The park, with its rich biogeographic diversity, is home to more than 600 species of birds – about half of the total species found in the entire Indian subcontinent! You can see parakeets, owls, orioles, drongos, thrushes, babblers, bulbuls, cuckoos, doves, bee eaters, rollers, flycatchers, warblers, robins, chats, finches, forktails, hornbills, kingfishers and many many more. It is also possibly one of the best places in the world for observing birds of prey.

Take an early dawn elephant back safari with an authorized mahout guide. Jeep rides can be arranged at the Tourist Centre. Although jeeps penetrate deeper into the forest than elephants, they cannot get nearly as close to the wild animals

Bondla: Morning start at 6.30am Birding walk around the entrance and approach road.
Afternoon: Drive to Mollem. Evening: Birding along Devils Cannon track and open field.
Overnight stay at Mollem.

Today we will drive further to get the best out of the Western Ghat forests, home to so many Malabar specialities, the huge Molem Forest Reserve is the perfect venue for us. A series of excursions here will bring us into contact with a wide range of exciting forest birds which includes the Great and Malabar Pied Hornbills, Sri Lanka Frogmouth, Brown Hawk Owl and the beautiful Malabar Trogon, Bulbuls, Babblers, Flycatchers, Fairy Bluebird, Heart-spotted Woodpecker, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch and Crimson-fronted Barbet, Sunbirds, Flowerpeckers and the curious Little Spiderhunter, Chestnut-headed Bee-eaters and the spectacular Brown-backed Needletail, one of the world’s very fastest birds. This wonderful pageant of birdlife is supported by a host of colourful butterflies, exotic lizards and mammals such as Common Langurs, Bonnet Macaques and Indian Giant Squirrels.

Full day birding in the park (walk, rickshaw, Boat) after early breakfast leave to the park for bird. Nearly 400 species are found in the park including migrants,local migrants and resident. Species commonly seen includes Storks,Owl,warblers, Harrier and Eagles. Parked lunch would be provided in the park.Over night at the Hotel.

This is particularly noticeable at Thekkady, conveniently sighted near the top of a steep 450m/1500ft ghat above the dry Tamil Nadu plain. In deciduous forest around Thekkady the commonest species in mixed foraging flocks are, in descending order Racket-tailed Drongo, Scarlet Minivet, Velvetfronted Nuthatch, Bronzed Drongo, Grey Tit, Goldenback Woodpeckers, Whitebellied Tree Pie, Jungle Babbler, Indian Rufous Tree Pie, Yellowbrowed Bulbul, Large Wood Shrike, Ashy Drongo, Small Minivet, Goldfronted Chloropsis, Small Green Barbet, Flowerpeckers. Other common members include Orioles, Fairy Bluebird, Leaf Warbler Flycatchers and Quaker Babbler. Very few species recorded in the sanctuary cannot at one time or another seen in the Tourist Zone, though it is necessary to climb to the grassy hilltops find some such as Brown Rock Pipit and Pied Bush Chat. The sanctuary is also one of the finest for wildlife viewing.

The tour starts at Kochi in Kerala. We will meet up with you at the airport & pick you up for your tour. It is an hour’s drive to Thattekkad where you will spend the next 2 days. We will take you the beautiful hill station of Munnar – an old British planter’s town at an altitude of over 1500 m. The third leg of the tour covers the famed Periyar Tiger Reserve. Our USP is that we assure you that you will see most of the 16 endemics of Kerala, as well close to 250 species during this period . For the details of your itinerary, please see the map.

The charming state of Kerala is dotted with tourist destinations. Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala is a must on every tourist itinerary. In Kochi or Cochin, the port city of Kerala dawn is not often a thing of breathtaking beauty, but just a careless smear of tinted light where sea and sky unite. Washed by the waters of the Arabian Sea Kayamkulam connects you to the breathtakingly beautiful backwaters of Kerala.

Birding at Periyar National Park. Thick forests and open grasslands dominate this region and is home to over 360 species of birds. One can expect wayanad laughing thrush, oriental darter, wooly-necked stork, rufous-bellied eagle, grey junglefowl, pompadour green pigeon, malabar parakeet, great hornbill, vernal hanging parrot, grey nightjar, malabar grey hornbill. Overnight stay in Periyar House or similar.

