Uttarakhand
36 Results
Avian Percussionists: The Drumming Woodpeckers of Uttarakhand
With twenty woodpecker species, Uttarakhand stands out as one of the most woodpecker-diverse states in India. The Corbett-Rajaji landscape alone accounts for half of all woodpecker species in the country
Photo Story
Botanists and Barberies, Palms and Patwas
A group of scientists were looking for rare, endemic, and endangered plants in the Kumaon, to learn about their habitat and geographic distribution, which could also provide clues to their evolutionary origins. Sometimes, they found answers, sometimes not
Wild Vault
Admiring the Perfect Blade of Grass
An enchanting short book about a little boy and the relationship he built with nature living in Dehradun under the watchful eye of his granny. Were the seeds of Ruskin Bond’s plentiful oeuvre of inspiring nature writing planted in those early days?
Book
Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary: Climbing Upwards Through Forests, Alpine Meadows, Grasslands, and Glaciers
While much of the route to the Kedarnath Temple passes through the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary and is frequented by pilgrims, a small proportion of visitors will find the journey more interesting than the destination
Photo Story
April Showers Bring May Flowers in Munsiyari
After a ravaging ‘fire season’ from February to May, Uttarakhand's mountains anxiously wait for the spring showers. Finally, in April, spring arrives. Rains nourish the landscape — flowers bloom, fruits ripen, and wild creatures get busy to make the most of this short, but abundant season.
Video
Munsiyari’s Omnipresent Alpine Accentors and Their Love Lives
These stout little birds migrate to lower altitudes in the non-breeding season and are visible everywhere. Their breeding rituals and accompanying songs take place in the summer in the quieter higher reaches of the Himalayas
Species
Watching Vultures Around Munsiyari
Encounters with the majestic Himalayan griffon and the bone-swallowing bearded vulture in a quaint, high-altitude town in Uttarakhand
Species
Behavioural Shift: Tigers Attack Bike Riders Along Corbett
In a period of nine months, five such attacks on bikers were recorded around Corbett Tiger Reserve. Four people were killed, and one was seriously injured
Conservation
Four Fantastic Pheasants of Uttarakhand
Dazzled by encounters with the regal cheer, Himalayan monal, koklass pheasant, and kalij pheasants on a trip to Uttarakhand
Photo Story
Khaliya Top: A Bird’s-eye View of Birds
Birding at an altitude of ~3,700 m in Uttarakhand’s Munsiyari region presents a top-down perspective and a chance to consider the incredible biodiversity of the alpine zone
Wild Vault
Bejewelled: On the Trail of the Himalayan Monal in Uttarakhand
Iridescent males are striking and unmissable, while females come dressed in browns and patterns that blend seamlessly with the landscape, allowing them to evade predators by remaining inconspicuous
Species
Sattal is a Paradise for Birders, But What About the Birds?
A morning walk on the lovely trails near Sattal is a wonderful way to spend time in the company of different birds. Let’s keep the experience as natural and ethical as possible
Wild Vault
The Guide: Walking Trails in Pawalgarh Conservation Reserve
Pawalgarh Conservation Reserve offers visitors a rare opportunity to take long, meandering walks through an enchanting sal forest
Travel
Enchanted Forest: Ode to the Old Sal Community
A sal tree never lives alone. It grows with many of its kind to create contiguous forests across hundreds of kilometres, nurturing everything that falls within its care
Wild Vault
Wildlife Puzzle: Woodpecker
Put together this jigsaw to see a beautiful brown fronted woodpecker chasing a rufous sibia in Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary
Interactive
Bird Housing: Rumblings in the Old Poplar Apartment Block
An unlikely tree on the edge of a sanctuary is a residential complex for numerous birds, and the scene for how survival in the wild is a mix of cooperation, conflict, and competition
Wild Vault
Serial Drillers: Great Slaty Woodpeckers as Community Cavity Creators
Woodpeckers regularly construct tree cavities of all sizes. These become potential dwellings for a diverse set of creatures from bees to birds, mammals, and reptiles
Habitat
Himalayan Monal: Facts, Habitat, Lifespan
All you need to know about the state bird of Uttarakhand
Infographic
Chaurs: The Wild and Wonderful Grasslands of Corbett
The rolling grasslands at the heart of Jim Corbett National Park are a grazing ground for some, and a hunting ground for others. They form only 10 per cent of the forest but are vital to its survival
Video
Grandala: Facts, Appearance, Diet
All you need to know about the royal-blue, gregarious bird
Infographic
Flash in the Forest: Mysterious World of the Yellow-throated Marten
Swift, agile, and fierce, these weasel-like creatures will prey on snakes, birds, and even bee-hives
Photo Story
Winged Wonders of Uttarakhand
Five species of critically endangered birds and more than 50 per cent of the country’s bird species inhabit the dynamic habitat of this hilly state
Photo Story
When the King Doesn’t Strike
Capable of immense restraint, the world's longest venomous snake is way more intelligent than we think
Book
The Butterfly Effect: Peter Smetacek and his Hill Cocoon
Peter Smetacek could identify butterflies before he could read. Today, the expert has turned his home into a butterfly museum and research centre for those who wish to soak in their wonder
Hero
The Giving Tree: A Mighty Oak Ecosystem
How a gnarly, shabby, knotty old oak provides food and protection to a huge host of creatures
Photo Story
Save Thano: Dehradun’s Green Lung
Sanjay Sondhi, a naturalist and resident of Dehradun, spells out why citizens are against the move to destroy the Thano
forest
Multimedia
Why Woodpeckers Peck the Largest Trees
According to a study conducted in Uttarakhand, woodpeckers prefer to forage on large trees which offer more food. Removal of large trees could affect their numbers
Wild Vault
Tea Time with My Friend the Rock Agama
If you’re near a forested rocky area in the lower elevations of the Himalayas, look out for a variety of agamid lizards
Wild Vault
In Search of a Panacea: Herb Collection in the Himalayas
Himalayan medicinal plants and herbs play an important role in the ecosystem, and in the lives of the humans and animals that live in the region
Wild Vault
Giant Powerhouses: Secrets of the Himalayan Oak Forests
The banj oak forest occupies but a narrow swathe of the Western Himalayas, but it is highly valued for the variety of creatures it supports, and the multifaceted benefits it brings human residents of the region
Habitat
Cheer Pheasant Clears the Air on Uttarakhand Fires
Cartoons and illustrations on wildlife, environment, and conservation
Green Humour
Insuring Frontline Forest Staff: An Idea Whose Time Has Come
Deep in colonial-era archives, multiple strands of information emerge to piece together a fascinating story of The Canning Fund. That ninety-year-old insurance policy is surely something we need today
Hero
When Elephants Rage
A provoked, charging elephant may please popping cameras, but distresses the otherwise peaceful animal. They deserve the land, space and privacy they need
Species
Growing Older, and Wiser, With a Cherry Tree
A cherry tree that Rakesh planted as a child, grows tall and broad, welcoming a whole new world of birds and bees in his backyard, writes Ruskin Bond, in a heartwarming story from the chilly Himalayas
Book
On a Wing: Titli Utsavs in Uttarakhand
Butterfly and moth festivals in Uttarakhand open up new vistas for nature lovers and encourage the appreciation and conservation of lesser-known species
Wild Vault
Jabarkhet Nature Reserve: A Forest Returns Home
Until 2O13, the private reserve suffered from unchecked tree logging and growth of invasive weeds. A little love, and conservation has revived an entire thriving eco-system
Travel