Forest birds of Kanha and Bandhavgarh

Kanha National Park and Bandhavgarh National Park offer the best birding opportunity. The bird species checklist surpasses the 250 mark about 50 species less than the Bharatpur bird sanctuary in Rajasthan.

Birdwatching is catching up in these tiger reserves but then birds are not seen en mass here. Forest birding is always straining unless you come across a mixed hunting party. Winters is the best time for birding in these parks but the thick forest canopy makes bird watching strenuous.

Winter visitors or migratory birds arrive from October onwards and one can see ultramarine flycatchers, Hume's warbler, greenish warbler, sulfur bellied warbler, Tickell's warbler, black redstart, pintails, common teals, Asian brown flycatcher, and wagtails. Many species of pipits that migrate in winter can also be seen.

Common birds are grey hornbill, Malabar pied hornbill, orioles, nuthatches, parakeets, drongos, cuckoos, barbets, owls, owlets, crested hawk eagles, crested serpent eagles, honey buzzards, black-naped flycatcher, paradise flycatcher, verditor, Tickell's blue flycatcher, white-eyed buzzard, mynas, sparrows, Greater racket-tailed drongo, orange headed thrush, black-necked stork, lesser adjutant stork and painted stork. There are many more...

The checklist of Bandhavgarh National Park is the same as that of Kanha National Park albeit with minor variations. In these tiger reserves, the terrain varies although the forest habitat is the same. Wetlands birds do not visit these tiger reserves in great numbers as large water bodies are absent, nevertheless, many ducks, teals, sandpipers, and wagtails can be seen during the winters.

Many tour operators, hotels and wildlife resorts now offer birding as an option along with tiger safaris in the park. Those with in house professional naturalists and birding guides deliver the best.

26/11 & Aftermath - Tourism

The terror attack on Mumbai on twenty sixth November can be described as worst nightmare for India ever. The senseless massacre by hate mongers left India stunned and the whole World. Not only Indians but some Americans, British, Israeli and citizens of other nationalities touring India succumbed to the brutal assault.

India is being targeted for its rising economy, positive International image and all things good in the country. My tribute to the unfortunate victims and condolences to near and dear one's.

Who and where hate mongers are nurtured is a matter of investigation? HE! HE! (Sic!)

Like everything else tourism too has suffered especially tiger tourism which has become a flourishing industry of late.

Less tourists would be visiting Kanha and Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserves due to the fear and unfound insecurity that has set in among tourists both local and International. Tiger Tourism help made friends for the endangered tiger without doubt. More and more people turn to conservation on experiencing wild jungle safaris all over the World so in India.

Other victims are the hotels in Kanha and Bandhavgarh National Parks and elsewhere in tiger reserves all over the country. Not forgetting the local communities that benefited from hotel industries around the safari parks and the local economy in toto. But India is a resilient Nation and so are its masses. The recovery will be quick.

Wildlife tourism has come as a boon to hotel and travel industry in India and in other economies all over the World. For many small Nations tourism including wildlife tourism and birding has come about with blessings as the mainstay of the economy. When turbulence occurs the poverty stricken citizens are the first to suffer.

That night of horror and after was a butchery of anything that walked as in the days of old when ruthless senseless hunting and deforestation was in vogue. People who come to love and respect nature are the most peaceful non violent people on Earth because they have learned to respect and preserve all life forms.

The societies that are tackling the menace of extremism and rabid fundamentalist ideologies (sometimes state sponsored) should encourage education in nature conservation fervidly among its masses to root out violence in any form.

National progress comes as a result of quality of its people, a few unchecked rabid elements within like rotten apple end up destroying the whole Nation eventually.

Booking Park Excursion Entry

To book a park excursion entry or entries to Kanha tiger reserve or Pench, Bandhavgarh and Panna national parks in Madhya Pradesh, an online booking should be made before hand in order to avoid running into a closed gate due to fixed carrying capacity as per new rules regarding number of vehicle entry allowed in the parks .

Park Entry Online Booking

The online booking page also leads to information on tariff and availability of excursions on given date in the national parks or tiger reserves.

Bookings at the portal above can be paid for by credit card. For cash payment one need to use service of authorized kiosks of the government. The kiosks are situated only in Madhya Pradesh at present. Find list of about three hundred kiosks on the portal.

Hotel owners will also be able to book excursions into the national parks using the online facility subject to conditions mentions on the portal.

MP Online Hotel Owners

In case of bookings made in advance the passengers in a vehicle have to give names, IDs for verification.

Park gate also provides advance booking. MP Online is ready to appoint more lodges as their kiosks.

Tiger Resorts

It is resting time for denizens of Kanha but the open season is nearing. After monsoons the parks in Central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh open for tiger safari in India.

The establishment of the parks was from the point of view to conserve tigers and other wild animals. Most of the parks in India are declared as tiger reserves since they are being assisted by Project tiger that plays a key role in conservation of the species of Indian tiger. However they have also ended up as the most preferred destinations for wildlife safari to see the tiger in India.

Tiger enthusiasts, conservationists and wildlife photographers eagerly wait for the parks to open. Not only the above but the wildlife resort owners too await the opening of the park as their business depends upon tiger tourism.

The most popular parks in MP are Kanha National Park in Central India in Satpura range, Pench tiger reserve in Seoni Hills and Bandhavgarh National Park in Vindhya range. These are the most preferred destinations for Indian safaris and birding. There are lot of budget and luxury lodges a and resorts that cater to ever burgeoning tourism in these centers of wildlife attractions in India.