The Birding Paradise

Duration : 28 Nights / 29 Days

Places covered : Delhi » Sariska » Siliserh » Bharatpur » Ranthambhore » Kota » Bassi » Udaipur » Jaisamand » Mount Abu » Kumbhalgarh » Sardar Samand » Jodhpur » Jaisalmer » Gajner » Tal Chhapar » Jaipur

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.