Dehing Patkai National Park: A Paradise for Birders

Dehing Patkai National Park is located in the coal and oil rich districts of Dibrugarh and Tinsukia of Assam. Spreading in an area of 231.65 km² of rainforest, this is the 6^th National Park of Assam. Dehing Patkai is very much popular among the nature enthusiasts for its rich biodiversity and flora and fauna. On 9^th June, 2021 the erstwhile Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary has been officially notified as a National Park by the Government of Assam. Presently the Dehing Patkai National Park harbors the largest stretch of lowland rainforest in India.

Fauna

Dehing Patkai National Park is the home to various endangered species of fauna. Nearly 50 mammal species are recorded in this National Park which includes Asian Elephant, Slow loris, Assamese Macaque, Stamp-tailed Macaque, Hoolock gibbon, Yellow-throated martin, Rhesus macaque, Capped langur, Indian leopard, Barking deer, Red giant flying squirrel, Chinese pangolin, Leopard cat etc.

Avifauna

Dehing Patkai National Park is a hotspot for the birdwatchers of the world. This national park is the habitat of 293 recorded bird species. Most of them are resident and some are winter migrant and very few are summer visitors. Some bird species found in the Dehing Patkai National Park are White-winged duck, Kalij pheasant, Pale-capped pigeon, White-cheeked partridge, Great hornbill, Brown hornbill, Grey peacock pheasant, Pied falconet, Crested serpent eagle, Sultan tit, Rufous-throated fulvetta, Black-backed dwarf kingfisher, Rufous woodpecker, Western hooded pitta, Velvet-fronted nuthatch, Oriental scoops owl, Green imperial pigeon, Streaked wren babbler, Oriental bay ow, Red headed trogon, Black-napped monarch, Mountain tailorbird, Grey-lored broadbill etc.

Flora

Being a National Park, there are abundance of diverse flora species in Dehing Patkai which includes Hollong, Mekai, Dhuna, Chamkothal, Ou-tenga (Elephant apple), Uriam, Nahor, Hollock etc. The National Park is also home to various species of ferns, bananas, orchids, arums, climbers and lianas.

Getting there

By air

Dibrugarh airport is the nearest airport to the Dehing Patkai National Park which is almost 103 km away from the park. It takes 3-4 hours drive from the airport to the park entry gate. Local taxis are easily available from the airport to the park. Regular flights are available from all the major airports of India to Dibrugarh.

By train

New Tinsukia Junction and Dibrugarh are the two nearest railway stations of Dehing Patkai National Park. Hired taxis are available from both the railway stations to the entry gate of the National Park.

By road

Dehing Patkai is well connected by road via NH315 and NH215 from both the district headquarters of Dibrugarh and Tinsukia.

Stay

There are forest guest houses managed by the Forest Department of Assam. Moreover, there are lot of privately run guest houses in all the three ranges of the park, Jaypore, Soraipung and Digboi.

Best time to visit

November to April is the best time to visit the Dehing Patkai National Park. During this period the winter migratory birds visit the park. In Marh – April most of the bird species start their breeding activities and hence they become more vocal and active. Therefore this is the ideal time for the birdwatchers.

Birdwatching

Dehing Patkai National Park is a center of attraction of birders and birdwatchers. Some rare and elusive species of birds are seen in the dense rainforest of Dehing Patkai. White-winged duck, the state bird of Assam is also found in the National Park. As per the Red List published by the IUCN, this is an endangered species with an estimated global population of 800 individuals. Apart from that another star species of bird is the Grey-peacock pheasant. Birders from all over the world come to have a glimpse of this very elusive bird species.

Nearby places

Moreover, the Maguri Beel (‘catfish lake’ in Assamese) is also a famous birding hotspot which is at a distance of around 35 km from the Dehing Patkai National Park. Thousands of migratory birds including Mandarin Duck visit this wetland in every winter.

For more wildlife related contents click HERE