South India Bird Watching Tour
Kochi - Thattekkad - Periyar - Munnar - Top Slip - Ooty - Masinagudi - Mudumalai - Bandipur - Bandipur - Mysore - Kokre Bellur - Ranganthittu
Day 01: Kochi - Thattekkad. South India Birding Tours
On arrival at Kochi airport, meet our representative than drive to Thattekkad. a lowland forest with several types of eco-systems - riverine grasslands, evergreen, scrub, dry deciduous, lowland forest, enabling it to be one of the best birding destinations in India. This is also home to most of the endemics of the Western Ghats. One should sight the Whitebellied Treepie, Rufous Babbler, Crimsonbacked Sunbird, White Bellied Blue Flycatcher, Wayanad Laughing Thrush, Malabar Parakeet, Malabar Grey Hornbill besides owls like the Mottled Wood Owl, Oriental Bay Owl, Oriental scopes owl, Brown Fish Owl, Oriental Scopes Owl and Spotbellied Eagle Owl. Red Spurfowl, Grey Jungle Fowl, Indian Pitta, Black-throated Munia and the Grey headed fishing eagle. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 02: Thattekkad - Periyar
Morning after breakfast, drive to Periyar Tiger Reserve is one of the finest wildlife & birding destinations in South India, with over 320 bird species identified and a leading habitat for the Bengal Tiger, this sanctuary is an ideal wildlife & birding tour. Asiatic elephants, Gaur, sambar, tigers and sloth bear sightings are possible on safaris into the forest. This is also an ideal place to sight the Great Hornbill. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 03: Periyar - Munnar
Morning after breakfast go to Munnar via the Ghats to Khambam where we should sight the Large Grey Babbler, Common Babbler, Jungle Bush Quail and the Grey Fancolin. then proceed to Bodi Ghats en-route Munnar and stop over for sighting the rare Yellow Throated Bulbul, Indian Robin, Sirkeer Malkoha, Short Toed Snake Eagle, Bluefaced Malkoha and the Black eagle. We will reach Munnar by evening. The next day we will go birding in the sholas (high altitude montane forests) and grasslands for the Nilgiri Pipit, Painted Bush Quail, Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, Black and Orange Flycatcher, Nilgiri Flycatcher, Whitebellied Shortwing, Broadtailed Grassbird, Grasshopper Warbler. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 04: Munnar - Top Slip
Morning after breakfast drive across the Tamil Nadu border to the Indira Gandhi national park - a place known for its great swathes of forests and wildlife - birds, butterflies, elephants, sloth bears, leopards, gaurs dholes, king cobra and the lion-tailed macaques in their natural habitat - all within an area known as Top Slip. We will also bird at the adjacent Parambikulam Reserve as well drive on a wildlife safari through the forest trails. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 05: Top Slip - Ooty
Morning after breakfast drive to Ooty by afternoon, check in at the hotel, 03kms. from town on the Avalanche road will be our main destination, where the endemic Nilgiri Laughing Thrush, White-bellied Shortwing, and Black-and-rufous, Rusty-tailed and Nilgiri Flycatchers all occur. Overnight stay at the Hotel.
Day 06: Masinagudi - Mudumalai - Bandipur
Morning after breakfast, half day birding at Ooty looking for the Nilgiri Laughing Thrush, then drive through the Sirgur Ghats to Masinagudi. Mudumalai at the foot of the of the Nilgiris hills, is one the many reserves located within the forest belt between the Western Ghats and the Nilgiri Mountains. The terrain being varied with hills, valleys, ravines, watercourses and swamps, moist deciduous forests, dry deciduous forests and scrub forests is ideal birding country. Should see Jerdon's Bushlark, Sirkeer Malkoha, Indian Blue Robin, Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch, White-bellied Minivet, Yellow-billed Babbler, White-bellied Woodpecker, Large Cuckooshrike, Banded-bay Cuckoo, Thick-billed Warbler and Painted Bush Quail. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 07: Bandipur - Mysore - Kokre Bellur - Ranganthittu
Morning after breakfast drive towards Mysore, visit the famous heronry on an islands on the Cauvery River at the Ranganthittu Wildlife sanctuary. Rowing boat cruise enables view of Eurasian spoonbill, Black-crowned night heron, three species of Cormorant, River Tern and Thick Knee, and many others. Marsh crocodiles will also be seen. Also visit the remote village Kokre Bellur for the Nesting Painted Storks and Spot-billed Pelicans followed by birding at a nearby reservoir. Evening transfer to Kochi airport time to catch the flight for onward destination.
Tour and Services End
Bird Watching Tips
1. Choice of Location
It is very important in bird watching to choose the location, many birders spend the majority of their bird watching time and energy on poor locations.
2. Knowledge of Species
There are approximately 1250 species of birds in India and recognizing each of them is nearly impossible. So when you visit any area for bird watching, do a little research first. You may find that perhaps only a few species actually inhabit that particular area. With a little preparation,
you will be able to more readily identify bird species from each other.
3. Practice before you go for bird watching
It is always better to learn to put your binocular on target, it is key to viewing wildlife, and especially birds, after only a few attempts, you'll get good at quickly acquiring your target. Quite often, birds are visible for only a few seconds, practice to become proficient.
4. Listing to Call and songs :
Listening helps you hear rustling leaves, wings flapping, and the birds calling.
It is pretty amazing what you can hear once you really start listening. Besides, if you spend the whole day just using your eyes to look for birds, you probably won't see very many. So instead of just looking, relax your eyes, don't look so hard; let the birds find you. You will start to notice movement in your periferal vision, and then you will have an area to look in.
5. Get a pair of Binocular :
Spending time and money to get to the right place can be totally wasted when your binoculars are inadequate. If you have an inexpensive pair of binoculars you are not getting the most out of your viewing. Today's technologies come at a price and they provide
Crucial benefits in wildlife viewing. For instance, image stabilization will keep your view from shaking-very important when watching from a long
Distance. Other cool features include anti-fogging, low-light viewing and wide-view characteristics. Additionally, binoculars with built-in digital
cameras enable you to identify birds once you get home. These benefits will definitely enhance your bird watching. A great pair of binoculars will
turn a mediocre experience into a great one. You can count on it!
6. Take someone with you :
It is always better if you take someone with you, who knows the area well and have experience of bird watching, it will help you to remember the sightings
South India Birding Tour (Tour Highlight)
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