Morning after breakfast drive to Goa enroute visiting Belgaum a total picture of contrasts. On one side is the old town area and modern on other in the heart of Belgaum is the Fort. Inside it are most famous Kamala Basti, Jain Temple, Jama Masjid, Kapileshwar Temple and Ananthashayana. Overnight at Goa.

Goa, situated on the is the west coast of India, is that country’s smallest state and a favourite birding destination for birders from around the world. Goa’s advantage over the rest of southern India is that it is a popular winter sun destination, with cheap charter flights lots of reasonably priced hotels and lots of local taxi drivers with knowledge of where to find birds.

Arrive Goa. You will be met and transferred to Backwoods Camp at the foot of the western ghats to spend 2 nights birding in the forests and along the streams around the camp. Overnight at Backwoods camp.

Apart from having many of the usual Asian species Goa has a number of species endemic to south India: Red Spurfowl, Grey Junglefowl, Nilgiri Wood-Pigeon, Malabar Parakeet, Malabar Grey Hornbill, White-cheeked Barbet, Spot-breasted Fantail, Malabar Whistling Thrush, Nilgiri Flycatcher, White-bellied Blue Flycatcher, Grey-headed Bulbul, Rufous Babbler, Malabar Lark and Crimson-backed Sunbird. There are also a number of Indian endemics such as Yellow-wattled Lapwing.

The Great Himalayan National Park is located 530 Km. from Delhi. It is 60 Km. from Kulu in Himachal Pradesh. Covering an area of 765 sq. Km., it is enclosed on the northern, eastern and western boundaries by the Greater Himalayan range. The variation in altitude is great – 1300 m to 6100 m. More than half the area is above 4,000m with most of the eastern part perennially under snow . Glacial advances have given the region its unique topography. It is characterised by dazzling high ridges, glaciers, deep gorges. Alpine meadows and valleys with closed virgin forests. It is arguably one of the largest areas of relatively undisturbed Western Himalayan Eco-systems. With its stunning natural beauty, and dedicated conservation, the Park is a virtual treasure for the researcher, the sensitive nature lover and the adventure seeker.

Birding at Pangot, Baggar, Timla Pani, Cheena Peak & Nainital. One can see slaty-headed & red-breasted parakeet, grey bushchat, long-tailed & grey-backed shrike, common kestrel, besra, chestnut-bellied rock thrush etc. Streaked laughing thrush is a common garden bird here.

Morning drive to Sangla (29,00m/ 6 hr.) through the breathtaking gorges of the Greater Himalayas. Enjoy a evening bird walk at Sangla. Overnight in tents.

Onarrivalat Kolkata our Guide will receive you at the airport. We will spend the morning to look for the Fulvous Whistling Ducks and Swinhoe’s Snipe in Kolkata. Then we will fly same afternoon to Mohanbari Airport at Dibrugarh. If flight is on time we will spend some time at Borajan to see some birds and primates. We will stay at Tinsukia.

India is a country with an unrivalled range of cultures, landscapes and birds to match. From the Himalaya worth the highest mountains in the world to the Jungles and beaches of the south, from the great Thar desert in the west to the wettest place in the northeast- India is truly a land of contrasts which never fails to surprise and fascinate the visitor.

The opportunities for pioneering bird watching are breathtaking! Its avifauna is a unique blend of Indo-Burmese, Sino-Tibetan and Himalayan forms, which thrives in the bio-diverse habitat. Largely unexplored 665 species of birds have been recorded, of which some are exotic – Wards Trogon, White- Winged Wood Duck, Rufus necked hornbill, Blue napped Pitta, Wedge-billed Wren Babbler, snow throated Babbler, and Beautiful Nuthatch. Brown Hornbills may occur here, together with a fabulous list of pheasants, babblers and laughing-thrushes, which include the Arunachal endemic – Austen’s Spotted Babbler.

