SOUTH INDIA Endemics of the Western Ghats A Tropical Birding Set Departure January 12-19, 2019 Guides: Ken Behrens and Keith Barnes Report and photos by Ken Behrens TOUR SUMMARY The riches of the Indian Subcontinent are well known. There is remarkable diversity, from the deserts of the west, to the Himalayas of the north, to the Nilgiri mountains of the southwest. The latter was the focus of this short trip that immediately preceded our Sri Lanka set-departure tour. The Western Ghats are the richest part of India for endemic birds, and this short trip was focused on seeing as many of these as possible. We were quite successful, locating 33 Indian endemic birds, most of which are only found in the Western Ghats, and some of which are highly local even within that zone. This endemic tally neatly matched that of Sri Lanka, where we found all of the island’s 33 endemic birds. So those who did both trips went home with 66 endemic birds, a good total for a 3-week trip anywhere in the world. Beyond the endemic birds, southern India offers the kaleidoscopic cultural riches that are typical of India: bustling towns, mountainside temples, elaborately decorated trucks, women in beautiful saris, delicious food, and so on. One thing that is nice about the south, Kerala in particular, is that while offering a typically rich Indian experience, it is much more organized and relaxed than other parts of India, which can be intimidating for a first-time visitor. South India also has stunning scenery. Although the Himalayas spring to mind when you think of towering Indian South India: Western Ghats Endemics January 12-19, 2019 mountains, the southern mountains are impressive in their own right, shooting from sea level to well over 8000 feet (2400m). There are vast tea estates and pockets of shola cloud forest on the mountains, lush lowland rainforests in the western lowlands, and savannah-like dry forests in the rain shadow to the north and east of the mountains. South India is unheralded as a mammal-watching destination, but is also excellent on that score. Although our itinerary didn’t particularly focus on mammals, we recorded 22 species. These included two sightings of Asian Wild Dog, a frustrating Sloth Bear that unfortunately disappeared before we could see it well, Blackbuck, and the endangered endemic Nilgiri Tahr. In combination with the Sri Lanka trip, we saw an impressive 37 species of mammals. The mammalian highlight was two lengthy Dhole sightings in Mudulmalai National Park. This trip can be taken as a stand-alone trip or as a pre-tour extension along with the Sri Lanka set-departure tour. It has broad appeal, and should be enjoyable for a keen birder in search of endemics, to a general naturalist with an interest in mammals, or to a travelling birder looking for an easy introduction to the birds of the subcontinent. South India: Western Ghats Endemics January 12-19, 2019 TOP 5 TOUR SIGHTINGS / EXPERIENCES Chosen by Ken Behrens 1) Asian Wild Dog (Dhole). This good-looking canine is widespread in Asia, but is not particularly common or easy-to-see anywhere. So we counted ourselves very lucky when we found a whole pack of dogs headed to their sleeping area late one afternoon. We were able to watch them for almost an hour using the scope, observing them settling in as it became dark. At that point, Dhole was already firmly the #1 sighting of the trip. Things became ridiculous when we stumbled onto a different pack of dogs in the national park the next morning. This sighting wasn’t as long, but was at close range – they crossed right in front of our van! South India: Western Ghats Endemics January 12-19, 2019 2) Woodpeckers. Few places on Earth have as many cool woodpeckers as southern India. Woodpeckers are always crowd favorites on tour, so seeing 11 species in just 8 days was a treat. We saw four species of flameback, all of which are spectacular, including the scarce Common Flameback and the “Malabar” Greater Flameback which is a likely future split. White-bellied Woodpecker was much desired by one participant, and after a lot of searching, we eventually had multiple excellent views of this huge woodpecker, which is one of the largest species on Earth. On Common Flameback the other end of the size spectrum, we found the diminutive Brown-capped Wodpecker and the small and odd Heart-spotted Woodpecker, which seems almost more like an aberrant nuthatch than a normal woodpecker. Black-rumped Flameback White-bellied Woodpecker South India: Western Ghats Endemics January 12-19, 2019 3) Indian Food. In my book, Indian food is the best on Earth, and south India has the best food of any portion of the country. We ate like maharajas throughout this tour. There weren’t any bad meals, in any of our comfortable lodges, whether simple camps or opulent Hill Station resorts. One south Indian specialty and group favorite was dosa, a