State of Uttarakhand

Greater Yellownape Chrysophlegma flavinucha ©Govind Vijayakumar Website
Birding Uttarakhand

The State of Uttarakhand, formerly known as Uttaranchal is a state in the northern part of India. It is known for the natural environment of the Himalayas, the Bhabhar and the Terai. Uttarakhand became the 27th state of the Republic of India, being created from the Himalayan and adjoining northwestern districts of Uttar Pradesh. It borders Tibet to the north; Nepal to the east; and the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh to the south and Himachal Pradesh to the west and north-west as well as Haryana on its south-western corner. Uttarakhand has a diversity of flora and fauna. It has a recorded forest area of 34,666 km2 which constitutes 65% of the total area of the state. Uttarakhand is home to rare species of plants and animals, many of which are protected by sanctuaries and reserves. National parks in Uttarakhand include the Jim Corbett National Park (the oldest national park of India) at Ramnagar in Nainital District, and Valley of Flowers National Park and Nanda Devi National Park in Chamoli District, which together are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A number of plant species in the valley are internationally threatened, including several that have not been recorded from elsewhere in Uttarakhand. Rajaji National Park in Haridwar District and Govind Pashu Vihar National Park and Sanctuary and Gangotri National Park in Uttarkashi District are some other protected areas in the stateThe land of Celestial Beauty, Uttarakhand, offers picturesque breathtaking panoramic views of the western Himalayas: magnificent glaciers, majestic snow-clad mountains, gigantic and ecstatic peaks, valleys of flowers and dense forests. This abode of the Gods includes many shrines and places of pilgrimage.

This rich multitude of forest habitats supports an enormous diversity of bird life. Over 600 species have been recorded from this small state, which include residents, summer migrants from peninsular India and as far as north Africa, passage & winter migrants form the Palaearctic region & vagrants from adjoining areas. Although forested areas all over the state offer plenty of scope for bird watching, favourite birders’ destinations are a number of large protected areas some of the best places to watch birds in India.

Top Sites
  • Dehra Dun Valley

    Satellite View
    Dehra Dun valley & the adjacent hills of Mussoorie, Dhanaulty & Chakarata, lies in the lower Garhwal Himalayas being covered with forests over more than 50% of its land area and has a very rich birdlife. The check list of this area has more than 600 species of birds of which about 25 are globally threatened (& more than 450 species found in the valley alone). The place being equal and in some respects better than Corbett for birdwatching being open through out the year. It is 50km west of Corbett and linked to Delhi by road (7h) train (6h) and air (1.5h)
Contributors
  • Arun P Singh

    | arunpsinghranote@yahoo.com

Number of Species
  • Number of bird species:

    State Bird: Himalayan Monal Lophophorus impejanus
Useful Reading

  • Birds of Uttarakhand

    | By Aneel Bisht & Bela Negi | Leafbird Foundation | 2022 | paperback | 248 pages | ISBN: 9788195630707 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Threatened Birds of Uttarakhand

    | By Asad R Rahmani & Dhananjai Mohan | OUP | 2014 | Paperback | 183 pages, 66 colour photos, 46 colour distribution maps | ISBN: 9780199451340 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Useful Information
  • State Bird

    Himalayan Monal Lophophorus impejanus
Festivals & Bird Fairs
  • Uttarakhand Spring Bird Festival

    Background
    A three-day Spring Bird Festival that will be attended by 50 enthusiasts from 14 countries will begin on March 9 in Dehradun
Reserves

Abbreviations Key

  • Assan Barrage

    InformationSatellite View
    The Asan Barrage, popularly known as Dhalipur lake, was created in the year 1967 as a result of the construction of Asan barrage at the confluence of the river Yamuna & Asan through Dhalipur power house. Asan Barrage is famous for bird watching…
  • BS Assan Barrage

    InformationSatellite View
    At the Assan Bird Sanctuary 53 species of water birds are observed out of which 19 are Himalayan migratory birds which halt here during October and November on their way to southernIndia and while late February and March on their way back to home….
  • CR Jhilmil Jheel

    WebpageSatellite View
    A little known marshy grassland just near the Rajaji National Park (extension area of Rajaji Tiger Reserve), near Haridwar. This is a unique 155 hectare (383 acre) site. It is corridor for most of animals transferring from National Park. Jhimil is literally the last piece of primordial Terai marshland to survive untouched in Uttarakhand
  • NP Corbett

    WebsiteSatellite View
    The Corbett Tiger reserve has quite a history. It is India's First National Park and one of the finest, notable for its individualistic scenic charm and magnificent submontane and riverine vistas, and also for its richly varied wildlife, still interestingly in the process of change, and the site of the launching of project Tiger…
  • NP Gangotri

