NORTHERN INDIA
27 JANUARY - 12 FEBRUARY 2001
S.J. DARK, D. M. HANFORD & R.
A. HERBERT
Introduction
Northern
India in general and Bharatpur in particular have been a major part of my
birding consciousness for over 20 years.
I cant even remember where or when I first heard or read of this
Maharaja's hunting area now given over to wildlife. I did promise myself that one day God willing I would pay a visit
to this site now acknowledged as one of the foremost birding Mecca's in the
world. 2000 coinciding with my 50th was
all the excuse I needed so together with two intrepid friends Dave Hanford and
Richard Herbert, in late 1999 I started my fact gathering research. In this
respect the Internet came into its own.
I was amazed at how much information there was out there in the ether.
We all wanted to go independently but after reading more it soon became
apparent that in the limited time available to us (17 days), we would loose to
much time trying to make all the necessary travel arrangements in India. We
also wanted to spend as much of our money in India as was possible. I quickly found Vivek Tiwari’s site of
Indian Bird Report at http://www.ee.princeton.edu/~vivek/indian-birds.html
After
reading through the many reports available my itinerary was becoming more and
more biased towards North West India for our first foray into the Indian Sub
Continent. I fired off an e-mail to
Vivek for some advice and he suggested I contact his friend Mohit
Aggarwal. Mohit is the director of ‘Asian
Adventures’ so another e-mail was sent off asking for details. Mohit can be
contacted on mailto:wildindian tours@vsnl.com The company has its own site at
http://www.indianwildlife.com/ Mohit responded immediately and we discussed our ideas and
likely birding venues. Within 2 days
Mohit had come back with an outline itinerary for our 17 day tour. This included Bharatpur, Ranthambhor,
Corbett, Kosi River (for Ibisbill), Nainital, Mangoli Valley, Chambal River
(for Indian Skimmer) and sites in and around Delhi. Two further sites were
added Betalghat and Pangot, more on these sites later.. The itinerary was
circulated and after a minor change we all agreed that although a potentially
tiring trip it was the only way that we would be able to get around the major
sites in the North West in the time given.
So we decided
That
it was so much easier to employ the services of a local company namely ‘Asian
Adventures’. This satisfied our spend
money in the country criteria but weighed heavily on the traveling independently
side of things. As it turned out we think we got the balance absolutely right.
Asian Adventures crossed all the T’s and dotted all the I’s sorted out all the
logistics, and we just birded. Almost 10 hours a day for the full 15 days. Long
traveling sessions were primarily taken at night in Train sleeper
accommodation, and the cost of the trip was still over a £1000 less that most
prominent birding companies were charging for similar trips.
We
all agreed that the trip was a complete success and that we would go back some
day to once again enjoy the unique birding experience which India is.
Acknowledgments
Special
thanks to my friend Gruff Dodd who’s trip report format I have copied
unashamedly. Many thanks to our guides who were excellent, in particular we
must thank Ratan Singh who spent 10 days with us guiding us around Bharatpur,
Corbett, Nainital and Delhi. He was a wonderful companion and bird guide and he
certainly brightened our days and enhanced our trip list. His knowledge of his
local birds is awesome with over 25 years in the field its not to surprising.
Perhaps what is his enthusiasm which burns as bright today as it did all those
years ago when he was escorting Salim Ali around his beloved Bharatpur. Ratan’s
rickshaw is No.9 try to secure his services if you can. If Ratan isn’t
available try his pupil and nephew Bhirinda Singh, he is a young man but more
importantly an ace birder. Thanks also
to the many birders we met in India including Howard and Thias Armstrong and
John and Janet Martin. We are also grateful to the following who provided great
help and advice in the planning of the trip - Tom and Margot Southerland, Vivek
Tiwari, Anthony Disley and Richard Titus.
Trip reports from many other were gleaned from the following internet sites:
Urs Geiser's
Trip Report Collection - http://www.crosswinds.net/~birdtrips/tripreports.html
Birdlinks
to the World - http://www.bsc-eoc.org/links/index.html
Birdwatching
Trip Report Collection - http://www.birdtours.co.uk/
Birdchat
Archive - http://listserv.arizona.edu/lsv/www/birdtrip.html
Where
do you want to go birding today - http://www.camacdonald.com/birding/birding.htm
and
not forgetting where it all started
Vivek Tiwari's
Indian Trip Report Collection http://www.ee.princeton.edu/~vivek/indian-birds.html
My
gracious thanks to everyone who went to the trouble of writing a trip report so
that we could share in your enthusiasm and learn from your experiences.
Strategy
Our
aim was simply to taste first hand the unique birding experience that India can
offer. See as many bird species as was
possible, which would hopefully include a very high percentage of
‘lifers’. There was also the little
matter of seeing Tigers and visiting the Taj Mahal. Several birds became targeted species these included: Siberian
Crane, Ibisbill, Indian Skimmer, and a couple of new genera were also high on
the wanted list. We therefore choose the usual site options Bharatpur, Corbett,
Ranthambhor, Nainital, Delhi. This we
hoped would enable us to see the maxim return in bird species terms for our
limited time and effort. Having said that if we had much more time the sites
visited wouldn’t have changed much but obviously we would have spent more time
at each.
Getting
there
We
flew from London Heathrow to Vienna and onward to Delhi with Austrian Airlines.
Flights were booked well in advance with Flightbookers e-mail mailto:sales@flightbookers.co.uk Tel.No.0171
757 2444. The original quote for this return flight was UKP 350. We paid a
deposit up front and I assumed this did two things:
(1) it booked your tickets and (2) it guaranteed
the price. It appears that I was wrong on both accounts as the
following tale will explain. After making contact with Flightbookers six weeks
before we were due to fly to settle the account and pay the outstanding
balance, Flightbookers told me that the airline Austrian Airlines had withdrawn
the original tickets and if we still wanted to fly with Austrian we would have
to pay the new price which was exactly UKP 100 more than was first quoted. I
was absolutely furious and let rip with the poor girl on the telephone. I
threatened all sorts of actions against Flightbookers, who throughout this
acted completely professionally. I immediately informed the internet birding
community via Birdchat, European Birdnet and Ukbirdnet. Flightbookers came back
with a couple of flight options non of which were really acceptable. Finally
having gone to director level with the company Flightbookers came back once
more with a compromise, they agreed to forgo any profit on the deal if we paid
the true price hike. It meant us having to pay just UKP 35 extra. This we
agreed to immediately and for the first and last time we flew Austrian
Airlines. We all wanted to fly direct but the only cheap deal we could find
meant that we had to stop off en route. The options were, where would we want to
stop off and for how long. The Vienna trip was our best option. The stop off in
Vienna was non existent on the way out as we were whisked from our Heathrow
flight straight on the Delhi flight. On the return trip the stop over in Vienna
was just 2 hours and easily managed.
Travelling
around
All
our travel arrangements were taken care of by our tour company ‘Asian
Adventures’. All we did was turn up at Delhi arrivals and we were met and
escorted to a car to take us to our hotel. We were then in Asian Adventures
hands and they carried out there itinerary flawlessly. We traveled on 2
overnight train journeys first class air conditioned sleepers. No security
problems as the compartment was lockable. We also traveled on a train during
the day, a short trip from Ranthambhor to Bharatpur and again no problem as we
were escorted to our seats by an Asian Adventures rep. We were also met the other
end by our guide and guru Ratan Singh. The rest of the traveling was done in a
four wheel drive jeep.
Money
The
local currency is the Indian Rupee (IR). Current exchange rates were
UKP 1
= 65 IR
USD 1
= 48 IR
These
were more or less fixed wherever we exchanged currency. we all took UKP and USD
plus several credit cards. Most of the big hotels and restaurants took all
major credit cards and usually excepted payment in UKP or USD. We exchanged our currency in several hotels
without any problem. Changing money in a bank was a tedious business and
regularly took over 30 minutes or more. The bureaucracy was astonishing.
