Maasai Ostrich: The Giraffe of Birds

The ostrich, the largest land bird is quite a sight to see up live. I am a six plus footer and I felt puny in front of it. The Maasai Ostrich dominates the savannahs of Maasai Mara like how the Maasai Giraffe does. When I say this, I am referring to its size. You have see both the Giraffe and Ostrich up front to see what I am saying.


The male ostrich with its black plumage and pink neck makes for quite a sight against the golden yellow grasslands of Maasai Mara. This is also one of Maasai Mara’s iconic birding frame.

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Bird Photography: Yellow Footed Green Pigeon from Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve

The Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve is a great place, but it somehow lacks the zing of other forests when it comes to bird life. Hence, it is a treasure if you see a bird lest alone photograph it.



This is a yellow footed green pigeon, a very pretty bird that I got to see at TATR and was lucky to photograph it against the bright blue sky.

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Top 7 Birding Holidays in India

India is a birding paradise with as many as 1301 species recorded. This includes endemic, terrestrial and migratory birds. With a variety of forests and landscapes, India offers a wide variety too that includes endangered species like the Great Hornbill, Great Indian Bustard, Jerdon’s Courser and more. Below is a list of my favorite 7 birding holidays in India.



1) Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh
This is the place where Bugun Liocichla, one of the most recent bird species was discovered. Named after an Indian army camp and located in Western Arunachal Pradesh and bordering Bhutan, the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary is a heady mixture of bamboo thickets, evergreen forests and alpine forests. This diversity in forest cover ensure a wide variety of avifauna. This place is really special for the smaller birds, but very beautiful species like the Yuhina, Tit, Sibia, Nuthatch, Bush Robin and more. The lovely Eastern Himalayan terrain, perfect solitude and the snow capped peak views are a bonus.

Bird watching mode: On foot and in jeep, but ideally on foot. You might have to walk long distances to cover wider number of bird species. It is advised to carry a lightweight pair of birding binoculars with you, a keen eye, alert ears and lots of patience to see some of the prettiest and most colorful birds of India.
     
Best time to visit: March-April or November to January, but place remains open throughout the year.



2) Pong Dam Wetands, Himachal Pradesh
This is undoubtedly Kangra’s hidden gem. Not a lot of people know about this place in spite of it being one of the prettiest spots of India. The Pong Dam Wetlands is located on both the Punjab side as well as the Himachal side, though I personally prefer the Himachal Pradesh side at Nagrota Surian owing for its rich numbers and brilliant views. Imagine this setting…The snow capped Dhaula Duan Himalayan ranges in the background, the Shivalik ranges in front of it, golden wheat and mustard fields at the ground level and the highest congregation of bar-headed geese in India. Doesn’t it sound imaginary? Well, such a sight is real during winter every year. Apart from the Bar-headed geese, Pong Dam also sees  about 200 waterfowl. Some of them are terrestrial, but most of them fly in from Tibet or Europe.

Bird watching mode: On foot. You can drive close to the water body, but then onwards, you will have to walk in either slush or on pebbles depending on water levels.

Best time to visit: October to February to see the birds in huge numbers.



3) Silent Valley National Park, Kerala
The Silent valley is not really silent as the birds here make quite a racket. This national park, which houses one of the rarest forms of rainforests in the world is home to some very colorful birds that are endemic to either this forest or the Western Ghats in overall. The Greater Racket-tailed drongo, Paradise Flycatcher, Laughing thrushes, Whistling thrushes, Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, black and orange flycatcher and more. Some years back, a new species of raptor, the Long-legged buzzard was discovered in one of its peaks.

Bird watching mode: Mainly by jeep to Sairandhri. On foot after that.

Best time to visit: Anytime except the monsoons. The park is generally closed from June to September.



