Sattal Birding Trip – October 2025
From quiet Himalayan forests and mountain streams to pheasants, owls, woodpeckers and forktails, our five-day Sattal birding journey offered four first-time visitors from Mumbai a wonderful introduction to the birds of the Kumaon Himalayas.
A First Birding Journey to Sattal
In October 2025, I led a small group of four participants from Mumbai, including Anagha Ratanparakhi and Smit Kulkarni, on their first birding visit to Sattal.
We were accompanied in the field by our local naturalist and stayed at a nature resort close to the forest, giving us easy access to the surrounding birding areas.
Over five days, from 23 to 27 October, we explored the forests and mountain streams around Sattal and also included one dedicated bird photography hide session. By the end of the journey, we had recorded 76 species across five eBird checklists.
Birding in the Forests of Sattal
One of the things I enjoy most about Sattal is the variety of birds that can be found within a relatively compact landscape. The forests can appear quiet at first, but once bird activity begins, a single patch can suddenly produce several species.
For our group, visiting Sattal for the first time meant there was something new to discover during almost every session.
Among the forest birds recorded were Common Green-Magpie, Red-billed Blue-Magpie, Eurasian Jay, Black-headed Jay, Scarlet Minivet and Maroon Oriole. The smaller birds included Yellow-browed Tit, Coal Tit, Green-backed Tit, Himalayan Black-lored Tit, Black-throated Tit and several warblers.
Mixed flocks are particularly enjoyable here. Sometimes the forest remains silent for quite a while and then suddenly comes alive as tits, warblers, minlas, sibias and other birds move through the vegetation together.
Pheasants of the Kumaon Hills
Pheasants are always special birds to encounter in the Himalayas, and we recorded both Koklass Pheasant and Kalij Pheasant during this journey.
The Koklass was particularly significant, while Kalij Pheasants were encountered more regularly, with 13 individuals recorded across three of our checklists.
Finding Himalayan pheasants is rarely just about covering more ground. Understanding their habitat, knowing where they are likely to move and being in the right place at the right time can make a considerable difference. It is also where the knowledge of a good local naturalist becomes extremely valuable.
Owls of Sattal
Owls were another highlight of our five days.
We recorded Collared Scops-Owl, Brown Fish-Owl and Tawny Fish-Owl, with Tawny Fish-Owl appearing on two of our checklists.
These secretive birds are never something I take for granted. Even after years of birding, finding an owl sitting quietly within the forest remains a special experience.
For first-time visitors to Sattal, encounters like these also demonstrate why local field knowledge is so important. Often the bird is there, but knowing where and how to look makes all the difference.
An Excellent Variety of Woodpeckers
Woodpeckers were particularly well represented during the trip.
We recorded Brown-fronted Woodpecker, Rufous-bellied Woodpecker, Greater Flameback, Lesser Yellownape, Gray-headed Woodpecker and Greater Yellownape, giving us six woodpecker species during the five-day journey.
For me, this variety is one of the attractions of birding around Sattal. Changes in forest type, elevation and vegetation create opportunities for different species, and carefully working these habitats can be very rewarding.
Birding Along the Mountain Streams
The mountain streams provide a completely different birding experience from the forest.
We recorded Brown Dipper, Spotted Forktail and Slaty-backed Forktail, together with Blue Whistling-Thrush, Plumbeous Redstart and White-capped Redstart. Common Kingfisher and Crested Kingfisher were also part of our trip list.
Forktails are among my favourite birds to look for along Himalayan streams. They blend surprisingly well with rocks, shadows and moving water, and sometimes the best approach is simply to find a promising stretch and watch quietly.
For photographers, stream birding presents its own challenges. Light can be limited and backgrounds complicated, so positioning yourself correctly and understanding where the bird is likely to move can be as important as the sighting itself.
Laughingthrushes and Other Himalayan Forest Birds
The journey also produced an excellent selection of Sattal’s smaller forest birds.
We recorded Striated, Streaked, White-crested, Rufous-chinned and White-throated Laughingthrushes, along with Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-Babbler, Rufous Sibia, Blue-winged Minla, Red-billed Leiothrix and Whiskered Yuhina.
White-tailed and Chestnut-bellied Nuthatches, Bar-tailed Treecreeper, Small Niltava, Slaty-blue Flycatcher, Black-throated Sunbird and Green-tailed Sunbird added further variety.
These may not always be the headline species of a Himalayan birding trip, but collectively they are what make a day in Sattal’s forests so enjoyable.
A Session in the Bird Photography Hide
We also included one dedicated hide session during the journey.
Hide photography provides a different experience from walking through the forest. Instead of continuously searching for birds, we remain quietly in one place and wait for birds to approach.
For photographers, this provides time to think about light, background, composition and behaviour rather than concentrating only on finding the bird.
I prefer using hides as one part of a Sattal itinerary rather than making them the entire birding experience. Combining a hide session with regular field birding gives us photographic opportunities while still allowing us to explore different habitats and search for a much wider variety of birds.
Reflections from Sattal
What made this journey particularly enjoyable for me was introducing four first-time visitors to Sattal.
During five days we explored forests and mountain streams, searched for pheasants and owls, followed mixed flocks and spent time photographing birds from a hide. Our final list of 76 species included Koklass and Kalij Pheasants, three owl species, six woodpeckers, five laughingthrushes and some of the characteristic stream birds of the Himalayas.
But Sattal is not really a destination that should be judged only by the final number of species.
The pleasure lies in working the forest slowly, listening for calls, following a mixed flock or waiting beside a mountain stream. Some sessions can be quiet, while at other times the forest suddenly becomes full of activity.
For our group from Mumbai, it was their first experience of birding in Sattal. For me, it was another reminder of why these forests remain such a rewarding place to return to.
Complete Bird Checklist
During our five-day Sattal birding trip, we recorded 76 species across five eBird checklists.
The records included pheasants, owls, six species of woodpeckers, laughingthrushes, Brown Dipper, Spotted and Slaty-backed Forktails and a wide variety of Himalayan forest birds.
For the complete bird count, species list and observations recorded during this tour, view our official eBird Trip Report.
View Complete eBird Trip Report →
Journey Summary
Tour Dates
23–27 October 2025
Destination
Sattal, Uttarakhand
Duration
5 Days
Habitats Covered
Himalayan mixed forest, wooded slopes and mountain stream habitats.
Key Highlights
Koklass Pheasant, Kalij Pheasant, Brown Fish-Owl, Tawny Fish-Owl, Collared Scops-Owl, Brown-fronted Woodpecker, Rufous-bellied Woodpecker, Greater Yellownape, Common Green-Magpie, Brown Dipper, Spotted Forktail and Slaty-backed Forktail.
Trip Experience
Forest birding, stream birding and one dedicated bird photography hide session.
Expedition Led By
Manmohan Uniyal, accompanied by a local naturalist.
Join Our Next Sattal Birding Tour
Sattal is an excellent introduction to Himalayan birding, but it is equally rewarding for experienced birdwatchers and photographers returning in search of particular species.
At World of Wild, we plan our Sattal journeys according to the interests of the people travelling with us. For birdwatchers, this can mean spending more time exploring different habitats and searching for a wider range of species. For photographers, we can combine field birding with carefully selected hide sessions and opportunities where light, backgrounds and bird behaviour are considered alongside the sighting itself.
Sattal can also be combined with nearby birding areas such as Pangot, Ranikhet, Kaladhungi and Manila, allowing us to cover different elevations and habitats across the Kumaon Himalayas.
Explore our dedicated Sattal page to plan your own Himalayan birding journey with World of Wild.