Accommodation
& food
The
quality of the accommodation was generally good, where it was less than that we
had been warned in our itinerary. The one exception was the Swiss Hotel in
Nainital it was dire. You are in the Himalayan foothills its winter and the
hotel didn’t have any heating to speak of. The service was also appalling and
by far the worst experience we had in all out trip. The restaurant was a joke
and we expected Basil Fawlty to roll out from behind the kitchen screen at any
moment. In retrospect it was probably
to bad even for Basil. To add insult to
injury they had a disco organized that went on till 4:30 a.m. and they let off
huge fireworks till well past midnight. Thankfully we were only booked in for
the one night. All our accommodation was organized by Asian Adventures and
details of the other lodges can be found on their web site
www.indianwildlife.com. Sunbird Hotel at Bharatpur is mentioned in Krys’s book
as a good place to say and I can only concur. The White Apartments in Delhi was
just a basic hotel no frills but it was clean and comfortable.
Food
was one of the great joys of India, naturally we heeded all the warnings and
avoided salads and fruit that may have been washed. We also decided that meat
of any kind was better left alone. So for our duration in India we became
experts on vegetable curry’s. The curry’s with home made bread in its various
forms was always a good basis for our evening meals. Peelable fruit in the form
of bananas oranges etc. were also very enjoyable.
Breakfast
usually consisted of scrambled eggs, toast, coffee or tea and fruit of your
choice. All in all we ate very well while in India, sometimes in very humble
surroundings at other times like at the Jaypee Palace Hotel in Agra or the
Imperial Garden Restaurant in Delhi we ate royally. The cost of the meals also
varied considerably from less that 300IR for an evening meal with drinks
to1500IR for something a bit more lavish. We tended to stick with the 300IR
tariff as the norm and splashed out when the need arose.
Red
Tape
If
there's one thing Indians love its red tape. It was really frustrating at times
even though our tour company had done everything to limit its impact.
Everywhere you stayed there were several forms to fill in. At the end of our
holiday we all knew our passport and visa numbers off pat. we had filled them
in so many times it was ridiculous. Changing money at a bank was another time
wasting activity. We didn’t have to but I heard from several birders who were
traveling independently that booking train and bus tickets was nightmarish. You
always encountered 5 people to do a job when 1 would have sufficed and each one
had to make sure that he did his job properly and that the persons before him
in the chain had done their job properly also.
Immigration was on the other hand was quite trouble free as long as your
passport and visa were OK.
Weather
The
weather was superb throughout our trip. The days were always hot and the nights
much cooler. When we reached Nainital the overnight temperature dropped below
freezing but again during the day it was surprisingly warm. It was light by
6:30am and dark by 6:30pm which made it ideal for at least 10 hours a day
birding.
Health
& Safety
Advised
to have tetanus, typhoid, polio and hepatitis A jabs before we went. We also
took our anti malaria tablets although mozzies were conspicuous by there
absence. We all stopped taking them on our return to England. We didn’t
encounter any human problems although we were always vigilant in crowded areas.
The beggar problem wasn’t a problem and we would normally experience more
requests for a hand out in London than we had in Delhi. Having an Indian guide
or driver constantly with you seemed to deter all but the most inquisitive who
in the main just stared at you like the alien you certainly were.
References
Books:
Pocket
Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent - Grimmett, Inskipp and Inskipp
was our preferred guide and I certainly gave my copy a bashing. So much so that
I bought an additional copy in India. The Indian price 10UKP as against 18UKP
in the UK. I had printed out a plate guide before we left and this was a very
welcome addition to the book. The plate guide can be found in Vivek Tiwari's Indian Trip Report Site in the books section. Thanks to Tom Southerland for
that. On the whole the book performed very well and we didn’t have any
complaints.
A
Field Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent - Kazmierczak and Van
Perlo. We did take this recent addition to the guide book but we found the
illustration a bit less friendly than in the Grimmett et al book. For instance a lot of the male birds stand in
front of and obscure much of the female in many of the plates. The plates are
also quite crowded but it was worth taking both just to get another
illustration because so many of the birds were new to us all.
A
Field Guide to the Waterbirds of Asia - Bharat, Bhushan et al. Published by the
Wild Bird Society of Japan. This is a lovely little book and although we didn’t
use it extensively during our trip when needed it proved its worth.
A
Birdwatchers’ Guide to India - Krys Kazmierczak & Raj Singh the definitive
guide to where to watch birds in India, cram packed with good gen and an
absolute must if visiting India for the first time. Even the tour company reps
use it.
The
Book of Indian Birds - Salim Ali published by the Bombay Natural History
Society. Not a modern guide with just 64 plates and only 538 species depicted
it doesn’t really stand up on its own merits any more. The text however for the
species described is very good and you must have one of Salim Ali’s books. I
bought mine at Corbett for 450IR about 7UKP a real bargain and it takes pride
of place on my book shelf and adds sentimental value to my bird book collection
Lonely
Planet Delhi includes the Taj Mahal and Jaipur. This covered everything I
needed before traveling to India. It is full of useful tips and information and
was enough for our limited needs.
On
the Brink travels in the wilds of India - Vivek Menon this book isn’t necessary
but I can recommend it. Its a good read and does go a long way to explain the
difficulties experienced by even the most fervent conservationists in India.
Published by Penguin ISBN 0-14-027826-5
Maps:
In
truth we didn’t take one with us, we did however purchase a tourist &
trekkers guide of Kumaon which is the area which includes Corbett, Nainital and
the other Himalayan foothill sites like Mongoli Valley. In all other respects
we managed with the details in Krys’s book and the Lonely Planet book mentioned
earlier.
Sites Visited
All
the sites visited, and mentioned below in the itinerary, are all well
documented in Krys Kazmierczak’s book. Apart from Betalghat which is detailed
in Asian Adventures web site www.indianwildlife.com and Pangot. Pangot is
another Asian Adventures lodge but as yet is not on their site. I can tell you
its not far from Nainital its situated in the middle of Himalayan jungle and
its half way up a valley. It is excellent for altitudinal migrants as the birds
funnel down the valley.
Itinerary
Saturday 27th January
Left
Heathrow at 06:30 hrs. on a flight bound for Vienna (Austrian Airlines) After a
short stop over we were onward bound for Delhi. Arrived at Delhi International
Airport 22:30 hrs. where we were met by our driver from ‘Asian Adventures’
Iqbal Ahmed. We were then taken to our
overnight accommodation the White Apartments. After a quick coffee and some
sandwiches we crashed out.
Sunday 28th January
Our
accommodation was clean and comfortable but with little sleep we were up and
about by 06:00hrs. We were cruelly woken by the incessant calling of a House
Crow, other birds noted from the hotel balcony:- House
Sparrow, Red Vented Bulbul, Black
Kite, Rose-ringed Parakeets, Common Myna and
Laughing Dove. Our
driver Iqbal collected us at 7am and took us to Okhla. and the Yamuna River
Barrage. Birds noted:
Purple
Swamp Hen, Red-wattled Lapwing, Wood
Sandpiper, Grey Heron, Indian Pond
Heron,
Great Cormorant, Little Cormorant, Indian
Cormorant, Great White Egret, Little
Egret, Cattle Egret, Moorhen,
Pochard, Gadwall, Teal,
Shoveler, Pintail,
Tufted Duck, Ferruginous Duck, Greylag
Goose, Ruddy Shelduck, Black-headed
Ibis, Open-billed Stork, Painted
Stork, Common Snipe, Little Ringed
Plover, Temminck's Stint, Little
Stint, Common Sandpiper, Green
Sandpiper, Redshank, Black-tailed
Godwit, Marsh Harrier, Black-shouldered
Kite, White Wagtail, Black
Drongo, Thick-billed Crow, Indian
Spoonbill, Little Grebe, Greater
Flamingo,
River Tern, Brown-headed Gull, Black-headed
Gull, Bank Myna, Asian Pied
Starling, Plain Prinia, Ashy Headed Prinia,
Lesser Whitethroat, Yellow
Wagtail,
Citrine Wagtail, Bluethroat, Barn Swallow and
Plain Martin. We took our
breakfast at 09:30 after which we returned to the hotel to catch up on some
ZZZ’s. Afternoon birding on Delhi Ridge
with Mohit Aggarwal. Birds noted: Black-rumped Flameback,
Tailor Bird, Jungle Babbler,
Common Babbler, Coppersmith
Barbet, Brown-headed Barbet, Little
Minivet, Grey Francolin, Indian
Robin, Oriental Magpie Robin, Purple
Sunbird,
Rose-ringed Parakeet, Hoopoe, Grey
Wagtail, Silverbill, Common
Rosefinch, Braminhy Starling, White-eared
Bulbul, Red-whiskered Bulbul. Mohit then took us into the city center
where we had a tour of the presidential buildings. Later we were entertained at
the ‘Habitat Center’ a private club and restaurant. We had a wonderful meal there before boarding our overnight
sleeper train at Delhi Railway Station at 20:10 for Sawai Madhopur, the
railhead for Ranthambhor. The journey was dreadfully uncomfortable bumpy and
noisy but we were secure in a four berth lockable air conditioned cabin.
