paradise
Birds of
paradise
Text Prathap Nair
Rich with a wide range of endemic and migratory species of birds, most of which can be spotted all year round, Thattekad is that furtive birdwatcher’s haven yet to be catapulted into mainstream tourist paraphernalia. Clockwise from above: The Velvet-fronted Nuthatch is commonly found in Thattekad. It flies on branches from top to bottom almost seeming to defy gravity and is able to find insects in crevices which even other birds are not able to find; The Oriental White-eye is easily identifiable because it is a perching bird that usually lives near the ground and has a distinctive white-eye ring and overall yellowish upperparts; The Malabar Grey Hornbill is a frugivorous bird. Hornbills help disperse seeds of large trees thereby ensuring a healthy forest ecosystem. The abundance of hornbills in Thattekad is an indication of a healthy forest. 84•JetWings•October 2013
Adesh Shivkar; Prakash Subbanna
Wildlife
Wildlife
T
he merits of off-season travel almost always outweigh the demerits, I have come to discover. Tropical India’s extreme summers are not conducive for travelling in the plains. After all, there is a reason why nobody would dare the unpitying sun—dying of sunstroke is not a pretty idea. The story during monsoon, however, is somewhat different. You are left at the mercy of the whims of the monsoon, holding your breath for a few hours of breather from the pouring rain. Either way, the tourist-sparseness of Thattekad is a completely different story. And it’s not because it is off-season at the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary or that the rain is beating down fairly heavy through the thickets of Thattekad’s rich vegetation. “We get Indian tourists rarely and the ones that come are birding enthusiasts. But there are a lot of foreign tourists and every season they are constantly present here,” Vinod, the owner of my tiny, two-roomed homestay tells me. Vinod and his family are among the few who live inside the sanctuary that is spread across 25 km² of which 6 km² is occupied by families like his.
Kayaking on the Periyar River is a great way to enjoy Thattekad’s natural beauty and spot the abundant bird life found here.
Kayaking for water birds On a sunny day, I set out for kayaking at the Hornbill Camp, by the banks of the Periyar River. Even during the summer season when the region receives extreme heat, Periyar has water to the depth of about 25m since the waters in the Bhoothathankettu dam are not released, holding it up until the monsoons. The guided kayaking tour takes me through various lagoons formed by the reservoir water that also houses numerous birds and other wildlife. The Malabar Hornbill makes its belligerent voice-debut when I paddle along a lagoon but remains elusive until much later. Prakash Subbanna
Because the tourist influx is low during monsoons and the season is no longer conducive for bird-watching, Vinod could offer
me off-season rates, throwing in three meals a day. Though the single room with a toilet and a wash area is more than basic and clean, I didn’t care much for it because my room’s verandah overlooks the sanctuary and I could see the pale greenish water body, the Periyar River’s catchment area, beyond the house’s garden that is amply shaded with nutmeg and cocoa trees. The catchment area itself is home to very many Cormorants, Pond Herons and Whitethroated Kingfishers all looking for the obscure fish in the water. That apart, you could hear the calls of Indian Cuckoo; it’s not for nothing the sanctuary is often referred to as the Cuckoo Paradise by birding enthusiasts.
86•JetWings•October 2013
Wildlife
Clockwise from below: The Greater Flameback is a woodpecker species, so called due to its bright colouration. It is abundantly found in wide forests around the foothills of the Himalayas and the Western Ghats; A trip to Thattekad is not complete without spotting the Sri Lanka Frogmouth whose plumage resembles dried leaves making it difficult to see; The Coppersmith Barbet is a multi-coloured, primarily frugivorous bird. It’s named after its call which reminds one of a coppersmith beating a sheet of metal.
But you are guaranteed to spot plenty of other water birds—Greater Cormorants, Darters, River Terns. While the Cormorants bask in the sun spreading their wings with their bills wide open, the Darters otherwise known as Snakebirds, plunge their bodies underwater and swim with their long slithering neck that gives them the name. I also spotted Black-headed Oriole, Asian Openbill and Crested Honey Buzzard. There are also the most common Pond Heron and Egrets.
Discovering lagoons As the rowing tires your shoulders out and the sun threatens to incinerate you, if you have a passionate guide with you who loves surprising his subjects with little explorations, he will take you to secluded lagoons of bamboo trees submerged in water. Since the lagoons house a lot of fruit-bearing trees, monkeys have made them their home and the curious of them will hop out of their comfort zones
and swing dangerously on branches to peer at the human visitors. Much of Thattekad’s sanctuary is off limits for tourists. The government of Kerala state, where Thattekad is located, has declared most of it as a buffer zone and hence the guides of this area have discovered secluded spots bordering the forest that have an abundance of bird life. I would set out on a bird-watching trip one dawn with a naturalist hailing from Thattekad who has been taking people on such trips for a decade now.
