5 bird watching trails come up in Haldwani forest division, boosting eco-tourism  

PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | Haldwani

To promote sustainable eco-tourism, Haldwani forest division has started five bird watching trails within its jurisdiction of Nandhaur Wildlife Sanctuary. These trails are Ratighat Bird Watching Trail under Chhakata Raji, Sumanthapala Bird Watching Trail under Nandhaur Raji, Sharda Ghat to Sharda Barrage under Sharda Raji and Kakrali Bird Watching Trail under Sharda Raji. Apart from this, Danda Sarpachida Danaur Bird Watching Trail under Danda Raji will also give bird lovers an opportunity to understand bird species closely.

Notably, Nandhaur Wildlife Sanctuary is a major centre of biodiversity where over 250 bird species are found.

Many very rare bird species, including Red Headed Trogon, Great Hornbill, White- throated Kingfisher, Scarlet Minivet and Yellow- vented Bulbul are found here.

For the convenience of tourists, online booking of these guided tours will be available through the new website of Nandhaur Wildlife Sanctuary. This initiative will not only promote environmentally friendly eco-tourism but create new livelihood opportunities for the local community, thereby establishing a balance between conservation and economic development, senior forest officers associated with the newly initiated projects said.