Birding with Ram Gopalakrishnan: 2026

Sunday, 26 July 2026

A tale of dholes, a leopard and a klaxon-like siren

We watched spellbound as the female leopard strode with typical feline grace just 20 m away with our video cameras frantically trying to keep up. What a moment!

But wait there’s a prelude to that. A traffic jam with a frustratingly long line of safari vehicles had built up ahead. No, not in your urban jungle but in a true one: Bandipur Tiger Reserve, Karnataka where a leopard sleeping on a roadside tree had caused a twenty vehicle pile up in either direction hoping to glimpse her. Just the middle couple of vehicles were able to see her, resulting in chaos, shouting and frustration all around. At least no honking like in the city, or so we thought. One frustrated vehicle let loose a klaxon-like siren to disperse the vehicles in front: that promptly woke up the sleeping leopard who serendipitously strode right past our vehicle!

We were on a three day sojourn in the Mudumalai-Bandipur terrain, contiguous tiger reserves on opposite sides of the Tamilnadu-Karnataka border, and both parts of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Day one was spent on a bus safari that the TN Forest dept runs. The guide thoughtfully explained the damage to the forest caused by exotic species like parthenium and lantana, which don't allow any native plants to grow and essentially choke and desertify the forest. We marveled at the raw power on display in the talons and beak of a Changeable Hawk Eagle and the sheer size of an enormous Buffy Fish Owl. Spotted deer and massive Indian gaurs dotted the roadsides and Malabar Parakeets zoomed across the road overhead. Elephants were everywhere and we had a close encounter of the elephant kind when a protective mother trumpeted and charged us when we got too close to the group, resulting in a hurried reverse gear engagement. Bad moment for an engine to stall, we thought, as we collectively exhaled.

The Moyar river is an iconic geological formation and its winding cut through the Sigur rock plateau can be seen from outer space, separating Karnataka from Tamilnadu. We were lucky enough to get permission to go all the way to the Moyar waterfall lookout point. A group of White-rumped Vultures, rare in this era of diclofenac, hovered over a carcass on the way. The river and waterfall form a beautiful contrast to the dry scrub forest through which it cuts. A Black Eagle took advantage of the air currents to soar effortlessly in and out of the valley.

A safari in Bandipur is best defined as a drive through Elephant Central: they were everywhere, on land, bathing in the water, single tuskers, big herds, you name it. A group of Streak-throated Woodpeckers foraged on the ground, unusual for this tree dwelling species. A majestic Crested Serpent Eagle showed off the white spots in its belly: these apex predators testify to the health of a forest, free of chemicals and pesticides. Sambar deer had an interesting “sore patch” on their neck, a completely natural phenomenon during the breeding season that secretes a pheromone. The creme-de-la-creme of the morning safari was a pack of Indian wild dogs or dholes. We watched them play and gambol with each other while the surrounding herbivores kept a sharp eye on them. These beautiful animals are becoming increasingly endangered because of habitat loss and disease. We felt privileged to get their darshan: after all the forest was the temple and they were the reigning deity.

Having gone on three safaris with no cat sightings, some of us decided in favor of an afternoon nap instead of another safari on the last day. Mistake: action always happens on the one safari you forsake and that's exactly when we saw the aforementioned traffic stopping leopard

A last morning introductory birdwatching nature walk near our resort adjacent to the Moyar river was delightful in terms of pristine scenery and pure air: fifteen bird species were counted. We left this beautiful habitat with the peaceful feeling a pilgrim gets after a successful pilgrimage.

Till the next one, that is!

Black Eagle over the Moyar valley

Crested Serpent Eagle

Changeable Hawk Eagle

Moyar waterfalls

Gray Jungle Fowl

On the Kinbatangan

We gazed captivated at the long upcurved red and yellow casque of the male Rhinoceros Hornbill. It seemed an incredible feat of evolution for a creature to develop such a unique appendage!

