The beautiful and remote biodiversity hotspot of Eagle’s Nest Wildlife Sanctuary is among India’s greatest wildlife sites. The recently discovered Bugun liocichla shares the spotlight alongside the Red Panda and Blyth’s Tragopan.
Eagle’s Nest Wildlife Sanctuary (often known simply as Eaglenest) is a protected area in the Himalayan foothills in the northeast Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. It is a perfect choice for those looking for somewhere off the beaten track, or for spotting some rare mammals and birds. Decades ago, an Indian Army regiment known as Red Eagle Division was stationed here. It has long departed, but the name has stuck.
Eagle’s Nest is relatively easy to access, has excellent forest cover and a wide altitudinal range, which makes it unique among the nature reserves of North East India. It is a fine site for mammals, with a chance to spot Tiger, Clouded Leopard, Red Panda, Gaur, Capped Langur and the recently described Arunachal macaque. Birders will relish the chance to spot Blyth’s and Temminck’s Tragopans and the lovely, recently discovered Bugun liocichla.
Eagle’s Nest is one of the world’s finest birding sites, with a long list of special bird species to spot. It is perhaps the only site to spot the recently discovered Bugun liocichla. The bird is named after the Bugun people who inhabit the region.
Other sought-after species include Ward’s trogon, Mrs Gould’s sunbird, rufous-throated and chestnut-breasted partridges Temminck’s tragopan, rufous-necked hornbill, golden bush robin and mountain hawk.
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