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birding...
India Goa
The province of Goa is easy to bird and a great place for a family holiday with brilliant beaches and wonderful food as well as the most friendly people I have ever met. A couple of weeks should give you a list of two hundred plus. Top spots include Lake Carabolim, variuos reserves in the Western Ghats etc. It is, however, despite its popularity, still a place with birding hot spots as yet undiscovered. I had a wonderful time in Goa and fell in love with the country, with its people, and with the wonderfully colourful birdlife. Leafbirds, paradise flycatchers, Ioras, and kingfishers galore. The spectacle of Lake Carabolim literally heaving with birds or the shining sands of the beaches with plovers and terns. |
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top sites |
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Bondla
Bondla is a wildlife sanctuary and, apart from a road through, accommodation and a café, zoo and formal garden, is very much a preserve rather than a visitor centre. It is a good two hour ride from the Northern hotels via Ponda; a large and bustling town. The road leads one through Old Goa so CIBA lagoon can be checked in both directions. Birding was best around the zoo, café area and at a ford a couple of kilometres down the road past the café, and at the café itself. A water hole just before the accommodation was disappointing (one paddybird) but there was a compensating troop of monkeys. The drive back from the reserve entrance to the main road was good for warblers and a few passerines but we stopped only when we heard birdsong. All in all there were not great numbers of birds but the quality was high with quite a lot of birds seen here and nowhere else. By all accounts Molem (20 kilometres or so further on) is more productive but time precluded personal experience of this.CIBA Factory
The CIBA factory is on the edge of Old Goa very close to the more famous Carambolim lake. It is a roost for storks and spoonbills etc. Entry to the factory lake is rather uncertain at the moment. If anyone finds out what the new arrangement is please tell the Fatbirder Whilst small and not thick with birds there is usually something of interest. (If nothing else I spotted a small - three foot long - crocodile sunning itself on a rock in the middle of the lake).Lake Carambolim
The actual lake obviously expands and contracts with the season and the amount of water extracted for agriculture. A small area of its surface is open water and the majority is covered with lotus leaves and flowers and is a paradise for the numerous jacanas (hundreds of pheasant-tailed and tens of bronze-winged) and herons. The road has palm trees and eucalyptus that were good for woodpeckers and passerines and the fields have wires with finches, munias and bee-eaters etc. There were at least two pairs of marsh harriers nesting in the fields, and the fences at the far end were also worth constant checking. The small stream running into the lake seemed to draw all the kingfishers from time to time and the storks tended to hang to the far side of the lake. Every square meter of the marshy margins seemed to have waders, jacanas, egrets, herons etc. To misquote Isaac Walton a day spent at Carambolim is a day added to your life. I spent a good half day here rooted to the spot as there was always something going on and the sight of more purple gallinules than I suspect are to be found in the whole of Iberia, was almost enough in itself. To the back of the road are lush fields with wires worth watching and the roadside trees proved productive too. The site is noted for variety, sheer numbers and wonderfully close views of water birds and raptors.Morgim
Morgim is a short distance from the hotels across the river by ferry. The river itself can produce some birds (herons, terns, kingfishers, etc.) as the ferry has to wind its way across - taking 20 minutes to weave between the pillars of a bridge. Morgim beach, whilst not heaving with bird life, has dunes which are worth checking, a strand in the river mouth for waders and gulls, a marsh on the approach road from the ferry and a small area of trees adjacent to the village, all of which can produce some good birds. The main target will be to ensure that you get the gull species which are not always evident elsewhere. Morgim beach is practically deserted and its white sands are attractive to any non-birding companion.Sawlem
This will not be found on a map as it is a small spring fed lake on the edge of a tiny hamlet. Near Pilearne. In March only the left end of the lake was deep enough to be clear water and the rest was just boggy. The small square to the right is a shop where you can sit and have a cold drink and still watch the birds. At the top of the map is a heavily wooded, tall hill above which were many raptors mid morning and late afternoon. The trees both sides of the road were very good and the small opening to the lake a vantage point to view the left hand one third; the right hand two thirds can be seen from the start of the footpath.contributor |
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Fatbirder
bo@fatbirder.com
useful reading |
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* Field Guides & Bird Song
For a comprehensive list of recommended titles covering India as a whole - please see the main India page of FatbirderBird Sounds of Goa and South India
Hannu Jannes, WildSoundsISBN: 156613
Buy this book from NHBS.com
Birding Goa 1: DVD
The Fish Owls of Cowpat Corner and Other Stories - Malcolm Rymer - Running time: 90 mins. Malcolm RymerISBN: 137775
Buy this book from NHBS.com
Birding Goa 2: DVD
Flamebacks and Frogmouths - Malcolm Rymer Duration 110 mins. Malcolm RymerISBN: 137776
Buy this book from NHBS.com
Birds of Goa
BC Saha and JM Dasgupta - Series: RECORDS OF THE ZOOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA 143 56 pages Zoological Survey of IndiaISBN: 30610
Buy this book from NHBS.com
Birds of Goa: a Reference Book
Heinz Lainer - 244 pages, b/w illus. Other India BookstoreISBN: 8185569606
Buy this book from NHBS.com
Goa Birding Trip: 5th-19th February 1999
Mark Beevers 40 pages, b/w illus, maps.ISBN: 114349
Buy this book from NHBS.com
useful information |
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State Bird
Black-crested Bulbul
reserves |
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Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary
http://www.indiasite.com/goa/wildlife.htmlBesides being home to animals, this preserve is also a treat for bird watchers and butterfly spotters...
Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary
http://www.goaforest.com/wildlifemgmt/body_bondla.htmIncludes a virtual tour...
Goa's Reserves
http://www.amchegoa.com/wildlife_sanctuaries_reserve_forests.htmGoa is one of the few states in India that has a large percentage (20%) of its land set aside for Wildlife Sanctuaries and Reserve Forests (60%). The densely forested hills, marshy mangroves and the beautiful beaches makes Goa a nature lovers delight. To conserve its natural heritage Goa has carved out four wildlife sanctuaries in the hinterland. Birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts can now get a closer look into the natural diversity of Goa...
trip reports |
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Travelling Birder
http://www.travellingbirder.com
The Travellingbirder.com birding trip report search engine guides you to 7,000+ birding trip reports on the Internet. You can search for trip reports from a specific country and time of year. Not all these reports are in English. So, if you can’t find the trip report you want on this Fatbirder page… give them a try!
1997 [March] - Fatbirder
http://anytimetours.co.uk/indiagoa1997.htmFatbirder's own trip - March 1997.
1997 [March] - Joakim Djerf
http://www.camacdonald.com/birding/tripreports/Goa97.htmlMost of the visiting bird watchers in Baga stay at Hotel Beira Mar, and the taxi drivers outside the hotel know where you want to go. Everything is very cheap.
1997 [November] - Tom & Marie Tarrant
http://www.aviceda.org/During November 1997 we returned to Australia from the UK via Goa in India for a two-week stop-over, this is an account of the avifauna recorded there during that period...
1998 [November] - Clive Harris
http://www.camacdonald.com/birding/tripreports/Keoladeo98.htmlI recently went on a family holiday to Goa, in India, the family being my parents, wife and two small sons (3 years and 18 months respectively). For those not in the know, Goa has become a popular birding destination with European package tourists. It`s a relatively cheap way to get to India, you can stay in reasonable accommodation, there`s plenty of things for non-birding family members to do, and a good variety of habitats to bird in...
2000 [February] - Jan Vermeulen
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/india/india3-goa/GOA1.htmThis trip report records the birds seen on a two weeks trip in February 2000 to the state of Goa in India. I was accompanied by Vital & Riet van Gorp, Eric Wille and my girlfriend Willemien van Ginneken. The former Portuguese colony of Goa is now a major packing holiday destination and a good tourist infrastructure exists...
2001 [January] - Bill & Doreen Stair
http://wholewideworld.tripod.com/IndiaBirding.htmAs any fule kno, the birding in Goa is excellent. The fact that we hooked up with ex-pat bird guide Gordon Frost and later stayed at the Backwoods Camp ensured that we had expert help while we were there...
2002 [November] - Paul Wetton
http://www.paulos.uk7.net/frame.htmlWe were extremely fortunate to aquire the services of Abhi Naik who not only knows the regular sites but also has found some sites of his own that most of the other taxi drivers do not know about. Abhi is also an extremely proficient birder with the eyesight of a hawk...