4) Nameri National Park, Assam
Nameri is one of those places where the probability of sighting the rare Great Hornbill is quite high. Its helicopter wing-flapping sound is synonymous with its jungles. The snow fed Jia-Bhoroli river and the surrounding forests ensure a rich variety of birds right from raptors to water fowl to small and large birds in the deep inside the forest. The Ibis bill and the woody duck are some of the other rare species sighted here.

Bird watching mode: If water birds interest you, then come down the Jia-Bhhorili river on a raft. If forest birds or raptors interest you, explore the park on foot under the supervision of an armed forest guard.

Best time to visit: October to February



5) Little Rann of Kutch, Gujarat
How does millions of flamingos sound to you? Add to it the beauty of a vast salt desert and you have a brilliant holiday panned out. Little Rann of Kutch or LRK as it more commonly known is home to the largest concentration of lesser flamingos in India. You can spend hours together watching them feeding in a frenzied fashion in the algae-rich waters of LRK. Apart from the lesser flamingos, one can also see the rare Houbara Bustard, common and demoiselle cranes, reef egrets and some desert birds.

Bird watching mode: You will definite need a jeep to commute the mighty LRK. After that, you can cover the last mile by foot.

Best time to visit: November to February



6) Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, Rajasthan
A birding site that has been conferred the World Heritage status. What else does one need to know? The Keoladeo Ghana or commonly known as Bharatpur bird sanctuary hosts a wide variety of birds in an extremely small area. It’s wetlands and forests attract everything from the magpie robins, water hens, lapwings, herons, storks, egrets, spoonbills to the very rare Sarus Cranes. Ideally, it should have been on the top of my list, but lack of rains in the past, over-grazing by the cattle and increasing pollution levels have caused the winged visitor numbers to reduce. Nonetheless, it still is a formidable birding destination.

Bird watching mode: Either on foot or a cycle rickshaw.

Best time to visit: All year around. If migratory birds is your interest, then winter months. If photography is your interest, then skip winter months as fog or smog can be quite dominating.



7) Anaimalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu
Evergreen forests, Shola forests and montane rainforests make up the Anaimalai tiger reserve that nestles in the Western Ghats. It’s vibrant ecosystem makes it a great place for a variety of birds, the hornbills especially. It is one of those places where one can spot the near threatened Great Hornbill along with the Malabar pied Hornbill and the Grey Hornbill. You can also see the colorful woodpeckers, flycatchers, barbets, parakeets, orioles and more. The best part about this tiger reserve is that one need not be inside the park to do birding, but can also watch these birds in and around Valparai, a colonial tea estate town, which cuts across the Anaimalai tiger reserve.

Bird watching mode: Only in a closed vehicle if you are inside the park perimeters, but in the buffer zone or at Valparai, you can explore by foot.

Best time to visit: All year around at Valparai and in the buffer season and non-monsoon months inside the park area.

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Bird Photography: Lappet-faced Vulture

Seeing vultures in the wild is such a rare sight these days. We all know how their numbers have dwindled rapidly in the last decade or so. In India, more than 98% of vultures have disappeared and in Africa too, their numbers have dropped, but thankfully not so much.


I was happy to see vultures in Kenya in good healthy numbers. After all, they are an indication of the health of the ecosystem around us. In this case, I saw this lappet-faced vulture, Africa’s largest vulture, at Maasai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya.

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Pied Crow

We people living in India have seen black crows, even grey or dark metallic blue crows and we often use a sarcastic statement in which we refer to an imaginary white crow. In fact, I myself have indulged in such sarcasm. Henceforth, I promise not to use that statement as I have indeed seen a lot of white on a crow and it is indeed present in the world.


I got an idea about this when I saw the Pied Crow at Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya. This crow has a healthy amount of white on it and stunned my fundamentals, which always thought white on a crow could only be seen in dreams. But, not anymore!!

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Helmeted Guineafowl from Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya

There are two kinds of guineafowl that I encountered in Kenya. One was the Cobalt blue Vulturine Guineafowl and the other is the Helmeted Guineafowl. I spotted the Helmeted Guineafowl, a terrestrial bird during an early morning game drive at Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya.


