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India Andaman Nicobar

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Long-tailed Parakeet Psittacula longicauda �Laurence Poh http://www.laurencepoh.com/

The Andaman & Nicobar Islands pronunciation is a union territory of India. Informally, the territory's name is often abbreviated to A & N Islands, or ANI. It is located in the Indian Ocean, in the southern reaches of the Bay of Bengal, near Myanmar and Indonesia.

It comprises two island groups - the Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands - which separate the Andaman Sea to the east from the Indian Ocean. These two groups are separated by the 10� N parallel, the Andamans lying to the north of this latitude, and the Nicobars to the south. The capital of this territory is the Andamanese town of Port Blair.

The territory's population as per the most recent (2001) Census of India was 356,152. Added together, the total land area of the territory is approximately 6,496 km� or 2,508 sq mi.

There are 572 islands in the territory, of which only some 38 are permanently inhabited. Most of the islands (about 550) are in the Andamans group, 26 of which are inhabited. The smaller Nicobars comprise some 22 main islands (10 inhabited). The Andamans and Nicobars are separated by a channel (the Ten Degree Channel) some 150 km wide.

The reserves and protected forests extend over 86% area of the territory and forest covers more than 92%. About half of the forests has been set aside as Tribal Reserves, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries, which are inviolate. Mangroves occupy nearly 12% of the territory. There are more than 150 endemic plant and animals species. It is a birding paradise with around 271 species of which 39 are endemic.

ANI has also 270 species of birds (including endemics); the Nicobar island group has a higher endemicity than the Andamans and there are a total of 14 species endemic to ANI. The State Bird of the Andamans is the Andaman Wood pigeon.

Contributor

Wikipedia
(GNU Free Documentation License)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andaman_and_Nicobar_Islands

Endemics

Number of endemics: 17
Species endemic to the Andaman islands:

Andaman Serpent-eagle Spilornis elgini
Andaman Crake Rallina canningi
Brown Coucal Centropus andamanensis
Andaman Scops-owl Otus balli
Narcondam Hornbill Aceros narcondami
Andaman Woodpecker Dryocopus hodgei
Andaman Drongo Dicrurus andamanensis
Andaman Treepie Dendrocitta bayleyi

Species endemic to the Nicobar islands:

Nicobar Serpent-eagle Spilornis minimus
Nicobar Sparrowhawk Accipiter butleri
Nicobar Parakeet Psittacula caniceps
Nicobar Bulbul Hypsipetes nicobariensis

Species endemic to the two island groups:

Nicobar Scrubfowl Megapodius nicobariensis
Andaman Woodpigeon Columba palumboides
Andaman Cuckoo-dove Macropygia rufipennis
Andaman Hawk-owl Ninox affinis
White-headed Starling Sturnia erythropygia

Useful Reading

* Field Guides & Bird Song

For a comprehensive list of recommended titles covering India as a whole - please see the main India page of Fatbirder

Trip Reports

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2004 [March] - Gary & Marlene Babic

Report

...The Andaman Islands have 11 endemics. In addition, the local Oriental Scops-owl has a call unlike any other Oriental Scops-owl and may be a new species, and the local White-rumped Shama is also quite distinctive with a white breast...

2004 [November] - Tim Woodward

Report

The Andaman and Nicobar islands hold a total of 17 endemics. Five occur only on the Nicobars which remain off-limits to foreigners. The Narcondam Hornbill occurs only on remote Narcondam Island which is difficult to access. That leaves 11 endemics on the Andamans which are all achievable plus several other distinctive races which may probe to be separate species including Oriental Scops Owl, Sunda Teal and a pale form of Crested Serpent Eagle...

2009 [February] - Garima Bhatia

Report

After two years of vacationing in Goa � most satisfactorily, I might add � we decided that our beach vacation for 2009 would be to the Andaman Islands instead. Of course, my interest in going to Andamans was very far from beach bumming...

2009 [January] - Andy Mears & Ollie Wardman

Report

...I personally feel that four days was just long enough to do the Andamans justice although we missed a few of the harder endemics, including Andaman Woodpigeon and Andaman Crake (we almost certainly saw the crake on the forest floor at Mount Harriet but it scuttled away before giving a conclusive view)....

2010 [February] - Philip Rostron

Report

This is not a full trip report as the major sites on South Andaman (Chidiya Tapu and Mount Harriet) are well covered in "A Birdwatchers Guide to India" by Kakmierczak and Singh and several trip reports. Rather, this is an update on several potentially tricky species. I visited the island from Feb 6th to 12th 2010, staying at the conveniently located Megapode Nest Resort (Rp2000 per night). This is well situated for access to the ferries across to Mount Harriet - 20 to 30 minutes walk from either jetty...

2010 [November] - Steve Lister

Report

I visited South Andaman for four days in November 2010 along with Les Colley and Andrew and Ann Duff. The visit was arranged for us as part of a more extensive southern India trip...

Guides & Tour Operators

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Asian Adventures

Tour Operator

This tour is designed to see the endemics of Andaman Islands. One can expect to see Andaman crake, Andaman coucal, Andaman treepie, Andaman serpent eagle, Andaman wood pegion, Andaman scops owl, Andaman brown hawk owl, Andaman cuckoo dove, Andaman woodpecker, Andaman drongo, white-headed starling, Black-headed Bulbul, Andaman Shama...

Sinclairs Bird Watching

Tour Operator

Hotel Sinclairs offers three exotic destinations for bird lovers, namely Dooars, Portblair and Ooty. A pursuit for families, groups and individuals, birdwatching is becoming increasingly popular today. Birding is easy and inexpensive, requiring minimal equipment, skill and physical fitness. With their diverse habitats and hospitable climate, it is easy to see why the three destinations among the best for birdwatching in the Indian sub-continent...

Places To Stay

Andaman Resort

Accommodation

Unlike some resort hotels, where palm trees are artificially planted, the Andaman Resort is situated in an environment that is natural. The number on the map represents the area where the animal, bird or reptile was sited. Click on the number to see a picture of the animal.

Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Website

It is a birds paradise - more than 271 varieties of birds inhabit the idyllic landscape, out of which 39 are endemic. Megapode, Swiftlet, Hornbill and Nicobar Pigeon are some of the specialties of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands...

Andaman Bird Watching

Website

Known for its rich, unique and endemic biodiversity, Andaman and Nicobar Islands have always been an attraction for bird watchers and ornithologists. As many as 241 species and subspecies of birds are reported from these islands, 106 of them being endemic to these islands. Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been declared as two of the 218 Endemic Birds Areas of the world. Includes Photo gallery of Andaman birds�

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