India’s rich natural landscape has long been the refuge of birds from across the world. And birding is being thoroughly cherished here during the winters (December – March) all over. To the utter surprise how these small creatures manage to cross the mighty Himalayas that tower at the altitudes of over 8,400m above sea level !
As it is hard for the birds to survive the bone chilling climate, they do migrate to a place that suits them better. Apart from the European nations, birds come to India from African continent as well. There are local migrants also. As the northen part of India is colder in winter than the southern part, birds do migrate to the warmer place.
And there are ‘altitudinal’ migrants also that move from higher altitudes to lower altitudes- the plains across India.
Major water bodies from lakes to ponds along with forests and gardens across India get crowded with these seasonal guests. Waterfowl like ducks and geese arrive in large numbers. Among these migratory ducks there are the Common Teal, Common Pochard, Red Crested Pochard, Northern Pintail, and Northern Shoveler.
And among Geese, the bar-headed goose is a bird, during the migratory period, breeds in Central Asia and in the Tibetan plateaus in colonies of thousands located near mountain lakes. Other than these waterfowls, tiny warblers and bee-eaters also migrate to forests and gardens across India.
However during the cold weather, the sights of local parks, forest patches in a city or state and some other places that make for fantastic winter birding destinations in India with the twittering and chirping of these beautiful transients. Here is the list of such destinations where the tourists especially bird lovers can head to…..
Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur (Rajasthan) -: Keoladeo National Park use to throng upon with a decent number and vareity of birds during the winter. At the same time the place is easily accessiable for both birders and bird photographers. With its numerous water bodies, it is home to a large number of herons, storks, ducks, and many other water birds.
Chilika Lake in Odisha -: Being the largest brackish water body in India, the lake attracts tens of thousands of birds every year. Nalaban and Mangalajodi, are two islands, located in Chilika Lake, where these migratory birds are being found. Since these islands can only be accessible through boats, the tourists can enjoy an exciting boat ride along with birding too.
Nalsarovar in Gujarat -: The ambience of this pristine water body is very much suitable for the Greater Flamingoes who arrive here with a good number. Nalsarovoar is just a few hours ride from Ahmedabad. Other than this, the coasts of Gujarat make great birding destinations in the winters as well. The varieties of birds such as Oystercatchers, Sandpipers and Crab Plovers can be found here during this time.
Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand -: The park has over 500 species some of which are resident and some are migratory. From the riverine habitats of the Kosi and Ramganga to the grasslands of Dhikala, make Corbett home to a great
variety of birds in the winter. Tourists do have a chance of grabbing a marvelous birding experience here.
Kaziranga National Park -: Kaziranga, though well known for its rhinos, is also home to a great variety of birds. From the majestic Pallas Fish Eagle to the Bengal Florican, one can find them all here while visiting through the Ugandan Grass filled park. Of course, the icing on the cake without question is the sighting of a tiger and rhino !
Besides these prime spots there are some other places in the states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala also make great birding destinations in India. So the bird lovers getting equipped with a good pair of binoculars and a powerful camera can explore their interest here in India as their winter destination.