This bird species prefers to run rather than fly. In fact, they are great runners and said to cover as much as 15 kms every day. But, if threatened, they will fly and cover long distances. Their diet consist of both plant and animal food; seeds, fruits, snails, spiders, worms and insects, frogs, lizards, small snakes and small mammals. Most of the time, you can see them digging around for food in the undergrowth.


This gregarious bird that roosts in colonies is a pretty large bird. They breed in warm, fairly dry and open habitats with scattered shrub and trees such as savannah or farmland. It breeds mainly south of the Sahara in Africa.

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D’Arnaud’s Barbet: Birding from Samburu, North Kenya

It was a warm afternoon and I was waiting for our safari vehicle outside the reception of our Samburu Sopa Lodge. It was during this wait that I saw an amazing series of events orchestrated by the D’Arnaud’s barbet.


This very pretty looking bird was initially hiding in the bushes and it was difficult to photograph it, but soon it came out into the open sun. This is where I began clicking. Each of its moments were a sight. First, it stood on the edge of trash bin. Then, it started scratching itself on a concrete pole, then made loud calls and then I was lucky to catch it in flight too.


These photographs are those amazing series of events. Technically, we were inside the wildlife lodge property, but logically, we were inside the forest as the Samburu Sopa Lodge is deep inside the Samburu National Reserve of North Kenya.

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Grey-Crowned Crane from Samburu National Reserve, North Kenya

Samburu National Reserve in North Kenya with its semi-arid landscape is an excellent place for birding. Every game drive will ensure a rich haul of birds. It was during one such game drive that I saw these grey-crowned cranes feeding on the grasslands.


Now, I have seen a lot of cranes in India. Even the Sarus Crane. But, the grey-crowned crane looks majestic with its crown that totally glows in the sun. Its red colours are a total contrast to its grey coat and make it look even prettier.


This bird, which is the national bird of Uganda feeds on insects and other invertebrates, reptiles, small mammals, as well as grass seeds.The male and female look similar, though the male is slightly taller than the female.


They are one of the few crane species to roost in trees as they have a long hind toe that can grasp branches easily. It has a booming call, which involves inflation of the red gular sac.

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Black Rumped Flameback Woodpecker at Valparai’s Anaimalai Tiger Reserve

The forests of Valparai are excellent for birding. Most of the bird species seen here are endemic to the Western Ghats and their spread here is phenomenal.


A walk through the buffer zone of the Anaimalai tiger reserve that crisscrosses through Valparai throws up a lot such birding opportunities. Whistling and laughing thrushes, hornbills, woodpeckers and many more can be seen here quite regularly all throughout the year.


It was during such a walk that I saw a Black rumped flameback woodpecker. It is also known as the lesser golden-backed woodpecker. The bird is very colourful and pretty. Unfortunately, it was late in the evening and the woodpecker was jumping from tree to tree in the shade. Hence, I did not get good shots and had to make do with these. Hope I get better luck with the woodpeckers when I am next in Valparai.

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Indian Bush Lark at Maidenahalli

The Indian Bush Lark is a species of bushlark that is commonly found at the Jayamangali Blackbuck reserve in Maidenahalli. The tweets and cheeps of this bird can be regularly heard in the evening hours at Maidenahalli and that is what makes you take notice of this well camouflaged bird that sits on dry bush tops.

 
The Indian Busk Lark is also known as Red-winged Bushlark (Mirafra erythroptera). It’s song flight during the mating season is supposed to be an amazing spectacle. I hope to see it when I return to this forest in the monsoons.

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Chestnut Bellied Sandgrouse from Maidenahalli

Sandgrouses are very pretty and well decorated birds and are typically found in hot and arid terrain, which are typically open grasslands and thorny bushes. The Jayamangali Blackbuck Reserve at Maidenahalli mirrors some of the sandgrouse habitat and the sandgrouses are seen quite often here.

