Birding
1300+ individual species. 450+ Important Birding Areas. 50+ Endemic Species. 25 Ramsar Sites.
If your ‘twitter’ is the feathered kind, then come home to your perch. While the wildlife world typically focuses on big mammals, true birders know that India is one of the top birding hotspots on the planet.
This is the land of rare and unusual birds like the Sarus Crane, Satyr Tragopan, The Great Indian Bustard, and the Ibisbill. Some species like the White Winged Wood Duck have barely a hundred or so left, and can only be found in a far-flung corner of North-East India. Others like the Great Indian Hornbill can be found amid the fig trees in places like Corbett and Kanha.
Encounters Asia’s own backyard in Central India, has an enormous bird population. Parks like Pench, Kanha, Panna and Satpura are excellent ground for both sightings and photography.
India has several native species, of which 53 are endemic to the region. It’s also the winter roost for many migratory birds, and Encounters Asia is well-acquainted with the best places and times to spot amazing species in large numbers.
Our guides will lead you into “nowhere,” and you’ll suddenly observe clouds of Greater and Lesser Pink Flamingo fly up into the sky. The Rann of Kutch and the Banni Grasslands in the north of Gujarat are a bird photographer’s paradise, and we know exactly where you need to be for the best sightings.
There’s something magical about The Marsh Harrier Roost in Velavadar, as they soar into Gujarat’s skies from as far as Northern Europe and Siberia.
The Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur is a well-known habitat for waterfowl, such as Rosy Pelicans and Brahminy Ducks, as well as the Sarus Crane, which is the largest flying bird in the world.
But if you veer off the beaten path in Rajasthan, you will find Demoiselle Cranes in Kheechan, and Bar Headed Geese in Chattrasagar.
Parks like Corbett and Kaziranga are known for their birding, but we can also take you to lesser known hotspots like Ranganathithu in Karnataka to see waterfowl like the Eurasian Spoonbill, or head deep into the Thar to search for the Great Indian Bustard.
The North-East of India is full of rare avians. We can arrange for die-hard birders to go to Wokha in Nagaland to spot the elusive Amur Falcon, or to Sikkim or Singalila to observe Satyr Tragopans. Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh are the best places to spot waders like the Ibisbill.
The Nilgiri biosphere and the Western Ghats in the south are terrific for birding, and are the habitat for many endemic species, but Orissa is a bird-lover’s ultimate dream.
Discover birds like the Spot Billed Pelican and the Pheasant Tailed Jacana at Mangalajodi, which is a part of Lake Chilika’s ecosystem. We love Mangalajodi because our guides and naturalists can get you very close to the birds, which is terrific for photographers. Chilika’s year-round waters attract some of the largest numbers of migratory waterfowl anywhere on the planet.
So dust off those binoculars and sharpen your focus, and let your birding expedition with Encounters Asia take you to new heights.