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Day 01:
Delhi: You are welcomed and assisted at airport and
transferred to hotel. Rest of the day at leisure.
Day 02:
Delhi: After breakfast we visit the Okhla Island on the
Yamuna River to make first experience of Indian birds. This
attracts many typical North Indian species such as Indian
Pond-Heron, Ring-necked Parakeet, White-rumped Vulture,
Indian Roller, Black Drongo and Bank Myna. You can also
witness the wintering waterfowl as well as local specialties
like Yellow-bellied Prinia, Black Ibis, White-tailed
Stonechat, and Striated Babbler etc. By the late evening we
return back to hotel.
Day 03:
Sariska: Sariska Tiger Reserve deserves a special
mention for its avian life. Peafowl is the most common bird
here and the population density of this species is the
highest, compared to any other reserve of India. Some of the
common bird species visible in the park and around
Mansarovar Lake are Peafowl, Red Jungle Fowl, Spur Fowls,
White Breasted Kingfishers, Golden Backed Woodpeckers, Great
Indian Horned Owls, Quails, Partridges, Sand Grouse, Tree
Pies, Crested Serpent Eagles, Parakeets, Drongos, Sunbirds
and Vultures. At night, the rising of Nightjar from the road
gives a pleasant feeling. The populations of Grey
Partridges, Bush Quail and Peafowl are conspicuous. The
Horned Owl, Fishing Owl and Spotted Owlets are often seen at
night. Overnight at Sariska
Day 04:
Siliserh: The Siliserh Lake used to serve as the town's
source of water. Now, the lake is teeming with fish and
water birds and crocodiles can be seen swimming and basking
on the banks. Wild ducks streak across the clear water of
the lake in winter. The beautiful palace on the
lakeshore is a more modern building and provides a wonderful
view over the surrounding beauty. You can sit on the terrace
and watch water birds come in or the sunset on the lake on
an evening. Siliserh is tucked out of sight and most
visitors miss it. Overnight at Siliserh.
Day 05-06: Bharatpur
(Keoladeo Ghana National Park): Bharatpur was originally
developed as an area of freshwater marshes for duck
shooting, now it is a World Heritage Sanctuary. Large
coaches are not allowed inside the reserve so we'll explore
the Keoladeo Ghana National Park on foot and by bicycle
rickshaw. Nevertheless it will be very rewarding with the
possibility of about 400 species ranging from Siberian Crane
to Small Minivet can be find. On the water, Black-necked and
Painted Storks, Intermediate Egret, Cotton Pygmy-goose and
Oriental Darter will vie for our attention as we search for
less-usual species such as Ferruginous Duck, Red-crested
Pochard and Greater Painted- snipe. In the trailside trees
we'll look for Marshall's Iora, Sirkeer Malkoha, Asian
Paradise-flycatcher, White-bellied Drongo and Brook's Leaf,
Smoky and Booted Warblers. Beneath the bushes the slightest
movement could herald a Bluethroat or with luck an
Orange-headed Thrush or Siberian Rubythroat. In the sky
above might be Imperial or Bonelli's Eagle, King Vulture or
Crested Serpent-Eagle. Dusk may bring us Collared Scops Owl,
Dusky Eagle Owl or Long-tailed Nightjar. Nights in
Bharatpur.
 Day 07:
Bharatpur (Keoladeo Ghana National Park): Left the hotel
early in the morning and drive towards Bund Baretha by
making several stops along the way. Arrive at Bund Baretha
and spend some time at the dam before following the track to
the Old Maharaja's Palace. Here you can spot the species
like Oriental Honey Buzzard, Indian Skimmer, Red Collared
Dove, Wryneck, Southern Grey Shrike, Plum Headed Parakeet,
Great Thick-Knee, Jungle Bush Quail, White Capped Bunting,
Blue Rock Thrush, Dusky Crag Martin, Brown Rock Chat,
Kentish Plover. For overnight stay we return back to
Bharatpur.
Day 08-09: Ranthambhore:
The dry deciduous Sanctuary of Ranthambhor is situated in
the Aravali and Vindhyachal mountain ranges. The
availability of natural water resources has played a crucial
role in the development of a rich avifauna. There are a
number of lakes and tanks like Mansarovar, Galai Sagar,
Padam Talab, Rajbag, Malik Talab and some of them perennial
in nature. There are some rock pools and puddles along the
valley like the Baghola. Ranthambhor is known for
inhabitation of a variety of birds. By now, more than 300
species have been recorded.
