted Owlet, Laughing Dove, Common Crane, White-breasted Waterhen, Rufus Treepie, Black-tailed Godwit, Common Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Bronze-winged Jacana, Black-winged Stilt, Lesser spotted eagle, Yellow-wattled Lapwing, White-tailed Lapwing, Oriental Darter, Greater Spotted Eagle, Black-shouldered Kite, Black Kite, Richards Pippit, Egyptian Vulture, Imperial Eagle, Common Kestrel, Indian Cormorant, Great Cormorant, Purple Heron, Black-crowned Night-heron, Glossy Ibis, Black-headed Ibis, Eurasian Spoonbill, Painted Stork, Open Billed Stork, Black Drongo, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Grey Headed Canary Flycatcher, Oriental Magpie-robin, Brahminy Starling, Asian Pied Starling, Bank Myna, Barn Swallow, Wire-tailed Swallow, Oriental Sky Lark, Dusky Crag Martin, Paddyfield Pipit, Marsh Harrier, House Martin, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Tailor Bird, Purple Sunbird, White Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Olive-backed Pipit, Hume’s Warbler and Indian Silverbill.

Bharatpur is near Agra which is connected with New Delhi by road and rail. The best season is the winter whence large flocks of migrating birds can be seen here.