Stunning, vastly biodiverse Eagle’s Nest Wildlife Sanctuary is among India’s greatest sites for wildlife. Here the recently discovered Bugun liocichla lives alongside 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. Its name is derived from the Indian Army regiment known as Red Eagle Division, which was stationed here decades ago.
Eagle's Nest has a richly deserved reputation as one of the finest birding sites in the world. In addition to countless gems - including 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 eagle - this is effectively the only site for the gorgeous (but only recently discovered) Bugun liocichla, named after the Bugun people who inhabit the area.
Eagle's Nest is also a very fine site for mammals, with tiger, clouded leopard, red panda, gaur and capped langur all present. The Arunachal macaque, a species described as recently as 2004, is found here too.
With eight species of cat possible, this is a cat-watching trip without equal. Travel from the wetlands of West Bengal, home of fishing cat and jungle cat, to the mountainous forests of Arunachal Pradesh, where leopard, Asian clouded leopard, marbled cat, leopard cat and Asian golden cat all occur.
Find out more about Small Cats of North East India
