Thattekad Bird Sanctuary is home to around 280 unique species of birds and one of the best spots for birding in India. It is famous for the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary named after Dr. Salim Ali, the great ornithologist. It is established in the year 1983 by the Kerala Government when Dr. Salim recommended it. This is the most popular bird sanctuary in India and houses rare species of land and water.
The breathtaking beauty of Thattekad Bird Sanctuary is unexplainable and can only be experienced and enjoyed. One can catch a glimpse of some of the most amazing birds and landscapes which can not be missed. This bird sanctuary is spread over 25 sq. km. and it is around 60km from Kochi. Since the forest is covered with so many different varieties of tropical deciduous and evergreen trees, it offers a paradise to birds. Therefore, it\’s an interesting place for nature and wildlife enthusiasts.
Flora & Fauna
Thattekad Bird Sanctuary houses to Crested Goshawk, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Chestnut Headed Bee Eater, Coucal, Dollar Bird, Emerald Dove, Eurasian, Golden Oriole, Ashy Wood Swallow, Black Headed Oriole, Ash Tail, Ashly Drongo, Bronzed Drongo, Blue Kingfisher, Bronze Winged Jacana, Ceylon Frogmouth, Created Woodpecker, Greater Racquet Tailed Drongo, Lora, Orange Minivet, Indian Pitta, Jerdon\’s Nightjar, Indian Cuckoo, Yellow-browed Bulbuls, Darters, Sunbird, Shrike, White Breasted Woodpecker, Jungle Myna, Common Myna, and many more.
Jungle Safaris
The place offers one of the best boating experiences in River Periyar. A brief ride on the river might take you close to cormorants, kingfishers, and many birds, which feed off fish. You can also opt for bird-watching trails in Thattekad, the joy of being in the bird’s own country is really overwhelming. If you want to spot some amazing birds, get up early and go on a trail of at least 3 hours long.
What else you can do here?
Blessed with serenity, the thrilling part about Thattekad Bird Sanctuary in their bird holiday is that one can do kayaking here. Apart from experiencing bird watching safari, one can visit nearby attractions like Nadukani, Bhoothathankettu, Malayattoor, Kalady, Wellington Island, Bolgatty, etc.
Now, having heard about this amazing bird spotting sanctuary, you should not wait and take a vacation here and take a look at some amazing species of flora and fauna in this huge park.