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Nagaland

Lesser Shortwing Brachypteryx leucophrys ©Bird-Photo-Tours ASIA Website

Nagaland is a hill state in the north-eastern region of India. It is bordered by the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh to the north, Assam to the west, Manipur to the south, and the Naga Self-Administered Zone of the Sagaing Region of Myanmar (Burma) to the east. Its capital city is Kohima and its largest city is the twin city of Chümoukedima–Dimapur. The state has an area of 16,579 km2 (6,401 square miles) with a population of around 2.3 million people, making it one of the least populated states in India. It is home to a rich variety of natural, cultural, and environmental resources. The state has significant resources of natural minerals, petroleum, and hydropower, with the primary sector, which is mostly agriculture, still accounting for a quarter of its economy. Other significant activities include forestry, tourism, insurance, real estate, horticulture, and miscellaneous cottage industries.

Nagaland is largely a mountainous state. The Naga Hills rise from the Brahmaputra Valley in Assam to about 2,000 feet and rise further to the southeast, as high as 6,000 feet. Mount Saramati at an elevation of 12,552 feet is the state’s highest peak – this is where the Naga Hills merge with the Patkai Range in Myanmar. Rivers such as the Doyang and Diphu to the north, the Barak River in the southwest and the Chindwin River of Myanmar in the southeast, dissect the entire state. Twenty per cent of the total land area of the state is covered with forest, a haven for flora and fauna. Evergreen tropical and subtropical forests are found in strategic pockets in the state, palms, bamboo and rattan as well as timber and mahogany forests.

Khonoma – ©Girish Mohan P K CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Nagaland has a largely monsoon climate with high humidity levels. Annual rainfall averages around 70 to 100 inches, concentrated in the months of May to September. Temperatures range from 21 to 40 °C. In winter, temperatures do not generally drop below 4 °C, but frost is common at high elevations. Summer is the shortest season in the state, lasting only a few months. The temperature during the summer season remains between 16 and 31 °C. Winter often arrives early, with bitter cold and dry weather striking certain regions of the state. The maximum average temperature recorded in the winter season is 24 °C. Strong northwest winds blow across the state during the months of February and March.

Birding Nagaland

While some forest areas have been cleared for jhum cultivation, many scrub forests, rainforests, tall grassland, and reed-grass marshes remain. Some noteworthy mammals found in Nagaland include the slow loris, Assamese, Pig-tailed, Stump-tailed and Rhesus Macaques, capped langur, hoolock gibbon, Himalayan black bear, few sun bear, dhole, occasional Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, clouded leopard, marbled cat, golden cat, Indian elephants, Indian rhinoceros, gaur, red serow, common and leaf muntjac, eastern hog deer, sambar, Chinese pangolin, Malayan porcupine, Asiatic brush-tailed porcupine, and Hoary bamboo rats. Nagaland is home to 396 species of orchids, belonging to 92 genera of which 54 having horticultural and medicinal economic importance.

Red-faced Liocichla Liocichla phoenicea – ©Bird-Photo-Tours ASIA

Nagaland has a rich birdlife with more than 700 species recorded. The Great Indian Hornbill has a special place in Naga culture. Blyth’s Tragopan, a vulnerable species of galliform, is the state bird. It is found around Mount Japfü and Dzüko Valley of Kohima District, Satoi range in Zünheboto District and Pfütsero in Phek District. The state is also known as the ‘falcon capital of the world’ thanks to the hundreds of thousands (perhaps as many as one million) of Amur falcons that accumulate at Doyang Reservoir to feast on flying termites on their way from China and Siberia to Africa each year.

Doyang Dam – ©Murari Bhalekar CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Nagaland has one national park, Ntangki National Park, and several wildlife sanctuaries including Pulie Badze Wildlife Sanctuary, Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary, Khonoma Nature Conservation and Tragopan Sanctuary and Rangapahar Reserve Forest. Other key birding localities are found in the Naga hill ranges, part of an interesting and seldom-visited transition zone between South Asia and Indo-China. The state has a selection of skulking restricted-range species such as Blue-winged Minla, Red-faced Liocichla, Naga Wren Babbler and Spot-breasted Scimitar Babbler.

