Nandi Hills is a wonderland. It swells with revellers from Bengaluru and beyond. On weekends, cars and motorbikes jostle for space in the wee hours before dawn, each filled with people eager to watch the sun break over the horizon, as a sheet of white mist shrouds the valley below. Atop, a cacophony of hoots and laughter rings out in the chilly air. Busy photo shoots mushroom every few metres, their frames photo-bombed by starry-eyed couples, oblivious to the world around them. By mid-morning, the mist lifts and Nandi Hills resembles a buzzing hive of tourists and picnickers, their enthusiasm matched in equal gusto by the cheeky monkey brigade.
A World Hidden
In the midst of such frenzied human activity lies an astonishing variety of avian life — around 135 species of birds, some of them indigenous to the Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot located over 200 km from Bengaluru. It remains a mystery to me how such elusive birds manage to adapt to the milling crowds of Nandi Hills. Perhaps the availability of food, habitat composition and favourable weather outweigh the disturbances of the boisterous throngs.
With birding hotspots dwindling fast in Bengaluru, Nandi Hills remains a source of solace for us, especially since it is not too far from home. On early winter mornings, the lure of hot Maggi at the base, followed by a quick session of birding, is reason enough to make us leave our cozy beds and drive down to our friendly neighbourhood hills, as I like to call it.
Here are some of the birds you are most likely to observe once you are there during the period October-March. The resident ones, of course, remain on the welcoming committee all year round.
The Famed Blue Birds
Of all the colourful birds that Nandi Hills harbours, the blue ones stand out the most. If a bright, fuzzy ball zooms past you, wait a while — it will almost always perch somewhere nearby. More often than not, it is the tiny dynamite: Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher.
Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher
Make your way towards the cottages near the eateries, take the stairs that go towards the greenhouse type structure, and you might just stumble upon a hotbed of blue bird activity, along with several warblers. The Verditer Flycatcher, a winter visitor, can be found amidst the foliage, and if luck favours – you might just catch sight of the Malabar Whistling Thrush and the Blue Rock Thrush.
Blue Rock Thrush
Blue-headed Rock Thrush
Look around, and you might spot the Blue-headed Rock Thrush — another stunner — boldly perched on a low branch, offering ample photo opportunities as it goes into a zen mode. Keep your ears on high alert — a low, metallic call usually signals the presence of an Indian Blue Robin nearby, often in the undergrowth near Nehru Nilaya. We have frequently caught it busy with breakfast, unfazed by our presence. In the past, we have also come across Ultramarine Flycatchers — a species much coveted in our neck of the woods.
Indian Blue Robin
Ultramarine Flycatcher
The Restless Ones
Nandi Hills is full of little, restless birds that truly test your patience. Most of the time, you only hear their songs or catch the rustling of bushes. A waiting game begins, often ending with a few seconds of skittish appearances and a handful of blurry images. But sometimes, you are rewarded with a windfall.
Sit still, stay quiet, and you might be treated to a sighting of the fastidious Puff-throated Babblers, the fidgety Tawny-bellied Babblers, or the undergrowth boss: the Common Tailorbird (the one I like to call the “all noise, no see” bird). Just be ready to click at the right moment and in the right mode — it may be a while before they offer you another chance.
Puff-throated Babbler
Tawny-bellied Babbler
Common Tailor Bird
The Bold and the Beautiful
On our birding trip to Ooty many years ago, I cherished the chance to witness two beautiful birds — the Nilgiri Wood Pigeon and the Common Rosefinch. Later, I was thrilled to bits to find both these wonderful birds closer to home, in Nandi Hills. I have seldom seen a more graceful-looking bird than the Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, and it is always a pleasure to spot one on my visits here.
Sauntering through a disused playground once led us to a small flock of these pigeons, though they do turn up in other corners, too.
Nilgiri Wood Pigeon
It took us ten years of birding to finally come across the charismatic Indian Pitta at Galibore. The jinx broken, we began seeing the bird in several other places, including Nandi Hills. One morning, while searching for the Indian Blue Robin, we suddenly heard the familiar call of the Pitta. Before we could even decide which way to follow it — lo and behold — the Indian Pitta flew up and perched right in front of us – its bold demeanour shining bright! Since then, we have managed to spot it almost every winter in the region.
Indian Pitta
The Doppelgangers
Despite years of birding, I have never been able to call myself practiced in bird identification. There are still so many species to discover, and I consider myself more of a weekend or seasonal birder. The ones I find most difficult to identify are the small brown birds — the warblers — followed closely by the largely brown flycatchers, particularly the Red-breasted Flycatcher and the Taiga Flycatcher.
I believe we have sighted both these flycatchers in Nandi Hills, though for a long time I thought any tiny brown flycatcher with a red breast can only be a Red-breasted Flycatcher. The real test came when we began noticing immature flycatchers flitting about, and a niggling doubt began to take root. Were these immature Red-breasted Flycatchers, or were they Taigas? Or perhaps some were Red-breasted, and others Taiga?
Red-breasted Flycatcher (Adult)
Taiga Flycatcher (Immature)
Taiga Flycatcher (Immature)
If you are birding near the cottages area in winter, you might come across a new batch of immature flycatchers darting about in the trees, and maybe you will be able to tell us which is which!
The Celebrity from Paradise
Every region has its own celebrity bird, the one that attracts the most audience. In Nandi Hills, the Indian Paradise Flycatcher is the undisputed crowd puller – the jewel in the crown. Be it in its rufous morph or white (one particular individual was in transition morph – its tail feathers both in white and rufous), the adult Paradise Flycatcher is a sight to behold. Its flowing streamer like tail feathers are its main feature and that’s what we watch out for in the canopies and shady boughs of trees.
Indian Paradise Flycatcher (Rufous Morph)
Indian Paradise Flycatcher (White Morph)
Fortunately, there are many of these individuals spread out across the landscape in Nandi Hills and we have sighted more than one in a single birding session. While the foliage behind the cottages are a prime hunting ground of the flycatcher, they can also be seen flitting around from tree to tree near the Nehru Nilaya area.
The Wait for Winter
Nandi Hills has so much more to offer than what I have mentioned here. We have come upon many more species during our visits and perhaps I shall do another post on them soon. Besides birds, a large number of butterflies and moths species, too, can be found here. Our birding sessions are usually short, lasting just around two hours, but each has been remarkably fruitful – we have rarely come back disappointed from Nandi Hills.
While monsoons have their own charm, it is somewhat difficult to look for birds in the rain.
And so, the wait begins — for winter to arrive, and with it, the migratory visitors from the northern parts of the country and beyond borders. After all, Nandi Hills welcomes all — both winged and non-winged visitors. Perhaps it is a fine example of coexistence between people and nature, showcasing the adaptability and resilience of these amazing little birds. Hopefully, we shall continue to create many more happy birding memories at Nandi Hills.
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