Satyr Tragopan

Scientific Name: Tragopan satyra
Place: Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary, East Sikkim, Sikkim

“Mournful call of an elusive bird - Satyr Tragopan”

As promised in previous blog (writing of Hill Partridge), here is what I present to you readers.

Previous night (27th May 2015), I had a conversation with tour participant Manu regarding - the sighting of Satyr Tragopan, the mournful baby-cry call of it and how gorgeous looking the bird really is - over a pint of Honey-Bee.

On second day of May 2015 (i.e. 28th May) birding trip in Pangolakha WLS, when our search was on for beautiful Monals; suddenly we heard the call of satyr and searched for it alongside the slopes of zig-zag road. It was perched downhill on a parapet(on a abandoned landslide road) around 40 yards away from where tour participants stood. All the participants got some decent images of this rare beauty.

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In general bird nomenclature consist of after some ornithologists or the place it is/was found abundantly or the coloration of body parts; but the nomenclature of "Satyr Tragopan" has been derived from Greco-roman mythology - A drunken, lustful God who stays in deep woodland.

Hill Partridge

Scientific Name: Arborophila torqueola
Place: Near Ramakrishna Mission Ashram, Pangot, Uttarakhand, India

'One of the most elusive bird to see in wild!' - This is how the bird could be explained in one sentence. Mainly an altitudinal migrant like other Galliformes of Himalayas, which prefer to roost at lower altitudes ~ 5,000 to 7,000 ft in western Himalayas during winter months and ~8,000 to 10,000 ft during summer and falls.

Unlike other birds, it is not expected to be seen, but one can hear the call of Hill Partridge from miles away. At the same time I must say - 'when a birder is out for birding, he should not keep this specie in his expected bird list, unless it is God's gift.' I still remember my maiden day for sighting of the specie, in broad daylight, along with six more birding tour participants, for 2 seconds. Somehow I managed to get a record image of the birdie amongst all of them, though the windscreen of the vehicle. That is why the outcome is poor!

As usual birdlife was very rich during our October 2014 trip to Ghatgarh, Sattal and Pangot area. It was 3rd birding day, and all of us set out for Pangot in search of Cheer Pheasant. We were doing on the way birding, by taking pit stops at places, wherever flocks of birds were sighted. This is how, we were going uphill all the way from Ghatgarh(1,020 mtr) to Pangot(2,200 mtr). All on the sudden, as we were passing through a temperate broadleaf section of montane forest by car; a bird of Galliforme type appeared 50 odd feet away from us on road. It stood on road for 2 seconds and jumped into the ditch following a stream of water and vanished beneath the thickly foliaged bush. - This was the making of the this image! I hope someday some other birding group would see it too and achieve something which would definitely be a memory to cherish for them.

Hill Partridge (Arborophila torqueola) | Pangot, Nainital, Uttarakhand, India
© Dibyendu Ash @ 2014

Later that day, after reaching to Cheer Point, we searched for Cheer Pheasant but couldn't spot any of them. Like I said previously, what is expected to be seen may not be seen during birding; but the thing that is least expected can be spotted by God's grace. All the birders was overwhelmed to see this rare beauty in wild (for 2 guys it was a maiden birding trip, what a start for them!).

Since the day I was into birding or conducting birding trips, two birds that is needless to be mentioned, whose calls can be heard from kilometers away, are - Hill Partridge and Satyr Tragopan. In Sikkim Himalayas also I hear both of them, when I am out for Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary or Fambong Lho Wildlife Sanctuary; but one need to have persistent luck for that.

Would post a blog write up about sighting of Satyr Tragopan too in near future. Stay tuned guys!!

Grey Francolin

Scientific Name: Francolinus pondicerianus
Place: Saltpan of Tal Chappar Blackbuck Sanctuary, Churu, Rajasthan

Grey Francolins are very much common in dry, semi dry-arid landscapes of peninsular India and Pakistan. These specie was described by Rudyard Kipling as - "The creature follows its master with a rapid and pretty gait that suggests a graceful girl tripping along with a full skirt well held up. The Indian lover can pay his sweetheart no higher compliment than to say she runs like a partridge" in Kipling's book of Beast and Man in India.

