Birding
Birdwatching the Sholas
Off the beaten pathForest permit required
Dawn walks into the Nilgiri sholas for the hills's endemic birds — the laughingthrush, Sholakili and black-and-orange flycatcher among them.
The patches of old-growth shola around Kotagiri and Coonoor hold a remarkable cluster of birds found nowhere else on earth.
Target species include the Nilgiri laughingthrush, the white-bellied sholakili (blue robin), the Nilgiri flycatcher and the black-and-orange flycatcher.
Go at first light with a local birding guide; Longwood Shola, Sim's Park and the Coonoor estates are the most reliable patches.
On the map
Good to know
- Access
- Longwood Shola (Kotagiri) and Coonoor estate sholas; guide recommended
- Best time
- September to March, dawn