Saturday 29 December 2012

North-East India, December 2012

Birding at the heart of a bird-watcher's paradise - Assam and the rest of NE India!

Places visited: 

1) Gibon National Park, Assam
2) Kaziranga National Park, Assam
3) Assam-Nagaland border hills
4) Khonoma, Nagaland
5) Dumboor Lake, Tripura
6) Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary, Tripura
7) Loktak Lake, Manipur

Best Time to Visit : December to February (migratory season)

Birds spotted (with number and place) :

1) Lesser Whistling Duck - Large Flocks in Dumboor Lake, Trishna
2) Graylag Goose - 4 in Kaziranga Eastern Range
3) Bar-Headed Goose - Hundreds in Kaziranga
Bar-Headed Goose

4) Ruddy Shelduck - 6 in Kaziranga Eastern Range
Ruddy Shelduck

5) Gadwall - 6 in Loktak Lake
6) Eurasian Wigeon - 2 in Kaziranga Eastern Range
7) Mallard - many wild ducks in Loktak Lake and Kaziranga
8) Spot-Billed Duck - 6 in Kaziranga Eastern Range
9) Northern Pintail - 20 in Kaziranga
10) Northern Shoveller - Single pair in Dumboor Lake
11) Garganey - Huge numbers in Kaziranga Eastern Range
12) Green-Winged Teal - Many in Kaziranga Central Range
13) Common Pochard - Only 1 in Kaziranga Central Range
14) Red Junglefowl - Common in Kaziranga
Red Junglefowl

15) Little Grebe - 3 in Loktak Lake
16) Asian Openbill Stork - Hundreds in Majuli, and all over NE
17) Woolly-Necked Stork - 4 in Kaziranga Central Range
Woolly-Necked Stork

18) Black-Necked Stork - 2 in Kaziranga Eastern Range
Black-Necked Stork

19) Lesser Adjutant - Common in Kaziranga and Dipor Beel
Lesser Adjutant

20) Painted Stork - Only 1 in Kaziranga Eastern Range
21) Indian Cormorant - Very common all over
22) Great Cormorant - 1 in Kaziranga Central Range, 2 in Dumboor Lake
Great Cormorant

23) Little Cormorant - Very common all over
Little Cormorant

24) Oriental Darter - 6 in Kaziranga Eastern Range
25) Spot-Billed Pelican - 2 in Kaziranga Central Range
26) Grey Heron - Very Common in all waterbodies
27) Purple Heron - Few in Dipor Beel
28) Great Egret - Very Common Everywhere
29) Intermediate Egret - Relatively fewer in Kaziranga
30) Little Egret - Very Common
31) Western Reef Egret - Only 1 in Dipor Beel
32) Cattle Egret - Many in paddyfields
33) Indian Pond Heron - Abundant in water bodies
Indian Pond Heron

34) Striated Heron - Only 1 in Kaziranga Eastern Range along the Brahmaputra
Striated (Little Green) Heron

35) Black-Crowned Night Heron - 1 in Dipor Beel
36) Black Kite - 7 in Dipor Beel
Black Kite

37) Pallas's Fish Eagle - 1 in Kaziranga Eastern Range, spotted with nest
Pallas's Fishing Eagle

38) Grey-Headed Fish Eagle - 3 in Kaziranga Eastern Range, 1 in Central Range
Grey-Headed Fishing Eagle

39) Crested Serpent Eagle - 2 in Kaziranga, 1 in Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary
Crested Serpent Eagle

Crested Serpent Eagle
40) Shikra - 1 in Trishna
41) Changeable Hawk Eagle - 1 in Kaziranga Eastern Range
Changable Hawk-Eagle

42) Common Kestrel - 1 in Dipor Beel
Common Kestrel

43) Water Rail - 2 in Neemati, the wetlands near the ferry to Majuli
44) White-Breasted Waterhen - Extremely Common, but shy
White-Breasted Waterhen

