Nagarhole (or Rajiv Gandhi) National Park is located in the Kodagu (Coorg) and Mysore districts in Karnataka, and named after the Nagarahole river (Cobra river in Kannada, the local language). Part of the overall Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and, together with the contiguous forests of Bandipur in Karnataka, Mudumalai in Tamil Nadu, and Wayanad in Kerala, this is one of the last remaining and best protected habitats for Asian Elephants and Tigers. Wild Dog “Dhole” and Leopard, are also regularly seen, and birds are plentiful in the forests and along the Kabini river.
Target Species
- Red Spurfowl
- Grey Junglefowl
- Oriental Turtle Dove
- Common Emerald Dove
- Grey-fronted Green Pigeon
- Green Imperial Pigeon
- Barred Buttonquail
- Yellow-wattled Lapwing
- Red-naped Ibis
- Crested Honey Buzzard
- White-rumped Vulture
- Red-headed Vulture
- Crested Serpent Eagle
- Changeable Hawk-Eagle
- Indian Scops Owl
- Oriental Scops Owl
- Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl
- Brown Fish Owl
- Mottled Wood Owl
- Jungle Owlet
- Brown Hawk-Owl
- Malabar Trogon
- Malabar Grey Hornbill
- Blue-bearded Bee-eater
- Chestnut-headed Bee-eater
- Malabar Barbet
- Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker
- White-bellied Woodpecker
- Greater Flameback
- Blue-winged Parakeet
- Indian Pitta
- Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike
- Malabar Woodshrike
- Common Iora
- Small Minivet
- Black-headed Cuckooshrike
- Brown Shrike
- Black-hooded Oriole
- Indian Golden Oriole
- White-bellied Drongo
- Bronzed Drongo
- Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
- White-spotted Fantail
- Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark
- Jerdon’s Bush Lark
- Malabar Lark
- Green Warbler
- Sykes’s Warbler
- Grey-breasted Prinia
- Indian Scimitar Babbler
- Yellow-billed Babbler
- Hume’s Whitethroat
- Asian Fairy-bluebird
- Indian Nuthatch
- Velvet-fronted Nuthatch
- Southern Hill Myna
- Chestnut-tailed Starling
- Malabar Starling
- Orange-headed Thrush
- White-rumped Shama
- Asian Brown Flycatcher
- Brown-breasted Flycatcher
- Jerdon’s Leafbird
- Pale-billed Flowerpecker
- Nilgiri Flowerpecker
- Purple-rumped Sunbird
- Crimson-backed Sunbird
- Purple Sunbird
- Forest Wagtail
- Endemic
- Near Endemic
Itinerary
Day 1: Bangalore to Nagarhole
On arrival at Bangalore, you will be met and driven to Kabini River Lodge, your accommodation for the next three nights. Assuming you arrive by early afternoon, there will be time for a jeep safari into Nagarhole National Park.
Days 2-3: Nagarhole National Park
These two days will comprise morning and evening safaris in Nagarhole. As well as the key targets of Tiger and Leopard, there is a chance here for the very rare melanistic Leopard, or “Black Panther”. Otherwise Nagarhole is very good for other mammals such as Wild Dog “Dhole”, Wild Boar, Spotted Deer “Chital”, Sambar Deer, Gaur, Stripe-necked Mongoose, and of course many Langurs and Macaques.
For one of the safaris you can take a boat trip on the lake which, especially in the afternoon, gives great views of animals coming to the water to drink. Common birds you are likely to see on your safaris include Greater Racket-tailed and White-bellied Drongos, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Black-hooded and Indian Golden Orioles, Grey-breasted Prinias, Purple and Purple-rumped Sunbirds, Yellow-billed Babbler, Southern Hill Myna, Chestnut-tailed Starling, Black-headed Cuckooshrike, Small Minivet, Common Iora, and Pale-billed Flowerpecker. In between safaris you can check out the excellent birding in the grounds around the lodge, including along a marked nature trail there.
Day 4: Nagarhole to Bangalore
After a final morning safari in Nagarhole, check out and drive back to Bangalore.
Checklist
For all our bookings we provide the most accurate and useful printable checklists available, specific to the actual areas you are likely to visit. In the meantime, use our interactive state checklists, or view the species bar chart for this area on eBird:
Important information
As with all Bubo Birding tours, your booking is handled by Asian Adventures.
- We may change the itinerary described due to various reasons such as latest birding information, availability of accommodation, state of the roads, and other unexpected factors that, this being India, do pop up from time to time!
- We would be happy to make any additional travel bookings, e.g. domestic flights, car and driver, that you require.
- The final price and itinerary will be confirmed before booking and depending on your expected arrival and departure plans.
See Asian Adventures for full tour details, including accommodation, meal plans, what's included, other exclusions, prices for different group sizes, single room supplements, cancellation policy, and booking process.
Interested in Kabini, Nagarhole National Park, Karnataka?
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