 
Though, the painted sandgrouse is the more exotic bird, it was my first ever sighting of the chestnut bellied sandgrouse and hence I was very elated. I saw these birds, primarily females, 3 different times during my entire day trip.

 
I nearly missed my first sighting of these birds when 2 females were sitting at the edge of the jeep track. They were so well camouflaged, but I guess a small movement gave them away. The intricate patterns on their feathers make them look nearly as exotic as the painted sandgrouse. 

 
These birds are known to be vegetarians in nature and are known to be travel quite a distance to satisfy their thirst. The chestnut-bellied sandgrouse is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List.

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Jayamangali Blackbuck Reserve at Maidenahalli–A Fantastic Wildlife Zone close to Bangalore

Bangalore is one of the few large cities in India that has a lot of wildlife sanctuaries and national parks situated close by. A drove of wildlife zones (Kabini National Park, Nagarhole National Park, Bandipur Tiger Reserve, Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary and many more) can be seen if you travel a little bit over 200 kms west or south West of Bangalore. And in and around Bangalore, there are many lakes that offer great avenues for bird watching. And if you travel 150 kms north-north west of Bangalore, you come across the Jayamangali Black Reserve at Maidenahalli, a pristine forest ecosystem bordering the rocky hills of Andhra Pradesh.

 
The Jayamangali Blackbuck Reserve has the 2nd largest contiguous population of Blackbuck in Karnataka. Ranibennur Blackbuck sanctuary is one with the highest blackbuck population in Karnataka.

 
This forest reserve is primarily made up of open grasslands and bushes, which allows a wide range of wildlife to thrive here. The mammals that are commonly seen here are the Blackbuck, Indian Grey Mongoose, Indian Fox and the Black Naped Hare. There are other mammals like the leopard, wolf, Jungle Cat and Civet that are spotted rarely.

 
This forest is also a great place for bird watching with some rare species like the Montagu’s Harrier, the Indian Courser, the Painted Sandgrouse and the Great Indian Bustard seen here. Apart from these, the Jayamangali Blackbuck reserve is home to 125 species of avifauna that includes ground birds, shrikes, larks and raptors.

 
It was my first trip to Maidenahalli when I went there on a day trip last Saturday. I had heard a lot of great experiences about this place from fellow wildlife and bird photographers. And I finally got a chance to visit this rich ecosystem.

 
After breakfast at a small shack after Madhugiri, our group reached Maidenahalli at about 10 AM. We went straight to the watch tower to inspect the terrain. This is where, we met the forest guard and completed all the formalities. While we we talking to the forest guard, we noticed a large herd of blackbucks grazing close by and thus spent the next 30 minutes photographing this large herd of blackbucks.

 
Shortly after, all of us hit one of the forest trails and went on a hour long trek where we spotted a black naped hare, a lot of drongos, shrikes and bee eaters. As it got warmer, tiredness set in the group and hence we retraced our steps back to the watch tower and took our car for a safari inside the forest. Though it was quite bright, we still ended up seeing some wildlife.

 
This was followed by a simple lunch at Kodigenahalli (about 8 kms away) and an afternoon siesta at the watch tower. At about 4:30 pm, all of us took our respective vehicles and headed into the different jungle trails. The evening safari was better than the mid morning one due to a multitude of reasons. One, the golden yellow slant rays of the sun made the open grasslands look like a gold mine and second, the dropping temperatures proved a relief to both us humans and the wildlife.

 
As we weaved our way through the multiple trails, we saw lots of blackbucks, a couple of male Montagu’s Harriers, many Chestnut bellied Sandgrouse, Little green bee-eaters, Southern Grey Shrikes, Drongos, Black Shouldered Kites, Tawny Eagle, Indian Bushlark, Sykes’s lark and some more.