45) Purple Moorhen - Many in Neemati wetlands
46) Common Coot - Few in Dumboor Lake
47) Common Moorhen - Few in Neemati wetlands
48) Northern Lapwing - 4 in Kaziranga Eastern Range
49) Grey-Headed Lapwing - 3 in Kaziranga Eastern Range
Ruddy Shelduck and Grey-Headed Lapwing

50) Red-Wattled Lapwing - Many in Dipor Beel
51) Kentish Plover - 2 in Kaziranga ER
52) Little Ringed Plover - 1 in Kaziranga ER
53) Black-Winged Stilt - 3 in Dipor Beel
54) Pheasant-Tailed Jacana - 3 in Trishna and 2 in Dipor Beel
Pheasant-Tailed Jacana (immature)

55) Bronze-Winged Jacana - 2 in Trishna
56) Common Sandpiper - Many all over Kaziranga
57) Common Greenshank - 2 in Kaziranga Central Range
Common Greenshank
58) Marsh Sandpiper - 1 in Kaziranga ER
59) Wood Sandpiper - 2 in Kaziranga CR
Wood Sandpiper

60) Spotted Redshank - 1 in Kaziranga ER
61) Common Redshank - Few in Dipor Beel
62) Common Snipe - 2 in Kaziranga CR
Common Snipe

63) Black-Headed Gull - Many in Kaziranga ER
64) Brown-Headed Gull - 1 flying over in Kaziranga ER
65) Whiskered Tern - Few in Dipor Beel
66) Blue Rock Pigeon - Abundant
67) Oriental Turtle Dove - 3 in Trishna
68) Eurasian Collared Dove - 2 in Jorhat
69) Spotted Dove - Abundant
70) Emerald Dove - 2 in hill forests between Anantpur and Dumboor Lake
71) Yellow-Footed Green Pigeon - Many in Kaziranga ER, Trishna and Dipor Beel
Yellow-Footed Green Pigeon

72) Wedge-Tailed Pigeon - 2 in Jorhat, 1 in Khonoma
73) Green Imperial-Pigeon - 6 in Kaziranga ER
Green Imperial Pigeon

74) Rose-Ringed Parakeet - Plenty in Assam
75) Red-Breasted Parakeet - Large numbers in Trishna and Gibon NP
Red-Breasted Parakeet

76) Asian Koel - Few in Guwahati
77) Green-Billed Malkoha - 1 in Trishna
78) Greater Coucal - Many in Trishna
79) Lesser Coucal - 3 in Kaziranga CR
80) Brown Fish Owl - 1 in Kaziranga ER
Brown Fish Owl

81) Spotted Owlet - 1 in Kaziranga ER
Spotted Owlet

82) Asian Barred Owlet - 1 in Trishna
Asian Barred Owlet

83) Asian Palm Swift - 2 in Jorhat
84) House Swift - Abundant
85) White-Breasted Kingfisher - Abundant
86) Common Kingfisher - Very Common throughout NE plains
Common Kingfisher

Common Kingfisher
87) Pied Kingfisher - Strangely uncommon. 2 in Trishna
88) Blue-Bearded Bee-Eater - 1 in Gibon NP
89) Little Green Bee-Eater - 2 in Jorhat
90) Chestnut-Headed Bee-Eater - 6 in Trishna
Chestnut-Headed Bee-Eater

91) Indian Roller - 4 in Majuli, 2 near Dumboor Lake
92) Lineated Barbet - 2 in Kohora, 1 in Trishna
Lineated Barbet

93) Blue-Throated Barbet - 3 in Dipor Beel, 2 in Khonoma
Blue-Throated Barbet (immature)
Blue-Throated Barbet

94) Coppersmith Barbet - 2 in Kohora
95) Fulvous-Breasted Woodpecker - 1 in Belonia
Fulvous-Breasted Woodpecker

96) Rufous Woodpecker - 1 in Trishna
Rufous Woodpecker
97) Greater Yellownape - 3 in Trishna
98) Greater Flameback - 1 in Kaziranga ER
99) Black-Rumped Flameback - 4 in Kohora
100) Grey-Headed Woodpecker - 1 in Gibon NP
101) Common Woodshrike - 2 in Khonoma
Common Woodshrike