    InformationSatellite View
    Gangotri National Park is a national park located in Uttarkashi District Garhwal range, Uttarakhand, India. The size of this national park is about 2,390 square km.[1] It was third largest National park of India. The park provides majestic beauty of coniferous forests and grandeur of glacial world combined with lush green meadows.
  • NP Govind Pashu Vihar

    InformationSatellite View
    Govind Pashu Vihar National Park and Sanctuary is a national park in Uttarakhand, India established initially as a wildlife sanctuary in 1955, and later converted into a national park.[2] It is named after a prominent Indian freedom fighter and politician Govind Ballabh Pant, who became Home Minister in 1950 and is remembered for his achievement in establishing Hindi as an official language.
  • NP Jim Corbett

    InformationSatellite View
    Jim Corbett National Park—named after the hunter and conservationist Jim Corbett who played a key role in its establishment—is the oldest national park in India. The park was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park. Situated in Nainital district of Uttarakhand the park acts as a protected area for the critically endangered Bengal tiger of India, the secure survival of which is the main objective of Project Tiger, an Indian wildlife protection initiative…
  • NP Nanda Devi

    InformationSatellite View
    The Nanda Devi National Park or Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, established in 1988 , is a national park situated around the peak of Nanda Devi (7816 m) in the state of Uttarakhand in northern India. The entire park lies at an elevation of more than 3,500 m (11,500 ft) above mean sea level.
  • NP Raja Ji

    InformationSatellite View
    In all 49 species of mammals belonging to 42 genera in 21 families and nine orders have been reported . According to census done in 1999 there are 445 Elephants, 32 tigers, 177 leopards besides thousands of other wild animals in the park…
  • NP Valley of Flowers

    InformationSatellite View
    Valley of Flowers National Park is an Indian national park, located in West Himalaya, in the state of Uttarakhand and is known for its meadows of endemic alpine flowers and the variety of flora. This richly diverse area is also home to rare and endangered animals, including the Asiatic black bear, snow leopard, musk deer, brown bear, red fox,[1] and blue sheep.
  • Protected Areas of Kerala

    InformationSatellite View
    The protected areas of Kerala include a wide range of biomes, extending east from the coral reefs, estuaries, salt marshes, mangroves and beaches of the Arabian Sea through the tropical moist broadleaf forests of the Malabar Coast moist forests to the North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests and South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests to South Western Ghats montane rain forests on the western border of Tamil Nadu in the Western Ghats. Most protected areas throughout its 14 districts are under the stewardship of the Kerala Forest Department and like all other protected areas of India receive support from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (India).
  • WS Askot Musk Deer Sanctuary, Pithoragarh

    InformationSatellite View
    The wild species of fauna include snow tiger, leopard, bharal, thar, kakar, black and grey himalayan bear and different types of pheasants and other birds. The wild vegetation comprises of kunj, kail, khersu, fir, bhoj patra, darkunja, raijal etc…
  • WS Benog

    InformationSatellite View
    Benog Wildlife Sanctuary is the best nature forest walk and day trek in the Mussoorie region
  • WS Binsar

    InformationSatellite View
    Binsar was the summer capital of the Chand Kings, who ruled over Kumaon from the 11th to 18th centuries AD. Binsar was established in 1988 for the conservation and protection of the shrinking broad leaf oak (Quercus) forests of the Central Himalayan region, and it has over 200 bird species.
  • WS Kedarnath

    InformationSatellite View
    Consisting of an area of 975 km2 (376 sq mi), it is the largest protected area in the western Himalayas. It is internationally important for the diversity of its flora and fauna (particularly of ungulate species).
Guides & Tour Operators
  • Jungle Lore

    Tour Operator
    Our tours will appeal to the serious birder as well as to the beginner or intermediate bird watcher and some are suitable for the non-birding spouse. A spectacular variety of Himalayan birds and wildlife is spotted in some of these most exotic locales. The itinerary focuses on the Central Himalayas at Binsar, Nainital, Betalghat and Corbett National Park. Fatbirder recommended
  • Uttarakhand Birding

