India - south:

Endemics of the Andaman Islands

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A 5-day small group birding tour focusing on the impressive number of endemics of the idyllic Andaman and Nicobar archipelago readily available on the easily accessible island of South Andaman.

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Swathed in tropical forest, the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago is made up of more than 500 remote islands, part of a submarine mountain range extending from Myanmar to Sumatra that divides the Bay of Bengal from the Andaman Sea.  The considerable number of endemic species they hold have evolved here out of sheer isolation, and with only very few islands inhabited they are afforded considerable protection due to inaccessibility and the extensive cover of natural vegetation. Our tour is an enjoyable exploration of South Andaman, the third largest island in the Andaman and Nicobar chain. On South Andaman, we will focus on the 21 of 30 Andaman and Nicobar endemics and near-endemics available in the coastal rainforests and mangroves of this tropical island paradise, including the imaginatively named Andaman Crake, Andaman Teal, Andaman Woodpecker and Andaman Boobook. These islands still retain affinities to Myanmar, to which they are geographically close and were once connected, and among the rich and varied avifauna we’ll also find an interesting mix of species, such as Mangrove Whistler and Asian Glossy Starling, more commonly associated with Southeast Asia than India.

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This short tour can be linked with India - south: The Western Ghats and/or Sri Lanka: Endemic Birds and Mammals to create a comprehensive itinerary covering the regional specialities of the southern portion of the Indian subcontinent.

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