Bird watching for novices That morning’s bird watching, although started a little disappointingly, would convalesce slowly. The Malabar Hornbill cackled from the high-rise branches of tall trees, yet proved evasive to sight. But a little later, as if it was done playing peek-aboo with us, the hornbill makes reappearance and proceeds to hop in nearby branches providing us photo-ops. This being the breeding season, with his glossy grey coat and yellow beak, that little fellow is looking for fruits to feed his partner who is hatching the eggs by sealing herself in the nest with just a narrow opening for feeding on the food.
Prakash Subbanna
The rich biodiversity of the Western Ghats is one of the reasons for the abundance of endemic bird life. I spotted the Pompadour Green Pigeons, Grey-headed Bulbul, Pittas, Woodpeckers, Fairy Bluebirds, Chestnut-tailed Starling, Hill Myna, Great Tit, Sunbird, Plain Flowerpecker, Purple Sunbird and Orange Minivet in a short span of time.
88•JetWings•October 2013
Wildlife
Below: Malabar Trogon is a spectacular species with crimson underparts and a golden back. It is possibly the most sought after by bird watchers in Thattekad.
Adesh Shivkar
Right: Visitors to Thattekad often go to Munnar where several endemic species of birds can be found over and above the ones found in Thattekad. The indigoblue Nilgiri Flycatcher is one such beautiful bird found here.
The highlight of the trip would come a little later when Abhilash, our guide, spotted the nocturnal male Sri Lankan Frogmouth perched inside dense vegetation. Frogmouths are usually found in pairs and it’s rare to spot a single one, Abhilash claims. His claim is corroborated when we spot a female, just yards away from the male. As the day wore on and the sun made headway, it was time to go, leaving the jungle to its ruminations. Only that luck would favour me yet again and one last sighting of a Great Black Woodpecker, distinguished by its egregious call. He would perch on a tall tree trunk and proceed to knock on it with his sharp beak until distraction arrives momentarily. In a second, the woodpecker vanished into the woods responding to the call of his mate leaving me with my camera aiming at an empty branch. 90•JetWings•October 2013
QUICK FACTS Getting there Jet Airways has daily flights to Kochi from several cities across India. Thattekad is about 60 km away from Kochi. Taxis are available in plenty from Kochi. A ride will set you back by about R1,500. Accommodation There are a few homestays (like the Sanctuary View I stayed in) which operate inside the sanctuary. Basic accommodation with all meals at R700 (off-season price, in season the prices could go up to R1,500 per night). Hornbill Camp (www.thehornbillcamp.com) is a highly rated ecofriendly lodge (R5,000 per night with all meals) located by the banks of the Periyar River. The price includes a kayaking trip, cycling and a visit to the spice plantations. For more information www.keralatourism.org
paradise
Text Prathap Nair
Rich with a wide range of endemic and migratory species of birds, most of which can be spotted all year round, Thattekad is that furtive birdwatcher’s haven yet to be catapulted into mainstream tourist paraphernalia. Clockwise from above: The Velvet-fronted Nuthatch is commonly found in Thattekad. It flies on branches from top to bottom almost seeming to defy gravity and is able to find insects in crevices which even other birds are not able to find; The Oriental White-eye is easily identifiable because it is a perching bird that usually lives near the ground and has a distinctive white-eye ring and overall yellowish upperparts; The Malabar Grey Hornbill is a frugivorous bird. Hornbills help disperse seeds of large trees thereby ensuring a healthy forest ecosystem. The abundance of hornbills in Thattekad is an indication of a healthy forest. 84•JetWings•October 2013
Adesh Shivkar; Prakash Subbanna
Wildlife
Wildlife
T
he merits of off-season travel almost always outweigh the demerits, I have come to discover. Tropical India’s extreme summers are not conducive for travelling in the plains. After all, there is a reason why nobody would dare the unpitying sun—dying of sunstroke is not a pretty idea. The story during monsoon, however, is somewhat different. You are left at the mercy of the whims of the monsoon, holding your breath for a few hours of breather from the pouring rain. Either way, the tourist-sparseness of Thattekad is a completely different story. And it’s not because it is off-season at the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary or that the rain is beating down fairly heavy through the thickets of Thattekad’s rich vegetation. “We get Indian tourists rarely and the ones that come are birding enthusiasts. But there are a lot of foreign tourists and every season they are constantly present here,” Vinod, the owner of my tiny, two-roomed homestay tells me. Vinod and his family are among the few who live inside the sanctuary that is spread across 25 km² of which 6 km² is occupied by families like his.
Kayaking on the Periyar River is a great way to enjoy Thattekad’s natural beauty and spot the abundant bird life found here.
