Dandeli & Anshi Birding

Dandeli Anshi birding takes place in Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary and Anshi National Park, now part of Kali Tiger Reserve, in Karnataka, on the Kali River in the Western Ghats. The landscape is moist deciduous and evergreen forest, bamboo, riverine forest and the Kali River itself, giving a mix of forest, river and open water birding in one region. Dandeli town is the main base, with Anshi forest to the south giving quieter, deeper evergreen forest.

The star birds are great hornbill and Malabar pied hornbill, plus Malabar trogon, Malabar whistling thrush, Ceylon frogmouth, Oriental dwarf kingfisher, blue eared kingfisher and a long list of Western Ghats forest birds. The Kali River adds river birds, including river terns, kingfishers and waders, while forest trails add barbets, woodpeckers, drongos, flycatchers and warblers in mixed flocks. Dandeli is one of the best places in Karnataka for hornbills, and Anshi adds a wilder, less visited forest experience.

Dandeli Anshi birding suits Western Ghats birders who want hornbills, photographers who want forest birds in good light, and travellers combining Karnataka birding with Goa. It pairs with Goa birding for coastal and estuary birds, and with Thattekkad for a longer Western Ghats trip. Two to three mornings, with one day in Dandeli forest and one day in Anshi forest, give a much better list than a single day visit to Dandeli town alone.