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India Himachal Pradesh

Little Pied-flycatcher Ficedula westermanni ŠLaurence Poh http://www.laurencepoh.com/

You will notice that there is no introduction to this section yet.

I would like to fill this gap with an introduction from a local birder [or someone who is a frequent visitor] for every on of the geographical pages. The many thousands of birders now regularly using these pages prefer to read something written by someone who can see the place from an insider's point of view. They know the best spots, not just the ones that first time overseas visitors usually visit or that are on the normal birding trip itineraries.

Each introduction carries the e-mail address of the contributor so that birders can get in touch with them if, for example, they are planning a trip [unless the contributor is unable to do this].

Please get in touch if you feel you can contribute an introduction to this page - you don't have to be an expert; I'm not!

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

Birds of Northern India

by Richard Grimmett and Tim Inskipp Helm Field Guides 2003 RRP ?19.99p
See Fatbirder Review
ISBN: 0713651679
Buy this book from NHBS.com

useful information

State Bird

Monal

reserves

Great Himalayan National Park

http://www.greathimalayannationalpark.com/
The park represents an excellent crossection of western Himalayan avifauna. The Western Tragopan, a highly endandered species of pheasant, is one of 300 species of birds.

Pin Valley National Park

http://www.wildlifeinindia.com/pin-valley-national-park.html
There are more than 20 species of animals and birds in the Park which is renowned for the protection of the endangered Snow Leopard, the estimated population of which is about 12. Other species are Ibex, Bharal, Red Fox, Marten, Weasel, Pika, Snow Cock, Bearded Vulture, Golden Eagle, Raven etc. During November and early December, and in April and May, animals come down to lower altitudes and sightings are more frequent.

Renuka Wildlife Sanctuary

http://hpsirmaur.nic.in/Santury.htm
The fauna of the area including the birds are Lepopard, Samber, Spotted Deer, Barking deer Jackal, Hare, Jungle cat, Plam Civet, Porcupine, Blue jay, Black Partridge, Drongos, Hill Crow, Scarlet Minivet, Bulbul, Common Coots, Green Pigeons...

Wildlife Sanctuaries

http://www.1upindia.com/states/himachalpradesh/sanctuaries.html
Himachal Pradesh is the most beautiful state having different type of terrain, climate and heights. Which has given birth to variety of vegetation, wild animals and birds at different places and levels. The mountain ranges in the state rise from 400 meters to 6800 meters which have variety of forests like sal, rhododendron, oak, fir, deodar, birch, and pines. These forests shelter for large number of wild animal and birds. Himachal has two national parks and 29 wild life sanctuaries...

trip reports

Travelling Birder
http://www.travellingbirder.com
The Travellingbirder.com birding trip report search engine guides you to 7,000+ birding trip reports on the Internet. You can search for trip reports from a specific country and time of year. Not all these reports are in English. So, if you cant find the trip report you want on this Fatbirder page give them a try!

1999 [April] - Anchal and Sanjay Sondhi - Great Himalayan National Park

http://www.princeton.edu/~vivekt/trips/GHNP99.html
The Great Himalayan National Park, with a size of approx. 760 sq. km. is in Himachal Pradesh. The Park has three tributaries of the Beas River flowing through it- Jewa, Sainj and Tirthan. We spent our time in the Tirthan Valley.

1999 [March] - Tom & Margot Southerland - Tirthan Valley

http://www.camacdonald.com/birding/tripreports/Tirthan99.html
The state of Himachal Pradesh lies just south of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, northeast of the Punjab and northwest of Uttar Pradesh. Tibet borders it to its east. Within its borders are both foothills and high peaks of the Himalayas. Because Himachal Pradesh offers the visitor lush valleys, roaring streams and splendid snow-capped peaks, it is popular with outsiders as a place for trekking, mountain climbing, sightseeing and, more recently, skiing.

2003 [April] - Neil Poul Dryer

http://www.allindiabirding.in
Looking for Himalayan Monal and other pheasants at the Great Himalayan National Park in the Western Himalayas...

2003 [April] Niels Poul Dreyer

http://www.surfbirds.com/mb/trips/himalaya-1003.html
...The park is a delight for Himalayan avifauna watchers with over three hundred species that can be sighted. One of the few known viable populations of Western Tragopan, a highly endangered species of pheasants, lives in this protected environment. Out of the seven pheasants found in the Western Himalayas, six of them, the Western Tragopan, Monal, Cheer, Koklass, Khaleej and Himalayan Snow-cock can be found in the park. It also has an unexplored treasure of butterflies and a variety of insects. The return road journey to the park from Delhi takes 02 full days. We did trekking in the park for birding for 05 days...

2003 [July] - Susan Myers - Great Himalayan National Park

http://users.wired.net.au/susan/nw_himalayas.htm
Birding anywhere between Gushaini and Chowdar is excellent. The forest between Gushaini and Chowdar is strikingly beautiful. The lower areas below Rolla are vegetated with subtropical forests of oaks, spruce and cedar (Deodar). As one ascends rapidly to Shilt the forest changes to temperate broad-leaved and coniferous forests of oaks, yews, spruces and firs. Above this can be found alpine meadows...

places to stay

Hotels in Himachal Pradesh

http://www.indiahotelsandresorts.com/himachal-pradesh-hotels/
Searchable database of hotels

delhibird - The Northern India Bird Network

http://www.delhibird.net
Site guide, recent sightings, photo gallery, checklists and more...

Report on Ecology of Parvati Valley

http://www.ecoworld.org/Home/Articles2.cfm?TID=322
I have frequented the Kanawar wildlife sanctuary since 1990.The forests are shrinking at a very fast pace and the human settlements adjoining the sanctuary are expanding at a considerable rate...