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Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Ruddy Kingfisher Halcyon coromanda ©Bird-Photo-Tours ASIA Website

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a union territory of India comprising 836 islands and islets, of which only 31 are permanently inhabited. The islands are grouped into two main clusters: the northern Andaman Islands and the southern Nicobar Islands, separated by a 150 km (93 mile) wide channel. Most of the islands (about 550) are in the Andamans group, 26 of which are inhabited. The smaller Nicobars comprise some 22 main islands (10 inhabited). The capital and largest city of the territory, Port Blair (officially Sri Vijaya Puram), is located approximately 1,190 km (740 miles) from Chennai and 1,255 km (780 miles) from Kolkata in mainland India. The islands are situated between the Bay of Bengal to the west and the Andaman Sea to the east. Barren Island, the only active volcano in India, is located in the Andaman Sea.

The northernmost point is 901 km (560 miles) from the mouth of the Hooghly River. Indira Point the southern tip of Great Nicobar, is the southernmost point of India. The territory shares maritime borders with Indonesia located about 165 km (103 miles) to the south, Myanmar located 280 km (170 miles) to the north-east and Thailand located 650 km (400 miles) to the south-east. The islands occupy a total land area of approximately 8,249 km2 (3,185 square miles) with a population of abut 435,000 (2025). The territory is divided into three districts: Nicobar, South Andaman, and North and Middle Andaman with the capitals at Car Nicobar, Port Blair and Mayabunder respectively. The islands include North Sentinel Island, home to the Sentinelese people, an uncontacted tribe.

Barren Island – © Arijayprasad, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The topography of the territory varies significantly across various islands. The islands may have sandy, rocky sandstone or marshy beaches on the coastlines and some are surrounded by shoals and coral reefs. The altitude varies significantly from completely flat islands to gradually raising topography from the coast to the interior in larger islands. The islands are generally surrounded by shallow seas of varying depths with some deep natural bays occurring along certain coasts. Generally, the islands have a moderate temperature around the year with the average ranging from 23 °C to 31 °C. They have a tropical climate with warm summers and slightly cooler winters. The rainfall is dependent on the monsoons and tropical cyclones are common in late summer.

Shaheed Island Forest – © Vyacheslav Argenberg CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The islands have mangroves interspersed with marshes, coconut trees or dispersed bushy vegetation along the coast. There are twelve types of forests that occur in the islands including evergreen, deciduous, mangrove, littoral, bamboo, sub-montane and brackish water forests. North Andaman is characterised by wet evergreen forests with climbing plants, Middle Andaman has moist deciduous forests and South Andaman Islands have epiphytic vegetation, mostly ferns and orchids. The North Nicobar Islands are mostly barren with grasslands while evergreen forests form the dominant vegetation in the central and southern islands of the Nicobar group.  The forest coverage is estimated to be 86% of the total land area with about 2,200 varieties of plants of which 200 are endemic and 1,300 do not occur in mainland India. There are more than 200 species used for timber.

Birding Andaman & Nicobar Islands

There are more than 8300 species of animals, of which 1117 are endemic to the islands. These include c. 64 species of reptiles, of which half are endemic. Most of the larger species were introduced by colonists and travellers, some of which became endemic due to their prolonged isolation. There are about 55 mammal species of which 32 are endemic with 26 species of rats and 14 species of bat. The endangered Indian elephant can be found in forested or mountainous areas of the islands; they were originally introduced from the mainland to help with the timber extraction. Endangered and critically endangered species endemic to the islands include the Andaman white-toothed shrew, Andaman spiny shrew, Jenkin’s shrew, Nicobar spiny shrew, Nicobar tree shrew, Miller’s Nicobar rat, Palm rat, Andaman teal, Nicobar scops owl, Andaman boobook and Darwin’s eastern frog. Other large fauna includes Wild boar, Spotted deer, Barking deer and Sambar.

There are 96 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 9 National Parks and one Biosphere Reserve. The reserves and protected forests extend over 86% area of the territory and forest covers more than 92%. About half of the forests has been set aside as Tribal Reserves, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries, which are inviolate. Mangroves occupy nearly 12% of the territory. There are more than 150 endemic plant and animal species. The two island groups are a birding dream with around 400 species of which 29 are endemic with at least ten endemic subspecies. The territory is home for c.900 species of winged insects including 225 butterflies.

Andaman Bulbul Brachypodius fuscoflavescens – ©Bird-Photo-Tours ASIA

The Nicobar island group with c. 250 species and nine endemics has a higher endemicity than the Andamans and there are a total of 15 species endemic to ANI. Five species endemic to the islands group are found in both Andaman and Nicobar.

