Singalila National Park, Darjeeling – Fauna

Singalila National Park, Darjeeling – Fauna

The mammals found in the national park are Himalayan black bear, Indian leopard, clouded leopard, black leopard, Himalayan serow, takin red panda, leopard cat, golden cat, barking deer, Bhutan flying squirrel, Himalayan palm civet, yellow-throated marten, wild boar, pangolin, and pika. The endangered Red Panda is the crown jewel of this national park. Visitors can see Red Pandas in their natural habitat by trekking along the various mountain trails, particularly along the route to Sandakphu and Phalut. Tigers occasionally wander into the area, but do not have a large enough prey base to make residence in these forests feasible.

The national park is home to more than 350 species of birds. Some of the prominent birds found in the park are Himalayan vulture, scarlet minivet, kalij pheasant, blood pheasant, satyr tragopan, great parrotbill, black-throated parrotbill, brown parrotbill, fulvous parrotbill, rufous-vented tit, fire-tailed myzornis, hill partridge, yuhina, rosefinch, and golden-breasted fulvetta. The park is also on the flyway of many migratory birds. The endangered Himalayan Newt frequents the region, and congregates around the lakes of Jore Pokhri, Sukhia Pokhri and nearby lakes to reproduce. Jore Pokhri and Sukhia Pokhri are within 20 km of the park boundary and are protected wildlife sanctuaries.

Singalila National Park, Darjeeling – Flora

Singalila National Park, Darjeeling – Flora

The national park comprises of three separate biomes ranging from subalpine to subtropical, and three corresponding ecoregions namely Eastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests ecoregion, of the temperate coniferous forests biome, Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests ecoregion, of the temperate broadleaf and mixed forests biome and Himalayan subtropical pine forests ecoregion, of the subtropical coniferous forest biome. The subtropical biome roughly exists in the elevation range of 1800 to 3000 m, and the temperate biome exists in the elevation range of 3000 m to 4500 m.

Thick bamboo, oak, magnolia, and rhododendron forest between 2000 and 3600 m cover the Singalila Ridge. Some of the other trees found here are Pine Hemlock, Silver Fir, Juniper, Mailing Bamboo, Buk, Kawla, Bhujpatra etc. There are two seasons of wildflower bloom. One in spring (March and April) when the rhododendrons bloom, and another in the post-monsoon season (around October), when the lower forests bloom (Primula, Geranium, Saxifraga, Bistort, Senecio, Cotoneaster and numerous orchids).

Sandakphu is known as the mountain of poisonous plants due to the large concentration of Himalayan cobra lilies (Arisaema) which grow there. Of the 25 species of rhododendron discovered by Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker in the Himalayas, 18 can be found in Singalila National Park. More than 600 species of orchids bloom during the autumn season in Singalila. It is the largest concentration of orchids in any single geographical area in the world. The orchidarium of Lloyd Botanical Garden at Darjeeling houses as many as 2,500 orchids, which include 50 rare varieties. Most of these have been brought here from Singalila National Park.

Singalila National Park, Darjeeling, West Bengal

Singalila National Park, Darjeeling, West Bengal

Singalila National Park is a national park located in the Darjeeling District of West Bengal, India. This national park is situated on the Singalila Ridge at an elevation of about 2500 metres to 3650 metres above sea level with an area of 78.6 square kilometers. It is bordered on the north by the state of Sikkim and on the west by the country of Nepal. This national park is one of the last remaining natural habitats of the endangered Red Panda. It is well known for trekking to Sandakphu, highest peak of West Bengal.

History

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://explore-natural-beauty-of-india.blogspot.com/2026/02/singalila-national-park-darjeeling-history.html

The National Park

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://explore-natural-beauty-of-india.blogspot.com/2026/02/singalila-national-park-darjeeling-national-park.html

Fees

Entry Fees:

·      ₹ 120 for Indians & ₹ 500 for Foreigners

·      ₹ 400 for Vehicles

·      ₹ 100 for camera

Vehicle Cost:

·      Land Rover Fare ₹6000 for a round trip from Manebhanjan to Sandakphu

·      Jeep Safari Cost ₹ Rs. 5,500 per day

Accommodation Cost:

·      ₹1000-2500 per person per night inside the national park

Trekkers must hire a guide and porters at Maneybhanjang at extra cost.

