Birding in Kanha National Park

Colorful wings, swirling moods, and flying powers with carefree attitudes—a bird has it all.

Kanha National Park brings this loveliest creature of nature to its captivating serenity. Being famed as the major central Indian highlands, the Kanha Tiger Reserve is the most admiring destination for the varieties of fauna, including the avifauna with almost 300 species of it.

These species of birds can catch the attention of bird enthusiasts. The tropical environment of Kanha Reserve is outstanding, making it a paradise for bird watching. In this tropical land, bird lovers can surely find a wide range of birds. These great varieties include:

• Water Birds: Storks, teals, pintails, herons, and egrets.
• Common Ground Birds: Peafowl, jungle fowl, partridge, and quail are witnessed in Kanha Reserve.
• Birds of Prey: Eagles and kites.
• Scavengers: Vultures.
• Nocturnal Birds: Owls, owlets, and night jars.

Some more interesting and commonly found birds in Kanha are:

Asian Paradise Flycatcher, White Rumped Shama, White-Bellied Drongo, Spangled Drongo, Racket-Tailed Drongo, Tawny Babbler, Jungle Babbler, Indian Scimitar Babbler, Grey Francolin, Painted Francolin, Black-Naped Flycatcher, Common Iora, Eurasian Blackbird, Gold Mantled Chloropsis, Jerdon’s Leaf Bird, Golden Oriole, Black Hooded Oriole, Common Grey Hornbill, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Tickell’s Flowerpecker, Verditer Flycatcher, Tawny Fish Owl, Barred Jungle Owlet, Spotted Owlet, Brown Fish Owl, Indian Scops Owl, Mottled Wood Owl, Crested Serpent Eagle, Shikra, Common Kestrel, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Pariah Kite, White-Eyed Buzzard, Oriental Honey Buzzard, and Indian Pitta.

Obviously, the number and the varieties vary with time in any forested area where many birds are to be witnessed as the migratory ones. Surprisingly, a fortnight’s visit to Kanha National Park would yield more than 100 species of birds. Although Kanha Park is famous for the king of the jungle, the tiger that rules the ground, the birds also excel in the sky domains around the vicinity of Kanha.

Best Time for Bird Watching in Kanha National Park:

November to May