Thattekad.
Thattekad is located on the northern banks of the Periyar river in Kerala, a couple of hours drive from Kochi. Thattekad is an ever green low-land forest on the foothills of western mountain ranges in India. The rich biodiversity of this location has attracted many bird species, and also the famous ornithologist Dr. Salim Ali, after whom the bird sanctuary is also named. Utulathany and Charupara are the two main forest areas where a host of birds and animals can be found. Some of them that I found were Jerdon's Nightjar, Oriental Scops Owl, Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike, Flame-throated Bulbul, Rusty-tailed Flycatcher, Malabar Trogon (male and female), Little Spiderhunter, Red Spurfowl, Black Baza, White-bellied Blue Flycatcher, Great-eared Nightjar, Blue-throated Flycatcher, Malabar Whistling-thrush, Indian Blackbird, Brown Wood Owl, Ashy Woodswallow, and Sri Lanka Frogmouth.
Thattekad.
My second visit to Thattekad was as exciting as the first one! The White-bellied Treepie, The Blue-eared Kingfisher and the Nilgiri Wood pigeon were high on my priority list and got great photos of them. Also the Malabar Hornbill, Grey and Pied both. The Heart-spotted Woodpecker, the Malabar Parakeet, Srilankan Frogmouth, Crested Goshawk, Malabar Woodshrike, and the Asian Fairybird were added bonus. The Slender Loris in day time and the superbly camouflaged Indian Flying Lizard were super lucky finds too!
Krishnan Kutty
This gallery is a love letter to Thattekad. Every photograph reflects a deep respect and admiration for the forest and its residents.
11 Jul 2025 08:59 PMSindhu Pillai
The Ashy Woodswallow in flight is a superb action shot. The wing detail is perfectly frozen. Brilliant photography.
08 Jul 2025 09:59 PMDeepak Varma
The Malabar Whistling-thrush shot captures that characteristic boldness of the species so well. Wonderful photograph.
01 Jul 2025 05:49 PMAmbika Krishnan
The overall consistency of quality across all the photographs in this gallery is what sets this work apart. Truly inspiring.
24 Jun 2025 09:19 PMRohit Menon
The Blue-throated Flycatcher image has such jewel-like quality. The blue throat seems to glow in the frame.
24 Jun 2025 02:46 AMNalini Suresh
The Indian Blackbird photograph has such warmth and richness to it. A bird often overlooked but captured here with great dignity.
14 Jun 2025 04:14 PMPramod Nair
The Malabar Trogon male and female shots are a wonderful way to show the species beauty from both angles.
14 Jun 2025 12:59 AMChitra Raghavan
The Oriental Scops Owl roost photograph is beautifully composed. The bark texture background adds so much to the image.
06 Jun 2025 04:39 PMBiju Mathew
Thattekad is a magical place and these images remind me why I keep returning to it year after year.
01 Jun 2025 02:32 AMUma Devi
The Rusty-tailed Flycatcher is such a gentle looking bird and this portrait captures that softness perfectly.
27 May 2025 11:05 PMSathish Kumar
The Jerdon's Nightjar photograph at night is technically superb. Managing focus and exposure in such conditions is a real skill.
23 May 2025 12:13 AMBindhu Nair
The Red Spurfowl image is so natural and candid. It feels like the bird has no idea the camera is there.
16 May 2025 09:10 PMRajeev Krishnan
The quality of light in these photographs is extraordinary. Each frame feels like a carefully crafted painting.
13 May 2025 11:45 PMMadhuri Varma
The White-bellied Blue Flycatcher is a personal favourite and this photograph does complete justice to its beauty.
06 May 2025 06:23 PMSunil George
The Little Spiderhunter photograph shows such incredible detail in the curved bill. Wonderful work.
03 May 2025 03:33 PMAsha Ramachandran
The Flame-throated Bulbul image is so vibrant. That throat colour is like a tiny flame in the green forest.
27 Apr 2025 12:20 AMVinod Menon
The forest floor shots showing the undergrowth and fallen light are as beautiful as the bird portraits themselves.
22 Apr 2025 05:18 PMPadma Suresh
The Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike is such a bold and handsome bird. Beautifully captured here.
19 Apr 2025 09:29 PMAjith Pillai
Thattekad's biodiversity shines through every single image in this gallery. Remarkable documentation.
15 Apr 2025 01:19 AMSaranya Menon
The Malabar Woodshrike photograph has such beautiful soft light. It looks like a painting.
10 Apr 2025 12:22 AMVishnu Kumar
The Black Baza in flight is a stunning capture. The timing and focus are impeccable.
