Connected to the rest of India by a corridor just 21km wide, northeast India is a diverse region bounded by Bhutan, China, Myanmar and Bangladesh.

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The eight states that make up India’s northeast are dominated by the Eastern Himalayas, which arc northwards to form the region’s western boundary before merging with the hills of Indo-Burma which then sweep southwards along the eastern border of India. In the west, superb sub-Himalayan forests at Nameri National Park host the enigmatic White-winged Duck, with Ibisbill wintering along the glacier-fed Jia Bhorelli. Owing to their altitudinal gradation, most extreme in the western corner of Arunachal Pradesh, the Eastern Himalayas exhibit an astounding diversity of species in a small area. Birding here is fast-paced and incredible, with numerous vocal laughingthrushes, skulking wren- and scimitar-babblers, dumpy parrotbills and more in dynamic foraging flocks. In the productive mid-altitudes, Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary permits unrivalled access to montane forests, and sought-after specialities including the recently (2006) discovered Bugun Liocichla. Higher still, Sela Pass, one of the highest accessible parts of the Himalayas, offers the chance to see mountain gems such as Grandala and Blood Pheasant. Further north, the Mishmi Hills host the endemic Mishmi Wren-babbler in India’s extreme corner, while the little-visited state of Sikkim is home to the spectacular star-studded Satyr Tragopan. In the east, the hills of Nagaland and Meghalaya are home to a unique set of endemics and an interesting combination of species at both the eastern and western extensions of their ranges, with Nagaland’s Amur Falcon migration among the most incredible visible migrations on earth.

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Between these hill ranges, the state of Assam is almost entirely occupied by the mighty Brahmaputra River and its extensive floodplains. In upper Assam, the rich grasslands of Dibru-Saikhowa National Park host grassland endemics including Black-breasted Parrotbill, while superb wetlands host sizeable congregations of waterfowl.  In the valley fringes, remnant foothill forests host enigmatic birds such as Grey Peacock-Pheasant and Blue-naped Pitta, as well as India’s only ape, Western Hoolock Gibbon. Further south, Kaziranga National Park supports an obvious abundance of large mammals, including Tiger and Indian Rhinoceros, alongside birds of wetlands, grasslands and woodland. Manas National Park to the southwest is perhaps the best place to see the majestic Bengal Florican.

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Birding and mammal-watching in lowland areas are productive at any time outside the Indian Monsoon, which causes dramatic changes in the Brahmaputra basin.  Higher elevations offer superb spring birding, when temperatures are more comfortable, and birds become active and vociferous. The immediate post-monsoon period and late spring offer spectacular butterfly-watching in the richest butterflying area in the Oriental region.