Thattekad has been on my wishlist for years now. This winter we finally managed to land up there and the array of birds that we witnessed was nothing short of magical. It included several lifers for me; Sri Lanka Frogmouth, Bay Owl, White-bellied Treepie, White-bellied Blue Flycatcher among others. For me the most memorable experience of the trip was the hospitality of our host, Diju, and the passion of our guide, Rejeev.
Sunday, 1st March, 2020
Thattekad - 2020
The Endemics
Sri Lanka Bay Owl (Phodilus assimilis)
Without the help of our guide this bird would have been impossible to locate. Tracking its calls at the break of dawn, our guide and narrowed the location down and then spotted this reclusive nocturnal bird.
Sri Lanka Frogmouth (Batrachostomus moniliger)
The frogmouth is normally hard to spot but it has this habit of returning to the same perch every morning. So a native guide can help you track this down easily.
Malabar Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros coronatus)
When Malabar pied hornbills fly over you, you hear them before you see them, such is their wingspan.
White-bellied Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis pallidipes)
Hill Myna (Gracula religiosa)
Malabar Parakeet (Psittacula columboides)
White-bellied Treepie (Dendrocitta leucogastra)
I've seen the Rufous tree-pie before but this was the first time I managed to get a decent picture of one.
Malabar or Southern Trogon (Harpactes fasciatus)
This Malabar Trogon pair was photographed in a location called Urulanthanni in the Thattekad reserve.
The male
Flame-throated Bulbul (Pycnonotus gularis)
Malabar Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros griseus)
There was a berry tree of some kind in front of our homestay and this hornbill made repeated visits.
Malabar Barbet (Megalaima malabarica)
Blyth's or Malabar Starling (Sturnia blythii)
Other VIPs
Indian Pitta (Pitta brachyura)
This Pitta, despite the brilliant colours on its plumage, is expertly camouflaged in the forests of the Western Ghats. It took me a full 30 seconds to spot this individual after my guide had pointed it to me.
Jungle Owlet (Glaucidium radiatum)
This Jungle Owlet was disturbed by a forest ranger doing some maintenance activity on the forest floor. You can almost sense the irritation on this owlet's face.
Asian Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi)
You never really tire of seeing the Asian Paradise Flycatcher's long tail.
Jerdon's Nightjar (Caprimulgus atripennis)
Another species I couldn't have spotted without the experience of my guide.
Indian Scops Owl (Otus bakkamoena)
Others...
Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)
Indian Golden Oriole (Oriolus kundoo)
Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker (Dendrocopos nanus)
Plum-headed Parakeet (Psittacula cyanocephala)
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus)
Common Woodshrike (Tephrodornis pondicerianus)
Heart-spotted Woodpecker (Hemicircus canente)
Vernal Hanging Parrot (Loriculus vernalis)
Green Imperial Pigeon (Ducula aenea)