Monday 29th January
Arrived
later than expected at 06:00. We were then rushed in an open top jeep to our
hotel (Tiger Den Resort). After a coffee we walked around the hotel grounds and
the semi desert outside. Birds noted: Ashy Ground Sparrow,
Southern Grey Shrike, Variable
Wheatear, Painted Sandgrouse and Tawny
Pipit. We breakfasted
early on scrambled eggs on toast with lots of coffee in a vain attempt to ward
off the rigours of last nights train journey.
More birding in the immediate vicinity of the hotel produced: Isabelline
Wheatear, Desert Wheatear, Shrikeer Malkoha,
Indian Roller, Pied Bushchat,
Stonechat, Black Redstart,
Plain Martin, Purple
Sunbird, Blue Rock Thrush,
India Robin and Intermediate Egret. Dave had had enough and retired to his bed
for a couple of hours of shut eye before we took our jeep safari into the park
at 14:00. Richard and I decided to hire a car and driver for a couple of hours
to explore outside the park (Ranthambhor National Park). We proceeded to cruise the road up to the
park entrance stopping at likely birding area or where we had seen something
interesting from the car. This little trip turned up: Common Iora,
Great Tit,
Brown Rock-Chat, Dusky Crag Martin, White-bellied Drongo,
Little Green Bee Eater, Rufous Treepie,
Kestrel, Long-billed Vulture,
White-backed Vulture,
White-breasted Kingfisher, Kingfisher, Avocet,
Greenshank and Bar-tailed
Godwit. Straight back to the hotel to pick up Dave for our trip into the park.
Three hours of dusty bumpy tigerless roads produced the following birds:
Spotted Dove, Painted Spurfowl, Plum-headed
Parakeet, Brown-headed Pygmy Woodpecker, Spotted
Owlet, Collared Scops Owl, Darter,
Black Ibis, White-fronted Waterhen,
Bronze-winged Jacana, Pied
Kingfisher, Black Stork,
Shirkeer, Red Crested Pochard, Crested Serpent
Eagle, Yellow-footed Green Pigeon, White-browed Fantail and
Brown Crake. All over by 17:00 whence we
retired to our hotel, where we showered before dinner and retired early, but not
before several ‘Kingfishers’.
Tuesday 30th January
We
breakfasted at 06:30 to catch the 07:00 Gypsy back into Ranthambhor National
Park. Although the conditions were considered favourable the Tiger gods let us
down. However, we did add the following birds to our list: Woolly-necked
Stork,
Pygmy Cotton Goose, Indian Honey Buzzard, and
White-browed Wagtail. Over and
above these we also saw almost everything we had on the previous day. At 10:00 we returned to the hotel where we
picked up Pied Harrier and Yellow-wattled
Lapwing. Caught the 13:00 train to Bharatpur. We were met off the train by our guide for the rest of the trip
Ratan Singh. We had a quick coffee before having a stroll around outside the
park (Bharatpur). A nice walk that gave us great views of Grey Hornbill and
Yellow-wattled Lapwing, but it didn’t
turn up any new birds. Retired to our Hotel ‘Sunbird’ at 18:00. We enjoyed a
vegetable curry and wonderful Ann bread made in a clay oven as you watched.
Wednesday 31st January
Bharatpur National Park. Up at 06:30 not feeling great had a quick shower and was ready for breakfast at 07:00. While enjoying our breakfast we added Chestnut-shouldered Petronia and Long-tailed Minivet to our trip list. Ratan Singh arrived at 08:00 prompt and we were off on his Rickshaw (No.9) into the park. Took the Nursery Loop before lunch. We had our lunch sitting on the grass watching the monkeys play havoc with unsuspecting picnickers. After lunch we took the circular route the other side of the main road through the park. Highlights: Lesser Spotted Eagle, Greater Spotted Eagle, Imperial Eagle, Tawny Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle, White-Tailed Eagle, Orange-headed Thrush, Tickell's Thrush, Dusky Eagle Owl, Siberian Crane, White Pelican, Sarus Cranes, Common Woodshrike. We eventually ended the day with quite a respectable 121 species in the park. Our trip list now totals 173ish.
Thursday 1st February
Opened
the birthday cards that I brought with me from home this morning. Reading the
messages made me feel quite emotional.
Everyone joined in a and sang a chorus of Happy Birthday to me at
breakfast, including a group of Danish birders. Ratan again met us at
08:00 and we entered the park on Rickshaw. As we approached the ticket office there was a bit of a commotion
on our left. After about 10 minutes
searching the object of all the fuss was revealed a stunning male Siberian
Rubythroat. Crippling views were
enjoyed by everyone. What a magnificent
first bird for my birthday. We
proceeded into the park past the forest lodges towards Ratan's home village
Mallah then veered south further into the park. We were joined on this trek by
Howard and Thais Armstrong and their guide Bhirinda Singh (Ratan's pupil and
nephew). The Armstrongs were an amazing couple who took off six years earlier
to visit Australia originally for a year but enjoyed themselves so much they
didn’t stop. We were hoping to find the
nightjars but with no luck. Apparently
they hadn’t been seen for a week or so.
Ratan even picked one up off the floor of the forest and it died despite
his attempts to warm the bird up.
Unseasonal cold weather the likely cause of the nightjars demise. Disturbance from the monkeys was another
problem the nightjars faced. We did
have splendid views of the parks Pythons though. We finished the morning
scanning the Sapan Mari for the dowitcher that had been reported there but
failed to find this vagrant. Bird
highlights this morning: Siberian Rubythroat, Oriental Whiteye,
Grey-headed Flycatcher, Brooks Leaf
Warbler, Clamorous Reed Warbler. Had several
opportunities to get close to some wonderful birds. After lunch it was off to
get a closer look at the Siberian Cranes. On
the long walk out we met up with a group of Swiss birders who were looking at a
very elusive Black Bittern. We all
eventually saw it but not well. Further
down the track we stopped to scan the pelicans and picked up a Dalmation
Pelican as well as Pallas's Gull. We took
a short cut across the Jheel (only possible because of the lack of water) and
we spotted a rather drab warbler in a small bush it was an exciting find
because it was our first Booted Warbler.
We eventually stopped not more than 50 yards away from the Cranes in
‘wonderful light’. Richard was revelling in his role as photographer and made
the most of this opportunity. On the long slog back we had much better views of
the Black Bittern and quick glimpse of a Yellow
Bittern. We also found House Swifts and
Needle-tailed
Swifts among a throng of swifts and martins wheeling overhead. Finally in the Rickshaw home we stopped for
a closer look at the Demoiselle Cranes and a scan through the large number of
eagles. The big surprise was a Golden Eagle sat on a dead tree stump not more
than twenty yards from the road. At dinner
the owner of our hotel ‘Sunbird’ came over to our table, which we were sharing
with John and Janet Martin a couple from Bristol and Ratan Singh, and he poured
us all a large drink and wished me a happy birthday. He even left the bottles for us to help ourselves. We didn’t
leave the table all night and I stayed up much later than usual to telephone
home to speak to my wife and daughter.
122 species in the park today.
