Eurasian Hoopoe - Kabini & in forests all across Central and South India

My love for the jungles and its inhabitants started when I was about knee high, perched on my grandfathers (a shikari himself) lap as he taught me jungle lore and narrated the exploits of Jim Corbett. Over the years that love has gradually grown and when my brain needs a refresh, I reach out to the jungle. I first knew the leopard in Rudraprayag from the stories my grandfather narrated as 'Carpet Sahib' tracked and finally brought it down. From then to now I have spent a lot of time traversing the jungles of India and have come across the beautiful wildlife that inhabit these lush forests. Interestingly, the other author from my childhood was the Bangalore based, India-born British hunter & writer, Kenneth Anderson, who combed these very same jungles hunting & photographing wildlife.

In the lush Nilgiri Biosphere, to the south of the famed Nagarhole Tiger Reserve & National Park, on the banks of the river Kasbani lies the area known as Kabini. A major tributary of the Cauvery, the Kasbani is also known as the Kapila river and Kabini River giving the area its name. Consisting mainly of moist deciduous forests, interspersed with teak and eucalyptus plantations, and at a lower altitude compared to Bandipur across the river, Kabini is sprinkled with open grasslands, making it easy to spot wildlife, and providing amazing photographic opportunities.

So when I started to make the video on the Hoopoe I had to include snippets from the emerald jungles of Kabini. The following video is only a partial glimpse into some of the exquisite wildlife the lush forests of Kabini shelter (the same is true of all other jungles across the Indian Subcontinent).

The more time you spend in these jungles the more in love with it you fall. The light is lustrous in the open spaces and seems undistllled from heaven to earth seeming like a laser show at times as gem clear beams filter through the trees. But these forests aren’t the only place I have encountered the hoopoe. The Eurasian hoopoe is common in its range not only across India but also its global range and has a large population. Therefore it is evaluated as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Click on the links below to view and read about the wildlife of the various sanctuaries where I have also encountered the hoopoe. 

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Some of the species I have discussed/ mentioned in this video:

1. Kabini: https://wildart.works/search?q=Kabini
2. Chital: https://wildart.works/behindthelens/c...
3. Gaur: https://wildart.works/behindthelens/gaur
4. Peacock: https://wildart.works/behindthelens/p...
5. Changeable Hawk-Eagle/ Crested Hawk-Eagle: https://wildart.works/behindthelens/c...
6. Dhole: https://wildart.works/behindthelens/d...
7. Leopards - This is only about the famed Cleopatra from Kabini: https://wildart.works/behindthelens/c...
7a: For other Leopards: https://wildart.works/search?q=Leopard
8. Tiger Families of Kabini: https://wildart.works/behindthelens/t...
9. For Tigers from other locations: https://wildart.works/tiger

and finally to read about the Eurasian Hoopoe and view its photos refer below.
10. Eurasian Hoopoe: Read more on: https://wildart.works/behindthelens/e...

📔 Species Directory: https://wildart.works/species-directory

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