31 Mar 2025 05:52 PMMeenakshi Iyer
The 2025 Srilankan Frogmouth image is perfectly lit. The feather texture detail is extraordinary.
30 Mar 2025 09:10 PMSanjay Nair
The 2025 visit has clearly yielded an even richer harvest of sightings. A wonderful documentation of Thattekad.
21 Mar 2025 03:42 PMJyothi Kumari
The Asian Fairybird is such a tiny and delicate creature and this photograph gives it the grandeur it deserves.
21 Mar 2025 12:26 AMAditya Krishnamurthy
The forest atmosphere in the wider landscape shots is captured with such sensitivity and skill.
12 Mar 2025 02:00 AMRekha Vijayan
The Malabar Parakeet image is so colourful and alive. A fantastic addition to the gallery.
08 Mar 2025 09:34 PMMohan Prasad
I visited Thattekad last year and recognise so many of these spots. The photographs bring back beautiful memories.
03 Mar 2025 12:25 AMLakshmi Chandran
The Crested Goshawk shot is fierce and powerful. Such a commanding presence captured in one frame.
27 Feb 2025 03:33 PMArun Namboodiri
The composition and framing in each photograph shows a deep understanding of wildlife and light.
22 Feb 2025 03:51 PMSunita Gopal
The Indian Flying Lizard camouflage shot is brilliantly spotted and perfectly timed. A real find.
15 Feb 2025 10:43 PMPradeep Thomas
The Heart-spotted Woodpecker is one of my favourite birds and this photograph is the finest I have seen of the species.
11 Feb 2025 08:51 PMDivya Rajesh
Every image in this gallery radiates the lush atmosphere of Thattekad. Absolutely gorgeous work.
04 Feb 2025 10:07 PMKiran Menon
The Malabar Hornbill pair shot is remarkable. Two birds in perfect frame is incredibly difficult to achieve.
30 Jan 2025 11:41 PMGeetha Warrier
The Slender Loris in daylight is such a rare and precious sighting. What a wonderful bonus to find.
29 Jan 2025 02:15 AMRahul Balakrishnan
The sharpness and detail in these bird portraits is incredible. A true testament to skill and dedication.
21 Jan 2025 06:26 PMAnuradha Pillai
The White-bellied Treepie is such a charming bird and this photograph captures its personality perfectly.
19 Jan 2025 09:26 PMHarish Nair
Thattekad is a crown jewel of Kerala birding and these images do full justice to its beauty.
13 Jan 2025 10:41 PMSmita Kulkarni
The Blue-eared Kingfisher image is a dream. That electric blue against the green background is breathtaking.
08 Jan 2025 06:21 PMNikhil Varma
The 2025 collection is even richer than the 2023 one. The Nilgiri Wood Pigeon addition is spectacular.
04 Jan 2025 11:49 PMPooja Iyer
Every time I see these photographs I feel I am walking through the forest myself. Truly immersive work.
31 Dec 2024 01:59 AMSuresh Babu
The Brown Wood Owl image is hauntingly beautiful. Those eyes are mesmerising.
25 Dec 2024 01:51 AMKavitha Menon
I have been following this photography journey for years and this Thattekad series is among the very best.
19 Dec 2024 04:32 PMTarun Ghosh
The depth of field in the close-up bird portraits is absolutely flawless. Professional work at its best.
12 Dec 2024 06:31 PMAnita Subramaniam
The Great-eared Nightjar shot gave me goosebumps. What an extraordinary capture.
09 Dec 2024 12:40 AMRajan Unni
Being a Keralite I feel so proud seeing Thattekad represented so wonderfully in these images.
02 Dec 2024 03:48 PMNandita Krishnan
Stunning work as always. The lighting in the forest shots is handled masterfully.
29 Nov 2024 09:34 PMGautam Bose
The Sri Lanka Frogmouth photo is a rare gem. Incredibly difficult to spot and even harder to photograph so well.
25 Nov 2024 10:26 PMShalini Rao
Every single frame tells a story. The patience and skill behind these shots is truly admirable.
18 Nov 2024 08:28 PMVikram Pillai
Thattekad has always been close to my heart and this photo story captures its magic beautifully.
14 Nov 2024 01:22 AMDeepa Nambiar
The Malabar Trogon frame is simply out of this world. The green and red contrast is perfection.
06 Nov 2024 09:40 PMArjun Mehta
One of the finest bird photography collections I have seen from Thattekad. The colours are so vivid and lifelike.
05 Nov 2024 06:14 PM