Birding in the Nilgiris - Western Ghats

The Nilgiri (literally meaning blue mountain) hills are sub range of Western Ghats mountain chain with about two dozen mountain peaks that are above the height of 2,000 metres. Blue Mountains are the little known places in India and quite famous for the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, along with its amazing flora and fauna. Every twelve years, these Nilgiri hills of southern India turn blue as the flowers (Kurinji or Neelkurinji) that give the range its name are in full bloom, making it a UNESCO natural heritage site.

Our journey this time started from a quiet village 'Kotagiri" which is just a couple of hours from the city of Coimbatore. Kotagiri is one of the oldest hill station in the Nilgiris apart from Ooty and Coonoor and has vast landscapes of tea estates. 

The locals call the region as Sholas. The scenery around was gorgeous and had this undeniable charm. The nearby hills and forest were sensational for birding.

SIMS park was the chosen place to help us photograph the Near-threatened Black and Orange Flycatcher. We were the first ones to enter the park that opened at around 7 am. We walked through the lush garden beds and some native shrubs and mature trees.

Black-and-orange Flycatcher Ficedula nigrorufa   - Male

The Nilgiri Wood Pigeon is found in the canopy of dense hill forests and sholas of Western Ghats. Nilgiri Wood Pigeons are also listed as one of the vulnerable species of birds in India.

Nilgiri Wood Pigeon Columba elphinstonii  

The best place to see the endangered skulker the Nilgiri Sholakili alias Nilgiri Blue robin. These birds are very active during the early hours of the day.

Nilgiri Blue Robin Myiomela major  

We did sight two pairs in the vicinity and while we were enjoying its company, heard some sound and saw the Brown Wood Owl fly out to another far away tree and kept an eye on us. 

Later by early noon, we visited a tea garden, situated on a hill, to look for the endemic and endangered Black-chinned Laughingthrush. Glad, we found the bird, and could skip going to Doddabetta, which is also the highest point of the Nilgiris.

Black-chinned Laughingthrush Trochalopteron cachinnans 

The Kashmir flycatcher a vulnerable species that is endemic to the Indian Subcontinent, it breeds in the north-west Himalayas in the Kashmir region, migrates and also winters in the Western Ghats. The female was being sighted in another location, about 7-8 kms away from where we saw the male.

Kashmir Flycatcher Ficedula subrubra 

The naturalist who took us around was none other than Aggal Sivalingam, whom we have known for more than 3-4 years, through my friends who have known him for more than a decade. Aggal ji after a brief stint in venturing into a family business, had started his career in the wild and has helped many professional and hobby wildlife enthusiast see and photograph the lovely winged avian endangered species in the Nilgiri forests. He indeed has a keen sight and interest, to show the birds that are otherwise difficult to sight in his carrier, which spans to almost two decades.

The forests around the region is also good to see the endemic Nilgiri Flowerpecker, apart from other commoners like the Booted warbler, Scaly-breasted Munia, Red-whiskered Bulbul to name a few.

 Nilgiri Flowerpecker Dicaeum concolor 

There a couple of locations where Aggal ji has built machans (a platform erected in a tree, used for watching birds and animals ), where one can wait and get many endemic and resident birds. However, different species are seen at different times of the year.

Streak-throated Woodpecker, Malabar Parakeet, Nilgiri Flycatcher, Chestnut-headed bee-eater to name a few were sighted apart from White-rumped Munia, Indian Oriole, Bank Myna. 

Malabar Parakeet Psittacula columboides

Streak-throated Woodpecker Picus xanthopygaeus 

Indeed the increasing human population has led to increased illegal encroachment into Western Ghat forests, cattle grazing and the harvesting of fuel wood, notably for tea factories has led the species to be threatened with extinction.

Another species which is fairly common in the region, but is near-threatened and an endemic resident in the Western Ghats of southern India, the Nilgiri Flycatcher can been seen here.

Nilgiri Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias albicaudatus 

Would like to mention and thank my fellow birder Vinod Sharma, who accompanied and traveled along with me to the region during the fourth week of November 2018 for three days. 

Hoping the species survive and thrive with time to come. Thanking all readers and wishing you all Happy Birding in The Nilgiris...

Happy Birding!

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