The residents
include ground birds like Red Spur Fowl, Peafowl, three
varieties of Parakeet, Bee-eater, Shrike, Quail, Partridge,
Kingfisher including rare Stork-billed Kingfisher,
Woodpecker and Bulbul. During winters, a large number of
migratory birds like Sandpiper, Black Stork, Lapwing, Duck,
Geese and others come here. The birds of prey include
Crested Hawk Eagle, Short-Toed Eagle, Bonelli's Eagle,
Crested Serpent Eagle and Laggar Falcon. Some of them are
rare and exotic birds of prey like the Black Eagle which has
been sighted for the first time. Overnight at Ranthambhor.
 Day 10-11:
Kota: Sorsan grassland, notified as a closed area, is
about 45 kms. to the east of Kota city in southern
Rajasthan. The grassland is surrounded by right bank main
canal of the Chambal and the Parvan rivers which extends
over 35 sq. kms., is a treeless area of deciduous bushes of
jhar ber growing in patches on shallow soil. During
monsoons, the grass and vegetative cover becomes an ideal
habitat for insects and consequently becomes a paradise for
resident and migratory birds. Insectivorous birds like lark,
shrike, bulbul, drongo, myna, oriole, flycatcher, babbler,
chat, quail, partridge, robin, weaver bird and munia enrich
the avifauna of Sorsan. The rich food supply and sunny days
of Sorsan attract many varieties of migratory birds. Kashmir
rollers can be seen in the month of October. Flocks of
migratory lark, warbler, flycatcher, starling and rosy
pastors arrive by October and stay till March. But the main
attraction for bird watchers at Sorsan is the Godawan - the
great Indian bustard. It weighs eight to fourteen kgs. and
stands 16" high. This tall, heavy bird can be seen
walking with confidence and grace in the grassland. It lives
in a family of five to eight but at times more birds can
assemble on a breeding ground. The Godawan has been seen
nesting in the Barda area of the grassland as well as in
Jawar fields of the cultivated areas.
Besides the
birds found in the grassland, one can also see water birds
in the canal, in river Parvan and in the lakes of Sorsan and
Manpur village, saras crane and cattle egret are common near
these lakes. Among the ducks and geese that come to these
water bodies are pintail, common teal, ruddy shelduck,
gadwall, shoveler, common pochard, barheaded goose, greylag
goose etc.
Day 12:
Bassi: The Bassi Wildlife Sanctuary covers an area of 50
Sq. Km. The key fauna of the sanctuary are panther, wild
boar, antelopes and mongoose. Migratory birds also visit the
sanctuary. Overnight at Bassi.
Day 13:
Udaipur: Guided sightseeing tour in Udaipur City Palace,
Jagdish Temple, Museum, Sahelion-ki-Bari, Shilpgram
(village). Overnight at Udaipur.
Day 14:
Udaipur: Large numbers of waterfowl can be found around
Lake Pichola. Visit southern side of the lake which ideal
place for birding and also take Boat ride trip over lake
Pichola. Highlights included over a hundred Cotton Pygmy
Geese, close views of River Tern and Wire-tailed Swallow and
Indian Grey Hornbill in Udaipur.
Afternoon
visit Sajjangarh that is known as ‘monsoon palace’ was a
summer resort, and a place of outdoor recreation apart from
hunting. The Panther is the topmost predator of the
sanctuary. It is ideal for terrestrial birds like Jungle
Babblers, Cuckoos, Barbet, Woodpecker, Shrikes, Mynas, and
Flycatchers etc. The cliff and rocks at high elevations
serve as ideal nesting and roosting places for Egyptian
vulture, Long billed and White backed vultures, Kites and
Martins.
Sajjangarh
being the highest point around Udaipur City attract visitors
for viewing sunrise and sunset. At Sunset the surrounding
hill farewell the last rays of the sun giving a panoramic
view, after sunset the magnificent view of illuminated
Udaipur is thrilling.
Day 15:
Jaisamand: Jaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary, fifty kms.
south of Udaipur, includes the Jaisamand Lake, the second
largest artificial lake in Asia, with a water spread area of
90 sq. kms.