Friday 2nd February
Ratan
met us at 08:00 and we hired bicycles from the hotel and we proceeded to cycle
past the entrance of the park (still no sign of the Cinnamon Bittern) and on to
Ratan's village Mallah. We tried for Painted Snipe which had been seen at the
village pond but it wasn’t there this morning. We then cycled through the
village into the cultivation beyond. Birds seen here included: Chestnut-bellied
Sandgrouse, Bimaculated Lark, Rufous-tailed
Lark, Yellow-wattled Lapwing,
Spanish Sparrow, Hume's Short-toed Lark, Desert
Lark, Desert Wheatear, Short-toed Lark and
Blyth's Pipit. We
stopped for an early lunch at 11:00 as Ratan's young son had brought us out our
picnic lunch. It was very graciously received and consisted of potatoes,, peas,
spices and herbs (Aloo Mateer) with loads of Chapatis. It was all rather
delicious. After lunch we cycled out to
the dam, first going right and later further left. The only new bird was a Black-breasted
Weaver. We did have a very brief rear end view of a
falcon disappearing into a tree. Ratan
had just told us that a Red-necked Falcon can usually be found in one of these
three trees and whoosh there it was, unfortunately we didn’t get enough on it to
list it, and none of us were contemplating cycling back the half mile or so to
the tree involved. While we were at our
furthest from the village I had a puncture in my rear wheel. It was agony trying to cycle over the rough
terrain and it was a long way back. It was baking hot and it had already been a
long day in the field. Ratan and I
swapped bikes and he cycled it the last couple of miles into his village and
the local tyre repair shop. While sitting around waiting for the tyre repair we
were entertained by the local strong man who proceeded to lift the cycle up off
the floor using just his teeth. We were
all suitably impressed. The tyre had in
fact 3 punctures and the repairs were carried out very efficiently. We cycled
back past the park entrance (still no sign of the Cinnamon Bittern), and got
back to the hotel at 18:00. Early
evening meal consisted of vegetable curry, egg fried rice, chips and plain
pitta bread. All washed down with copious amounts of ‘Kingfisher’.
Saturday 3rd February
Up at
04:30 to leave for the Chambral River trip. Left the Sunbird at 05:00 en route
for the Chambral. Arrived at the river
side at 08:00. We then boarded our
tender which took us out to a small island mid river. From here we transferred
to our river transport for the trip up river. It was an amazing experience, the
river was like a mill pond and the birds didn’t disappoint. Birds noted: Indian
Skimmer (57), Greater Thick-knee, Black-bellied
Tern, River Tern, Osprey,
Long-legged Buzzard, Kentish
Plover, Little-Ringed Plover, Plain
Martin, Lesser
Whistling Duck, Ruddy Shelduck, Teal,
Spot-billed Duck, Wigeon,
Indian Cormorant, Rock
Thrush, Great Cormorant, Little
Cormorant, White-browed Wagtail, Pied
Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, Redshank,
Greenshank, Black-winged
Stilt, Little Stint, Egyptian
Vulture, Black Kite, Crested Lark
and River Lapwing. A wonderful trip and one more of my ‘wanted list’ namely
Indian Skimmer
ticked off. I think this is the only place left where you can guarantee skimmers and it ought to be on everyone itinerary. Returned to the car at 12:00 for the drive to Agra. Arrived in Agra at 14:00 and had lunch in
the JayPee Palace Hotel. The hotel was quite wonderful and while waiting for
our car we picked up: Brown
Rock-Chat,
Egyptian Vultures, Black Kites, White-rumped Vultures and
Oriental Turtle Dove.
We then left to visit the Taj Mahal. It
was major splendid. No new birds to bother with. The $20 entrance fee for all
aliens is perhaps a little pricey especially as you have to pay extra for your
video camera. Dinner was back at the JayPee Palace where we used the facilities
to send e-mails and clean up. Dinner was excellent another mainly Indian
cuisine. Left the JayPee at 20:45 for the train to Corbett. Eventually left Agra station at 21:30.
Sunday 4th February
Arrived
Lal Kuan at 08:30 after another eventful overnight sleeper trip. At Lal Kuan we
were met by our driver Pratap Singh who drove us to our new accommodation
‘Tiger Moon Resort’. En route we stopped off for a coffee at a cafe on Corbett
Corner. Here in the space of five minutes
we added four new birds: Ashy Drongo, Collared
Falconet, Green-fronted Leafbird
and Black-hooded Oriole. At Tiger Moon
we were shown to our bungalow and while enjoying the grounds we noted: Barred
Owlet, Velvet-backed Nuthatch, Great
Tit, Little Pied Flycatcher, Grey-headed
Flycatcher, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Brown-headed Barbet and
Oriental Whiteye. We
had an early lunch and at 13:45 we left for the Kosi River. Where we noted Red
Crested Pochard, Little Grebe, Ruddy
Shelduck, Great Cormorant, Little
Ringed Plover, Redshank, Greenshank,
Red-wattled Lapwing, River
Lapwing,
Plumerous Redstart, White-capped Redstart, Pied
Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Merganser,
Spotted Dove, Ashy Prinia,
White-browed Fantail, Blue
Rock Thrush,
Brown Rock Chat, Blue Whistling Thrush, Crested Serpent
Eagle, Red-headed Vulture, White-backed
Vulture, Plain Martin,
Barn Swallow, Needle-tailed
Swift,
Black Kite, Cinereous Vulture, Kingfisher,
Pied Kingfisher, White-breasted
Kingfisher, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Thick-knee,
Greater Thick-knee, Hume's
Warbler, Chiffchaff, Wallcreeper and
Ibisbill. Another ‘most wanted’ was
crossed off the list namely IBISBILL.
We had good views of both birds. We found them feeding at the bend in
the river and later saw them fly back down past us towards the river barrage.
Later back at Tiger Moon we once again met up with Mohit and while in
conversation with him four Great Hornbills flew overhead. Finished the day with
218ish species.
Monday 5th February
Left
Tiger Moon after breakfast 08:00, took the jeep with Pratap driving through the
Corbett National Park to Dhikala where we were due to spend the night. We stopped
several times en route to look at birds, several birds noted including: Scarlet
Minivet, Kalij Pheasant, Red Jungle
Fowl, Lemon-rumped Warbler, Crested Tree
Swift, Great Pied Hornbill, Himalayan
Kingfisher, Darter, Black
Stork, Lesser
Whistling Teal, Black Kite, Honey
Buzzard, Crested Serpent Eagle, Red-headed
Vulture, Short-toed Eagle, Grey Pygmy
Woodpecker, Green Magpie and amazingly White-bellied Sea
Eagle. This last bird caused a lot of debate among others we
informed of our sighting. Mainly because
all the books say that its distributed along the coast only, although in Salim
Ali’s book it says vagrant to Rajasthan.
Everyone of us present all agreed that the bird we saw was and could
only be a White-bellied Sea Eagle. The bird was a carbon copy of the
illustrations in the book being a full adult plumaged bird. It also soared in a most unusual way ( with
its wings held slightly forward but in
a deep V. Unlike any other raptor I have seen before). The bird was observed for about five minutes
before it disappeared from view. This was a new bird for everyone including
both or guide Ratan and our driver Pratap (who is a keen birder). A full
description is in prep. We eventually arrived at Dhikala at 13:30. Immediately
had a Pallas’s Fish Eagle and another Collared
Falconet. After lunch we took
our elephant ride through the jungle.
Our elephant Molly was fifty years old.
The ride was interesting and we had some amazing close ups of the deer
species, but not many birds and no tigers to record. We finished the ride at
18:00. Before dinner we watched a film
show about the nature reserves of INDIA.
Bed by 21:00, finished the day
on 270ish species.