delicious crispy fried rice flour bread, served with coconut chutney and potato curry (photo below). Another highlight was the spectacular array of pickles at our Mudulmalai camp. The best of the bunch was a delicately spiced bamboo shoot pickle that was tasty enough to eat on its own! Keith and Ken are both passionate about cooking and eating, and greatly enjoyed analyzing our tasty meals and planning future cooking projects of our own. By the end of the trip, the participants were suggesting that we start a birds-and-cuisine travelling cooking show! South India: Western Ghats Endemics January 12-19, 2019 4) Eravikulam National Park. We spent a morning in this mountainous national park near the Hill Station town of Munnar. The weather was perfect, and there were few visitors, both excellent luck, as this place can be cold and rainy and crowded with visitors, sometimes on the same day! Once we had taken the national park bus to the top parking area, things started with a bang at the informal feeding station behind the teashop. There we spotted Painted Bush-Quail, Palani Laughingthrush, White-bellied Sholakili, and best of all a Nilgiri Thrush, one of the rarest of the Western Ghats endemics. Striking into the grasslands on top of the mountain, we quickly spotted many Nilgiri Tahr (photo below), an endemic, endangered, and quite handsome member of the goat family. Our second grassland target was the Nilgiri Pipit, and it proved much more elusive. Eventually Keith spotted one right next to the path, and we enjoyed views at just over arm’s length, making the passing tourists wonder what on earth we were looking at! With the targets all found, we were able to enjoy sweeping views of tea estates, shola forest, and seemingly endless hazy hills. The morning ended in a patch of forest near the headquarters with an incredibly accommodating flock that contained Indian Yellow Tit and Velvet-fronted Nuthatch. South India: Western Ghats Endemics January 12-19, 2019 5) Nightjars. During this short, sweet tour, we had point-blank views of four species of nightjars, and heard a fifth. These are always wonderful birds to see, with the mystique that all nocturnal creatures posess, plus a hefty dose of almost reptilian weirdness! Indian (top), Jerdon’s (middle), and Savanna (bottom) Nightjars. South India: Western Ghats Endemics January 12-19, 2019 ITINERARY January 12-13 Thattekdad / Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary January 14 Thattekad to Munnar January 15 Munnar January 16 Munnar to Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary to Ooty January 17 Ooty to Mudumalai National Park January 18 Mudumalai National Park January 19 Mudumalai to Coimbatore. Flight to Colombo, Sri Lanka A typical tea estate and shola forest landscape in the mountains of the Western Ghats. South India: Western Ghats Endemics January 12-19, 2019 PHOTO GALLERY Follows trip chronology We started the trip at Thattekad, where the rich lowland forest supports a bounty of endemic birds. These endemics include the likes of Gray-fronted Green-Pigeon (left) and White-cheeked Barbet (right). South India: Western Ghats Endemics January 12-19, 2019 Big, bold, noisy flocking species of Thattekad: Rufous Treepie (left) and Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (right). South India: Western Ghats Endemics January 12-19, 2019 Two flycatchers, which rub shoulders in south India in the winter: the endemic White-bellied Blue Flycatcher (left) and the long-distance migrant Asian Brown Flycatcher (right). We had “walk-away” views of a Black-backed Dwarf Kingfisher. South India: Western Ghats Endemics January 12-19, 2019 We “cheated” and saw our Sri Lanka Frogmouth before arriving in its namesake country! South India: Western Ghats Endemics January 12-19, 2019 The skies were full of swifts our first morning, including Himalayan Swiftlet (left) and White-rumped Spinetail (right). The Drongo-Cuckoos in south India are supposed to be Square-tailed, though this one certainly had a strongly forked tail! South India: Western Ghats Endemics January 12-19, 2019 Malabar Trogon (left) and “Malabar” Greater Flameback (right). Crested Serpent-Eagle is a striking raptor in flight. South India: Western Ghats Endemics January 12-19, 2019 Gray Junglefowl (left) is perhaps the best-looking “chicken” in the world. Little Spiderhunter (right) is scarce. The “Tiger-faced” subspecies of Orange-headed Thrush is always a treat to see. South India: Western Ghats Endemics January 12-19, 2019 River Tern is fairly common on the river that forms the southern boundary of Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary. We had exceptionally good perched views of the Vernal Hanging Parrot, which is usually seen in flight. South India: Western Ghats Endemics January 12-19, 2019 Striking for the mountains, we saw the distinctively-shaped Black Eagle along the way.