This lake was
made by blocking a narrow gap in the Aravali hills. That is
why the bigger hills inside the lake look like islands. The
water near these islands and other hills is shallow and
attracts different varieties of water birds. Far away from
human interference, these water birds move freely.
A special
feature of the birds of this lake is that the resident water
birds start their breeding activities in the last week of
June because the lake is full of water throughout the year
unlike Keoladeo. Most of the birds make their nests in the
vegetation around the lake. The breeding birds can be
observed only while moving around in the lake by boat.
The main
breeding birds of Jaisamand lake are darter, open-bill
stork, pond heron, little cormorant, Indian shag, egret, a
few grey and purple heron and night heron etc. Soon after
the resident birds start breeding, the migrant birds come in
successive waves. Among the early arrivals are rosy pastor
and starling. Ducks of many kind like pintail, teal,
mallard, shoveler, pochard, gadwall and few geese also come
here. Indigenous ducks like comb duck or nukhta and the
spot-bill also inhabit the lake. Sometimes larger migrants
such as rosy and Dalmatian pelicans visit the sanctuary. The
lake's rich avifauna also attracts many varieties of birds
of prey. Eagles, buzzards, hawks, falcons and kestrels can
all be seen here. There are a number of ground birds -
peafowl, spur fowl, grey and painted partridge, bulbul, tree
pie and babbler are common in and around the sanctuary.
Overnight at Jaisamand.
Day 16:
Mount Abu: Mount Abu is the highest point in the
Aravalis, so the forest here is different from the others in
this mountain range. Sighting of animals is not easy in this
forest because the vegetation provides effective cover. But
one can finds birds, which are not found in other regions of
the Aravalis. From February to April, when trees flower, the
activities of the birds are an interesting sight. The valley
echoes with the sweet voice of green barbet while the shrill
tone of brain fever bird signals the advent of monsoons.
Mount Abu is
the home of grey jungle fowl. In Rajasthan, this species is
confined to the southern part of the state. Oriole, minivet,
woodpecker, flycatcher, drongo, myna, ioro, bulbul and
warbler are also commonly found in these forests. Overnight
at Mount Abu.
Day 17:
Kumbhalgarh: This rugged region in the Aravalli hills is
perhaps the only area in India where the highly endangered
wolf is successfully breeding. The smaller mammals include
the jackal, jungle cat, civet cat and the flying squirrels.
The water bodies harbour water birds as well as crocodiles.
This sanctuary provides a wonderful opportunity for bird
watchers to sight the winter birds such as flamingos, sarus
cranes, spoonbills, painted storks, cormorants, purple
heron, egrets, ducks and rosy pelicans. The chakor
partridge, crow pheasant, jungle warblers, golden orioles,
grey jungle fowl, peacocks, parrot, pigeons and doves, and
some raptors are the other common species here. Overnight at
Kumbhalgarh.
Day 18:
Sardar Samand: Sardar Samand deserves close attention
for birds. Without seriously birding you can see Geese,
Greater Flamingos, Ruddy Shelduck, Sarus and Common Cranes,
Dalmatian Pelican, Tawny and Imperial Eagles and Small
Pratincole. Overnight at Sardar Samand.
Day 19:
Jodhpur: This morning we'll drive to Jodhpur, where we
visit the Majestic Mehrangarh Fort, Palaces, Jaswant Thada,
Clock Tower, fascinating bazaars and the Umaid Bhawan
Palace. Overnight at Jodhpur.
Day 20:
Jodhpur: The area around Jodhpur is inhabited by the
Bishnoi community, which has developed a remarkable affinity
with conservation. They are strict vegetarians who go some
way toward protecting the wildlife on their region. The
birds and animals are thus even more approachable than in
the rest of India and this is an excellent place to see the
handsome and rare Black Bucks. Some of these protected sites
are ideal for birds and we'll search here for White-eyed
Buzzard, White-bellied Minivet and Booted Warbler among many
others. The area has also produced a few records of
White-winged Black-Tit, a rare local endemic that we'll be
very lucky to see. Overnight at Jodhpur.
