Bird Walk at Choral, Indore

About Choral

About 40 km south of Indore, beyond Mhow, the Choral River winds through the rugged edge of the Vindhya hills towards the Narmada valley. Around Choral Dam, the landscape changes from city farmland to wild country. Dry deciduous forest of teak, palash, khair and bamboo covers the slopes, cut by rocky ravines, seasonal streams and the wide reservoir. Grassy clearings and village fields fill the gaps. Nilgai, jackals, wild boar, langurs and sometimes leopards roam these forests, and after the monsoon the hills turn lush green, with waterfalls tumbling down the ghats.

For birders, Choral is one of Indore’s best forest birding spots. Painted Francolins call from the grassy slopes, and flamebacks, minivets and parakeets fill the teak canopy. Babblers, tailorbirds and white-eyes keep the undergrowth busy, and the reservoir and streams add kingfishers and waterbirds. The forest, however, is under pressure. Weekend crowds, vehicles and litter around the dam disturb wildlife, and illegal tree-cutting, grazing and dry-season fires thin the forest. Expanding farms, resorts and new road and rail projects through the ghats are breaking up the habitat. Protecting the forest cover, controlling fires and managing tourism responsibly will help keep Choral’s hills alive with birds.

Bird walk Location

Common birds of Choral

Choral’s grassy slopes ring at dawn with the loud call of the Painted Francolin, a richly spotted gamebird found only in central and peninsular India. In the teak canopy, the big Alexandrine Parakeet, with its maroon shoulder patch and heavy red bill, flies alongside the smaller Rose-ringed Parakeet. The Black-rumped Flameback drums on old trunks, and flocks of Small Minivets flash orange and grey through the leaves. Indian Gray Hornbills fly from tree to tree in pairs, looking for figs. The Common Iora whistles from the treetops, and flocks of Indian White-eyes move busily through the branches. Large Gray Babblers forage in chattering groups, and the Common Tailorbird calls loudly from the bushes. On the open ground, the Indian Robin cocks its tail, while Purple Sunbirds visit flowering shrubs. Asian Green Bee-eaters swoop after insects, and the White-throated Kingfisher flashes blue along the streams. Black Drongos watch from their perches, Red-vented Bulbuls chatter, and Red-wattled Lapwings keep watch near the water. The Greater Coucal booms from thick cover, Laughing Doves feed along the paths, and Indian Peafowl call across the valley.