Birding at Nandi Hills

Birding tour to Nandi Hills:

Nandi hills as we all know is a favorite tourist hotspot and closest hill-station for Bengalureans, famous for its sunrise and cloud covered hills. But what is not much familiar is its bio-diversity and the long list of birds it hosts. Some of the rare birds which is otherwise endemic to forests like western ghats can be spotted here in Nandi hills.
This was my sixth visit to the Nandi hills but a first dedicated to bird watching/photography. With great expectations to spot some of the exotic birds of Nandi hills, filled my bucket-list with the Nilgiri Wood-Pigeon, Indian Paradise-Flycatcher, Indian Blue Robin, Blue-capped Rock-Thrush, Orange headed thrush and Puff-throated Babbler.

A Male Indian paradise flycatcher with its long drooping tail feathers

As a commonly known fact, best time for bird watching is early morning. But in reality, reached the place late around 8.30 am. It was frustrating and disappointing start, as I was hardly able to spot any birds and if I was able to spot, I was not given time to recognize the species or get a clear shot on my camera. Birds were seen in a morning rush and due to bad lighting conditions couldn't get clearer photographs. The first bird which I was able to spot clearly was the Nilgiri Wood-Pigeon, right on top of my bucket-list for the day, but it was camouflaged behind the leaves and couldn't get a pic. Right after this there were the Drongo's, Blackbird and the colorful white-eyes. While I followed the calls of the Oriental Magpie Robin, I could spot the pied thrush. Meanwhile when I was clicking the pied thrush on the ground, there came a long tailed beauty flying high over the tall trees. It was one of the most beautiful bird I've seen, a male Indian Paradise flycatcher with its long tailed feathers. It flew several times high on the trees, before it could settle at a close proximity to me, but only to have terrified by a monkey and it flew away. Definitely the highlight of the day.

Ashy Drongo

A female Indian paradise flycatcher with a short-tail, rufous wings, grayish throat and a black head with crest

A male Indian paradise flycatcher with an elongated central tail feathers, rufous plumage and glossy black head with crest

A Male Oriental Magpie Robin

A Female Pied Thrush

Oriental White-eye

Blyth's Reed Warbler - considering the supercilium upto eyes, and yellow lower mandible. With small tail and long undertail covert

White-cheeked barbet

At the end of the tour I could spot the tree pipit, indeed over the tree along with a Puff-throated Babbler wandering on the ground.

Tree Pipit

Puff-throated Babbler

Even though I didn't get any sightings of the Indian Blue Robin, Blue-capped Rock-Thrush and Orange headed thrush, but I was very much satisfied with the first time sightings of the Indian paradise flycatcher, Pied Thrush, Nilgiri Wood Pigeon and Puff-throated Babbler.

Complete list of birds spotted at Nandi hills:
Indian paradise flycatcher - 3,  1 male and 2 female
White-cheeked barbet - more than 5
Ashy Drongo - 2
Black Drongo - 2
Oriental White-eye - 2
Indian Blackbird male - 1
Red-Whiskered bulbul - more than 10
Oriental Magpie Robin male - 1
Pied Thrush female - 1
Tree Pipit - 2
Nilgiri Wood Pigeon - 1
Blyth's Reed Warbler - 1
Puff-throated Babbler - 1
Black Kite - 2
Brahminy Kite - 1
Ashy Prinia - many
Pale-billed Flowerpecker - many
Purple sunbird - many
and the common Pigeon, Myna and Crow