102) Ashy Woodswallow - 2 in Titabor
103) Long-Tailed Minivet - 1 in Naga Hills
104) Scarlet Minivet - 8 in Gibon NP
105) Grey-Chinned Minivet - 2 in Khonoma
Grey-Chinned Minivet

106) Long-Tailed Shrike - 3 in Kakching
107) Grey-Backed Shrike - 2 in Titabor, many in Kaziranga ER
Grey-Backed Shrike

108) Black-Hooded Oriole - 2 in Titabor, 1 in Neemati
Black-Hooded Oriole (immature)

109) Black-Naped Oriole - 1 flying over in Trishna (not 100% confident)
110) Black Drongo - Abundant
Black Drongo

111) Ashy Drongo - Also very common but overlooked due to confusion with Black Drongo. At least 20 in Khonoma
112) Bronzed Drongo - 3 in Trishna
113) Spangled Drongo - 1 in Gibon NP
114) Greater Racket-Tailed Drongo - 2 in Trishna, 1 near Dumboor Lake, 1 in Gibon NP
Greater Racket-Tailed Drongos

115) Black-Naped Monarch - 1 in Trishna
116) Rufous Treepie - Abundant in Assam
Rufous (Indian) Treepie

117) House Crow - Common only in Assam
118) Thick-Billed Crow - Very common in Assam
Thick-Billed (Jungle) Crow

119) Bengal Bushlark - 2 in Dipor Beel
Bengal Bushlark

120) Greater Short-Toed Lark - 2 in Dumboor Lake
Greater Short-Toed Lark

121) Barn Swallow - Abundant
122) Yellow-Bellied Fantail Flycatcher - 1 in Khonoma
Yellow-Bellied Fantail (Fairy) Flycatcher

123) Grey-Headed Canary Flycatcher - 2 in Naga Hills, 1 in Trishna
Grey-Headed Canary Flycatcher

124) Great Tit - 2 in Dipor Beel
125) Black-Crested Bulbul - 2 in Trishna
Black-Crested Bulbul

126) Red-Vented Bulbul - Abundant
127) Flavescent Bulbul - 1 in Khonoma
128) Black Bulbul - 5 in Khonoma
129) Olive Bulbul - 1 near Dumboor Lake
130) Ashy-Throated Warbler - 1 in Khonoma
Ashy-Throated Warbler

131) Greenish Warbler - 1 in Trishna
132) Booted Warbler - 1 in Gibon NP
Booted Warbler

133) Striated Grassbird - 1 in Jorhat
134) Common Tailorbird - 4 in Kakching
135) Dark-Necked Tailorbird - 1 in Naga Hills
Dark-Necked Tailorbird

136) Striated Prinia - 1 in Dipor Beel
137) Plain Prinia - 1 in Dipor Beel
138) Striated Babbler - 2 in Titabor
139) Red-Billed Leiothrix - 2 in Naga Hills
140) Grey Sibia - 4 in Khonoma
Grey Sibia

141) Blue-Winged Minla - 2 in Khonoma
142) Asian Brown Flycatcher - 2 in Trishna
Asian Brown Flycatcher

143) Oriental Magpie Robin - 4 in Titabor
144) Verditer Flycatcher - 1 in Khonoma
145) Black-Backed Forktail - 2 in Dumboor Lake
Black-Backed Forktail

146) Blue Whistling Thrush - 2 in Gibon NP, 1 in Kohora
Blue Whistling Thrush

147) Plumbeous Redstart - 1 in Khonoma
148) White-Capped Water Redstart - 1 in Khonoma, 1 in Dumboor Lake
White-Capped Water Redstart

