Welcome back to the wonderful world of birds in the Kaziranga Tiger Reserve. In the previous blog, we discussed the birding habitat and major groups of birds found in Kaziranga. In this second part of the blog, I will discuss more bird groups and the conservation measures and threats to the birds in and around Kaziranga.
Grebes
Among all three species of grebes found in Assam, the little grebe is very common and reported from many beels (Oxbow lakes). Great crested beels are reported from large and deep beels, including the river Brahmaputra. Black-necked grebes are reported occasionally from the Burapahar range of Kaziranga.
Ibis
Two species of Ibises have been reported from Kaziranga. Glossy Ibis was not common in Kaziranga, but there are now more frequent sightings of the bird, especially from the Agoratoli range (Eastern Range). Black-headed Ibis is also not common and is occasionally reported from the same range.
Francolin, Partridge & Quail
There is a sighting of Black francolin from the Eastern Range of the reserve. Though this bird is quite common in the grasslands to the north of the Brahmaputra, there are occasional sightings, and calls have been reported from the reserve. Swamp francolin is quite common in the reserve and reported from all the ranges. Kaziranga is considered one of the finest remaining habitats of this bird.
White-cheeked partridge, a near-threatened species, is mostly found in the moist undergrowth and bamboo thickets in the evergreen forests. In Kaziranga, it is reported from the Panbari reserve forests. Asian blue quail, though reported from a few places in Kaziranga, must have a wider distribution. Barred button quail and yellow-legged button quail are also reported from the reserve on several occasions.
Pheasants
Among the pheasants, the red junglefowl is very common and found in all the ranges of Kaziranga; similarly, the Kaleej pheasant is also very common and found in all the ranges. The grey peacock-pheasant is a very shy and elusive forest bird and is found in Panbari Reserve forests.
Bengal Florican
A critically endangered species reported from the grasslands of Kaziranga and Manas. Both reserves are known for the conservation of the breeding populations of this bird, and both are considered to be among the best places in India to see this species.
Jacanas
Jacanas are very common in Kaziranga, and both species reported from India are found there. The bronze-winged jacanas are more prevalent than the pheasant-tailed jacanas. Both species are found in beels covered with vegetation.
Lapwing
Kaziranga is known for its lapwing species, and of the seven lapwing species found in India, four are present in Kaziranga. Red-wattled and river lapwings are residents, while northern and gray-headed lapwings are migratory. The red-wattled lapwing is very common both inside and outside the reserve. The river lapwing is mostly seen near the Brahmaputra River flowing through the reserve. Both gray-headed and northern lapwings are mostly observed in the eastern range.
Gulls and Terns
Greater black-headed (or Pallas), brown-headed, black-headed, and little gulls have been reported in Kaziranga. Among these, brown-headed and black-headed gulls are very common. Little, black-bellied, river, whiskered, and white-winged terns are reported from the reserve. The river tern is very common, while the others are rare or occasional visitors.
Pigeons and Doves
The reserve hosts four species of pigeons, six species of green pigeons, and five species of doves. The pale-capped pigeon, green imperial pigeon, and mountain imperial pigeon are mostly seen in Agoratoli and the Burapahar range. Oriental turtle dove, red-collared dove, spotted dove, and emerald dove are common. Yellow-footed green pigeons and ashy-headed green pigeons are the most widespread among the green pigeons.
Parrots and Parakeets
Kaziranga is also recognized for its variety of parakeets. Five species of parakeets, including grey-headed, rosy-headed, rose-ringed, Alexandrine, and red-breasted, are found here, along with one species of parrot known as the Vernal hanging parrot.
Cuckoos & Coucal
The diversity of Cuckoos is very impressive in Kaziranga. There is a total of 15 species of cuckoos, and two coucal species (greater and lesser) are reported from here.
The cuckoos reported from here are violet cuckoo, Asian emerald cuckoo, plaintive cuckoo, Banded-bay cuckoo, grey-bellied cuckoo, square-tailed Drongo cuckoo, Jacobin cuckoo, chestnut-winged cuckoo, Asian koel, Indian cuckoo, common cuckoo, large hawk cuckoo, common hawk cuckoo, whistling hawk cuckoo, and Green-billed malkoha.
Owls and owlets
Nine species of owls, which include the common barn owl, brown hawk owl, Tawny fish owl, brown fish owl, dusky eagle owl, forest eagle owl, brown wood owl, collared scops owl, oriental scops owl, and three species of owlets, spotted owlets, Asian barred owlets, and collared owlets, inhabited the forests and grasslands of Kaziranga.
Kingfishers
North-east India, because of its abundance of wetlands with year-round water, is known for its diversity of Kingfishers. In Kaziranga, there are reported to be eight species of kingfishers: Stork-billed Kingfisher, Ruddy Kingfisher, Black-capped Kingfisher, White-breasted Kingfisher, Lesser-pied Kingfisher, Blue-eared Kingfisher, Common Kingfisher, and Black-backed Dwarf Kingfisher.
Woodpeckers
Woodpeckers are represented in Kaziranga by eleven different species: grey-capped pygmy woodpecker, fulvous-breasted woodpecker, streak-throated woodpecker, greater yellownape, lesser yellownape, grey-faced woodpecker, rufous woodpecker, bay woodpecker, pale-headed woodpecker, black-rumped flameback, and greater flameback.
Though most of them are common and can be sighted in woodlands of all the ranges, some species are restricted to the dense evergreen forests and found in the Panbari zone.
Dollar Bird
A forest bird, most common in the forested areas of the reserve, very common in the Agaratoli range. I saw it in the dense forest area near the highway between the western and central zones.
Broadbill
Two species are found, of which the Silver-breasted is uncommon and mostly recorded from the Panbari reserve forests. Long-tailed broadbill was reported from Agoratoli range of the reserve.
Pitta
Pittas are represented by three species, of which the Hooded pitta is a summer visitor to the wooded areas of the reserve. The other two species, blue-naped and blue pitta, are not common.
Minivet
Seven species of Minivets are found in the reserve: long-tailed, short-billed, scarlet, grey-chinned, small, rosy, and ashy minivets. All minivets are common in the reserve.
Bulbul
White-throated bulbul prefers undergrowth in evergreen forests and can be seen in Panbari RF. Red-vented and red-whiskered are very common in the reserve. Ashy bulbul is not very common, and black-crested is found in wooded areas. The Himalayan black bulbul is not uncommon, seen mostly when red silk cotton trees are flowering.
Thrush
Orange-headed thrush and black-breasted thrush are common; blue-whistling thrush is seen near forest streams. Long-tailed thrush is a rare winter visitor, while scaly thrush is common in well-wooded areas of the reserve.
Flycatchers
Kaziranga is very diverse in the diversity of flycatchers and Niltava. A total of seventeen species, of which fourteen species of flycatchers and three Niltava species (rufous-bellied, small, and large niltava), are found in Kaziranga.
The flycatchers of Kaziranga are: Dark-sided flycatcher, Asian brown flycatcher, little pied flycatcher, red-throated flycatcher, slaty-blue flycatcher, orange-gorgeted Flycatcher, slaty-backed flycatcher, snowy-browed flycatcher, pygmy blue-flycatcher, sapphire flycatcher, pale-chinned flycatcher, blue-throated flycatcher, pale blue flycatcher, and verditer flycatcher. Some of them are common, some of them are rare, and some have only one or two sightings reported.
Conclusion – Birds to look for in Kaziranga Tiger Reserve Part II
This is all about the second part of the birds of Kaziranga. In the next and concluding part, I will share some more interesting species of birds found in Kaziranga.
Also read – Birds to look for in Kaziranga Tiger Reserve