We were on a brief trip on the Kinabatangan River, a 560 km long tortuous river that snakes its way down from the highlands of Sabah, East Malaysia, Borneo to the Sulu Sea on the eastern coast. The river is surrounded by one of the last riverine forests that remain in current day Borneo and constitute the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary. Home to pygmy elephants, orangutans, proboscis monkeys, saltwater crocodiles and hornbills (the Big 5 of Borneo), what attracted us was the prospect of seeing up to eight hornbill species from the boating excursions on the river. We flew from Kuala Lumpur to Sandakan, the nearest airport and reached the Sukau Greenview Lodge after a two hour drive through endless rows of palm plantations.

A night time boat ride was mainly for large mammals, I imagined: promptly followed a slew of sleeping beauties: Rhinoceros Hornbill, Blue-eared Kingfisher and a Oriental Pied Hornbill pair. An obviously alert massive Buffy Fish-Owl was a lovely bonus.

A Wrinkled Hornbill (named after the “wrinkles” on its casque) greeted us in the cool morning as we set off down river. White-bellied Sea Eagles ruled the skies. A Wallace's Hawk-eagle was easily ID'd by its crest. Collared and Stork-billed Kingfishers added to the kingfisher count. A trio of peculiarly named Bushy-crested Hornbills were followed by another trio of Wrinkled Hornbills flying across the river. When we saw a pair of Black Hornbills, we had managed five of the eight hornbill species in this area.

A walk into the humid rainforest was a challenge, between the wet mud and leeches on the ground and the drenching humidity in the air. A Frilled Treefrog had the perfect camouflage against predators and could have been passed off as moss till you saw its eyes.

Proboscis Monkeys, endemic to Borneo, dotted the river banks: the alpha male had the largest nose of them all and aggressively chased away younger males. Silvered and Maroon Leaf Monkeys were abundant. Pig-tailed Macaques were distinguished from their Long-tailed Macaque cousins by their much shorter tail. Several rope bridges had been placed across the smaller channels for monkeys to cross over without fear of crocodile attacks. A solitary Bornean Pygmy Elephant and a couple of Saltwater Crocodiles helped us to complete four of Borneo's Big Five: orangutans are rare in this secondary rainforest.

Kinabatangan has enormous pressures: palm oil plantations have compressed the forest and the wildlife to narrow strips adjacent to the banks. Habitat fragmentation and hunting has led to local extinctions of iconic species like the rhinoceros and Helmeted hornbill, and orangutans may go the same way in the future. Widespread choking of waterways by the invasive water hyacinth poses yet another challenge.

Go there before it's all gone!

Proboscis Monkey alpha male

Silvered Leaf Monkey

Water Monitor Lizard

Southern Pig-tailed Macaque

Blue-throated Bee-eater

Collared Kingfisher

White-bellied Sea Eagle

Frilled Tree Frog

Sunday, 10 May 2026

Palawan: a paradise for pittas, peacock pheasants and island endemics

There he comes, exclaimed our guide Totic. Time stood still as the majestic male strode into the clearing. With his striking facial pattern and blue rounded feathers, the male Palawan Peacock Pheasant kept us enthralled while allowing us photos of a lifetime.

Hey pa, I'd like to do some scuba diving off Palawan island in the Philippines and see a whale shark: want to do some birding while I'm underwater? - asked my daughter. Hastily looking at the map, I located Palawan and quickly discovered that at least 27 endemics are found in this long narrow island, replete with rugged limestone cliffs and covered with verdant forest. Sure, count me in, I replied to her.

We started off at El Nido at the northern end of the island, basically a happening seaside town for snorkelers and divers. A morning birding session around the mangrove forest at Lio Beach introduced us to our first endemics: Palawan Flowerpecker, Palawan Crow, Palawan Sunbird, Palawan Drongo, Yellow-throated Leafbird and White-vented Shama. Collared Kingfishers screeched overhead while a bunch of shy Philippine Ducks swam in and out of cover. A Western Hooded Pitta (the ones here are not migratory and have an all-black head) spent a long time bobbing on the road in front of us.