Tuesday 6th February
Called
at 06:30 and we made our way to the watch tower arriving there at 07:00. Lots
of birds noted including: Ashy Bulbul, Alexandrine
Parakeet, Slaty-headed Parakeet, Black-throated
Tit, Winter Wren, Yellow-vented
Warbler, Grey-hooded
Warbler and Rufous-bellied Woodpecker. We had allowed ourselves
two hours at the
watch tower and we had just about given up any hope of ever seeing a tiger when
Ratan and everyone else was watching the ‘pecker’ (Stripe-breasted
Woodpecker)
when Ratan cried TIGER. We all swirled
around to see a magnificent male Tiger not thirty yards away walking in unobscured
view past the water hole. It walked slowly past looked up at us with disdain,
sprayed the bushes in urine and then disappeared as quickly as it had appeared
. Only one word to describe everyone’s
feeling MAGIC. We all walked back from the watch tower at least a foot taller
than when we walked out. Left Dhikala at 10:00. We drove leisurely through the
park and out of the main gate. We stopped and had a drink at the Quality Inn
where we met up with the group from ‘Naturetrek’. We discussed India and
birding over our drink and we were told that a White-tailed Rubythroat was
about just over the boundary wall. I
picked up the female almost immediately but on returning with Richard and Dave
I couldn’t relocate it. A rather dull female but still a new bird. We left
there for the ‘Forktail Stream’, we did pick up Small Forktail
and Tawny Fish
Owl but couldn’t locate the other two species of forktail. It appears from other
trip reports that we probably didn’t go far enough up the stream. Moving on to
Betalghat en route we picked up Blue-capped Redstart,
Red-billed Blue Magpie,
Green Tit and Black-lored
Tit. Arrived Betalghat at 17:30 had coffee over
looking the valley and the Himalayan foothills. Dinner was at 19:00, retired to
bed at 20:10.
Wednesday 7th February
Up at
06:30, coffee on the terrace at 07:00. Birds noted in the garden: Hill Prinia,
Himalayan Bulbul, Green-tailed Sunbird and Rufous Treepie. Off out of the gate
we went a short distance right to a small water gully where we saw Spotted
Forktail. We then went left and followed the road for a couple of miles. Birds
noted: Hill Prinia, Rusty-cheeked Scimitar
Babbler, Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler, Chestnut
Thrush, Rufous-bellied Niltava, and Mrs.
Gould's Sunbird. Back
to the hotel for breakfast at 10:00. In the hotel garden we had Crimson
Sunbird. Later we went for a walk along the River (Kosi). Birds noted: Plumerous
Redstart, White-capped Water Redstart, Wallcreeper,
Crested Kingfisher, Pied
Kingfisher,
River Lapwing, Red-wattled Lapwing, Grey
Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, White-browed
Wagtail and Lammergeier. returning to the hotel for cold drinks. Later we left
the hotel for a drive through the countryside, Birds noted en route included:
Himalayan Griffon, Jungle Owlet, Chestnut-eared
Bunting, Small Niltava and
Slaty-Blue Flycatcher. Arrived back at the hotel ’Call of the Wild Safari
Lodge’ at 17:00. Sat on the terrace enjoying a cola when Ratan spotted a bird
in the fruiting fig tree a Blue-throated Barbet. Nice end to a good days
birding. Finished the day on 310ish species listed.
Thursday 8th February
Left
our lodge at 07:00 en route for Nainital. The journey was long and cold with
frequent stops for birding. Stopped in
Nainital to change of our cash. It took
forever. We also bumped into Mohit in
the main street. We drove out of Nainital stopping at various interesting spots
including a vantage viewing area where the Himalayan peaks including Nanda Devi
at 7820 meters, where snow covered in the distance. A very good stop was at
Kilbury where we strolled up to the ranger station. We eventually arrived at
Pangot at 14:00 where we were made to feel very welcome. We all had a cola and at 15:30 Mohit, Ratan
and a local guide took us on a long walk through the forest. Several new birds
here including: Bar-tailed Treecreeper, Green-backed Tit,
Yellow-browed Tit,
Black Bulbul, Jungle Prinia, Streaked Laughing
Thrush, Russet Sparrow, Great
Barbet, Oriental Turtle Dove, Grey-backed
Shrike, Black-headed Jay, Eurasian
Jay, Common Raven, Mistle Thrush, Orange-flanked Bush
Robin, White-rumped Shama, White-tailed Nuthatch and Eurasian Tree
Sparrow. We returned at 18:00 for a coffee or
beer. We never left the lodge and went
straight through to dinner. Mohit has really pulled out all the stops and
dinner was great. Retired to bed at
20:30 sated in all respects.
Friday 9th February
We were
woken at 06:00 with tea, breakfast at 06:30 eggs, toast and coffee. Left Pangot
at 7 for Kilbury where we arrived at 07:30 from here it was onward and upward
to Cheena Peak. We eventually got to the top after a very arduous trek at
12:30. Birds noted during the climb: Brown-fronted
Woodpecker, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Mountain Hawk
Eagle, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Eurasian Griffon and superb
views of a very inquisitive Lammergeier. Mohit had
organised lunch at the top.
After lunch we decided to look over the rubbish tip in Nainital but we got
hopelessly lost and walked miles up and down various valleys. We eventually
dropped down through the outskirts of Nainital to meet up with Pratap. We
arrived at the Swiss Hotel at 18:30 absolutely knackered. The less said about the Swiss Hotel the
better it was horrible. No heating and a disco that went on until 04:30!!!!!!
Saturday 10th February
Breakfast
at 06:30 feeling like death after yesterdays exertions and last nights disco
and fireworks. Pratap drove us to the Mongoli Valley. Pratap dropped us off at
the tea rooms and we followed the path mentioned in ‘A Birders Guide to India’.
We had four species of Laughing Thrush, Lesser Yellownape and a
Rufous-breasted Accentor.
It was a great couple of hours. Pratap was waiting for us as we climbed back up
the valley. Left here for our return trip to Delhi. We arrived back at our
Delhi base ’The White Apartments at 19:30 very tired. We all showered, had a
meal and retired to bed.
Sunday 11th February
Left
the hotel at 08:00 for Okhla. Spent the morning running around various sites in
Okhla, several new birds: Northern Lapwing, Red-rumped
Swallow, Red Avadavat,
Yellow-Legged Gull and Curlew Sandpiper. Finished birding at 13:00 for lunch
with Mohit and his charming wife at the Pot Pourri in Noida. Spent the rest of
the day shopping for presents and sight seeing in Delhi. Had a Chinese meal at
the Imperial Garden Restaurant, very plush, with it seemed more waiters than customers.
Left for the airport at 21:00.
Monday 12th February
Arrived
London Heathrow at 09:30 for the long drive home. A quick count up on the plane
suggested about 350ish birds listed with perhaps 250 lifers.
Systematic
List
My
apologies to those expecting counts of birds. Counting numbers of birds has
never been one of my priorities. Relative abundance/scarcity/distribution etc.
is more than adequately covered in all the field guides
1 Black
Francolin (Francolinus francolinus)
Corbett National Park
2 Painted
Francolin (Francolinus
pictus)
Corbett National Park
3 Grey
Francolin (Francolinus pondicerrianus)
Keoladeo Ghana National Park
4 Jungle
Bush Quail (Perdicula asiatica)
Corbett National Park
5 Painted
Spurfowl (Galloperdix lunulata)
Ranthambhor
6 Red
Junglefowl (Gallus gallus)
Corbett National Park
7 Kalij
Pheasant (Lophura leucomelanos)
Corbett National Park
8 Indian
Peafowl (Pavo cristatus)
Keoladeo Ghana National Park
9 Greylag
Goose (Anser anser)
Keoladeo Ghana National Park
10 Bar
Headed Goose (Anser indicus)
Keoladeo Ghana National Park.