Blue-winged Minla Actinodura cyanouroptera – ©Bird-Photo-Tours ASIA

Generally, October to April is the best time to visit as this period offers pleasant weather and attracts both resident and migratory birds. The Amur Falcon migration is the main attraction during October and November and Spring (March-May): Good for seeing resident birds and the return of summer visitors.

This page is sponsored by Bird-Photo-Tours ASIA

Contributors
Number of Species

  • Number of bird species: 739

    (As at July 2025)

    State Bird: Blyth's Tragopan Tragopan blythii

Checklist

  • Avibase

    PDF Checklist
    This checklist includes all bird species found in Nagaland , based on the best information available at this time. It is based on a wide variety of sources that I collated over many years. I am pleased to offer these checklists as a service to birdwatchers. If you find any error, please do not hesitate to report them.

  • E-Bird

    PDF Checklist
    This checklist is generated with data from eBird (ebird.org), a global database of bird sightings from birders like you. If you enjoy this checklist, please consider contributing your sightings to eBird. It is 100% free to take part, and your observations will help support birders, researchers, and conservationists worldwide.
Useful Reading

  • Birds of the Indian Subcontinent

    | By Richard Grimmett, Carol Inskipp & Tim Inskipp | Helm | 2025 | Edition 2 | Paperback | 544 pages, 240+ plates with colour illustrations; colour distribution maps, b/w illustrations | ISBN: 9781472984777 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Birding Aps

  • Birds of the Indian Subcontinent

    Apple iOS | Android
    The eGuide to Birds of the Indian Subcontinent is an interactive companion to Birds of the Indian Subcontinent – the definitive guide for birdwatchers visiting the region. It covers India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. This application has specific features that will enhance your birding experience.

  • Indian Birds

    Apple iOS | Android
    Pioneers in bringing Indian Birding to the smart phone generation - Introducing Indian Birds, the time-honoured and cherished birding companion for India. Established in 2010, it proudly remains the sole mobile app available on App Store, offering bird enthusiasts the ability to explore bird names

Reserves

Abbreviations Key

  • NP Ntangki

    InformationSatellite View
    Intangki National Park is a wildlife park located in Peren district of Nagaland, India. Among the creatures that inhabit the park are the rare hoolock gibbon, golden langur, hornbill, palm civets, black stork, tiger, white-breasted kingfisher, monitor lizard, python and sloth bear. The name "Ntangki" is derived from the Zeme dialect of the Zeliangrong tribe.

  • NR Khonoma Nature Conservation and Tragopan Sanctuary

    InformationSatellite View
    It is about 18 kilometres (11 mi) west of the capital of Nagaland, Kohima. The total area notified under this park is around 25 square kilometres (9.7 sq mi); some of villages and hamlets are adjacent to this park: Khonoma, Mesoma, Dziilike. Some of the exotic bird species from North-east India are present in this wildlife sanctuary; like Blyth's tragopan, Mountain bamboo partridge, Crested Finchbill, Assam laughingthrush, Striped laughingthrush, Spot-breasted scimitar babbler, Flavescent Bulbul, Naga wren-babbler are to name few.

  • WS Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary

    InformationSatellite View
    The sanctuary is home to slender loris, panthers, Himalayan bears, jungle cats, barking deers and hoolock gibbons. Bird species in the sanctuary include great hornbills, tragopans, junglefowls and doves.

  • WS Pulie Badze Wildlife Sanctuary

    InformationSatellite View
    The park is home to a vast variety of birds like Tragopan Blythii, White-naped Yuhina and Dark-rumped swift.
Sightings, News & Forums
Guides & Tour Operators

  • Arunachal Birding Tours

    Local Tour Operator
    Come and explore the hidden land or the last Sangrila of India the North-East India. The last heaven for nature lovers with us. Since its inception we have been organising many exclusive birding tours to some of the most fascinating part of India.

