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India.com
16-05-2025
- India.com
5 Most Surprising Birdwatching Spots In Dehradun
Dehradun lies at the base of the Himalayas and is a city where nature and civilization coexist. The city is recognized for its beautiful scenery and as a center for economic activities. Dehradun is also an underappreciated city for birdwatching enthusiasts. This capital of Uttarakhand may not be known to birders the same way Bharatpur or Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary are famous for avifauna, but it certainly has some surprising places that bird lovers will admire. From quiet woods to peaceful marshes, here are the most great Dehradun birdwatching spots. National Park Rajaji National Park is one of the prominent Indian wildlife sanctuaries and serves as a special treat to ornithologists. It is located just outside Dehradun. This park consists of a variety of ecosystems that contains dense Sal forests, riverine belts and grasslands, therefore making it ideal to spot more than three hundred and fifteen species of birds. The park has an area of 820 square kilometers. Birders coming to Rajaji will be thrilled to see glorious raptors such as the Crested Serpent Eagle, and Oriental Honey Buzzard effortlessly gliding above the trees. Other vibrant species include the Indian Pitta, which winters here, and the beautiful Red Junglefowl, the ancestor of domestic chickens. Remember, waterbirds are plentiful in the park; look for the Painted Stork, Woolly necked Stork, and many kinds of Kingfishers. What makes Rajaji particularly special is how it is directly reachable from Dehradun city. A small drive provides you with ample opportunity to witness an array of birds, making it a hotspot for casual and advanced birders alike. Conservation Reserve The Asan Conservation Reserve is around 40 kilometers from Dehradun and is a designated Ramsar wetland site that many visitors find astonishing due to the number of bird species it hosts. This artificial lake at the confluence of the rivers Yamuna and Asana is a magnet for hundreds of migratory birds from all over the world during October to March, so make sure to check it out. In the winter, the reserve becomes a gem for bird watchers, hosting globally threatened species like the Ferruginous Duck and Baer's Pochard. Migratory ducks that are Northern Pintail, Common Teal, and Bar-headed Goose also make an appearance to the reserve. Year round, the Black-winged Kite, Purple Sunbird, and Indian Roller make the landscape lively and full of color. The tranquil waters of the reserve serve as a mirror to flocks of ducks and waders, creating breathtaking scenery ideal for capturing great photographs. In addition, watching via these watchtowers and bird hides allows bird watchers to get very close to the birds without scaring them, making the experience that much better. Known because of its beautiful landscapes and sulfur springs, Sahastradhara has over a thousand springs. But most people aren't aware that it is also popular for bird watching. Its thick deciduous forests and rocky landscapes provide ample shelter to many birds which makes it a great bird watching place. Visitors might hear the captivating songs of the Himalayan Bulbul and see an elusive Blue-throated Barbet sitting on some tree branches. Birds of prey such as the Black Eagle and the Changeable Hawk-Eagle can be seen soaring overhead while smaller birds like the Verditer Flycatcher can be seen buzzing through the bushes. Robber's Cave, another tourist spot, provides further opportunities to appreciate the region for its wonderful bird watching. Sahastradhara's tranquil surroundings along with its proximity to Dehradun combine to make this place less popular but equally good for bird watching. 4. Tapkeshwar Temple Forest Apart from being a religious site, Tapkeshwar Mahadev Temple is mostly known for its location being deep within cedar forests next to a stream. However, it is primarily a temple, the serene environment conceals an equally beautiful world teeming with birds. The wooded area encircling the temple is a retreat for several avifauna species, which would indeed be a pleasant shock for people who step outside the conventional boundaries. Here, birdwatchers can listen for the symphonic calls of the Great Barbet and gaze at the Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush and its bird watching birders can observe the Greater Yellownape and Rufous-bellied Woodpecker as they bore holes into wooden stumps in anticipation of finding bugs. The stream that flows through the forest also brings in dippers and wagtails which are lively additions to the scenery. The combination of self–reflection and bird watching at Tapkeshwar provide a one-of-a-kind experience that is adored by almost all the local birders. 