Best Nature Bird Photography: Wetlands & Tiger Forests

This page is a small collection of the bird photographs we like best. They come from wetlands, grasslands, dry hills and tiger forests across India. None of them is a perfect picture. Each one is a morning we remember: the cold air, the quiet, the moment a bird did something and we were lucky enough to be ready.

Under each group, I have written a little about the place and the birds. If a photo makes you want to know more, there is a full story linked beside it.

An Asian openbill stork lifting off over the water at Jawai with wings fully raised — An Asian openbill stork lifts off at Jawai. The wings are at the very top of the stroke.

Waders and storks

If you are new to birdwatching, start at a wetland. The birds stand in open water, the background is simple, and the reflections do half the work for you. Many of them are big, slow and patient, which is a gift when you are learning.

At Jawai, the Asian openbill stork has a bill with a gap even when it is closed. That gap helps it pull snails out of their shells. At Tadoba, in the breeding season, hundreds of openbills can nest in one tall tree. The great egret is another patient hunter. It stands perfectly still, then strikes at a fish in an instant.

A great egret standing in still green water at Tadoba — A great egret at Tadoba. It stood like a statue until the fish came close.

A cattle egret in buff breeding plumage feeding at the water edge at Jawai — A cattle egret in golden breeding plumage at Jawai. Its colours change in the breeding season.

A lesser adjutant stork lifting off from the treetops at Tadoba — A lesser adjutant stork at Tadoba. It is one of the biggest storks in India, with a wingspan of nearly 2.5 metres.

More on these: Birds of Bhigwan, Birds of Tadoba and the Asian openbill stork at Tadoba.

Painted storks standing in shallow water at Bhigwan — Painted storks at Bhigwan, standing in the shallows in the soft morning light.

Small birds, up close

Small birds teach you patience. A bluethroat may sit on the same rock for ten minutes, and that gives you time to read the light and fix the background. A pied kingfisher will return to the same bare branch again and again, if you wait quietly.

A male bluethroat perched on a rock among reeds at Bhigwan — A male bluethroat at Bhigwan. It is a winter visitor and easy to miss, but a joy to find.

A pied kingfisher perched on a bare branch over water at Jawai — A pied kingfisher at Jawai. It is a master fisher that hovers, then dives.

A red-wattled lapwing standing on gravel at Jawai — A red-wattled lapwing at Jawai. We lay down low for this one, so the bird looks us in the eye.

A cattle egret perched on a rope at Palande Beach, Dapoli — A cattle egret on a rope at Palande Beach, Dapoli. Birds do not always pose in the wild. Sometimes they choose a fishing boat.

More on these: the bluethroat at Bhigwan and the red-wattled lapwing.

Eagles and owls

Raptors sit high and watch. The photographs that work are the ones where the bird is sharp and the sky does not spoil the exposure. A bright grey sky behind a dark bird fools the camera, so we raise the exposure until we can see the feathers.

A short-toed snake eagle perched on an acacia at Bhigwan — A short-toed snake eagle at Bhigwan. It sat still on a high perch and watched the ground.

A changeable hawk-eagle, crestless morph, on a forest branch — A changeable hawk-eagle, crestless morph. It is called changeable because its plumage varies a lot from bird to bird.

A spotted owlet looking out from a rock crevice at Bhigwan — A spotted owlet at Bhigwan, looking right back at us from its crevice.

Eagles and owls are some of the most rewarding birds to find. Read the Bonelli’s eagle at Bhigwan and Bhigwan Bird Sanctuary: Best Time to Visit.

Birds of Bandhavgarh

Between tiger sightings, Bandhavgarh is full of birds. More than 250 species live in the park. The lapwing shouts, the peafowl dances, and the storks stand like statues at the edge of the water. Our full list is in Bird Watching at Bandhavgarh.

A red-wattled lapwing standing in dry grass at Bandhavgarh — A red-wattled lapwing at Bandhavgarh. In Hindi it is called Titihari.

A woolly-necked stork standing on a log beside water at Bandhavgarh — A woolly-necked stork on a log beside the water.

An Indian peacock displaying on a forest track at Bandhavgarh — A peacock displaying on a forest track. The shaking of the fan makes a sound we cannot hear.

Learn more about this bird in Peacock vs Peahen.

How we take these photographs

People often ask how we get close. The honest answer is that we usually do not. We sit still, we stay quiet, and we let the bird come to us. A few things help:

We go early. The first two hours after sunrise give soft light and active birds.
We wear dull colours and move slowly.
We use a long lens, so we can stay far away.
We shoot at a fast shutter speed, at least 1/1000 for a perched bird.
We never use flash, never play recorded calls and never go near a nest.

If you want to try it yourself, read Bird Photography for Beginners.

Want to see these places yourself?

Here are the guides we wrote for each place and season:

And if you are ready for bigger animals, see Tiger Photography in India.