 
The wildlife safari in the evening was richer. I guess we would have had a similar experience if we had reached the reserve by 7 in the morning. In fact, that is what is heavily recommended. Either, you drop in by 7AM or stay overnight at the forest camp to ensure you get to see this ecosystem in both the early morning and the late evening hours.

 
During morning hours, one can see the rutting blackbucks lock horns. While, in the evening, you can see the ground birds like the Harriers getting ready to roost.

 
Overall, it was a great day trip for me and I wish to return to this forest soon. And this time, I plan to camp overnight here and spend more quality time here coz this place deserves much more time than just a day.

 
How to get to Maidenahalli from Bangalore?
A total of 148 kms from Bangalore. From Bangalore, take the Tumkur road. At Dabarpet (after exit toll booth and before Tumkur), go below flyover and take right towards Madhugiri. At Madhugiri circle, take right towards Hindupur. At about 3 kms from the circle, you will see a ‘Jayamangali Blackbuck Reserve’ board. At this board, take left. Further ahead, you will see another board. Take left here too. Keep going straight even though a right turn is available. From here, the tar road changes into a mud track. Keep going till you see the forest gate. Enter the forest gate and park near the watch tower.

 
Permissions for Forest Entry
Day-trips do not require any permissions from the forest department. Though, a fee of Rs 100 per camera is charged by the forest department. For night stays or multiple day visits, one has to take permission from the DFO at Tumkur.

 
Accommodation Options in the forest
There is an Inspection Bungalow with 8 rooms near the watch tower. Each room costs Rs 800 per night and comes with the services of a cook if food rations are provided. As an alternative, one can pitch their own tents near the watch tower. The forest department charges Rs 300 for each tent. Bookings for both these can be done at the DFO office in Tumkur. If a city stay is preferred, one can stay near the Madhugiri bus stand, about 25 kilometres away.

 
Food Options
It is recommended that you carry enough food and water on you while planning a trip to this forest. If you are fine with basic food, both Madhugiri and Kodigenahalli have some hotels where reasonable food is available. And if you wish to stay overnight, do pack in some food rations.

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Montagu’s Harrier at Maidenahalli

It had been a while since I saw the harriers in India and hence I was very pleased when I spotted a couple of male Montagu’s Harrier at the Jayamangali Blackbuck reserve in Maidenahalli, Karnataka, India.

 
I could not spot any during the entire day, but as the sun’s shadows got longer, the Montagu’s Harriers came to the ground to roost and that is where I saw them. Their bright yellow eyes is what gives them away even from a distance.

 
They looked stunning and I was happy to have seen a very rare bird species and that too not far away from Bangalore. The last I had seen them was at the Velavadar Blackbuck National Park in Gujarat, which mirrors the bushy and grassy terrain of Jayamangali Blackbuck Reserve.

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Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve: A very different national park!!

There is only one tiger reserve in the entire country that is seeing a healthy increase in the tiger numbers. And there is only one tiger reserve where one can see tiger cubs regularly. That tiger reserve is Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, located in central India.

 
This is one of the larger tiger reserves that is not well known among the masses and thus the reason for its excellent health. Only people in Maharashtra and the wildlife fraternity of India seem to know this place well. But, apparently, this place is real famous for its tigers. Such is their fame that National Geographic and Discovery Channel visit this place regularly.

 
The place as such is remote and can be accessed from two major cities: Nagpur and Adilabad. Tadoba is about 135 kms from Nagpur, which is the nearest airport and about 35 kms from Chandrapur, which is the nearest railway station.

 
Another speciality about this place is that it is one of the few tiger reserves that is open all year round. The monsoon sightings here are considered phenomenal. Hence, everyone going to this place is awed even before actually setting foot inside this tiger reserve.

 
Such was the case with me and my friends. I have been to Tadoba before, but the previous visit was more than a decade old. Our plan was to stay here for 4 days and do a total of 5 jungle safaris. The ‘tiger’ and to some extent, the ‘leopard’ are the only buzz words here. No one seems to be bothered about the other animals here.

