TIGERS OF THE SKY

Wandering Gliders roosting on bamboo stems

The rains are the harbinger of life in this region and no other species group defines this more than the Odonates or Dragonflies and Damselflies. During these months they are everywhere, in every kind of water body, both permanent and short-lived, running and still, pure and dirty. It’s as if the Dragonflies have taken over our tiger reserve as ‘tigers of the sky’ and will continue to do so till the attention moves back to the striped cats in October.


Kanha goes through a magnificent transformation between July and September. The Southwest Monsoons are unleashed on this landscape thanks to the barrier created by the Maikal Hills. The rain comes in spurts that could last between a few minutes to a few days, with cloudy or sunny breaks in between. It is impossible to travel this landscape on jeeps, leading to the closing down of national park for three months. But for the keen Nature enthusiast, this is the best time to visit the region.

 Pygmy Dartlet

The rains transform the landscape. Farmland turns emerald with rice plantations, seasonal streams swell with a gushing flow, and depressions in the ground become puddles and ponds. The barren land gets carpeted with green grasses and reeds forming shallow marshes, and of course, the rivers and lakes, that were barely a trickle in the summer months, go back to their majestic best. Even within and around SALBAN, the rain water takes over the rice fields, the pond in front of the house, and the channels created for excess water flow into the two large lakes on either side of the property. Rain water is everywhere (except inside the house)! 

We have noticed different species of Odonates in different kinds of water bodies. The flooded grasslands and reeds in the water’s edge are covered with slender damselflies. The larger bushes and the low trees provide perches for the high flying dragonflies. Even old stumps and drift wood become fascinating spots to observe these aerial hunters when they take a break to feed or clean themselves. One piece of wood by the lake played host to a common clubtail, a crimson-tailed marsh hawk, a blue marsh hawk, an orange marsh dart and a fulvous-forest skimmer, all in a span of ten minutes.

We see dragonflies even in our own patch of Sal trees, far away from the water bodies. Some species prefer to live their life away from water and visit the water sources only during breeding time. We often see the males carrying females from drier land to their breeding pools to mate and lay eggs. How they lock themselves up in this dance is definitely nothing short of a natural wonder. Studies show that the lock is so perfect that it is possible only between members of the same species. 

Pied Paddy Skimmer

Iridescent Stream Glider

After the monsoons, you may have noticed the mass emergence of literally thousands of dragonflies. They fill up the sky in vertical stacks, especially around open fields, water pools and in forest clearings. Many of us may not know that these reddish dragonflies (females are yellowish), known as globe skimmers or wandering gliders (Pantala flavescens) migrate large distances along with the monsoon winds, making for one of the most spectacular insect migrations recorded. They congregate in big numbers and are believed to travel an amazing 12,000 miles every year using the tropical weather system. This journey is known to be completed by two generations of dragonflies. Many studies are being carried out to understand this migration, but it is only a matter of time before it is revealed as one of the greatest natural history spectacles on this planet. 

(Thanks to Surya Ramachandran for text and images)

Crimson Marsh Hawk

Saffron-faced Blue Dart