In Search of the Forest Owlet: Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary Tour
In Search of the Forest Owlet: Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary Tour
Date: 18th January Location: Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharashtra
Every year during the peak winter months of January and February, Jungle Buddies Tours hosts highly specialised birdwatching walks at the famous Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary. Located on the outskirts of Mumbai, this protected sanctuary is an absolute hotspot for observing tropical deciduous forest species that are otherwise incredibly difficult to find in the region.
Tansa is a legendary location for birders looking to add some highly coveted species to their checklist. Our primary targets for this mid-January walk included the Forest Owlet (One of the rarest and most elusive owls in India), the White-naped Woodpecker and the Malabar Trogon
We kicked off our walk on the 18th of January. While the early morning started off pleasantly cool—typical for a winter birding session—we noticed a stark change in the weather patterns compared to previous Januaries. By 9:00 AM, the temperature spiked, making it an unusually hot and demanding morning on the trail.
Despite the rising heat, the birding activity continued to be fantastic, and our group remained focused on our ultimate prize: the elusive Forest Owlet.
Tracking down a Forest Owlet requires extreme patience. After scanning the canopy and searching the deep forest for more than an hour, our persistence finally paid off. We managed to spot a beautiful Forest Owlet!
Our participants were absolutely thrilled, taking their time to enjoy clear views of the bird. For the travellers in our group, this was a massive “Lifer” (the first time seeing a species in their lifetime), making the entire trek instantly worth the effort.
Riding high on our successful sighting, we decided to explore another nearby spot where a different Forest Owlet had been seen a few months prior. Our goal was to see if we could score a rare double-sighting on the very same day.
Unfortunately, we had no luck at the second location. By this time, the weather conditions had become genuinely harsh and draining. Prioritising the comfort and safety of our group, we made the call to skip the remainder of the afternoon session and head back home.
Overall, the tour was an incredible success. Battling the unseasonal heat was a small price to pay for the joy of helping our travellers score a Forest Owlet lifer!