The islands’ caves are nesting grounds for the Edible-nest swiftlet, whose nests are prized for bird’s nest soup. Many islands are intermediate resting sites for migrant birds such as Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoo, Zappey’s Flycatcher and Javan Pond Heron.  The Nicobar Pigeon found in the islands is the closest living relative to the extinct Dodo.

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Contributors
Number of Species

  • Number of bird species: 419

    Andaman & Nicobar State Bird: Andaman Wood Pigeon Columba palumboides

  • Number of bird species: 248

    Nicobar
Endemics

  • Number of endemics: 5 - Both Island Groups

    Andaman Woodpigeon Columba palumboides
    Andaman Green PigeonMegapodius nicobariensis,
    Andaman Cuckoo-dove Macropygia rufipennis,
    Andaman Boobook Ninox affinis
    White-headed Starling Sturnia erythropygia

  • Number of endemics: 15 - Andaman

    Andaman Nightjar Caprimulgus andamanicus
    Andaman Crake Rallina canningi
    Andaman Serpent Eagle Spilornis elgini
    Andaman Barn Owl Tyto deroepstorffi
    Hume's Boobook Ninox obscura
    Andaman Scops Owl Otus balli
    Narcondam Hornbill Rhyticeros narcondami
    Brown Coucal Centropus andamanensis
    Andaman Drongo Dicrurus andamanensis
    Andaman Woodpecker Dryocopus hodgei
    Andaman Cuckooshrike Coracina dobsoni
    Andaman Treepie Dendrocitta baileii
    Andaman Bulbul Brachypodius fuscoflavescens
    Andaman Shama Copsychus albiventris
    Andaman Flowerpecker Dicaeum virescens

  • Number of endemics: 9 - Nicobar

    Nicobar Megapode Megapodius nicobariensis
    Nicobar Imperial-pigeon Ducular nicobarica
    South Nicobar Serpent-eagle Spilornis minimus
    Nicobar Sparrowhawk Tachyspiza butleri
    Nicobar Scops Owl Otus alius
    Nicobar Parakeet Psittacula caniceps
    Pitta abbotti
    Nicobar Bulbul Hypsipetes nicobariensis
    Nicobar Jungle Flycatcher Cyornis nicobaricus

  • Number of endemics: 29

Checklist

  • Avibase

    PDF Checklist
    This checklist includes all bird species found in Andaman and Nicobar , 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.

  • Avibase - Andaman

    PDF Checklist
    This checklist includes all bird species found in Andaman , 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.

  • Avibase - Nicobar

    PDF Checklist
    This checklist includes all bird species found in Nicobar , 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.

  • Wikipedia

    Annotated List
    410 species of birds have been sighted on the islands, out of which 28 are endemic to the islands.
Useful Reading

  • Birds of Andaman and Nicobar Islands

    | By Chandrakasan Sivaperuman, G Gokulakrishnan, J Dinesh & PT Rajan | Zoological Survey of India | 2016 | hardback | 110 pages, colour photos | ISBN: 9788181714312 Buy this book from NHBS.com

  • 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

Organisations

  • Andaman Avians Club

    Facebook Page
    A & N Islands only Birding Club
Reserves

Abbreviations Key

  • BR Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve

    InformationSatellite View
    The Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve encompasses a large part (some 85%) of the island of Great Nicobar, the largest of the Nicobar Islands in the Indian Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

  • National parks in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

    InformationSatellite View
    Interactive list of National Parks
Sightings, News & Forums
Guides & Tour Operators

  • Asian Adventures

    Tour Operator
    This tour is designed to see the endemics of Andaman Islands. One can expect to see Andaman crake, Andaman coucal, Andaman treepie, Andaman serpent eagle, Andaman wood pegion, Andaman scops owl, Andaman brown hawk owl, Andaman cuckoo dove, Andaman woodpecker, Andaman drongo, white-headed starling, Black-headed Bulbul, Andaman Shama…

  • Bird-Photo-Tours ASIA

    Tour Operator
    Lying in the middle of the Andaman Sea, almost 1,100 kilometers to the east of Peninsular India, India's Andaman Islands are in fact closer to southern Myanmar and Indonesian Sumatra than Mainland India itself.

  • BirdQuest

    Tour Operator
    SOUTH INDIA & ANDAMAN ISLANDS – Owls (including Sri Lanka Bay Owl), endemics and specialities

  • BirdingEcotours

    Tour Operator
    Birding Tour India: Andaman Islands Endemics...

  • Go2Andaman

    Local Tour Operator
    Bird Watching at Port Blair

  • India Birding Tours

    Tour Operator
    A birding tour of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is an object lesson in avifauna evolution for any curious birder or student of Darwin.