11 Lesser
Whistling Duck
(Dendrocygna javanica)
Keoladeo Ghana National Park
12 Ruddy
Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea)
Okhla
13 Cotton
Pygmy Goose (Nettapus coromandelianus)
Keoladeo Ghana National Park
14 Gadwall (Anas strepera)
Keoladeo Ghana National Park, Okhla
15 Eurasian
Wigeon (Anas penelope)
Keoladeo Ghana National Park, Okhla
16 Mallard (Anas platyrynchos)
Keoladeo Ghana National Park
17 Spot-billed Duck (Anas poecilorhyncha)
Keoladeo Ghana National Park, Okhla
18 Common
Teal (Anas crecca)
Keoladeo Ghana National Park,
Okhla
19 Northern Pintail (Anas
acuta)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Okhla
20 Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Okhla
21 Red Crested Pochard (Rhodonessa rufina)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
22 Common Pochard (Aythya
ferina)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Okhla
23 Ferruginous Pochard (Aythya nyroca)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Okhla
24 Tufted Duck (Aythya
fuligula)
Okhla
25 Common Merganser (Mergus
merganser)
River
Kosi, Ramnagar
26 Eurasian Wryneck (Jynx
torquilla)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
27 Rufous Woodpecker (Celeus brachyurus)
Nainital
28 Brown Capped Pygmy Woodpecker (Dendrocopos nanus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
29 Grey Capped Pygmy Woodpecker (Dendrocopos canicapillus)
Corbett
National Park
30 Brown Fronted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos auriceps)
Nainital
31 Stripe-Breasted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos
atratus)
Corbett
National Park
32 Yellow Crowned Woodpecker (Dendrocopos mahrattensis)
Corbett
National Park
33 Rufous Bellied Woodpecker (Dendrocopos hyperythrus)
Nainital
34 Himalayan Woodpecker (Dendrocopos himalayensis)
Nainital
35 Lesser Yellownape (Picus chlorolophus)
Nainital
36 Greater Yellownape (Picus flavinucha)
Corbett
National Park
37 Scaly Bellied Woodpecker (Picus squamatus)
Nainital
38 Grey Headed Woodpecker (Picus canus)
Corbett
National Park
39 Black Rumped Flameback (Dinopium benghalense)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Corbett National Park
40 Great Barbet (Megalaima
virens)
The
Mangoli Valley
41 Brown Headed Barbet (Megalaima zeylanica)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
42 Lineated Barbet (Megalaima
lineata)
Corbett
National Park
43 Blue-Throated Barbet
(Megalaima asiatica)
Betalghat
44 Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
45 Indian Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros birostris)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
46 Great Hornbill (Buceros
bicornis)
Corbett
National Park
47 Common Hoopoe (Upupa
epops)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
48 Indian Roller (Coracias
benghalensis)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
49 Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park. Corbett National Park, Okhla
50 Stork Billed Kingfisher (Halcyon capensis)
Corbett
National Park
51 White Throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Okhla
52 Crested Kingfisher (Megaceryle lugubris)
Corbett
National Park
53 Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle
rudis)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Corbett National Park
54 Green Bee Eater (Merops
orientalis)
Ranthambhor.
Okhla
55 Sirkeer Malkoha (Phaeniocophaeus
leschenaultii)
Ranthambhor
56 Greater Coucal (Centropus
sinensis)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
57 Alexandrine Parakeet (Psittacula eupatria)
Corbett
National Park
58 Rose Ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
59 Slaty Headed Parakeet (Psittacula himalayana)
Dhikala
Watchtower, Corbett National Park
60 Plum Headed Parakeet (Psittacula cyanocephala)
Ranthambhor
61 Red-Breasted Parakeet (Psittaculla
alexandri)
Corbett
National Park
62 White Rumped Needletail (Zoonavena sylvatica)
Corbett
National Park
63 House Swift (Apus
affinis)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
64 Crested Treeswift (Hemiprocne coronata)
Corbett
National Park
65 Collared Scops Owl (Otus bakkamoena)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Ranthambhor
66 Dusky Eagle Owl (Bubo
coromandus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
67 Brown-Fish Owl (Keputa
zeylonensis)
Corbett
National Park
68 Tawny-Fish Owl (Keputa
flavipes)
Fork-tail
stream
69 Asian Barred Owlet (Glaucidium cuculoides)
Corbett
National Park
70 Jungle Owlet (Glaucidium
radiatum)
Corbett
National Park
71 Spotted Owlet (Athene
brama)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
72 Rock Pigeon (Columba
livia)
Seen
at most sites
73 Green Imperial Pigeon (Ducula
aenea)
Corbett
National Park
74 Oriental Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur)
Nainital
75 Laughing Dove (Streptopelia
senegalensis)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Okhla
76 Spotted Dove (Streptopelia
chinensis)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
77 Red Collared Dove (Streptopelia tranquebarica)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
78 Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
79 Emerald Dove (Chalcophaps
indica)
Corbett
National Park
80 Yellow Footed Green Pigeon (Treron phoenicoptera)
Ranthambhor,Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
81 Siberian Crane (Grus
leucogeranus)
The
regular two wintering individuals were seen at Keoladeo Ghana National Park on the
Mansarovar behind Keoladeo
Temple
82 Sarus Crane (Grus
antigone)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
83 Demoiselle Crane (Grus
virgo)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
84 Common Crane (Grus
grus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
85 Brown Crake (Amaurornis
akool)
Ranthambhor,Keoladeo
Ghana National Park and Okhla
86 White Breasted Waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park.Okhla
87 Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio
porphyrio)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park. Okhla
88 Common Moorhen (Gallinula
chloropus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
89 Common Coot (Fulica
atra)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park. Okhla
90 Chestnut-Bellied Sandgrouse
(Pterocles exustus)
Keoladeo
National Park
91 Painted Sandgrouse (Pterocles
indicus)
Keoladeo
National Park
92 Common Snipe (Gallinago
gallinago)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park. Okhla
93 Black Tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)
Ranthambhor,
Keoladeo Ghana National Park
94 Spotted Redshank (Tringa
erythropus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
95 Common Redshank (Tringa
totanus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park. River Yamuna by The Taj Mahal
96 Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)
Keoldeo
Ghana National Park, Corbett National Park
97 Green Sandpiper (Tringa
ochropus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
98 Wood Sandpiper (Tringa
glareola)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
99 Common Sandpiper (Actitis
hypoleucos)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Corbett National Park, Okhla
100 Little Stint (Calidris
minuta)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park. Okhla
101 Temmincks Stint (Calidris
temminckii)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park. Okhla
102 Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris
ferruginea)
Okhla
103 Ruff (Philomachus
pugnax)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park. Okhla
104 Eurasian Thick Knee (Burhinus oedicnemus)
Keokadeo
Ghana National Park
105 Great Thick Knee (Burhinus
recurvirostris)
River
Kosi, Chambral River
106 Ibisbill (Ibidorhyncha
struthersii)
Excellent
views were had of the two regular wintering individuals on the River Kosi
107 Black Winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park. Okhla
108 Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra
avosetta)
Ranthambhor,
Okhla
109 Bronze Winged Jacana (Metopidius indicus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
110 Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius)
Chambral River, Okhla
111 Kentish Plover (Charadrius
alexandrinus)
Chambral
River
112 Northern Lapwing (Vanellus
vanellus)
Okhla
113 Yellow-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus
malarbaricus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
114 River Lapwing (Vanellus
duvaucelii)
Chambral
River, River Kosi, Corbett National Park, Okhla
115 Red Wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
116 White Tailed Lapwing (Vanellus leucurus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
117 Yellow Legged Gull (Larus cachinnans)
Okhla
118 Pallas’s Gull (Larus
ichthyaetus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
119 Brown Headed Gull (Larus
brunnicephalus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
120 Black Headed Gull (Larus
ridibundus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Okhla
121 River Tern (Sterna
aurantia)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Okhla
122 Black Bellied Tern (Sterna acuticauda)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
123 Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias
hybridus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Okhla
124 Indian Skimmer (Rynchops albicollis)
Chambral
River
125 Osprey (Pandion
haliaetus)
Corbett
National Park 4/12
126 Black Shouldered Kite (Elanus caeruleus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park. Corbett National Park
Okhla
127 Black Kite (Milvus
migrans)
Everywhere
128 White-Bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus
leucogaster)
Corbett
national Park
129 Pallas’s Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus leucoryphus)
Corbett
National Park
130 White-Tailed Eagle
(Haliaeetus albicilla)
Corbett
National Park
131 Lesser Fish Eagle (Ichthyophaga
humilis)
Corbett
National Park
132 Lammergeier (Gypaetus
barbatus)
Nainital, Mangoli Valley
133 Egyptian Vulture (Neophron
percnopterus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Taj Mahal, Delhi
134 White Rumped Vulture (Gyps bengalensis)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
135 Indian Vulture (Gyps
indicus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
136 Himalayan Griffon (Gyps
himalayensis)
Nainital
137 Eurasian Griffon (Gyps
fulvus)
Nainital,
Mangoli Valley
