Birding in South India

Arrive early morning. Thattekkad is by far the best bird watching spot in South India. Here, over 270 species have been recorded in approximately 25km2.

Specialty birds include Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl, Ceylon Frogmouth, Red Spurfowl, Bay Owl, Rufous Babbler, Blue-faced Malkoha, Brown-breasted Grey-headed Bulbul and Wynad Laughing Thrush.

This is the first of three nights at the spectacular Hornbill Camp eco-lodge.

Thattekkad is ideal for seeing a good number of endemic bird species found in the Western Ghats. Proceed to Orullathany, at the other end of the reserve, for the Bulbul and Laughing Thrush. Visit Edamalayar Power Plant land and the south-side of the river for the owls, Streak-throated Woodpecker and Yellow-billed Babbler. [Image: Suriyakumars].

Search for the Wynad Laughing Thrush and Grey-headed Bulbul. Other notable species to see include the Red Spurfowl, Ceylon Frogmouth, Blue-faced Malkoha, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Malabar Grey Hornbill, White-bellied and Heart-spotted Woodpeckers, Rufous Babbler, White-bellied Blue-tailed and Rusty-tailed Flycatchers, White-bellied Treepie and Black-throated Munia. [Image: Sandeep].

In the late afternoon, drive to Munnar, a hill station situated at a height of 1450m in the centre of a major tea-producing region. In the remaining forests and grasslands you can see Nilgiri Wood-Pigeon, Grey-breasted Laughing Thrush, Nilgiri, Black and Rufous Flycatchers, White-bellied Shortwing, Nilgiri Pipit and Painted Bush Quail.

Accommodation here is at Olive Brook.

In the areas either side of High Range plateau there are sheltered valleys with dense patches of natural evergreen forest. Visit Nilgiri Hills, Rajamalai (which is part of the Eravikulam National Park 8 km from Munnar) and the sholas. The grassy plateau is also one of the last habitats of the endangered Nilgiri Tahr.

Drive towards Ooty. En route, stopover at Chinnar, a unique thorny scrub forest in the rain-shadow region of the Western Ghats, about 60kms from Munnar.

Arrive at Ooty in the evening. Accommodation for the next two nights is at Regency Villas.

Bird watch at the Cairnhill shola and the Kallatti Ghats en-route to Masinagudi. See the Large Grey Babbler, White-bellied Woodpecker, White-naped Woodpecker, Lesser Whitethroat and Jerdon’s Baza, Rain Quail, Blue-breasted Quail, Speckled Piculet, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Sirkeer Malkoha, Oriental Scops Owl, Eurasian Eagle Owl, Black Baza, White-rumped Shama, Streak-throated Swallow and Grey-breasted Laughing Thrush. [Image: Suriyakumars].

Return to Cochin for onward travel to another Indian city, or an international flight home.

You also have the option to extend your bird-watching tour to other regions of India.