Connectivity

Maneybhanjang (2150m) is a small Himalayan hamlet, is the gateway to the national park. Maneybhanjang is located at about 19 Kms from Ghoom, 19 Kms from Ghoom Railway Station, 25 Kms from Darjeeling, 29 Kms from Mirik, 37 Kms from Bijanbari, 48 Kms from Rimbik, 75 Kms from Siliguri, 83 Kms from Bagdogra Airport, 86 Kms from New Jalpaiguri Junction Railway Station, Maneybhanjang can be reached from New Jalpaiguri Junction and Bagdogra Airport via Mirik. It is also well connected with Darjeeling via Ghoom.

Tourists need to reach Maneybhanjang early since car entry inside the national park is only allowed between 07.00 AM to 02.00 PM. Tourists can start trekking the mountain trails or hire a vintage British Land Rover to reach the national park from Maneybhanjang. It is approx. 13 Kms from Maneybhanjang to Tumling. The entrance of the national park is about 1 km away from Tumling. Tourists can hire a British Land Rover to reach Sandakphu from Maneybhanjang. The park can also be accessed from Rimbik, where many trekkers finish up, or from Bijanbari, with one extra day's walking.

Location 

Dipor Bil Bird Sanctuary, Guwahati – The Bird Sanctuary

Dipor Bil Bird Sanctuary, Guwahati – The Bird Sanctuary

Deepor Beel is a permanent freshwater lake, which is the erstwhile water channel of River Brahmaputra. It has a perennial water spread area of about 10.1 km2, which extends up to 40.1 km2 during floods. However, an area of 414 ha has been declared as Deepor Beel Bird Sanctuary by the Government of Assam. It is categorized as representative of the wetland type under the Burma monsoon forest biogeographic region. It acts as a natural stormwater reservoir during the monsoon season for the Guwahati city.

The depth of the lake is varied from 1 m to 4 m. The main sources of water of this lake are the Basistha and Kalamoni rivers, and local monsoon run-off between May and September. The beel drains into the Brahmaputra river through the Khonajan channel. The beel is a source of livelihood for 14 indigenous villages around it whose fishermen depend on it. Freshwater fish is a vital protein and source of income for these communities. About half of the Beel dries out during the winter and the exposed shores are converted into paddy fields.

The beel is bounded by the steep highlands on the north and south, and the valley formed has a broad U-shape with the Rani and Garbhanga hills forming the backdrop. The southern side of the lake is contiguous with Rani Reserve Forest. The climate is humid and tropical monsoon, with a prolonged monsoon season from May to September, and a relatively cool, winter. The best time to visit this sanctuary is between the months of October and March. A watch tower has been erected on the bank of the beel for bird watching and security purpose.

Flora:

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://explore-natural-beauty-of-india.blogspot.com/2026/02/dipor-bil-bird-sanctuary-guwahati-flora.html

Fauna:

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://explore-natural-beauty-of-india.blogspot.com/2026/02/dipor-bil-bird-sanctuary-guwahati-fauna.html

Dipor Bil Bird Sanctuary, Guwahati – Fauna

Dipor Bil Bird Sanctuary, Guwahati – Fauna

The sanctuary is home to more than 219 species of birds including more than 70 migratory species. The largest congregations of aquatic birds can be seen, particularly in winter, with a reported recorded count of 19,000 water birds in a day. The Bheel is a staging site on migratory flyways and some of the largest concentrations of aquatic birds in Assam can be seen, especially in winter. Migratory water-fowl, residential water-fowl and terrestrial avifauna are common in paddy field areas, dry grassland areas and scattered forest areas.

