Jim Corbett Can Become India's Best Birding Destination, Says Legendary British Ornithologist Carol Inskipp
For most visitors who come to Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand is synonymous with one animal - the tiger.
Even though Jim Corbett is a treasure trove of a wide range of flora and fauna, they often get overlooked by visitors who want to see the big cats.
Jim Corbett is not just about tigers
But tigers are highly elusive animals, and it is not easy to spot them in the wild, which in turn can leave the tourists disappointed after their safari through the wilderness.
Those in the tourism industry say that it is high time that the image of Jim Corbett as the land of tigers and elephants is changed.
That is because Jim Corbett is also home to around 580 bird species,?along with tigers, leopards, and elephants.
Who is?Carol Inskipp?
British Ornithologist Carol Inskipp agrees and says that Jim Corbett has the potential to become one of the top birding destinations in India.
Inskipp, the co-author of some of the best books on birds in the subcontinent, is currently in India.
Speaking at an event organised by The Golden Tusk resort in Ramnagar to bring together tourism stakeholders, naturalists, and bird enthusiasts for highlighting of the birding side of Jim Corbett to the tourists, Inskipp said it is one of the most unique avian ecosystems anywhere in the world.
Bring birders back to Jim Corbett
The event, 'The Song of Corbett Landscape', aimed to put the 'song' of the 'Land of roar, trumpet and song' back in focus.
"The biodiversity of birds in Jim Corbett is exceptionally high. It must be one of the top-three bird biodiversity spots in the Indian subcontinent. It is high time that we get more serious bird enthusiasts here," Inskipp said.
While Jim Corbett has always been popular among bird enthusiasts, the recent large influx of tourists has turned away many.
Make birding interesting for children?
75-year-old Inskipp, who has extensively studied birds in the Indian subcontinent and authored some of the most notable books about them, said that it is time to bring back the serious birders to Jim Corbett along with spreading awareness about them among the young generation.
"A bird festival is a great way to bring the enthusiasts back. I am sure that something similar can be done in Jim Corbett as well. One way you can attract people, including those with some interest, is to have fun activities for children. Get them to identify birds, their sounds, make them paint, etc," she said.
What tourism industry says
Those in the tourism industry also agree. Anirudh Lakhotia, the Director of The Golden Tusk resort, said it is essential to make birding 'desirable'.
"As stakeholders, we should be able to package birding in Jim Corbett in such a manner that it remains simple, at the same time, a desirable experience," Lakhotia said.
Follow birding ethics?
Inskipp said that as more and more tourists embark on the bird trail, it is important to ensure that they don't disturb the winged creature in their natural environment.
"It is important for tourists to follow birding ethics. Unfortunately, a lot of people are noisy and that can unsettle the birds. Tourists and bird photographers also often end up getting too close to the nests to click the best photos. This can cause the birds to abandon their nests and chicks. Another thing that a lot of people don't realise is that when they get close to the nest by clearing the vegetation around it, they are inadvertently exposing it to those preying on them," she said.
A bird festival in Jim Corbett
The tourism stakeholders are upbeat about the potential of a bird festival in Jim Corbett soon, which they believe will bring the serious birdwatchers back and also open it to a wider audience. They hope to host the first bird festival in Jim Corbett in 2024.
We also got a sneak peek into what the bird festival in Jim Corbett can offer as a handful of us, along with Inskipp, went on a birding tour.
In the nearly 3-hour safari around the pristine Tumaria Dam, we documented more than 50 bird species in the morning.
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