  • Asian Adventures

    Local Tour Operator
    Amazing Amurs Of Nagaland Tour

  • BirdFinders

    Tour Operator
    This tour will take us to the extreme corner of northeast India at the junction of the Eastern Himalayas with Indo-Burma. In the hills of Nagaland at India’s border with Myanmar, we will look for restricted range endemics such as Naga Wren-Babbler, Brown-capped Laughingthrush and Spot-breasted Scimitar-babbler. Moving north into the Brahmaputra floodplain and subtropical forest of the Mishmi Hills, we will search for grassland endemics and Eastern Himalayan specialities such as Swamp Prinia, Marsh Babbler, Black-breasted Parrotbill, Bengal Florican, White-winged Duck, Blyth’s and Temminck’s Tragopans, Mishmi Wren-babbler and Cachar Wedge-billed Babbler.

  • BirdQuest

    Tour Operator
    NORTHEAST INDIA – The Ultimate Himalayan birding tour to Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland and Manipur

  • Bluetail Birding

    Tour Operator
    A 12-day, small group birdwatching tour focusing on the incredible spectacle of the Amur Falcon's autumn migration, together with enticing regional specialities of Nagaland, and abundant birds and mammals in the Brahmaputra floodplain of Assam.

  • Bubo Birding

    Tour Operator
    This is a very special tour to experience one of the birding wonders of the entire world. Only in the last few years have Amur Falcons been known to congregate in such large numbers on migration. For just a few weeks at the end of October and early November in Nagaland, in India’s Northeast, phenomenal numbers of this beautiful falcon gather together to feed and roost during their remarkable migration from eastern Russia and China to southern Africa.

  • Going Wild

    Local Tour Operator
    This part of India is not very much explored if you compare it with other places of oriental region. Thus birding in Khonoma Nature Conservation and Tragopan Sanctuary is a virgin place for birders and bird watchers. Lying in Japfu mountain range, this birding hotspot is a place where one can experience some of the range restricted birds of the pristine primary forest. Though previously this place was notoriously haunted by local hunters but due to protection achievements; day by day the place is recovering from trauma.

  • India Birding Tours

    Local Tour Operator
    Arunachal Pradesh and Assam may be reckoned as the big boys of birding tourism in Northeast India, but the tiny state of Nagaland is no underdog.

  • India Nature

    Local Tour Operator
    A 10-day birding tour focusing on the breathtaking spectacle of Amur Falcon migration, while also exploring key birding localities in Nagaland and neighbouring Assam.

  • Ornis Birding Expeditions

    Tour Operator
    White-bellied Heron (Tshulthrim Drakpa Wangyel) White-winged Duck (Joshua Bergmark) Grey-lored Broadbill (Joshua Bergmark) Austen's Brown Hornbill (Mika Ohtonen) Pale-capped Pigeon (Joshua Bergmark) Spotted Elachura (Chris Venetz) Collared Treepie (Joshua Bergmark) White-hooded Babbler (Joshua Bergmark) Rufous-headed Parrotbill (Joshua Bergmark) Marsh Babbler (Yann Muzika) Mishmi Wren-Babbler (Alex Berryman) Ward's Trogon (Yann Muzika) Beautiful Nuthatch (Chris Venetz) Black-faced Warbler - Joshua Bergmark - Ornis Birding Expeditions.jpg White-bellied Heron (Tshulthrim Drakpa Wangyel) White-winged Duck (Joshua Bergmark) Grey-lored Broadbill (Joshua Bergmark) Austen's Brown Hornbill (Mika Ohtonen) Pale-capped Pigeon (Joshua Bergmark) Spotted Elachura (Chris Venetz) Collared Treepie (Joshua Bergmark) White-hooded Babbler (Joshua Bergmark) Rufous-headed Parrotbill (Joshua Bergmark) Marsh Babbler (Yann Muzika) Mishmi Wren-Babbler (Alex Berryman) Ward's Trogon (Yann Muzika) Beautiful Nuthatch (Chris Venetz) Black-faced Warbler - Joshua Bergmark - Ornis Birding Expeditions.jpg White-bellied Heron (Tshulthrim Drakpa Wangyel) White-winged Duck (Joshua Bergmark) Grey-lored Broadbill (Joshua Bergmark) Austen's Brown Hornbill (Mika Ohtonen) Pale-capped Pigeon (Joshua Bergmark) Spotted Elachura (Chris Venetz) Collared Treepie (Joshua Bergmark) White-hooded Babbler (Joshua Bergmark) Rufous-headed Parrotbill (Joshua Bergmark) Marsh Babbler (Yann Muzika) Mishmi Wren-Babbler (Alex Berryman) Ward's Trogon (Yann Muzika) Beautiful Nuthatch (Chris Venetz) Black-faced Warbler - Joshua Bergmark - Ornis Birding Expeditions.jpg India: North-East Winter Specialties

