Dibrugarh

Winter is here. While the temperature is pleasant in southern India, it will soon get extremely cold in the northern parts. This is a fantastic time to watch birds the whole day without being excessively hot.

Migrants to look for:

Did you know that Red-breasted and Red-throated (Taiga) flycatchers do not use the same migratory routes to arrive in India? Red-breasted Flycatcher breeds west of Central Asia and winters largely in the Indian Subcontinent except in the northeastern parts. Taiga Flycatcher breeds east of Central Asia and winters throughout the Indian Subcontinent but are most abundant in Northeast India, Bangladesh and Southeast Asia.

This animated migration map was created from observations uploaded to the citizen science platform eBird up until 2020. Source: birdcount.in/migration-maps-home/

Birders in the north and east of India should keep an eye out for the Dusky Warbler, a Palearctic migrant that usually arrives by the end of December.

If you are going to be in north-west India, look out for Plain-leaf Warblers. They can be easily mistaken for Common Chiffchaff. Be sure to provide details for such observations. eBird media is an excellent feature to acquaint yourself with these species’ calls, behavior, and plumage.

If you are visiting coasts please look out for arctic waders such as Broad-billed Sandpiper,  Curlew Sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwit

Do check out the eBird bar charts to find what birds are expected in your region. If you are planning a birding trip in December,  do checkout birding hotspots here

The eBird monthly challenge for December can be seen here.

Are you organizing a birding event soon?

If so, please drop a line to skimmer@birdcount.in so that we can include it in our monthly “What’s On in Birding” updates.

Here’s wishing everyone the best of birding as the year draws to a close!