The Panna National Park, is home to an incredible variety of flora and fauna including birds, mammals and reptiles. It is no surprise then that it is one of the most visited national parks in India. It is located in the Panna and Chhatarpur districts of Madhya Pradesh. It provides habitat to more than 200 bird species, which remains its main attraction. Birdwatchers flock to enjoy such rare bird sightings. 

 

The serenity of the forest is constantly punctuated by the whistles of birds. If you keep your eyes focused you can spot a Paradise flycatcher perched on a tree, with its characteristic long steamer tail. The scenes at Panna keep unfolding and you will find yourself tempted to capture every second of it. But just when you are about to call it a day with the setting sun, look for the majestic vultures. Nature at its truest form!  And there is no other better place than Panna for such sightings. The terrain of Panna is best suited for nesting and breeding of highly endangered vultures. Out of few thousand vultures left in India, a couple of thousand of them have been recorded in Panna, including the Eurasian Griffon Vulture.

 

At Panna you can spot White-necked stork, Bareheaded goose, Honey-buzzard, King vulture, Blossom-headed parakeet, Paradise flycatcher, Slaty-headed Scimitar babbler and many other species. The best time to catch a glimpse of the migratory birds is during winter.

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A flock of Plum-headed parakeets. The male parakeets have a pinkish purple head and the females, a grey head
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A Crested serpent eagle, as the name suggests, is a reptile eater that hunts often close to the wet grassland for snakes and lizards
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Long-tailed shrike, these birds are capable of mimicking calls of other birds, including lapwings, cuckoos, puppies and squirrels in their song
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A forest guide looking for bird names in an ornithology book
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A Red-headed vulture in the morning light, Panna National Park is a perfect place to spot these majestic birds
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A juvenile house sparrow
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A spotted dove sitting on a branch of a tree
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A Painted sand grouse sitting alert on a rock
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An Indian roller, also known as Neelkanth, because of its blue throat
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A red wattled lapwing