Thattekad Bird Sanctuary

Thattekad Bird Sanctuary.
Photo by Wintibird

Overview

Thattekad Bird Sanctuary (also known as Thattakad or Salim Ali BS) is situated in the Indian state of Kerala, near the foot of the Western Ghats. The sanctuary itself expands over 25 square kilometers north of the Peryiar River. The neighbouring Idamalayar Project Area is another big area of protected forest, however it can only be visited with a guide. Thattekad can be combined with one of the Hill Stations like Munnar or Ooty to cover nearly all Western Ghat endemics. Best time to visit is in winter, from November to February. The temperatures are bearable, there isn't too much rain and many overwintering birds from the Himalayas are present.

Birds

Entrance to the sanctuary.
Photo by Wintibird

Notable Species

Over 270 species have been recorded in this relatively small area. Most notably are the Western Ghat endemics. Easy to see are Malabar Parakeet, Malabar Starling and Malabar Grey Hornbill. The other species like Wynaad Laughingthrush, Rufous Babbler, White-bellied Blue Flycatcher, White-bellied Treepie, Grey-headed Bulbul, Nilgiri Flowerpecker or Crimson-backed Sunbird need some luck and some time but are all possible. Thattekad is also a very good spot for the enigmatic Sri Lanka Frogmouth and for different owls like Sri Lanka Bay Owl or Spot-bellied Eagle Owl.

Rarities

Some species are very hard to find, eg Nilgiri Wood Pigeon. Sometimes species from higher altitudes can be seen at Thattekad.

Check-list

Birds you can see here include:

Red Spurfowl, Grey Junglefowl, Indian Spot-billed Duck, Garganey, Northern Pintail, Lesser Whistling Duck, Eurasian Wryneck, Speckled Piculet, Rufous Woodpecker, White-bellied Woodpecker, Heart-spotted Woodpecker, Brown-capped Woodpecker, Lesser Yellownape, Streak-throated Woodpecker, Black-rumped Flameback, Greater Flameback, Common Flameback, White-cheeked Barbet, Malabar Barbet, Coppersmith Barbet, Malabar Grey Hornbill, Great Hornbill, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Common Hoopoe, Malabar Trogon, Indian Roller, Dollarbird, Common Kingfisher, Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher, Stork-billed Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Green Bee-eater, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, Large Hawk Cuckoo, Common Hawk Cuckoo, Indian Cuckoo, Common Cuckoo, Banded Bay Cuckoo, Grey-bellied Cuckoo, Plaintive Cuckoo, Fork-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo, Asian Koel, Blue-faced Malkoha, Greater Coucal, Vernal Hanging-Parrot, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Plum-headed Parakeet, Malabar Parakeet, Indian Swiftlet, White-rumped Spinetail, Alpine Swift, Little Swift, Asian Palm Swift, Crested Treeswift, Barn Owl, Sri Lanka Bay Owl, Eurasian Eagle Owl, Spot-bellied Eagle Owl, Oriental Scops Owl, Collared Scops Owl, Mottled Wood Owl, Brown Fish Owl, Jungle Owlet, Spotted Owlet, Brown Hawk Owl, Sri Lanka Frogmouth, Great Eared Nightjar, Jungle Nightjar, Jerdon's Nightjar, Savanna Nightjar, Rock Pigeon, Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, Emerald Dove, Green Imperial Pigeon, Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Spotted Dove, Grey-fronted Green Pigeon, Orange-breasted Green Pigeon, White-breasted Waterhen, Slaty-legged Crake, Baillon's Crake, Spotted Crake, Ruddy-breasted Crake, Watercock, Common Sandpiper, Red-wattled Lapwing, Common Snipe, Whiskered Tern, Gull-billed Tern, River Tern, Osprey, Black Baza, Black-shouldered Kite, Brahminy Kite, Black Kite, Grey-headed Fishing Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle, Western Marsh Harrier, Pallid Harrier, Pied Harrier, Montagu's Harrier, Crested Goshawk, Shikra, Besra, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Booted Eagle, Bonelli's Eagle, Common Kestrel, Red-necked Falcon, Peregrine Falcon, Little Cormorant, Little Grebe, Little Egret, Great Egret, Intermediate Egret, Cattle Egret, Indian Pond Heron, Little Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Malayan Night Heron, Yellow Bittern, Cinnamon Bittern, Black Bittern, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Asian Openbill, Woolly-necked Stork, Indian Pitta, Asian Fairy Bluebird, Blue-winged Leafbird, Golden-fronted Leafbird, Brown Shrike, Bay-backed Shrike, Southern Grey Shrike, Rufous Treepie, White-bellied Treepie, House Crow, Large-billed Crow, Ashy Woodswallow, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Black-naped Oriole, Black-hooded Oriole, Large Cuckooshrike, Black-headed Cuckooshrike, Small Minivet, Orange Minivet, Ashy Drongo, Bronzed Drongo, Spangled Drongo, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Black-naped Monarch, Indian Paradise-Flycatcher, Common Iora, Malabar Woodshrike, Common Woodshrike, Malabar Whistling Thrush, Orange-headed Thrush, Pied Thrush, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Rusty-tailed Flycatcher, Brown-breasted Flycatcher, Verditer Flycatcher, White-bellied Blue Flycatcher, Tickell's Blue Flycatcher, Blue-throated Flycatcher, Oriental Magpie Robin, Indian Robin, Malabar Starling, Rosy Starling, Jungle Myna, Common Myna, Southern Hill Myna, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Cinereous Tit, Dusky Crag Martin, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Hill Swallow, Wire-tailed Swallow, Streak-throated Swallow, Northern House Martin, Grey-headed Bulbul, Flame-throated Bulbul, Red-vented Bulbul, White-browed Bulbul, Yellow-browed Bulbul, Zitting Cisticola, Jungle Prinia, Grey-breasted Prinia, Common Grasshopper Warbler, Paddyfield Warbler, Blyth's Reed Warbler, Clamorous Reed Warbler, Thick-billed Warbler, Booted Warbler, Common Tailorbird, Large-billed Leaf Warbler, Western Crowned-Warbler, Greenish Warbler, Wynaad Laughingthrush, Puff-throated Babbler, Indian Scimitar Babbler, Dark-fronted Babbler, Jungle Babbler, Yellow-billed Babbler, Brown-cheeked Fulvetta, Lesser Whitethroat, Indian Bushlark, Rufous-tailed Lark, Oriental Skylark, Nilgiri Flowerpecker, Crimson-backed Sunbird, Purple Sunbird, Loten's Sunbird, Crimson Sunbird, Little Spiderhunter, House Sparrow, Forest Wagtail, White Wagtail, Citrine Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, White-browed Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Paddyfield Pipit, Blyth's Pipit, Streaked Weaver, Baya Weaver, Indian Silverbill, White-rumped Munia, Black-throated Munia, Scaly-breasted Munia, Tricolored Munia