5. Malsi Deer Park Malsi Deer Park is located on the borders of Dehradun, and is looked down upon as just another place for families to hangout. But one look closer and it is a beauty in disguise when it comes to avian life. While the park is relatively small in size, the wooded & open areas of the park has a diverse collection of bird species. Some of the birds that can be commonly seen are the Asian Koel and the White-throated Kingfisher, relatively easier to spot due to the bright blue color. There is also a time in the year when the park serves as a stop for many migratory birds like warblers, flycatchers, and thrushes. Indian Paradise Flycatchers have also made this park their home, something most consider far-fetched. For city dwellers looking to take a break from their busy lifestyles, Malsi Deer Park presents a captivating opportunity to watch birds. Final Thoughts It may not be at the top of the list of all bird watching spots, but Dehradun is definitely one of the places that require keen consideration, especially with birding in the city. The captivating combination of urban living with natural elegance draws the attention of bird lovers. The great Rajaji National Park and its wild surroundings, the picturesque Sahastradhara, or the well concealed Treasure Tapkeshwar Temple Forest and many such places will amaze everyone. A meticulous plan along with a zest for adventure around this picturesque city will definitely help you find many beautiful birds. So, it's time to put on the infiltrating lenses and set out to spot some of the most incredible birds in Dehradun, as the city perfectly exemplifies the biodiversity.
The Hindu
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Why birds are just like us
What is a bird? Textbook definitions would say 'warm-blooded vertebrates that have feathers, toothless, beaked jaws and lay hard-shelled eggs'. But there is much more to them — their lives have enough drama, adventure, danger and romance to put a movie script to shame. And when you start looking at them closely, you realise there is a lot for you as a human to relate to. One of the simplest joys of watching birds stems from the fact that they're as unique and distinct as us. Let me start with food fads. Some birds such as the Oriental Honey Buzzard, well-adapted to prey on bee larvae, have a sweet tooth. Others such as the Hoopoe love some leisurely 'me-time', with sun-bathing an indispensable part of their routine. And many such as the Bar-headed Geese and Brahminy Shelducks — some of the highest flyers in the world, who can soar over Himalayan peaks — adhere strictly to a high-fibre diet of grass, putting your go-to fitness influencer to shame. Daredevils assemble Speaking of fitness, birds such as the Shaheen Falcon, the fastest bird in a dive, are born athletes. When it spots a target (often a luckless pigeon), it takes position and transforms into a missile, launching into its famed 390-kmph dive. Such is the impact of the dive that a mere touch of the talon is enough to take the life of the prey. Birds are just as varied when it comes to perceptions of risk. The familiar Black Drongo is a daredevil that loves playing with fire — quite literally — using bushfires to its advantage by preying on insects that are disturbed by it. Ibisbills, however, prefer to play safe, pretending to be rocks along river rapids. Are you a hornbill or a rock pigeon? Bird parenting styles could fill a book (and their love lives are made for the movies, but more on that later). Hornbills make for overly devoted parents, with the mother sequestering herself in a tree hole when nesting, and the male working overtime to feed his mate and the growing chicks. Cuckoos, on the other hand, would make for embarrassing guests to have on a parenting podcast. Pied Cuckoos are considered harbingers of rain in India. The monsoon is also the time when the Jungle Babbler, the preferred host for this brood parasite, breeds. The cuckoo lays her egg in the babbler's cup-shaped nest, and bids goodbye to any parental worries. Rock Pigeons bring the same lazy carelessness to their nests — shabby clusters of twigs put together half-heartedly — which look unworthy of even being called nests. Tailorbirds, in contrast, are skilled embroiderers meticulously stitching leaves together to build their famed nests. Nature's Romeos and Don Juans Speaking of feathered love, Sarus Cranes, the