After a day at the famous Puerto Princesa Underground River, we headed off to Puerto Princesa city where our guide Totic Failana had arranged a couple of days birding. The Badjao seafront mangroves was our first stop where a Copper-throated Sunbird's throat seemed almost on fire in the evening sun. Philippine Pied Fantails frolicked at a puddle. A massive Stork-billed Kingfisher, an endemic Pale Flowerpecker and a glowering Spotted Wood Owl rounded off the day. We decided to sample the city “nightlife”: what can you see by night other than humans in the middle of a city we wondered? A Palawan Frogmouth in a small forest patch! With its weird looks and call, this one must take the cake for city nightlife.

Next morning we drove southwest to Napsan: a hide had been carefully constructed adjacent to a clearing in the dense forest and a diet of grain and worms were used to entice the local residents. The Hooded Pitta was watched and photographed ad nauseum, a strange feeling to do that to a bird whose brief and distant sighting made our previous day. The majestic Palawan Peacock Pheasant, first the female and then the male with his iridescent blue feathers nervously gobbled up the grain on offer. Plainer endemics- the Gray-throated (Palawan) Bulbul, the Ashy-headed Babbler and Palawan Blue Flycatcher- were side dishes during the main course. After the hide, a steady stream of endemics followed on the road: the lovely black and brown striped Falcated Wren-Babbler offset by its bright white throat and the Palawan (formerly Melodious) Babbler with its undoubtedly melodious call. We feasted our eyes on the sole hornbill species here, a pair of majestic Palawan Hornbills with their majestic white casques. A Great Slaty Woodpecker escorted its partner out of a tree hollow. Filipino lunch cuisine tasted especially good afterwards.

Back in Puerto Princesa city, we scouted out a house in the Santa Monica area whose backyard adjoined the edge of the mangroves. The owner had enterprisingly put up a bird bath and bananas in his backyard with some chairs and a fan in his kitchen for us and an hour of relaxed birding ensued. Mangrove Blue Flycatcher, Brown-throated Sunbird and the endemic Pale Spiderhunter all came to quench their thirst. The endemic Blue Paradise-Flycatcher looked like it had been painted with an artificial coat of gossamer velvet. After sunset we took a boat to Cana Island to see the Mantanani Scops Owl, seen only in small offshore islands and not even on Palawan mainland. As it gave its croaking bark and looked down at us, we felt privileged indeed to witness this uniquely evolved creature.

Next morning we drove west into the dense hilly forest of the Irawan Ecopark. Western Hooded Pittas called all around us. Lovely was an appropriate name for the endemic Lovely Sunbird, its deep yellow throat in vivid contrast with its maroon head and back. Worms tossed strategically into a sunlit area to entice a bright red-bellied Philippine Pitta were stolen by an irritating White-vented Shama. A Palawan Flycatcher was close enough to almost take worms from our hand. Rufous-backed Dwarf and Blue-eared Kingfishers, an endemic Spot-throated Flameback and a Chestnut-breasted Malkoha made sure their families did not go unrepresented.

Our last evening session was back at Napsan to try and see the last few endemics on our list. While we were photographing the Palawan Tit from close range, our attention was caught by a Blue-naped Parrot high up on top of a tree trunk. He was chased away and his vantage point taken by a pristine all-white Philippine Cockatoo: as the (modified) saying goes, two birds on a tree were better than one in the bush! A breathtakingly beautiful White-bellied Woodpecker at eye level followed. At dusk we waited for the Palawan Scops-Owl to show up: this is probably the most difficult out to spot. Imagine our delight when we managed to photograph this one! Yet another day in paradise.

While Palawan has preserved much of its natural forest so far, this situation is changing. We witnessed widespread deforestation around the mangroves at Lio Beach, El Nido where forest had been allotted to housing plots with roads and accessories. Development and private housing/tourism projects threaten to send some at least of the unique endemics we saw into local extinction. The Puerta Princesa Underground River area, a World Heritage Site, has been declared a National Park and is likely to be preserved for posterity: sadly that is unlikely to be the case in the rest of the island.

Don't wait too long: Palawan is still very much a birding paradise!