 
But, may be because it is very difficult to spot these various other species here in this pristine terrain. In fact, me and my friends were pleasantly surprised when we found very less bird species in this tiger reserve. During each visit, we would find the jungle silent, which is very different from other wildlife sanctuaries and national parks, where bird calls would be the norm everywhere.

 
We did manage to see some birds, but not as many as what we would have seen else where. And like others, we also diverted our energies to tracking the king of the jungle. Each morning would begin by tracking pug marks and droppings. There would be long waits just to see if a tiger crosses the jeep track somewhere through the bushes.

 
The excitement built to a frenzy when we heard a couple of groups saying that they saw a group of 6 tigers – an adult male (father), an adult female (mother) and 4 cubs. We had our share of luck too when we saw a sloth bear in the thicket and some gaur both up close and at a distance. And when we didn’t get to see the mammals or birds, we would immerse ourselves in the giant wood spiders and their massive webs that could be seen in large numbers all over the forest.

 
As we kept our search for the largest carnivore of Tadoba, we found that Tadoba was sparkling clean. Not a piece of plastic or any garbage could be seen anywhere. In fact, we used to notice jeep drivers and guides picking up plastic from the jeep tracks and putting them in their vehicles. I guess in that sense, the Tadoba forest department is doing a great job.

 
But, there is one area where they can improve and that is by not allowing private vehicles and diesel vehicles to enter the forest premises. First, private drivers don’t really understand the jungle rules unlike the forest drivers and go tantalizingly close to animals and diesel vehicles cause more pollution (air and noise).

 
As we kept our search going, we would regularly hear stories from other groups on how they saw the tiger. Now, tiger sightings in the wild is a matter of pure chance as we all know. But, these stories have different effects on different people. For those who are regular wildlife visitors, this just eggs them on and make them feel that the law of equilibrium is going tilt in their favour soon. While, the tourist feels dejected and sometimes even feels that he has been cheated.

 
In our small group of 3, our hopes were high and we ended up scouring different parts of the forest and different terrain, from dense forests to lake sides to bushes and grasslands. But, our tiger sighting kept evading us. Each day after our evening safari, we would come back to our camp and talk to locals and listen to their stories.

 
This is when we met Shalik Jogwe, one of Tadoba’s well known naturalists and key member of the wildlife conservation society. Shalik has been working in this forest for than a decade and listening to him was such an immersive experience as he shared stories, eco tourism plans, educational plans for the locals and many more.

 
Finally, it was time for our fifth and last safari and we had still not given up hope. We played the waiting game and did the distance game, but lady luck was still eluding us. And then, when we were about 5 minutes from our exit gate, a Tata Sumo vehicle in front of me braked suddenly and that is when our luck changed.

 
It was here that I saw the Bhamera Male tiger walk in front of the Tata Sumo vehicle, cross it casually, give us a customary glance and disappear into the bushes. Thankfully, I was awake and hence saw this entire sequence of events, unlike my friends who were dozing and saw only the later half of the sequence. The entire sighting would not have been more than 15 seconds, but the adrenalin rush was tremendous. Such was the adrenalin rush that I forgot that I had my camera around my neck for a good 10 seconds before getting it into fire mode. Same was the case with my other friend.

 
A natural sighting in the wild is a different experience altogether and is so much better than sitting around a waterhole or chasing them based on information provided by other jeeps. The only negative about this sighting was the Tata Sumo vehicle, which was less than a foot away from banging into the tiger. But, this hardly disturbed the tiger and he walked as majestically as possible. After all, he is the true king of the Indian Jungles.

 
After seeing the golden yellow coat with black stripes, the mood in the jeep changed completely from being lethargic to having super animated conversations. A beaming smile could be seen everywhere. Such is the aura of the Tadoba Tiger. I am just hoping that this place remains a healthy ecosystem as ever!!

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