149) Chestnut-Bellied Rock Thrush - 2 in Khonoma
Chestnut-Bellied Rock Thrush

150) Common Stonechat - Abundant
Common Stonechat

151) Pied Bushchat - 2 in Trishna
152) Grey Bushchat - 4 in Titabor
153) Indian Blackbird - 2 in Khonoma
154) Grey-Winged Blackbird - 1 in Trishna
155) Jungle Myna - Common in Assam
156) Common Myna - Abundant
157) White-Vented Myna - Abundant in Tripura
158) Chestnut-Tailed Starling - 2 in Neemati
Chestnut-Tailed Starling

159) Asian Pied Starling - Very common in Assam
160) Scarlet-Backed Flowerpecker - 1 in Trishna
161) Purple Sunbird - 4 in Trishna
162) Black-Throated Sunbird - 1 in Dipor Beel
Black-Throated Sunbird

163) Crimson Sunbird - 4 in Khonoma
164) Fire-Tailed Sunbird - 1 in Khonoma
165) Little Spiderhunter - 1 in Naga Hills
Little Spiderhunter
Little Spiderhunter

166) Yellow Wagtail - 2 in Dipor Beel
167) Grey Wagtail - Abundant
168) White Wagtail - Abundant
169) Olive-Backed Pipit - 3 in Dipor Beel
Olive-Backed Pipit

170) Rosy Pipit - 4 in Neemati
Rosy Pipit

171) House Sparrow - Fairly common in Assam
172) Baya Weaver - 2 in Titabor
173) Scaly-Breasted Munia - 8 in Kakching, 2 in Naga Hills
Scaly-Breasted (Spotted) Munia
174) Great Indian Hornbill - Pair in Kaziranga CR
Great Indian Hornbill
175) Oriental Pied Hornbill - 3 in Kaziranga ER

Other Animals Spotted:

1) Rhesus Macaque - 2 in Kaziranga ER
2) Pig-Tailed Macaque - 1 in Gibon NP
3) Stump-Tailed Macaque - 1 in Gibon NP
4) Capped Langur - 6 in Gibon NP
Capped Langur

5) Hoolock Gibbon - 1 male in Gibon NP (flagship species)
Hoolock Gibbon

6) Indian Rhinoceros - 5 in Kaziranga WR, 2 in CR, 1 in ER
Indian Rhinoceros

7) Royal Bengal Tiger - 1 in Kaziranga ER
8) Common Bengal Monitor Lizard - 1 in Kaziranga ER
9) Ganges River Dolphin - 1 jumping in Brahmaputra (Kaziranga ER)
10) Unidentified Turtle (Help in ID will be appreciated!) - 1 in Kaziranga ER
Unidentified Turtle

11) Black (Malayan) Giant Squirrel - 2 in Gibon NP
12) Asian Water Buffalo - Many wild in Kaziranga
13) Asian Elephant - Many in Kaziranga
14) Eastern Swamp Deer - Plenty in Kaziranga
Eastern Swamp Deer

15) Wild Boar - 1 in Kaziranga CR

Some notes for birders wanting to visit:

1. Kaziranga National Park : Eastern Range is famous for birds and less frequented by tourists. Western Range is good for spotting mammals like Swamp Deer and Rhinoceros. Try to get a officer with the rifle in your jeep safari since these officers know in which areas which birds can be found.

2. Gibon National Park : Permission is needed from the Forest Officer (or whatever its called). You get a guide with very good spotting skills so birding is pretty decent there.

3. The best birding spot for small birds like Minivets and Sunbirds is the NE hill forests. Khonoma, Assam-Nagaland border, Manipur hills are great for a variety of small but beautiful birds. Khonoma, especially, has an amazing bird density.

4. Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary : Go early! You can spot owls early at dawn. Later on, woodpeckers can be spotted easily. This place has a large woodpecker density.

5. The hill forest between Anantpur and Dumboor Lake is also great for birds, especially redstarts and forktails, which can be easily spotted near the streams that flow through.

6. Dumboor Lake : Try to take a boat ride (you have to pay Rs. 1000 approx) to some of the islands in the middle of the lake for the best bird sights. A lot of migratory birds in this serene lake.