Bird Walk at Pabe Ghat, Pune, Maharashtra
- Pune
- 18 October, 2026
- Akshay Narwade
About Pabe Ghat & Kharmary Quarry
Pabe Ghat is a hilly landscape near Pune, characterized by rocky slopes, forest patches, scrub, grasslands, and pockets of dense vegetation. The varied terrain creates a mosaic of habitats, with changes in elevation and vegetation providing different ecological conditions across the area. During the monsoon, the landscape becomes greener, with seasonal streams and moist patches adding to the habitat diversity, while the drier months bring more open and rocky conditions.
The combination of hills, natural vegetation, and relatively open spaces makes Pabe Ghat an interesting destination for nature and birdwatching activities. The surrounding landscape also forms part of the broader Western Ghats-influenced region around Pune, where natural habitats occur alongside villages, roads, and agricultural areas. Increasing development, habitat disturbance, vegetation loss, and changes in land use can place pressure on these hill habitats, making responsible tourism and protection of natural vegetation important for maintaining the ecological character of the area.
Bird Guide - Akshay Narwade
He has 8+ years of experience in bird watching and wildlife photography. Birding is part of his everyday life — he spends each morning and evening in the field, observing and photographing rare and elusive birds. He is a passionate birder who enjoys the thrill of tracking down species that few others get to see, and he brings that same dedication and patience to every walk he leads.
Bird walk Location
Common birds of Pabe Ghat & Kharmary Quarry
Pabe Ghat supports a diverse bird community, including several raptors, forest birds, and species associated with scrub and open habitats. The raptor diversity is particularly notable, with Indian Eagle-Owl, Crested Serpent-Eagle, Crested Hawk-Eagle, Shikra, Oriental Honey-buzzard, White-eyed Buzzard, and Black-winged Kite recorded from the area. Forest and woodland species include Malabar Whistling-Thrush, Grey-bellied Cuckoo, Coppersmith Barbet, Indian White-eye, and Plum-headed Parakeet.
The surrounding scrub and vegetation also support Red-whiskered Bulbul, Black Drongo, Oriental Magpie-Robin, Common Iora, Purple Sunbird, Purple-rumped Sunbird, Spotted Dove, and Jungle Myna. Together, these records highlight the variety of habitats around Pabe Ghat, from wooded slopes and vegetation-rich areas to open and scrubby sections. The presence of multiple birds of prey alongside smaller woodland and nectar-feeding species makes the area an interesting birdwatching location near Pune.
Indian Eagle-Owl
Crested Serpent-Eagle
Shikra
Oriental Honey-buzzard
White-eyed Buzzard
Black-winged Kite
Red-whiskered Bulbul
Plum-headed Parakeet
Malabar Whistling-Thrush
Grey-bellied Cuckoo
Coppersmith Barbet
Indian White-eye
Black Drongo
Oriental Magpie-Robin
Common Iora
Purple Sunbird
Purple-rumped Sunbird
Spotted Dove
Jungle Myna
Crested Hawk-Eagle
Summary of Walk
Six birders joined guide Akshay Narwade at Pabe Ghat and Kharmary Quarry near Pune on 18 October for a walk through hill, forest and rocky quarry habitats that gave the group a rich 40 species. The hilly landscape and the cliffs of the quarry made a dramatic setting, and the group moved at a steady pace, scanning the slopes and listening for calls in the woodland. The highlights of the walk were two of the region’s most thrilling birds. The Rock Eagle-Owl, a magnificent large owl that roosts on rocky ledges and in quarry crevices, gave the group a view of its big orange eyes and ear tufts that left everyone amazed. The Booted Eagle, a compact and agile raptor, soared over the ridge, and the group enjoyed watching its flight and learning how to tell its pale and dark forms apart. Around them, the woodland and scrub held a lively community of songbirds, and the quarry and ghat landscape brought in species that prefer rocky, open terrain. Akshay shared identification tips and explained how rocky habitats, quarries and ghats provide homes for owls and raptors that depend on cliffs and ledges. With six participants, the group was easy to move around, and each sighting was shared and discussed at leisure. The walk was a lovely reminder that landscapes shaped by human activity, such as old quarries, can become valuable habitats for wildlife when nature is left to reclaim them. Participants left with new species on their lists, photographs of the owl and the eagle and a deeper appreciation of the hills near Pune.
Number of Participants
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