  • Jungle Lore

    Tour Operator
    Special Birds and Mammals of Assam and Andamans – 250 Species in 2 weeks

  • Kalypso Adventures

    Tour Operator
    The Andaman & Nicobar are a group of picturesque Islands, big and small, inhabited and uninhabited, a total of 572 islands, islets and rocks lying in the South Eastern Part of the Bay of Bengal.

  • Rockjumper

    Tour Operator
    India - Andaman Islands Extension

  • Tribesmen

    Local Tour Operator
Trip Reports

  • 2016 [03 March] - James Eaton - Kashmir, Andamans & Western Ghats

    PDF Report
    From the north-westernmost tip of the subcontinent to the south-east islands of the Andamans and finishing offin the southwest of the peninsula, this custom tour covered a vast area of India in search of some of the mostsought-after endemics.

  • 2018 [02 February] - James Eaton - Andamans & Western Ghats

    PDF Report
    Though recording 309 species, a respectable total on a typical two-week Asian tour, it was the quality within that that makes Southern India such a mouth-watering, must-do tour. Included in the total, we saw all possible 21 endemics that are shared between the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and some 30 Indian endemics, most of which are found only the Western Ghat states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

  • 2018 [12 December] - Dave Farrow - Southern India with Andamans Islands

    PDF Report
    This years’ tour to Southern India and Sri Lanka was once again a very successful and enjoyable affair. A heady brew of wonderful birdlife was seen, rich in endemics, beginning with our extension to the Andaman Islands where we were able to find 20 of the 21 endemics in just three and a half days, with Andaman Masked Owl, Andaman Scops and Walden’s Scops Owls, Andaman and Hume’s Hawk Owls leading the way, Andaman Cuckoo Dove, great looks at Andaman Crake, plus all the others with the title ‘Andaman’ (with the fairly predictable exception of the Woodpigeon!) and a rich suite of other birds such as Long-tailed Parakeets and Mangrove Whistler.

  • 2020 [01 January] - James Eaton

    PDF Report
    Included in the total, we saw all bar one of the 21 endemics that are shared between the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and some 30 Indian endemics, most of which are found only the Western Ghat states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

  • 2021 [04 April] - Aseem Kumar Kothiala

    Report
    ...Over the two visits to the region we saw Andaman Nightjar, Hume’s Boobook, Andaman Boobook and Oriental scops Owls (Walden’s) during the night and to our joy the endemic Andaman Crake during the day...

  • 2022 [01 January] - Wilbur Goh - Andamans & South India

    PDF Report
    Our first tour of this new Covid era was to the endemic-rich Andaman Islands and Western Ghats of South India. Though we had a few bumps along the road trying to navigate the ever-changing restrictions by the authorities, we managed to record a respectable 287 species...

  • 2022 [12 December] - Craig Robson

    PDF Report
    Over 100 Indian Subcontinent endemics and near-endemics were seen, out of a trip total of 314 species, during our latest tour of these popular South Asian destinations, including a clean-sweep on South Andaman...

  • 2023 [04 April] - Joshua Bergmark

    PDF Report
    .... The dry open forest provided the first of many imaginatively named endemics. First up was Andaman Flowerpecker, closely followed by excellent views of the attractive Andaman Shama and White-headed Starling. The beautiful Andaman Treepie and Andaman Bulbul were seen in flocks often lead by Andaman Drongo or the endemic subspecies of Greater Racket-tailed Drongo....

  • 2024 [01 January] - Mad About Birding

    Report
    Andamans and Nicobar Islands; they are an island chain to the east of the Indian subcontinent. And being islands quite away from the mainland, over the years they have gotten some bird species that are endemics to them. So birding in these islands is something almost every birder is interested in doing. I was no different. Though planning a trip there took a while, it finally happened in Jan end of 2023. And that is what matters 😀 . This blog post is a summary of that trip. On the trip I was accompanied by Rahul and Kumar. There are various popular itineraries when birding in those parts. They islands are pretty spread apart, especially the Nicobar Islands from the Andamans. Birding in the Nicobars is usually done as a dedicated trip given the travel times and the effort to get there. And we didn’t have both of them. So it was going to only in the Andamans, that too only South Andamans. The main targets were of course the endemics of the Andamans. But being still the migration season, we also hoped to sight some winter visitors...

  • 2024 [03 March] - Nature Travel Birding

    Report
    Nature Travel birding hosted a birding tour to the Southern Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, as well as the South Island of the Andamans, and have just returned after enjoying an unforgettable time.

  • 2025 [02 February] - Dominic Rollinson

    PDF Report
    This short birding tour was focused on finding all 20 Andaman Islands bird endemics occurring on South Andaman Island and our main goal was achieved. With four endemic owl species (and an endemic nightjar) to target, we went owling every evening, which meant the days were quite long. Despite this, we all thoroughly enjoyed our time here and managed several other exciting non-endemics which kept us entertained

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