Description: The Corbett National Park, spread over 520 sq km, is considered one of the true bird parks in the world. Established in 1936 and named India's first tiger reserve in 1973, Corbett is set in a large low valley drained by the Ramganga river with the dam at Kalagarh forming a huge lake to the west of the park and a range of hills running through its middle. The forests are moist deciduous with Sal the dominant tree and Chir Pine trees on the higher ridges of the hills. In the low-lying areas, the riverine forests are overgrown with grasslands.
Of the 2060 species and subspecies of birds observed in the Indian subcontinent, over 600 species/subspecies of birds have been seen in Corbett at one time or another, a number greater than the total number of bird species found in Europe and around one fourth of the species found in India.
Prominent birds: Birds which can be spotted in Corbett Park include the brown fish owl, Himalayan kingfisher, brown dipper, plumbeous/white-capped redstarts, little/staty backed forktails, mountain/rufousbellied hawk-eagles, blue whistling thrush, red jungle fowl, oriental white-eye, jungle owlet, alexandrine parakeet, Himalayan swiftlet, lesser fish-eagle, great thick-knee, stork-billed kingfisher and many more, especially during winters when bird diversity is at its peak.
Other prominent animals: The major animal attractions of the park are the tiger, Indian elephant and leopard. There are also several large pools in which the marsh crocodiles and gharials may be seen.
Season : The best time to visit the park is from mid-November to mid-June, with the best months being February, March and April
Access: Corbett is about 300 km from Delhi, a drive of about 7 hours. The nearest airport is at Pantnagar about 2.5 hours away and the nearest railway station is at Ramnagar about 2 hours away.
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