138 Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius
monachus)
Corbett
National Park
139 Red Headed Vulture (Sarcogyps calvus)
Keoladeo
Ghana Natioinal Park, Corbett National Park
140 Short Toed Snake Eagle (Circaetus gallicus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
141 Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Corbett
142 Eurasian Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Okhla
143 Pallid Harrier (Circus
macrourus)
A
juvenile/first winter Ranthambhor
144 Shikra (Accipiter
badius)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
145 Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)
Nainital
146 Oriental Honey Buzzard (Pernis ptilorhyncus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
147 Common Buzzard (Buteo
buteo)
Mangoli
Valley
148 Long-Legged Buzzard (Buteo
rufinus)
Chambral
River
149 Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
150 Greater Spotted Eagle (Aquila clanga)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
151 Golden Eagle (Aquila
chrysaetos)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
152 Tawny Eagle (Aquila rapax)
Keoladeo
Ghana national Park
153 Steppe Eagle (Aquila
nipalensis)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Corbett National Park
154 Imperial Eagle (Aquila
heliaca)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
155 Changeable Hawk Eagle (Spizaetus cirrhatus)
Nainital
156 Mountain Hawk Eagle (Spizaetus nipalensis)
Nainital
157 Collared Falconet (Microhierax
caerulescens)
Corbett
National Park
158 Common Kestrel (Falco
tinniculus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
159 Peregrine Falcon (Falco
peregrinus)
Nainital
160 Little Grebe (Tachybaptus
ruficollis)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
161 Darter (Anhinga
melanogastor)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Okhla
162 Little Cormorant (Phalacrocorax
niger)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Okhla
163 Indian Cormorant (Phalacrocorax
fuscicollis)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
164 Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax
carbo)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Corbett National Park, Okhla
165 Little Egret (Egretta
garzetta)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
166 Great Egret (Casmerodius
albus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Corbett National Park, Okhla
167 Intermediate Egret (Mesophoyx intermedia)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
168 Cattle Egret (Bubulcus
ibis)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Okhla
169 Indian Pond Heron (Ardeola
grayii)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Okhla
170 Grey Heron (Ardea
cinerea)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Corbett National Park, Okhla
171 Purple Heron (Ardea
purpurea)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Corbett National Park, Okhla
172 Little Heron (Butorides
striatus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
173 Black Crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
174 Yellow Bittern (Ixobrychus
sinensis)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
175 Black Bittern (Dupetor
flavicollis)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
176 Greater Flamingo
(Phoenicopterus ruber)
Okhla
177 Black Headed Ibis (Threskiornis
melanocephalus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
178 Black Ibis (Pseudibis
papilosa)
Ranthambhor
179 Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Okhla
180 Great White Pelican (Peeicanus onocrotalus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
181 Dalmation Pelican (Pelecanus
crispus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
182 Painted Stork (Mycteria
leucocephala)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
183 Asian Openbill (Anastomus
oscitans)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
184 Wooly Necked Stork (Ciconia episcopus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
185 Black Stork (Ciconia
nigra)
Corbett
National Park
186 Black Necked Stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
187 Golden Fronted Leafbird (Chloropsis aurifrons)
Corbett
National Park
188 Brown Shrike (Lanius
cristatus)
Corbett
National Park
189 Bay Backed Shrike (Lanius
vittatus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
190 Long Tailed Shrike (Lanius schach)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park. Corbett National Park, Okhla
191 Grey Backed Shrike (Lanius tephronotus)
Pangot
192 Southern Grey Shrike (Lanius meridionalis)
Keoladeo
Ghanan National Park
193 Eurasian Jay (Garrulus
glandarius)
Nainital
194 Black Headed Jay (Garrulus
lanceolatus)
Pangot,
Nainital, Mangoli Valley
195 Red Billed Blue Magpie (Urocissa erythrorhyncha)
Betalghat,
Mangoli Valley
196 Common Green Magpie (Cissa chinensis)
Pangot
197 Rufous Treepie (Dendrocitta
Vagabunda)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
198 Grey Treepie (Dendrocitta
formosae)
Corbett
National Park
199 House Crow (Corvus
splendens)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
200 Large Billed Crow (Corvus
macrorhynchos)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Nainital, Mangoli Valley
201 Common Raven (Corvus corax)
Nainital
202 Black Hooded Oriole (Oriolus xanthornus)
Corbett
National Park
203 Maroon Oriole (Oriolus traillii)
Corbett
National Park
204 Small Minivet (Pericrocotus
cinnamomeus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Corbett National Park
205 Long Tailed Minivet (Pericrocotus ethologus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Corbett National Park
206 Scarlet Minivet (Pericrocotus
flammeus)
Corbett
National Park
207 Bar Winged Flycatcher Shrike (Hemipus picatus)
Corbett
National Park
208 Yellow Bellied Fantail (Rhipidura hypoxantha)
Corbett
National Park
209 White Throated Fantail (Rhipidura albicollis)
Corbett
national Park, Mangoli Valley
210 White Browed Fantail (Rhipidura aureola)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Corbett National Park
211 Black Drongo (Dicrurus
macrocercus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
212 Ashy Drongo (Dicrurus
leucophaeus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
213 Lesser Racket-Tailed Drongo (Dicrurus
remifer)
Corbett
National Park
214 Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus
hottentottus)
Corbett
National Park
215 Common Iora (Aegithina
tiphia)
Ranthambhor
216 Common Woodshrike (Tephrodornis
pondicerianus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
217 Blue Rock Thrush (Monticola
solitarius)
River
Kosi, Corbett National Park
218 Blue Whistling Thrush (Myophonus caeruleus)
Corbett
National Park, Mangoli Valley, Pangot, Betalghat
219 Orange Headed Thrush (Zoothera wardii)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
220 Tickells Thrush (Turdus
unicolor)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
221 Chestnut Thrush (Turdus
rubrocanus)
Betalghat
222 Dark Throated Thrush (Turdus Ruficollis)
Corbett
National Park, Nainital, Pangot
223 Mistle Thrush (Turdus
viscivorus)
Pangot
224 Rufous-Gorgeted Flycatcher (Ficedula
strophiata)
Mangoli
Valley
225 Red Throated Flycatcher (Ficedula parva)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
226 Little Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula westermanni)
Corbett
National Park
227 Slaty Blue Flycatcher (Ficedula tricolor)
Betalghat
228 Small Niltava (Niltava
macgrigoriae)
Betalghat,
Pangot
229 Rufous Bellied Niltava (Niltava sundara)
Betalghat
230 Vivid Niltava (Niltava vivida)
Mangoli
Valley
231 Hill Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis
banyumas)
Betalghat,
Nainital
232 Grey Headed Canary Flycatcher (Culicicapa ceylonensis)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Corbett National Park
233 Siberian Rubythroat (Luscinia calliope)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
234 White-Tailed Rubythroat (Luscinia
pectoralis)
Quality
Inn, Corbett National Park
235 Bluethroat (Luscinia
svecica)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Okhla
236 Orange Flanked Bush Robin (Tarsiger cyanurus)
Nainital
road to Pangot
237 Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Bharatpur
238 White-Rumped Shama (Copsychus malabaricus)
Nainital
road to Pangot
239 Indian Robin (Saxicoloides
fulicata)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Okhla
240 Blue Capped Redstart (Phoenicurus coeruleocephalus)
Betalghat,
Mangoli Valley
241 Black Redstart (Phoenicurus
ochruros)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
242 Blue Fronted Redstart (Phoenicurus frontalis)
Nainital,
Mangoli Valle
243 White Capped Water Redstart (Chaimarrornis leucocephalus)
River
Kosi, Corbett National Park, Forktail Stream, Betalghat, Nainital, Mangoli
Valley
244 Plumbeous Water Redstart (Rhyacornis fuliginosus)
River
Kosi, Corbett National Park, Forktail Stream, Betalghat
245 Little Forktail (Enicurus
scouleri)
Forktail
Stream near the Quality Inn, Kumeria
246 Spotted Forktail (Enicurus
maculatus)
Betalghat,
Mangoli Valley
247 Common Stonechat (Saxicola
torquata)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park. Corbett National Park.Okhla
248 Pied Bushchat (Saxicola
caprata)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
249 Grey Bushchat (Saxicola
ferrea)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Mangoli Valley
250 Brown Rock Chat (Cercomela
fusca)
Ranthambhor,
River Kosi at Ramnagar
251 Variable Wheatear (Oenanthe
picata)
Ranthambhor
252 Desert Wheatear (Oenanthe
deserti)
Bharatpur
253 Isbelline Wheatear (Oenanthe
isabellina)
Ranthambhor
254 Brahminy Starling (Sturnus
pagodarum)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
255 Rosy Starling (Sturnus roseus)
Road
to Delhi
256 Common Starling (Sturnus
vulgaris)
Okhla
257 Asian Pied Starling (Sturnus contra)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Okhla
258 Common Myna (Acridotheres
tristis)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Corbett National Park, Betalghat, Pangot, Mangoli Valley,
Okhla
259 Bank Myna (Acridotheres
ginginianus)
Okhla
260 Chestnut Bellied Nuthatch (Sitta castanea)
Corbett
National Park, Magoli Valley
261 White Tailed Nuthatch (Sitta himalayensis)
Mangoli
Valley
262 Velvet Fronted Nuthatch (Sitta frontalis)
Corbett National Park
263 Wallcreeper (Tichodroma
muraria)
River
Kosi, Betaghat, Road to Pangot
264 Bar Tailed Treecreeper (Certhia himalayana)
Pangot.
