Remote Eastern Himalayan forest in West Kameng, where the Bugun liocichla was discovered and where altitude changes the bird list every few kilometres.
Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary birding takes place in West Kameng district, Arunachal Pradesh, in the Eastern Himalayas, near Tenga Valley, between Bhalukpong and Bomdila. The sanctuary covers about 217 sq. km and rises from about 500 metres to 3,250 metres, so tropical wet evergreen forest at the bottom gives way to subtropical broadleaved forest, then oak and rhododendron temperate forest, then coniferous forest higher up. That stacked altitude range is the reason one sanctuary can hold so many different birds, and why a birding trip here is planned camp by camp, not as a single day visit.
The sanctuary is world famous for one bird above all others. The Bugun liocichla, a small, brightly coloured babbler, was first seen in 1995, formally described in 2006 by ornithologist Ramana Athreya, and named after the Bugun tribe on whose traditional land it was found. Its known population sits almost entirely inside this sanctuary, around Lama Camp, which makes Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary birding a pilgrimage for serious birders. Around that headline species are Blyth’s tragopan and Temminck’s tragopan, Ward’s trogon, rufous necked, wreathed and great hornbills, beautiful nuthatch, Himalayan cutia, and a long list of laughingthrushes, babblers, fulvettas, parrotbills and warblers that live in dense, often misty forest.
Birding here is slow, careful and guide led. Mornings are spent listening for skulking babblers and tragopans calling at dawn and dusk, then scanning the canopy for hornbills and mixed flocks, while the road between camps gives roadside birding stops at different altitudes. The classic camp sequence runs from Lama Camp, the entry camp, up and down to Bompu Camp at about 1,950 metres, then lower to Sessni and Khellong, with Eaglenest Pass at about 2,800 metres as a high point. Sessa Orchid Sanctuary lies along the eastern boundary, Pakke Tiger Reserve lies across the Kameng River to the east, and the sanctuary is part of the Kameng Elephant Reserve, so elephants, capped langurs and other mammals share the same forest.
Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary birding suits experienced birders and list focused travellers who want Eastern Himalayan rarities, photographers who want hornbills and tragopans in remote forest, and travellers who enjoy a longer, expedition style trip with tented camps. It pairs with Nameri in Assam for foothill and river birds, and with Mishmi Hills for a full Northeast birding circuit. Five to seven days, with time at Lama, Bompu and Sessni, give a much better chance for Bugun liocichla and other shy species than a short two day visit.
November to mid-May, with March to April best for breeding activity, tragopan calls and rhododendron bloom.
Tezpur, with Guwahati as the larger, better connected option.
Cool and temperate, cold at high elevations, mist in mornings, pleasant in spring.
Monsoon June to September, over 3,000 mm a year on some southern slopes, sanctuary closed in monsoon.
Walking birding trails around Lama Camp, Bompu Camp and Sessni, morning and late afternoon, with a local guide. Slow roadside birding drives between camps for altitude changes, with stops for mixed flocks and canopy birds. Evening walks for nocturnal wildlife where permitted, with a guide. No formal jeep safari is used as the main method for Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary birding, and most birding is on foot on forest trails and roadsides.
By train, Bhalukpong station is the nearest railhead, about 94 km away, with Rangapara and Tezpur as other rail options, followed by road to Tenga and Lama Camp. By road, the usual route is Guwahati to Tezpur to Bhalukpong to Tenga to Lama Camp, with Bomdila about 50 km from the sanctuary area and Tenga about 17 to 20 km away. Roads from Tenga into the sanctuary can be rough, so a local vehicle and driver are essential. By air, Tezpur airport is the nearest airport, with Guwahati airport as the larger option, followed by road to Tenga and Lama Camp. Non-resident Indian citizens need an Inner Line Permit for Arunachal Pradesh, and foreign nationals need a Protected Area Permit, arranged before travel.
November to mid-May is best, with March to April best for breeding activity, tragopan calls and rhododendron bloom at Eaglenest.
The Bugun liocichla, described in 2006 and named after the Bugun tribe, found almost entirely inside Eaglenest, especially around Lama Camp.
Fly to Tezpur or Guwahati, take a train to Bhalukpong, then drive through Tenga to Lama Camp, with Bomdila about 50 km from the sanctuary area.
Lama Camp is the entry camp, Bompu Camp at about 1,950 metres is the main base, and Sessni and Khellong give lower altitude forest, with Eaglenest Pass at about 2,800 metres as a high point.
Yes, Eaglenest pairs naturally with Nameri in Assam for foothill and river birds, and with Pakke Tiger Reserve across the Kameng River for a longer West Kameng wildlife trip.
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A journey through Bengal where festival traditions, wetlands and wildlife come together.
A journey through Bengal where festival traditions, wetlands and wildlife come together.
A journey through Bengal where festival traditions, wetlands and wildlife come together.