2003 [February] - Ian Southworth
http://www.surfbirds.com/mb/trips/goa-ian-0403.htmlThis was our second trip to Goa - the full report and trip list from our first visit in Nov/Dec 2001 can also be found on the Surfbirds Website. We booked a package through Lunn Poly as the cheapest option. We stayed in Baga at the Hotel Beira Mar which is a popular with birders. This hotel is ideal for anyone simply wanting a room and a bed but the electricity and water supplies are unreliable! Service in the restaurant is slow but the food is generally good and cheap. For lovers of Chinese food the Kim Faa restaurant down the road is excellent. An early morning birding session up Baga Hill or Arpora Forest can be rounded off with a delicious brunch at the German owned Lila`s café...
2004 [December] - Ray Wilson
http://www.raywilsonbirdphotography.co.uk/Foreign%20Trips/Goa/Goa1.htmlGoa, a former Portugese colony, is situated on the west coast of India. Like The Gambia it is a popular package holiday destination for those seeking the winter sun, and as such offers a good opportunity to view some of the ample Indian wildlife for very little cost. The entire cost of this trip came to less than a return flight to Dehli! The following report gives a list of all the sites we visited during our stay...
2004 [December] - Robert Hoare
http://www.tripreports.cliftongrovebirds.com/index.htmlThis was our third trip to Goa previousiy visiting in december 1999 and december 2002. We decided to travel with jewel in the crown as they were the cheapest option and we had already used this company on the last to visits. Our place of residence for the two weeks was Calangute a place we hadnt visited befor but it knew was well situated for visiting other sites, we had also pre booked a two night stay to backwoods camp online from the uk...
2004 [February] - David & Amanda Mason
http://www.realbirder.com/Tripreportgoa.htm...Pet tree frogs are sometimes a non-optional extra along with spiders and other creepy-crawlies. Having said this we had no problems with the wildlife apart from the occasional mosquito...
2004 [November] - Birdseekers
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/birdseekers/feb05/Goa/Goa-1-2004.htm...Several White-throated and Stork-billed Kingfishers were spotted, whilst Wire-tailed Swallow, Brahminy Kite, and Western Reef Egret were also seen...
2005 [February] - Lars Olausson & Hans-Erik Persson
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/india/india32-goa/Goa-feb-05.htmOur strategy was quite simple, look at birds you don´t recognize at first glimpse. Most of those are probably new ones. We didn´t waste any time in salt ponds or tidal mudflats to chase common Scandinavian waders. We did the same with white egrets. Once we had seen Intermediate satisfactorily, not much time was spent on those...
2006 [February] - Brian & Isabel Eady
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/india/India-37-goa/goa-jan-06.htmOur first visit to Goa since we became interested in birding came in January 2004, and my article titled “Birding by Beginners”, surprisingly generated quite a bit of interest, resulting in many E Mails from interested readers. During that visit we stayed in Arpora, at the superb Marinha Dourada hotel, and enjoyed a great holiday with plenty of birding opportunities...
2006 [March] - Michael Mosebo Jensen
http://www.netfugl.dk/trip_reports/asia/Goa2006MMJ.pdf2006 [March] - Roy Ticehurst
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/india/india-39-goa/goa-06.htmReturning to the same birding country or sites can never have quite the same excitement as that first occasion. However, in my report last year I did say ‘ we knew pretty quickly that we had to return, so we have many species to look forward to next time’ …and so it turned out...
2007 [February] - Steve Baines
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/india/india-46-goa/goa-feb-07.htm...We had made great time and still had about ¾ hour daylight so we left our luggage in reception and headed across the road to bird the paddies. Although not much to look at the paddies held an array of birds and our Goan list increased with the more anticipated species of the trip like Small Pratincole, Ashy Woodswallow, Jungle Myna and White-browed Wagtail...
2008 [January] - John Kirby & Garry Hughes
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/india/India-50-goa/Goa-jan-2008.htmGoa is now well visited and numerous trip reports are available. I will just give an update on some sites visited during my latest trip having been 8 times before. All birding was done between daybreak and 11 am...
tour operators |
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All India Birding Tours
http://www.allindiabirding.com/Your Birding itinerary depends upon your interests, the duration of the planned trip, and other matters such as your budget...
