Travelling to Bandipur
Bangalore is the closest metropolitan city to Bandipur. It is about 218 km from Bandipur Wildlife Sanctuary, which makes for a 5-hour drive. The road takes you through smooth highways with captivating panoramas accompanying you throughout your journey. The road is dotted with several restaurants and dining establishments, ideal for short breaks and refreshments along the way. Although Bandipur is ideal for visits throughout the year, the early months of January to April are the perfect time to spot an assorted display of exotic and migratory birds.
Bird Species to Look Out For
The population of birds in Bandipur Wildlife Sanctuary range from the common Indian cuckoo to the rare Ferruginous duck, which has been labelled to be a near-threatened species. Some of the smaller birds include the ebony black Bush Chat, the Magpie Robin with its distinct black and white body and the Bay-backed Shrike with its orange, grey and white feathers. If you hear a pecking sound, be sure to look around as it might be one of the unique woodpecker species such as the Streak-throated woodpecker, Heart-spotted woodpecker or Black-rumped woodpecker.
During the monsoon months, peacocks and peahens are also a common sight and if you are lucky enough, you might even catch one of them in a glorious dance displaying their vividly shaded tail feathers. Some of the water birds you might catch a glimpse of are the Lesser Whistling duck, the bear-headed goose, the Common Pochard and the Indian Spot-billed duck. The dense forests and the green grasslands are also a hunting ground for the birds of prey - the Crested Serpent Eagle, the Crested Hawk Eagle, the Red-headed Vulture, the Indian Spotted Eagle and the White-rumped Vulture.
What to Carry
It is extremely important to dress appropriately and to carry the necessary items when you go on a bird-watching trip. You should ideally be dressed in dark or subdued colours, preferably dark greens and dark browns which will enable you to camouflage with the surroundings. Wearing bright coloured clothes might scare the winged creatures. Make sure you have a pair of binoculars that lets you spot birds from a considerable distance. If you are keen on capturing the birds on film, you can carry your cameras and DSLRs as well.