  • Planet Wildlife

    Tour Operator
    Discover picturesque Nagaland, located in the lap of the Himalayas. Experience local life at a homestay in Khonoma village, explore Benrue and see amazing birdlife. Soak up the unique culture and history of the land. Travel to the famous national parks of Kaziranga and Manas and look for some endangered animals as well.

  • Wildside Nature Tours

    Tour Operator
    Highlights of NAGALAND: Amur Falcon Migration Spectacle

  • Zoothera Birding

    Tour Operator
    NE INDIA: MANIPUR, NAGALAND, MISHMI HILLS & KAZIRANGA TOUR ITINERARY
Trip Reports

  • 2017 [01 January] - S S Cheema - Khonoma

    Report
    ...I had given a list of birds that I had wished from Khonoma and one of the first one I had desired was the 'Bamboo Patridge' and we were taken through a path that generally produced the birds in the early morning and the evenings. We drove slowly and carefully trying peer at every movement, every sound, every bush. After fifteen - twenty odd minutes of the drive, the path was coming to the end and there were not partridges in sight. Finally as we were about to join the main road and we sighted them....

  • 2017 [11 November] - Sikkim Bird Tours

    PDF Report
    Nagaland Birdwatching Tour Nov 1-7, 2017 (7 days)

  • 2019 [05 May] - Shashank Dalvi - Nagaland, Assam and Mishmi Hills

    PDF Report
    This short custom tour targeted, not just Asia's, but some of the world's least-known and most sought-after birds. It took us across three different states of northeast India, where we snaked our way through some fantastic habitats by way of some of the most poorly maintained roads in the country.

  • 2022 [05 May] - Mike Nelson

    PDF Report
    Where the majestic Himalaya and Indo-Burma ranges encircle the vast eastern part of the Gangetic plain, the Indian states of Assam, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh hold vast swaths of forest-covered mountains, high rocky passes, extensive grasslands and wetlands.

  • 2023 [04 April] - Rob Gordijn & Helen Rijkes

    PDF Report
    This was a great destination to visit with our friends and, as none of us had been in the area, everyone came home with an impressive list of new birds. In total we saw 511 species, of which 137(!) were lifers for us.

  • 2023 [05 May] - Hannu Jännes

    Report
    his year’s 18-day tour of Northeast-India, with its eight-day extension, proved to be a bird-filled, highly successful, adventure exploring the remote northeast corner of the Indian subcontinent.

  • 2024 [04 April] - Hannu Jännes

    Report
    This comprehensive, bird-filled 23-day tour of NE India was a highly successful exploration of the remote northeast corner of the Indian subcontinent seeing almost 500 species of birds, including most of the region’s specialties and other highly desired bird species.
Other Links

  • Nāgāland Birds

    Information
    Tucked away in the far north-eastern corner of India lies the mystical and beautiful hill state of Nagaland. The dissected landscape dominated by crumpled mountain ranges is bounded by Myanmar in the East, the Indian states of Assam in the West, Arunachal Pradesh and a part of Assam in the North, and Manipur in the South.

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