Backwoods Camp
http://www.backwoodsgoa.comA birding camp located on the edge of the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and encircled by the Sahyadri Range of the Western Ghats in Goa’s most ecologically diverse region. Owned and run by birders, for birders, the camp consists of 6 tents, 6 cottages, and 2 farmhouse bedrooms spread through the forest, and professional guiding available. 15 endemics and near-endemics of the Western Ghats habitually found here, plus a host of forest birds and winter migrants.
Birding Pal
http://www.birdingpal.org/India.htmLocal birders willing to show visiting birders around their area...
Canopy
http://www.canopygoa.com/Welcome to Canopy - An ecotourism venture with a difference. Birding in Goa? You have come to the right place... We are a group of serious bird watchers in Goa. We have all the information and the expertise you need for a successful birding vacation in Goa. Blessed with splendid forests of the Western Ghats, amazing wetlands, rich mudflats and rivers, Goa is a birdwatcher’s delight. Birding in Goa offers an opportunity to sight an amazing diversity of resident birds and also find a variety of Western Palearctic species. Nine of the sixteen species of Western Ghats endemic birds have also been reported from Goa.
Goa Guide
If anyone wants to visit Goa and have an excellent guide we could not recommend Lloyd Fernandez too highly. He proved to be a good birder with a wide general knowledge, totally and utterly reliable, a careful and competent driver who enhanced our holiday experience no end. Lloyd was not only a good birdspotter, he has also gone out of his way to develop a rounded ornithological knowledge base of his country and shares this knowledge readily with visitors. As an added bonus he supplied a breakfast each morning, very welcome if you set off before the crack of dawn and much before any hotel begins to serve breakfast, and can make arrangements for overnight stays further afield. Lloyd can be contacted by e-mail: fatimgoa@sancharnet.in or his phone no. (0)832 2276711 (Calangute-Goa). We would be more than happy to provide information to anyone considering using his services.
Giles and Renee Braithwaite giles.b@argonet.co.uk
Southern Birdwing
http://www.southernbirdwing.com/Southern Birdwing offers excursions suited to different interests and time schedules. We conduct Exclusive expeditions, which cater to specific requests. We also have regular Package deals and Single or Half day Natural History trips for Groups or Individuals.
places to stay |
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Backwoods Camp
http://www.backwoodsgoa.comA birding camp located on the edge of the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary owned and run by birders, for birders, the camp consists of 6 tents, 6 cottages, and 2 farmhouse bedrooms spread through the forest.
Goahub - Hotels in Goa
http://www.goahub.com/goa/hotels/index.htmlWith a variety of hotels and resorts available - from five star luxury hotels to private houses - you can find an accommodation that suits your pocket and taste... Goahub.com offers hassle free and speedy booking for hotels in Goa
Lazy Days
http://www.lazydays.co.ukIn the pages on this web site there is a range of privately owned villas, cottages and apartments for short-term holiday rental in the tiny West Coast Indian State of Goa. You will find a small number of select properties that have been personally hand-picked ranging from delightful 1 bedroom apartments to large 4 bedroom villas on private estates.
Pousada Tauma
http://www.pousada-tauma.com/But its greatest attraction is the Ayurveda Centre designed to tone up your body, mind and soul. It is the only Boutique Hotel which is built on the lines of a natural, traditional architecture concept using exposed masonry. Eco-friendly and with the minimum use of resources, it uses Goa laterite stones liberally, hence the glow it emits is distinctly Goan. The twittering of birds and a variety of flora and fauna enhance this other-world charm that makes your stay a tryst with nature and a solace for the soul.
The Hermitage Guest House
http://www.thehermitageguesthouse.com/The Hermitage is a well-appointed and secluded working farm set amidst the lush forests of the Western Ghats. If you are a Wildlife enthusiast or Nature Watcher, keen on Birding in India, a Nature Photographer, enjoy Trekking, or just simply love the outdoors, then the Hermitage is a perfect holiday destination for you...
other links |
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Goa a Birding Paradise
http://www.astd59.dsl.pipex.com/goa.htmlGoa is just a nine and a half hour flight away from the UK (Gatwick) and a whole new world of birding awaits...
Southern Birdwing
http://www.southernbirdwing.comSouthern Birdwing is an enterprise started by Goan wildlife enthusiasts Harvey D`Souza and Neil Alvares in October 1997, who help create awareness through educational excursions, talks and workshops...
artists |
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Kit Day Bird Photography
http://www.kitday-uk.com/goa_images.htmlImages of birds taken in Goa...
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