avian embodiment of cheesy romance and unwavering marital fidelity, are known to mate for life. Snipes and Phalaropes lead more bohemian lives, where females take multiple mates and leave the clutch in the males' care, hopping over to her next Bumble date. Pheasants like Monals and Tragopans come dressed in exquisite regalia and put on elaborate courtship displays of gleaming ornaments to woo females. But Nightjars sport drab plumages and blend perfectly with their surroundings to evade attention, just like me at family weddings. Left or right, pick your side Not all birds fly undercover though. Malabar Whistling Thrushes are musical prodigies, and are not shy of flaunting their skill. You know you are in the Western Ghats when the melodious whistle of the thrush reverberates through the hills. Such is its human quality that it led ornithologist Salim Ali to nickname the bird 'whistling schoolboy'. Art, in the avian world, goes beyond music. Artisans among birds, such as the Baya Weaver, can put even the most diligent traditional media artists to shame, making over 500 trips to complete making their pendulous nests. Others, including remorseless thieves such as the Skuas. who happily steal a tern's hard-earned lunch, evoke the image of wannabe artists on social media using generative AI to make 'art'. Other pursuits smack of left brain savants. Bearded Vultures are maths and physics wiz kids — their manoeuvre of carrying bones from a carcass and dropping them from the right height and angulation over rocks to crack them open and feast on the marrow, takes up to seven years to master. Bird watching, a silent rebellion Do birds have hobbies and passions? Some live the gourmet life, and use precision cutlery for the diet of their choice. Case in point: the Asian Openbill's carefully designed bill gap, suited exclusively for sliding the bodies of snails off their shells. Other close cousins of the same stork, the Adjutants, will eat absolutely anything that they can catch, and even scavenge readily. If you have a penchant for killing houseplants with unintended neglect, flowerpeckers, India's smallest birds, are who you need to turn to for advice. These nano-sized gardeners plant mistletoes all around our forests, and have devised novel and clever ways to do so. As the bird pecks at the mistletoe flower for nectar, the petals pop open scattering pollen all over the bird's face, which it dutifully deposits on the next flower it also eats ripe miseltoe fruit, and when ingested, these pass through the gut rapidly, prompting the bird to wipe its rear end awkwardly against the bark to detach the seed enclosed in sticky sap. Both these events happen to be part of nature's grand horticultural plan – planting the mistletoe seed directly on the host tree. Social behaviours are just as varied. Racket-tailed Drongos that mimic other birds and initiate the formation of mixed species feeding flocks, love a good party. Pittas prefer solitude. While some like the Indian Scimitar Babblers can chat incessantly, others like the Yellow-crowned Woodpecker are great listeners, and can often be seen placing their ears against trees to listen for ants inside the bark, before they start hammering it. Birds such as the leaf warblers seem to have a hyperactivity problem, constantly and restlessly flitting about from leaf to leaf, often to the annoyance of a birdwatcher trying to get a good look, because they're also a nightmare to identify correctly! Herons have probably taught samurais the virtues of patience — they can standstill for hours before striking potential prey. Birds come with an astonishing variety of features and traits spread across families and genera, making even the most closely related species distinctly unique from one another, thanks to minor evolutionary tweaks. The Brahminy and the Black Kites are close cousins on the evolutionary tree. But a simple tweak in design — the fork in its tail — has made the latter a master of exploiting scavenging opportunities even in densely populated urban settings, while the Brahminy Kite lags. That's thanks to the sheer range of stunts and manoeuvres this feature supports. In an age where gadgets command our constant attention, and when our attention spans, and how we are entertained and informed, are commanded by technocratic corporations, the act of sitting by a lake and observing a reed bird for as long as you wish, feels like a silent rebellion to me. It is this rebellion that I invite you all to participate in with me. The writer, cartoonist and naturalist's new book, Bird Business (Juggernaut Books), is out on May 10.