Other Wildlife

Although the mammal list of the sanctuary is very long it's very hard to spot them. Bonnet Macaque are quite common and so are Giant Squirrels. Barking Deers sometimes cross the roads, but Sloth Bears and Leopards are hardly ever seen. Asian Elephants roam in the forest and are most likely just being heard. If you see them you may be too close.

Site Information

History and Use

At dawn.
Photo by Wintibird

The legendary Indian ornithologist Salim Ali visited Thattekad in the 1930's and described it as one of the richest avian habitats in India, only comparable to the Himalayas. He proposed a sanctuary. More than 50 years later, in 1983 the sanctuary was officially declared. However, much of the forest Salim Ali had visited was already converted into farmland, mainly rubber tree plantations. Since then the sanctuary is managed by the Kerala Forest Departement and eco-tourism grows.

Areas of Interest

Sanctuary
The most easily accessible part of the area is the sanctuary itself. The entrance is just after the new bridge which replaces the former ferry. After paying an entrance fee and photo fee if you have a camera (you also have to present your passport!) you enter the sanctuary. Just after the entry is a roosting place of a Brown Hawk Owl. Watch out for droppings on the path and then start searching above you! Pass a big pond with some ducks and keep right. Soon you enter good forest and almost everything may turn up. Be very careful if you hear elephants. Don't approach them and turn around if they are in front of you! It's worth exploring the sanctuary several times and at different times of day. If you follow the main road for some 30 to 50 metres you can see a building on the left. There is a nice track which starts after this building and leads into the forest between the two rivers.
For some harder to see species like the Sri Lanka Frogmouth it's best if you take a guide. Several guides can be found on the internet. Access to the sanctuary was closed in early 2015 due to some legal issues. However, all species can be seen in the forest above Kuttampuzha or south of the bridge.

Between Thattekad and the bridge
This area south of the river is mostly cultivated and holds different birds. Many paths leave the main road, usually leading to some farm. It's worth following them and watching out for species which like the open. At dusk in winter Indian Pittas may be feeding on the paths. A good path starts directly before the bridge and leads to the left, alongside the river.

Forest above Kuttampuzha
To reach this area you drive to the sanctuary and then onwards. After about 15 to 20 minutes you reach the village of Kottampuzha. A road to the right (sign to Vimala public school) goes up steeply. Follow this (quite bad) road for about 25 to 30 minutes until you reach pristine forest. This is a good area for Dark-fronted Babbler, Little Spiderhunter, Malabar Trogon and many other species. Sri Lanka Bay Owl can be found roosting during the day and around the temple at the end of the path Spot-bellied Eagle Owl calls at night and can sometimes be seen during the day. A small fee has to be paid to visit the forest. If the watchpoint is unguarded just pay on the way back.

Forest Checkpost at Periyar River
Follow the road from Thattekad to the Camps and Lodges upriver. After about 20 to 25 minutes you will reach a forest departement checkpost. To the right is some open bushland. Take one of the various tracks uphill. At dawn you may hear (and maybe see) up to three species of nightjars. The forest above the bushland is not accessible.

Idamalayar Project area
To enter this area you need a guide with permission. It's about an hours drive from Thattekad to the Idamalayar dam. From there a bad track leads up through a tunnel to a high plateau with pristine forest. This place is excellent for many species, including the sought-after Wynaad Laughingthrush which is often found together with Indian Scimitar Babblers.

Access and Facilities

Thattekad Bird Sanctuary.
Map by Wintibird

Thattekad is about 13kms from Kothamangalam and about 71kms from Kochi Airport. Without guide or special permissions it's a dead end. The old road to Munnar is closed. You may drive along the Periyar, but you have to pass 2 Checkposts of the Forest departement. Busses run regulary from Kothamangalam to Thattekad and all other villages. However it's much more convenient to have your own car.

There are several places to stay, from simple homestays to quite luxurious tented camps. In the sanctuary itself some private houses offer homestay possibilities. The camps are outside the sanctuary on the southern side of the river.

Contact Details

Thattekkad bird Sanctuary
Njayappilli P.O
Kothamangalam
Phone 0485 2588302

External Links

• Website of the Forest department of Kerala
• Thattekad on Googlemaps

Several lodges and homestays are available and can be found on the internet.

Search for photos of Thattekad Bird Sanctuary in the gallery