During the birding trip of GoingWild at Tal Chappar Blackbuck Sanctuary in the month of February 2013, below shown photograph was taken. Like other Galliformes, they also tend to show shy characteristics; but more approachable than others. On 14th of February 2013, before spending few days at Keoladeo Ghana Wildlife Sanctuary, we spent for three full days of birding at Churu district of Rajasthan. Unlike the birds of Himalayas, birds are more cooperative here and they become active throughout the day. Thus on day one (14th February '15), as we got this beauty without spending much effort, our birding trip started smoothly.

Grey Francolin (Francolinus pondicerianus) | Tal Chappar Blackbuck Sanctuary, Churu, Rajasthan
© Dibyendu Ash @ 2013

The entire flock was consisted of 6-7 birds foraging beside the saltpan in the mid day. When we were taking photographs of Crested Lark, rapid calling started among the flock members, considering human being as threat. The sudden burst of call, drew our attention from Lark to Francolin. All the tour participants got excellent image of the specie.

Tal Chappar Blackbuck Sanctuary and adjacent area of Churu district falls under greater Thar desert area landscape. Fauna found here are endemic to this region only, through Grey Francolin is a widespread resident in India. To do birding, bird watching and bird photography in Tal Chappar, Jorbeer, Bikaneer carcass dumping ground of Rajasthan; one can get in touch with GoingWild!

Chukar Partridge

Scientific Name: Alectoris chukar pallescens

Place: Darbuk, Ladakh Range, Jammu and Kashmir, India

Chukar Partridges are dwellers of higher ridges of north-west Himalayas and Karakoram-Hindkush mountain ranges of India and Pakistan. They generally come down to comparatively lower altitudes during the winter months and move up during onset of spring-summer.


During the maiden trip of GoingWild at Ladakh in 2013, we started our journey from Manali. In this birding cum bird photography trip two participants from Karnataka and one from West Bengal joined us. The outcome of this birding and bird photography trip was 68 birds amongst which most of them are endemic to this region (only considering oriental zoogeographic region). For say, Black-necked Crane, Tibetan Sandgrouse, Tibetan Snowfinch etc. has been spotted. 

On 6th birding day, after having stomach full of breakfast, we checked out from Leh and started moving towards Tso Pangong Lake. On the way, as planned we got down from car and spent 4 fruitful birding hours. At around 7AM, a flock of Chukar partridge was seen, roosting high above 100' ft from the road where we stood. One by one every participant crawled up and photographed the national of Pakistan.

Chukar Partridge (Alectoris chukar pallescens) | 17.08.2013 | Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, India
© Dibyendu Ash @ 2013

In India, the national bird is Peacock (or Indian Peafowl) and in Pakistan, Chukar is the national bird. We were overwhelmed to photograph the beauties playing hide and seek with us in juniper bushes. Since, Galliformes are very skittish in nature, so as Chukar; thus when we photographed it, we really had some beautiful moments to cherish.

On 18th of August '15 also, we saw a flock consisting of parents with four chicks. It happen all on a sudden when we were taking images of Tibetan Snowfinch around 12:30PM of that afternoon. The flock crossed the road and our driver Nawang yelled at us - 'Chukar, sir Chukar'. By that time the flock had moved down from the road followed by a deep trench. Taking photograph of that was also challenging since all of them were against sunlight. Thus in all images we had to fight against harsh lighting condition. Still I managed to have a frame comprising of an adult Chukar with its chick.

Chukar with its chick (Just a record image) | 18.08.2013 | Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, India

© Dibyendu Ash @ 2013

Seeing a Chukar Partridge in wild is not that tough, but moments become unforgettable when one experiences something additional. Thus the sighting of Chukar Partridge with its chicks is no doubt a memory to cherish!

Ladakh region and its adjacent area - Nubra, Diskit, Hemis NP are very rich in biodiversity. To do birding, bird photography or for other lesser known mammals one can get in touch with GoingWild!

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