Kayaking for water birds On a sunny day, I set out for kayaking at the Hornbill Camp, by the banks of the Periyar River. Even during the summer season when the region receives extreme heat, Periyar has water to the depth of about 25m since the waters in the Bhoothathankettu dam are not released, holding it up until the monsoons. The guided kayaking tour takes me through various lagoons formed by the reservoir water that also houses numerous birds and other wildlife. The Malabar Hornbill makes its belligerent voice-debut when I paddle along a lagoon but remains elusive until much later. Prakash Subbanna
Because the tourist influx is low during monsoons and the season is no longer conducive for bird-watching, Vinod could offer
me off-season rates, throwing in three meals a day. Though the single room with a toilet and a wash area is more than basic and clean, I didn’t care much for it because my room’s verandah overlooks the sanctuary and I could see the pale greenish water body, the Periyar River’s catchment area, beyond the house’s garden that is amply shaded with nutmeg and cocoa trees. The catchment area itself is home to very many Cormorants, Pond Herons and Whitethroated Kingfishers all looking for the obscure fish in the water. That apart, you could hear the calls of Indian Cuckoo; it’s not for nothing the sanctuary is often referred to as the Cuckoo Paradise by birding enthusiasts.
86•JetWings•October 2013
Wildlife
Clockwise from below: The Greater Flameback is a woodpecker species, so called due to its bright colouration. It is abundantly found in wide forests around the foothills of the Himalayas and the Western Ghats; A trip to Thattekad is not complete without spotting the Sri Lanka Frogmouth whose plumage resembles dried leaves making it difficult to see; The Coppersmith Barbet is a multi-coloured, primarily frugivorous bird. It’s named after its call which reminds one of a coppersmith beating a sheet of metal.
But you are guaranteed to spot plenty of other water birds—Greater Cormorants, Darters, River Terns. While the Cormorants bask in the sun spreading their wings with their bills wide open, the Darters otherwise known as Snakebirds, plunge their bodies underwater and swim with their long slithering neck that gives them the name. I also spotted Black-headed Oriole, Asian Openbill and Crested Honey Buzzard. There are also the most common Pond Heron and Egrets.
Discovering lagoons As the rowing tires your shoulders out and the sun threatens to incinerate you, if you have a passionate guide with you who loves surprising his subjects with little explorations, he will take you to secluded lagoons of bamboo trees submerged in water. Since the lagoons house a lot of fruit-bearing trees, monkeys have made them their home and the curious of them will hop out of their comfort zones
and swing dangerously on branches to peer at the human visitors. Much of Thattekad’s sanctuary is off limits for tourists. The government of Kerala state, where Thattekad is located, has declared most of it as a buffer zone and hence the guides of this area have discovered secluded spots bordering the forest that have an abundance of bird life. I would set out on a bird-watching trip one dawn with a naturalist hailing from Thattekad who has been taking people on such trips for a decade now.
Bird watching for novices That morning’s bird watching, although started a little disappointingly, would convalesce slowly. The Malabar Hornbill cackled from the high-rise branches of tall trees, yet proved evasive to sight. But a little later, as if it was done playing peek-aboo with us, the hornbill makes reappearance and proceeds to hop in nearby branches providing us photo-ops. This being the breeding season, with his glossy grey coat and yellow beak, that little fellow is looking for fruits to feed his partner who is hatching the eggs by sealing herself in the nest with just a narrow opening for feeding on the food.
Prakash Subbanna
The rich biodiversity of the Western Ghats is one of the reasons for the abundance of endemic bird life. I spotted the Pompadour Green Pigeons, Grey-headed Bulbul, Pittas, Woodpeckers, Fairy Bluebirds, Chestnut-tailed Starling, Hill Myna, Great Tit, Sunbird, Plain Flowerpecker, Purple Sunbird and Orange Minivet in a short span of time.
88•JetWings•October 2013
Wildlife
Below: Malabar Trogon is a spectacular species with crimson underparts and a golden back. It is possibly the most sought after by bird watchers in Thattekad.
Adesh Shivkar
Right: Visitors to Thattekad often go to Munnar where several endemic species of birds can be found over and above the ones found in Thattekad. The indigoblue Nilgiri Flycatcher is one such beautiful bird found here.
The highlight of the trip would come a little later when Abhilash, our guide, spotted the nocturnal male Sri Lankan Frogmouth perched inside dense vegetation. Frogmouths are usually found in pairs and it’s rare to spot a single one, Abhilash claims. His claim is corroborated when we spot a female, just yards away from the male. As the day wore on and the sun made headway, it was time to go, leaving the jungle to its ruminations. Only that luck would favour me yet again and one last sighting of a Great Black Woodpecker, distinguished by its egregious call. He would perch on a tall tree trunk and proceed to knock on it with his sharp beak until distraction arrives momentarily. In a second, the woodpecker vanished into the woods responding to the call of his mate leaving me with my camera aiming at an empty branch. 90•JetWings•October 2013
QUICK FACTS Getting there Jet Airways has daily flights to Kochi from several cities across India. Thattekad is about 60 km away from Kochi. Taxis are available in plenty from Kochi. A ride will set you back by about R1,500. Accommodation There are a few homestays (like the Sanctuary View I stayed in) which operate inside the sanctuary. Basic accommodation with all meals at R700 (off-season price, in season the prices could go up to R1,500 per night). Hornbill Camp (www.thehornbillcamp.com) is a highly rated ecofriendly lodge (R5,000 per night with all meals) located by the banks of the Periyar River. The price includes a kayaking trip, cycling and a visit to the spice plantations. For more information www.keralatourism.org