Day 21:
Jaisalmer: After breakfast we depart to Jaisalmer, by
making short halt on the way at Kheechan to witness one of
the most unusual avian sights in Asia. Several years ago
this small village established a feeding station for
wintering Demoiselle Cranes and now, every morning and
afternoon, thousands of these graceful birds crowd in to a
fenced-off area to take the grain put out for them.
Continuing our journey westward we'll keep an eye open for
Spotted Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard and Pallid Harrier, which
can be numerous in this part of India. As the day draws to a
close we'll get our first and never-to-be-forgotten glimpse
of Jaisalmer rising from the golden sands of the Thar
Desert. Night in Jaisalmer.
Day 22:
Jaisalmer: We'll begin the day by bird watching around
the outskirts of the town. At the Gadsisar - a man-made lake
just outside the town we may watch Chestnut-bellied and
Black-bellied Sandgrouse coming to drink in the early
morning. In the adjacent desert we'll search for Laggar
Falcon, Cream- colored Courser, Desert and Orphean Warblers,
Isabelline, Eastern Pied and Red-tailed Wheatears and
Trumpeter Finch. Although not particularly stunning to look
at, the little-known Plain Leaf Warbler winters in this area
and can sometimes be found flitting around the tall acacia
trees. Night in Jaisalmer.
Day 23:
Jaisalmer: We take a full-day visit to the Desert
National Park (subject to permission of authority). The park
is one of the strongholds of the Great Indian Bustard and a
sighting of this magnificent bird would be the highlight of
the day. We'll also look for the smaller McQueen's (Houbara)
Bustard, Spotted Sandgrouse, Bimaculated and Hoopoe Larks,
Black- crowned Sparrow-Lark, Desert Wheatear and Isabelline
Shrike. Stoliczka's Bushchat, another little-known bird,
regularly winters here and we'll keep a sharp eye open for
this desirable species. Night in Jaisalmer.
Day 24:
Gajner: The lake at Gajner attracts water birds in
thousands, the imperial sand grouse from Siberia being the
highlighted of these. Overnight at Gajner.
Day 25:
Gajner: For the day visit Forts, Palaces, Temples, Camel
Breeding Farm at Bikaner and Karni Mata Temple at Deshnok.
Overnight at Bikaner.
Day 26:
Tal Chhapar – Nawalgarh: Although Tal Chhapar
Sanctuary in Churu district is famous for black-buck, it is
also popular with bird lovers.
Tal Chhapar,
actually a flat saline depression, has a unique ecosystem.
It is situated in North-Western Rajasthan and thus lies on
the way of the migratory passage of many birds. The most
spectacular migration seen from here is that of harriers.
These birds pass through this area during the month of
September in distinct groups of male, female and immature.
Montagur's and marsh harrier are more common, while pale
harrier and hen harrier are found in lesser numbers.
Besides these
imperial eagle, tawny eagle, short-toed eagle, sparrow hawk
are common here. These winter visitors can be seen sitting
on the sand, mud or a bush looking for gerbil and large
insects. Hundreds of birds pass through this place for a
short stop over, to feed themselves with fresh food in the
form of insects. Kashmir rollers pass through during
September and October, whereas skylark, crested lark, ring
dove, brown dove and blue jay can be found throughout the
year. Blue checked bee-eaters and green bee-eaters are
commonly found, for this is their breeding place. The black
ibis is frequently seen here. The most typical phenomenon is
that of the demoiselle cranes which arrive in the first week
of September and stay till March. Overnight at Nawalgarh.
Day 27:
Jaipur: We visit Sambhar Lake, which is Asia's biggest
saltwater lake on the way of Jaipur. The myriads of
flamingos which make the 190 sq km Sambhar lake their home
very winter dispersed much early this time, though smaller
groups of the species along with solitary rosy pelicans and
common cranes are still spotted. Overnight at Jaipur.
Day 28:
Jaipur: For the day visit the City Palace and Museum,
which now contains rare manuscripts, paintings and an
armory; the 17-century observatory, with a sundial nearly
100 feet high; and the Hawa Mahal - Palace of the Winds.
We'll also visit the Amber Fort, a distinguished example of
Rajput architecture, the fort of Jaigarh, crowning the
summit of a peak, has an amazing beauty and grandeur. Night
in Jaipur.
Day 29:
Jaipur: Day at leisure till departure. At the time of
onwards/return journey, you will be transferred to
airport/railway station
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