Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary travel information Kerala

The Thattekkad bird sanctuary was set up in the year 1983 by the renowned ornithologist of India, Dr. Salim Ali. It is located in the Kothamangalam district of Idukki. One of the most famous landmarks in Kerala, Thattekkad bird sanctuary is home to almost 500 species of exotic birds. The thick tropical deciduous and evergreen cover is a safe haven for the winged creatures.

The sanctuary is spread over an area of 25 square kilometers and is located between the tributaries of the Periyar River. The fascinating birds that are found here are bee-eater, falcon grey, jungle fowl, black-winged kite, shrike, crimson-throated barbet, Ceylon frogmoth, sunbird, night heron, blue-winged parakeet, white-breasted water hen, rose-billed roller, hornbill, etc. The sanctuary is a paradise for bird watchers and nature lovers.

The birdlist

Only species observed by us have been listed. We have no information if an exhaustive checklist is available for the Sanctuary. Nomenclature used follows Birds of the Indian Subcontinent (1998). The pocket edition of this book was used for field identification. Subspecies have not been mentioned unless unambiguous identification was made (eg. ruby-throated subspecies of the Black-crested Bulbul). Some interesting observations and a nesting record are at the end of this checklist.

Collocalia unicolor Indian Swiftlet
Ocyceros griseus Malabar Grey-Hornbill
Spizaetus cirrhatus Changeable Hawk-Eagle
Anhinga melanogaster Oriental Darter
Ardea cinerea Grey Heron

Snipe: the bird could not be identified because of poor light conditions. The overall appearance, habitat and behavior were of a typical snipe.

Arachnothera longirostra Little Spiderhunter: a nest of this bird was seen beautifully stitched to the undersiode of a leaf about 1 m above the ground. A photograph of the nest is available with the author.

Celeus brachyurus Rufous Woodpecker: we saw a nest with young. The beak of the nestling was sticking out of the nest. This particular species was videographed by a BBC team at Thattekad with help from Elthose. The footage is featured in Episodes 3 and 8 of The Life of Birds by David Attenborough.

Batrachostomus moniliger Ceylon Frogmouth is being studied at Thattekad by Elthose with funding from the Kerala Forest Department. This forest is one of the last stronglholds of this rare endemic bird. Elthose took us to one of the roosting sites and we were able to see a male frogmouth at close quarters. No photography was attempted as the flash was likely to disturb the bird.

Eurostopodus macrotis Great Eared-Nightjar: Two birds were seen at dusk calling and circling in the air, possibly hawking insects.

Bubo bubo Eurasian Eagle-Owl: The loud resonant tu-whoogh call was heard several times at dusk. We did not get a sighting of this bird.

How to Reach

Air : The nearest airport, is 71 kms from Thattekka.

Rail : The nearest railway station is Aluva, at a distance of 48 km. Kochi.

Road: The sanctuary is 13 kms North-East of Kothamangalam along the Pooyamkutti road.

Wildlife in Kerala

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