Coorg or Kodagu promises to greet everyone visiting it with the melodious chirping of some of the most exotic species of birds that one can find in India. The region is one of the prominent tourist destinations in the country, but it’s a little known fact that it is one of the hotspots frequented by bird watchers too.
An Overview of Coorg
Hailed as the ‘Scotland of India’ and the ‘Kashmir of the South’, Coorg is one of the most popular hill stations and is a must-see place for every tourist across the country and the world. Nestled amidst the lush greeneries of the Western Ghats at an altitude close to 3500 feet above sea level, Coorg is a haven and the ideal place for resting and relaxing during the weekend after a hectic week at the workplace.
Coorg boasts of the greenest sceneries, waft of innumerable coffee plantations, religious sites and several other spots that kick up a sense of adventure in every individual. Complementing the landscape, the weather in Coorg is very pleasant and can help you de-stress and unwind.
Bird Watching Options in Coorg
With an inset of lush greenery present everywhere one’s sight can behold, Coorg is touted to be a haven for ornithologists and bird-lovers alike. Whether you are expert at bird behavior or just a plain novice who admires the beauty of his feathered friends, Coorg is the best place to explore and get in touch with various creatures of flight.
The Indian sub-continent accounts for over 2060 species of birds, and the fact is that Coorg or Kodagu contributes as much as 25% of the overall bird population in this regard, which is a matter or joy and pride for the tiny hill-station.
Nagarahole is considered the best place to spot several species of birds, including some that have Coorg as their origin like Malabar Trogons, Nilgiri Laughing-Thrushes, Great Black Woodpeckers, and Malabar Whistling-Thrushes.
Other varieties of birds include Yellow Browed Bulbuls, Pacific Swallows, Grasshopper Warblers, Orphean Warblers and Yellow Billed Babblers. Great Pied Hornbills, Nilgiri Wood Pigeons, Wynaad and Grey-Breasted Laughing Thrushes, Blue-Winged Parakeets, Grey-Headed Bulbuls, White-Bellied Treepies, the Nilgiri and White-Bellied Blue Flycatchers, Black Eagle and Ceylon Frogmouths comprise the rest of the species of birds that hail from the Coorg district.
Apart from normal birds, Coorg also has several species of Owls including Short Eared and Oriental Scops Owls which can often be seen after nightfall. You can also visit the Nagarahole National Park that houses various forms of wildlife as well.
Abbey Falls attracts many birds, and this is also a very popular picnic spot that bird watchers can visit. The falls are located around 7 km from the town of Madikeri, considered to be the capital of the district of Coorg.
How to Get to Coorg
- By Air: The picturesque district of Coorg is located around 120 km from Mysore airport, 136 km from Mangalore Airport and 250 km from Bangalore Airport.
- By Rail: The nearest station is 55 km away located in Mysore. A journey from the railway station to Coorg can be timed at approximately two and a half hours.
- By Road: Well laid and networked roads are a blessing for city-folk to reach Coorg in the minimum amount of time possible at their own convenience. Coorg is around 250 km from the cosmopolitan city of Bangalore.
You can explore and learn more about birds during a quick trip to Coorg, thanks to its natural splendor.
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