Birding in North East: A unique experience
North-Eastern part of India is one of the captivating places of of the world, consisting of mountains, hills, rainforests, rivers and rivulets, lakes and jungles and this region has one of the highest density of biodiversity found anywhere in the world. The area is blessed with a varied topography and the extreme precipitation in northeast India has supported the abundance of bird species in the region. The region consist of states namely, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh Mizoram and Sikkim and shares international border of 5182 KMs with the countries of China, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar The region is well connected with the rest of the world with good communication facilities.
Reaching Here
The primary entry point for north-eastern India is the state of Assam, also known as “The gateway of North East”. Please note that entry into the state of Arunachal Pradesh requires a protected area permit (PAP) for foreign nationals and inner line permits (ILP) for Indian nationals.
By Air
Helicopter service is also operational connecting Guwahati in Assam, Shillong and Tura in Meghalaya and Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh.
By Train
By Road
Climate and Temperature
Northeast India has a subtropical climate which is mostly influenced by the southwest and northeast monsoons. Normally, temperatures in the hilly and mountainous areas are generally lower than the plains which lie at a lower altitude. Summer temperature is uniform than winter temperatures due to high cloud cover.
Rainfall
The southwest monsoon is responsible for most of the annual rainfall in the region. Generally, April to first week of October are the months where most of the rainfall in Northeast India occurs with June and July till mid of August witnessing heavy rainfall. The weather from mid of September to mid of November remains pleasant and from of mid of November to the first half of February remains colder with minimum temperature fluctuates between 14 to 16 degrees.
Cuisine
North-East Indian Cuisine constitute an exotic blend of delicious dishes with regional differences. The cuisine of North-East are more inclined towards non vegetarian dishes, and steamed and non spicy food is preferred .Different tribal communities has their own unique traditional food culture and cuisines.
Clothing
Woollen in winter and light cotton wear would be suitable in Summer. Equipped with rain covers/umbrellas, water proof trekking/hiking shoes, torch lights and woollen caps, gloves, warm socks and thermal inner wear for the winters is advisable.