Some of the birds found in the sanctuary are spot-billed pelican, lesser adjutant stork, white-cheeked hill partridge, oriental white-rumped vulture, long-billed vulture, Eurasian griffon vulture, Himalayan griffon vulture, Ferruginous duck, Baer's pochard, Pallas's sea eagle, greater adjutant stork, Siberian crane, and pheasant tailed jacana. The sanctuary is home to more than 20 species of amphibians, 12 species of lizards, 18 species of snakes and 6 species of turtles and tortoises.

The sanctuary is also home to more than 50 commercially viable species of fish, belonging to 19 families. Mammals such as Asian Elephant, Hoolock Gibbon, Assamese Macaque, Rhesus Macaque, Capped Langur, Slow Loris, Leopard, Jungle Cat, Leopard Cat, Large Indian Civet, Small Indian Civet, and Palm Civet, Mongoose, Sambar, Barking Deer, and Chinese Pangolin can be seen in the nearby Rani Reserve Forest and other forested areas. Herds of Asian Elephant visit this Dipor Bil for water frequently.

Dipor Bil Bird Sanctuary, Guwahati – Flora

Dipor Bil Bird Sanctuary, Guwahati – Flora

The sanctuary comprises of a large variety of aquatic flora of tropical wetland and its adjoining areas. Aquatic vegetation like Giant Water Lily, water hyacinth, aquatic grasses, water lilies and other submerged, emergent, and floating vegetation are found during the summer season. Aquatic and semi-aquatic vegetation are seen in the dry areas during winter. Emergent vegetation, water hyacinth patches, net-grass land patches are seen in deep open water area, marshy lands, and mud flats.

A total of 18 genera of phytoplankton are reported from the core area of the Bheel ecosystem out of which species of Oscillatoria and Microcystis are dominant. Some of the aquatic plants found in the sanctuary are Eichhornia crassipes, Pistia stratiotes, Ottelia alismoides, Lemna minor, Potamogeton crispus, Vallisneria spiralis, Hydrilla verticillata, Ipomoea aquatica (syn. I. reptans), Azolla pinnata, Spirodela polyrhiza, Eleocharis plantaginea, Nymphaea alba, Nymphaea rubra and Sagittaria sagittifolia.

Euryale ferox, a giant water lily with edible seeds, are leased to earn revenue for the government. Some of the vegetation found on the lake shore are Eupatorium adoratum, Achyranthes aspera, Cyperus esculentus, Phragmites karka, Vitex trifolia, Accium basilium, Saccharum spontaneum and Imperata arundinacea. The dominant tree species in the nearby deciduous forests in the bheel basin are common teak, baheda, banyan, sal and Malabar silk cotton. Aquarium plants, medicinal plant and orchids of commercial value are reported in the surrounding forest areas.

Dipor Bil Bird Sanctuary, Guwahati, Assam

Dipor Bil Bird Sanctuary, Guwahati, Assam

Dipor Bil Bird Sanctuary is a bird sanctuary located to the south-west of Guwahati City in Kamrup Metropolitan District of Assam, India. It is situated on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra River. Dipor Bil is called as Deepor Beel (Bil or Bheel means lake in the local Assamese language). Dipor Bil is considered one of the largest bheels in the Brahmaputra valley of Lower Assam. It is a large natural wetland having great biological and environmental importance besides being the only major storm water storage basin for the Guwahati city.

History

The bird sanctuary was established in 1989 by the Assam government. It is listed as a wetland under the Ramsar Convention which designated the lake as a Ramsar Site in November 2002. The BirdLife International has declared Deepor Beel as an Important Bird Area (IBA) with high priority for conservation.

The Bird Sanctuary

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://explore-natural-beauty-of-india.blogspot.com/2026/02/dipor-bil-bird-sanctuary-guwahati-bird-sanctuary.html

Connectivity

The sanctuary is located at about 8 Kms from Azara Railway Station, 9 Kms from Guwahati Rupnath Brahma Inter-State Bus Terminal, 11 Kms from Guwahati Airport, 17 Kms from Guwahati Railway Station. The sanctuary is situated on the Guwahati Rupnath Brahma Inter-State Bus Terminal to Guwahati Airport via Azara Railway Station.

Location