In 2003, I had operated and guided two short tours on the fringes of the Great Himalayan National Park ( GHNP). This year in compliance with client wishes, Gurudongma organized a 15 days birding trek across the watershed of the Tirthan and Sainj Rivers, for an American couple, in June 2005.. It was a great challenge, as no trip reports of this route were available. Moreover I was busy appearing for my Master of Ecology examination. My Assistant Sudesh Pradhan carried out an exploration, provided the logistics and operated this trip with Norbu, who has been trained by me as a birding guide for Bhutan. The trip operated to the satisfaction of clients, yielding a bird list of 200+. This included Western Tragopan, Monal, Koklass, and Himalayan Snow-cock. As a result of the experience gained, Gurudongma is now offering a 16 days “Pheasants of India birding trek through the GHNP, in June every year.

Another day of birding at Pangot village, Baggar and Gughu Khan. These walks can be very rewarding. Overnight stay at the lodge. One can see crested serpent-eagle, mountain hawk-eagle, Woodpeckers such as brown-fronted, stripe-breasted, rufous-bellied etc. Thrushes such as dark-throated, mistle etc. Striated Prinia can be see in the terraced fields. Warblers such as Tickell’s Leaf-Warbler, Greenish, Golden-spectacled, Grey-hooded. Flycatchers such as asian brown, rusty-tailed, ultramarine, verditer, tickell’s blue, rufous-bellied Niltava etc., orange-flanked bush robin, blue-capped redstart. Laughing thrushes such as white-throated, striated & streaked, chestnut-crowned etc. Look for accentor, upland pipit, blue-winged minla, whiskered yuhina etc.

Take up a bird trek to Bajun-Mongoli and enjoy a packed lunch. Conclude your trek at Mongoli and proceed towards the campsite stopping en route at Corbett Falls for forktails and Bharatpuri for Ibisbill. Dinner and overnight stay at the campsite.

The Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve is renowned for being one of the best locations for birding. Situated within Nepal`s subtropical Terai belt, this is the smallest (175 sq km) and easternmost reserve in Nepal, it lies just to the north east of the convergence of the Sapt Koshi and Trijuga Khola rivers.

Home to eight of the world’s ten highest mountains, Nepal’s mountainous and hilly regions offer some of the most spectacular trekking sites in the world. The immense contrasts in altitude and climate found in the different parts of the country support an equally spectacular mix of life styles, vegetation types and wildlife. Landlocked between India and Tibet, Nepal contains some of the world’s most diverse and breathtakingly beautiful landscapes ranging from the impressive peaks of the Himalayan chain in the north, high-altitude plains and remote mountain passes, subtropical forests and national parks, terraced farmland hills and rice paddies, to the fertile plains of the Terai in the country’s south.

This trip to Nepal was our 1st to this geographical area (although we had previously birded NE India) and our 7th to Asia as a whole. The purpose of the trip was to try to see the wonderful mid to high altitude pheasant species found in Nepal (specifically Satyr Tragopan, Himalayan Monal, Blood Pheasant and Tibetan Snowcock) and to find Ibisbill and Pied Thrush on their breeding grounds Moira and Graeme Wallace report.

Some 377 species can be spotted at Bharatpur Sanctuary, making it one of the most inviting destinations in the world for ornithologists, amateurs and nature lovers. One-third of birds at Bharatpur are migrants, many of whom spend their winters before returning to their breeding grounds in the Arctic and Central Asia.

Best time to visit the sanctuary is between October and February when many migratory birds can be seen, including the endangered Siberian Crane. Tourists can enjoy to see the Saras Cranes (the largest bird) and several other species of cranes-corcomorants, egrets, darters, herons, storks, geese, ducks, eagles, hawks, shanks, stints, wagtails, wheatears, flycatchers, buntings, larks, spoonbills, kingfishers, owls and pipits, who have made Bharatpur their temporary abode.

Keoladeo National Park is situated in the town of Bharatpur in the north Indian state of Rajasthan, about 55 kms from the Agra – the city of Taj. Keoladeo National Park is famous as one of Asia’s finest birding areas, with over 380 resident and migrant species, including the Common, Demoiselle and the rare Siberian Cranes. Previously known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, the Keoladeo National Park is also an excellent place to watch mammals like Golden Jackal, Striped Hyaena, Fishing Cat, Jungle Cat, Nilgai, Sambar, Blackbuck and wild Boar.