Mangoli Valley
265 Rufous-Naped Tit (Parus
rufonuchalis)
Nainital
266 Rufous-Vented Tit (Parus
rubidiventris)
Nainital
267 Spot Winged Tit (Parus
melanolophus)
Pangot
268 Great Tit (Parus
major)
Corbett
National Park, Betalghat, Mangoli Valley
269 Green Backed Tit (Parus
monticolus)
Road
to Betalghat, Mangoli Valley
270 Winter Wren (Troglodytes
troglodytes)
Dhikala
Watch Tower
271 Black Lored Tit (Parus
xanthogenys)
Road
to Betalghat, Mangoli Valley
272 Yellow-Browed Tit (Sylviparus modestus)
Pangot
273 Black Throated Tit (Aegithalos concinnus)
Nainital,
Mangoli Valley
274 Plain Martin (Riparia
paludicola)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Dhikala Watchtower, Corbett National Park
275 Dusky Crag Martin (Hirundo
concolor)
Corbett
National Park
276 Barn Swallow (Hirundo
rustica)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Bharatpur, Okhla
277 Wire Tailed Swallow (Hirundo smithii)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Bharatpur
278 Red Rumped Swallow (Hirundo daurica)
Okhla
279 Black-Headed Bulbul (Pycnonotus atriceps)
Corbett
National Park
280 Black Crested Bulbul (Pycnonotus melanicterus)
Dhikala
Watchtower, Corbett National Park
281 Red Whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus)
Dhikala
Watchtower, Corbett National Park
282 White Eared Bulbul (Pycnonotus leucotis)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Okhla
283 Himalayan Bulbul (Pycnonotus
leucogenys)
Dhikala
Watchtower, Corbett National Park, Nainital, Mangoli Valley
284 Red Vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus
cafer)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Corbett National Park, Mangoli Valley, Okhla
285 Ashy Bulbul (Hemixos
flavala)
Dhikala
Watchtower in Corbett National Park
286 Black Bulbul (Hypsipetes
leucocephalus)
Pangot,
Nainital, Mangoli Valley
287 Hill Prinia (Prinia
atrogularis)
Mangoli
Valley
288 Striated Prinia (Prinia
criniger)
Betalghat
289 Rufous-Fronted Prinia (Prinia
buchanani)
Betalghat
290 Grey Breasted Prinia (Prinia hodgsonii)
Corbett
National Park
291 Jungle Prinia (Prinia
sylvatica)
Betalghat
292 Plain Prinia (Prinia
inornata)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Bharatpur, Okhla
293 Ashy Prinia (Prinia
socialis)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Bharatpur, Corbett National Park
294 Oriental White Eye (Zosterops palpebrosus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Corbett National Park, Nainital, Mangoli Valley
295 Blyth’s Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus dumetorum)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
296 Clamorous Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus stentoreus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
297 Booted Warbler (Hippolais
caligata)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
298 Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Bharatpur, Okhla
299 Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus
sutorius)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Bharatpur
300 Siberian Chifchaff (Phylloscopus collybita tristis)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Corbett National Park, Mangoli Valley, Okhla
301 Tickell's Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus affinis)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
302 Lemon Rumped Warbler (Phylloscopus chloronatus)
Corbett
National Park
303 Brook’s Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus subviridis)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
304 Hume's Warbler (Phylloscopus
humei)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
305 Greenish Warbler (Phylloscopus
trochiloides)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Bharatpur
306 Yellow-Vented Warbler (Phylloscopus
cantator)
Corbett
National Park
307 Grey Hooded Warbler (Seicercus xanthoschistos)
Corbett
National Park
308 White Throated Laughingthrush (Garrulax albogularis)
Mangoli
Valley
309 White Crested Laughingthrush (Garrulax leucolophus)
Mangoli
Valley
310 Striated Laughingthrush (Garrulax striatus)
Mangoli
Valley
311 Streaked Laughingthrush (Garrulax lineatus)
Mangoli
Valley
312 Chestnut Crowned Laughingthrush (Garrulax erythrocephalus)
Mangoli
Valley
313 Rusty-Cheeked Scimitar Babbler (Pomatorhinus
erythrogenys)
Betalghat
314 Streak-Breasted Scimitar Babbler (Pomatorhinus ruficollis)
Betalghat
315 Yellow Eyed Babbler (Chrysomma sinense)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Bharatpur
316 Common Babbler (Turdoides
caudatus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Bharatpur
317 Striated Babbler (Turdoides
earlei)
Okhla
318 Large Grey Babbler (Turdoides malcolmi)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Bharatpur
319 Jungle Babbler (Turdoides
striatus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Bharatpur, Corbett National Park
320 White-Browed Shrike Babbler (Pteruthius flaviscapis)
Kilburry
321 Rufous Sibia (Heterophasia
capistrata)
Kilburry
322 Long-Tailed Sibia (Heterophasia picaoides)
Corbett
National Park
323 Black-Throated Parrotbill (Paradoxornis
nipalensis)
Nainital
324 Ashy-Crowned Sparrow (Eremopterix
grisea)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
325 Rufous-Tailed Lark (Ammomanes
phoenicurus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
326 Bimaculated Lark (Melanocorypha
bimaculata)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
327 Greater Short-Toed Lark (Calandrella brachydactyla)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
328 Hume’s Short-Toed Lark (Calandrella
acutirostris)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
329 Crested Lark (Galerida
cristata)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Okhla
330 Purple Sunbird (Nectarinia
asiatica)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Betalghat
331 Mrs.Gould's Sunbird (Aethopyga
gouldiae)
Betalghat
332 Green Tailed Sunbird (Aethopyga nipalensis)
Betalghat
333 Crimson Sunbird (Aethopyga
siparaja)
Betalghat
334 House Sparrow (Passer
domesticus)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Okhla
335 Spanish Sparrow (Passer
hispaniolensis)
Ranthambhor
336 Russet Sparrow (Passer
rutilans)
Pangot,
Mangoli Valley
337 Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer
Montanus)
Pangot
338 Chestnut Shouldered Petronia (Petronia xanthocollis)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
339 White Wagtail (Motacilla
alba)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
340 White Browed Wagtail (Motacilla maderaspatensis)
Keoladeo Ghana National Park
341 Citrine Wagtail (Motacilla
citreola)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Okhla
342 Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla
flava)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, Okhla
343 Grey Wagtail (Motacilla
cinerea)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, River Kosi, Ramnagar, Forktail Stream
344 Tawny Pipit (Anthus
campestris)
Bharatpur
345 Tree Pipit (Anthus
trivialis)
Bharatpur
346 Olive Backed Pipit (Anthus hodgsoni)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
347 Rufous Breasted Accentor (Prunella strophiata)
Mangoli
Valley
348 Black Breasted Weaver (Ploceus benghalensis)
Bharatpur
349 Baya Weaver (Ploecus
philippinus)
Bharatpur
350 Red Avadavat (Amandava
amandava)
Okhla
351 Indian Silverbill (Lonchura
malabarica)
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
352 Common Rosefinch (Carpodacus
erythrinus)
Pangot,
Delhi Ridge
353 Pink Browed Rosefinch (Carpodacus rodochrus)
Pangot
354 Chestnut Eared Bunting (Emberiza fucata)
Betalghat