    Tour Operator
    Sattal, Pangot, Rajaji National Park, Rishikesh, Jhilmil Jheel Conservatin Reserve Haridwar, Asan Conservation Reserve Dehradun, Dehradun Valley: Covering foothills of Mussoorie hills, Thano, Devalsari, Chakrata, Kanasar, Jim Corbett area: Corbett Village, Pawalgarh Conservation Reserve, Sitabani, Kalagarh Tiger Reserve: Vatanvasa, Ramisera, Sonanadi Wild life Sanctuary; Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary: Chopta, Tungnath, Mandal, Binsar Wild Life Sanctuary Local, experienced, Eco-Tourism certified Guides , Home Stay, Food, Transfer, we manage every thing.
Trip Reports
  • 2013 [02 February] - Sunil Kumar - Corbett, Pangot, Naintal & Sattal

    Report PDF
    List
  • 2017 [01 January] - Ann Gifford

    PDF Report
    ...here were lots of Piedand Crested kingfisherp lus several Plumbeous redstart and White-capped water redstart but no Wallcreeper. Back at Tiger Camp...
  • 2017 [01 January] - S S Cheema - Dehradun

    Report
    ...Finally, it was nine and we drove to the Botanical Gardens - our first pit stop. We spent almost one and a half hours there. The birding was great - the first sightings were three varieties of Thrushes. So three of us concentrated on one each and all of us missed the other two. Tickell's, a scaly thrush (ID yet to be confirmed) and Black-throated Thrush. After this there was not stopping - one after other the birds gave us good sightings....
  • 2023 [04 April] - Guillaume Péron

    PDF Report
    ...Munsyari is a relatively well-known birding hotspot in India, but still rarely visited by foreigners. This is why I thought this report would help someone at some point. The main draw to Munsyari, besides the outstanding landscape of snowcapped peaks, is the very good chance of Satyr Tragopan, amidst a thorough supporting cast of Western Himalayan specialties, including the rarely seen West-Himalayan Bush-warbler and the spectacular Himalayan Monal...
Places to Stay
  • Abbott Mount Cottage

    Accommodation
    This historic hamlet of Abbot Mount is situated at an altitude of about 7,000 ft above sea level in the eastern part of the Kumaon Hills near the small town of Lohaghat in Champavat District. Abbott Mount was founded by and named after Mr. John Harold Abbott of Jhansi. An English businessman who wanted to start a hill station for the European community at the turn of the 20th century. Unlike many Indian hill stations Abbott Mount has changed little since its inception. There are only thirteen secluded cottages spread over this private hill. There is a picturesque church set amidst the forest and and a ancient cricket pitch with an unsurpassed view of the mountains
  • Corbett Hideaway

    Accommodation
    The burnt red of the cottages forms a restful backdrop to verdant environs. Sloping tiled roofs, cool stone floors with throw rugs, block wood furniture and other details allow maximum comfort while continuing the illusion of being in the wilds. The accent is clearly on nature. The 40 guest rooms have a clever area separation, for sleeping and for living, as in a suite. You get a sense of miles of extra space. Double roomed suites are available for groups and families
  • Jungle Lore Birding Lodge

    Accommodation
    A holiday at the Birding Lodge entails jungle walks through lush oak and pine woods, an encounter with wild ghoral, lammergeiers, woodpeckers and much more
  • Pangot Woodside Retreat

    Accommodation
    Pangot Woodside Retreat -is set amidst an Oak and Rhododendron Forest 14 kms from Nainital, at a height of 6,300 feet above sea level on the Kilbury road at a quaint village - Pangot
  • Solluna Wildlife Resort Corbett

    Accommodation
    This resort comprises of 18 cottages and staying here exposes one to a world of leisure, hospitality and first-class service. In the morning, you may be awakened by the chirps of the birds and the scents of the flowers. These cottages, surrounded by rich variety of flowers are traditional in looks but are replete with modern amenities
  • Tiger Camp

    Accommodation
    If you are looking for a visit with a difference to the Corbett National Park you must stay at Tiger Camp. We take you through the wilds, we make you meet the local naturalists who have lived in harmony with the wilds, letting you experience the life in the jungles of terai. Of course we look after your basic requirements and provide comforts too. Fatbirder Recommended
  • Wild Brook Retreat

    Accommodation
    Wild Brook Retreat is set amidst the beautiful valley of Nalani in the foothills of Himalayas, only 24 km from Haridwar. Surrounded by virgin forests and jungle streams
Other Links
  • Birding in Uttarakhand

    Webpage
    Blessed with an incredible diversity of birds, Uttarakhand is home to about 600+ species of birds that are found in India. It is a popular destination for birders from all over the world. Many birds are migratory indeed almost half the species that are present in the country India can be seen in Uttarakhand only.
Blogs
  • Harshit Singhal - Birding in India

    Blog
    Last updated 2012! A Young birder emerging from the valley of DehraDun and ready to revolutionalize what you think about birding…

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