Latpanchar & Darjeeling Birding Trip – May 2024
A five-day birding and photography journey through Latpanchar and the Darjeeling hills, exploring forest trails, streams and hides from Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary to Senchal and Ghoom.
From Bagdogra into the Darjeeling Hills
In May 2024, I travelled with a small group of four participants for a five-day birding and bird photography journey through Latpanchar and the surrounding forests of the Darjeeling hills.
We started from Bagdogra and travelled into the hills, using Latpanchar as our main base. We stayed in a comfortable eco-stay surrounded by the mountain landscape, which gave us convenient access to several different birding areas.
Rather than concentrating only on Latpanchar, we explored a wider circuit covering Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary around Rongtong and Shivakhola Forest, Latpanchar Stream Area, Mahaldiram Road, Ghoom Forest and Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary.
Our birding and photography was mostly done on forest trails and along quiet roads, with selected hide sessions in Latpanchar and the Darjeeling area.
Across the five days, we recorded 51 bird species on six eBird checklists.
Birding Around Latpanchar
Latpanchar formed the centre of our journey.
The surrounding forests provide a good mixture of roadside and trail-based birding, while the stream area adds another habitat to explore. Much of our time was spent moving slowly through these areas, listening for bird activity and stopping whenever we encountered productive stretches of forest.
This style of birding also works particularly well for photography. Instead of simply moving continuously in search of a longer checklist, we could spend more time with a bird when the light, position and background offered a worthwhile photographic opportunity.
Among the birds recorded during the journey were Red-headed Trogon, Long-tailed Broadbill, Golden-throated Barbet, Blue-throated Barbet and Great Barbet.
The Red-headed Trogon was particularly memorable. It is one of those forest birds whose colours can look remarkably different depending on whether it is sitting deep in shade or where a little light reaches through the canopy.
Hornbills of the Lower Forests
Hornbills were another important part of the journey.
Our checklist included Great Hornbill, Oriental Pied-Hornbill and Rufous-necked Hornbill.
Finding three hornbill species during a relatively short journey demonstrated the value of covering different forest areas rather than restricting ourselves to a single birding location.
The lower forests around the Mahananda landscape, including Rongtong and Shivakhola, added an important contrast to the higher areas we explored during the trip.
From Mahaldiram to Ghoom and Senchal
As we explored the higher parts of the Darjeeling hills, the habitat and bird community changed.
Our route included Mahaldiram Road, Ghoom Forest and the general area of Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary. These higher forest areas complemented the birding around Latpanchar and Mahananda.
This was also where our approach of combining driving with walking became useful. We could cover stretches of mountain road looking and listening for activity, then continue on foot when we found a productive area.
Birds recorded during the overall journey included Sultan Tit, Green-backed Tit, Black-throated Tit, Black-throated Parrotbill, Whiskered Yuhina and Streak-breasted Scimitar-Babbler.
Laughingthrushes and Forest Birds
The Darjeeling hills produced an interesting collection of laughingthrushes and other understorey birds.
We recorded Scaly Laughingthrush, Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush, Rufous-necked Laughingthrush, White-throated Laughingthrush and Gray-sided Laughingthrush during the trip.
Other forest birds included Rufous-winged Fulvetta, Rufous Sibia, Chestnut-tailed Minla, Red-tailed Minla and Red-billed Leiothrix.
These species often require a slower style of birding. Calls can reveal activity before the birds themselves become visible, and spending a little longer in a productive patch of forest is often more rewarding than constantly moving to another location.
Raptors and Birds of the Canopy
The journey also produced some interesting birds overhead and in the forest canopy.
We recorded both Jerdon’s Baza and Black Baza, along with Chestnut-winged Cuckoo and Mountain Imperial-Pigeon.
These sightings are another reason I prefer combining several habitats and elevations during a birding journey in this region. Different forest structures create opportunities for very different groups of birds, even when the locations are not very far apart geographically.
Bird Photography on Trails and from Hides
Photography was an important part of this journey.
Most of our photography was done naturally while birding on the trails and roads around Latpanchar and Darjeeling. When we found a cooperative bird, we could work on our position, background and light rather than simply taking a record photograph and moving on.
We also spent time using bird photography hides.
Hides provide a different type of opportunity from field birding. They allow us to remain stationary and photograph birds that come into a controlled area, often giving more time to think about composition, backgrounds and camera settings.
For me, the two approaches complement each other. Trail birding gives us the unpredictability and excitement of finding birds in their natural habitat, while a hide can provide more controlled photographic opportunities.
Five Days Across the Darjeeling Hills
What stood out from this journey was the variety we could experience while keeping Latpanchar as our main base.
Within five days, we birded the forests around Rongtong and Shivakhola, explored the stream area at Latpanchar, worked the forests along Mahaldiram Road and travelled higher towards Ghoom and Senchal.
The trip produced colourful forest birds such as Red-headed Trogon and Long-tailed Broadbill, three species of hornbills, interesting raptors including Black Baza and Jerdon’s Baza, and a good selection of laughingthrushes and other Himalayan forest birds.
For photographers, combining trails with selected hide sessions also gave us two very different ways of working with birds.
That combination of different elevations, forest habitats and birding styles is what makes the Latpanchar–Darjeeling region particularly enjoyable for a short Himalayan birding journey.
Complete Bird Checklist
During our five-day Latpanchar and Darjeeling birding trip, we recorded 51 bird species across six eBird checklists.
Highlights included Red-headed Trogon, Rufous-necked Hornbill, Great Hornbill, Long-tailed Broadbill, Black Baza, Jerdon’s Baza, Black-throated Parrotbill, Scaly Laughingthrush and Gray-sided Laughingthrush.
For the complete species list, counts and individual observations:
View Complete eBird Trip Report →
You can link that text directly to your live eBird Trip Report. I won’t put any PDF link in the article.
Journey Summary
Tour Dates: 16–20 May 2024
Duration: 5 Days
Group Size: 4 participants
Starting Point: Bagdogra
Base: Latpanchar, Darjeeling Hills, West Bengal
Areas Explored: Latpanchar Stream Area, Mahaldiram Road, Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary – Rongtong & Shivakhola Forest, Ghoom Forest and Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary
Birding Style: Forest trails, roadside birding, stream-side birding and bird photography hides
Stay: Eco-stay in Latpanchar
Habitats Covered: Himalayan forest, lower-elevation forest, mountain streams and montane forest
Key Highlights: Red-headed Trogon, Rufous-necked Hornbill, Great Hornbill, Long-tailed Broadbill, Black Baza, Jerdon’s Baza, Black-throated Parrotbill and several laughingthrush species
Expedition Led By: Manmohan Uniyal
Explore Birding in Latpanchar
Latpanchar can be a rewarding base for exploring several birding habitats across the Darjeeling hills, from the lower forests around Mahananda to the higher forests towards Ghoom and Senchal.
Our Latpanchar birding journeys can combine trails, different elevations and photography hides depending on the interests of the group.
