Birding Tour India: The North – Tigers, Amazing Birds and the Himalayas

Birding Tour India: The North – Tigers, Amazing Birds and the Himalayas
January 2026

India, with its fabulous scenery, incredible wildlife, fascinating culture, and wonderful monuments, must truly be on any world-birder’s and traveler’s wish list! This small group birdwatching tour will visit world-famous national parks such as Ranthambhore, Keoladeo Ghana (formerly known as Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary), and Jim Corbett National Parks and spend time in the breathtaking scenery of the Himalayan foothills at Pangot and Sattal. A visit to this part of India would not be complete without taking in the majestic UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Fatehpur Sikri and the Taj Mahal, and we will visit both of these very impressive places to soak up the sights and sounds. India is well-known for its amazing food, and we will sample a great deal of different, interesting, and tasty local dishes throughout the tour.

Bengal Tiger is the big mammalian target on this trip.

The tour gives the possibility of connecting with numerous exciting birds, such as Ibisbill (a monotypic family), Indian Skimmer, Indian Courser, Kalij Pheasant, Koklass Pheasant, Cheer Pheasant, Painted Spurfowl, Bearded Vulture (Lammergeier), Indian Vulture, Indian Spotted Eagle, Collared Falconet, Sarus Crane, Painted Sandgrouse, Black-bellied Tern, River Tern, Tawny Fish Owl, Brown Fish Owl, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Great Hornbill, Sirkeer Malkoha, Great Slaty Woodpecker, Himalayan Woodpecker, Long-billed Thrush, Spotted Forktail, Slaty-backed Forktail, Little Forktail, Brown Dipper, Golden Bush Robin, Himalayan Bluetail, Himalayan Rubythroat, Rufous-breasted Accentor, Altai Accentor, White-capped Bunting, and Wallcreeper (another monotypic family). Furthermore the tour offers the chance to search out one of the world’s most highly sought but elusive big cats, the Bengal Tiger, with a supporting cast that could include Indian Leopard, Asian Elephant, Ganges River Dolphin, Gharial, Mugger, and Indian Python.

You could combine this tour with our preceding Birding Tour India: The South – Western Ghats and Nilgiri Endemics and with our following tours: Birding Tour India: The Northwest – Lions and Desert Birding in Gujarat followed by Birding Tour India: The West – Forest Owlet Extension. We can also easily offer you extensions at each location if you would like to extend your stay in this wonderful and vibrant country.

Ibisbill is the sole member of its own family and a huge target bird for any family listers or world birders. 

Itinerary (17 days/16 nights)

Day 1. Arrival in New Delhi, nearby afternoon birding

After your late-morning arrival in New Delhi we will transfer to our nearby hotel for check-in (check-in is usually at noon). After lunch we will spend the first afternoon of the tour birding at a fantastic wetland site near New Delhi, where we could see some interesting species such as Painted and Black-necked Storks, Bar-headed Goose, Knob-billed Duck, Indian Spot-billed Duck, Northern Shoveler, Garganey, Ferruginous Duck, Eastern Imperial, Indian Spotted, and Booted Eagles, Brook’s Leaf Warbler, Sind Sparrow, Striated Babbler, Citrine Wagtail, Baillon’s Crake, Spotted Owlet, and Moustached Warbler. This site is a great introduction to Indian birding and is the perfect first birding site for those who have never been to India/Asia before, but it is also really enjoyable for those who do already know the birds of the region. Our guides love visiting this site time after time, and a great afternoon will be had by all.

Overnight: New Delhi

Day 2. Travel to Ranthambhore and tiger safari in Ranthambhore National Park

As New Delhi wakes up we will take the early morning train out of the city and head south to the Ranthambhore area, where we will arrive in time for lunch in our luxurious hotel on the outskirts of the national park. We will keep our eyes peeled along the way in case of any birds close to the train. Sometimes we get close views of waders/shorebirds, raptors, and storks during the train ride.

During the afternoon we will take our first game drive (called ‘safari’ in India), our prime target being the majestic Bengal Tiger. Seeing one of these incredibly huge and stunningly beautiful big cats is sure to be an early trip highlight. Ranthambhore is a great place to find them, yet they are generally never easy, and patience and careful scanning will be required; it is amazing how such a large animal can hide in grass! However, it is definitely worth the effort.

Overnight: Ranthambhore

Certainly one of our biggest avian targets in Ranthambhore, Painted Spurfowl.

Day 3. Ranthambhore National Park, all day birding/wildlife watching

We will have a full day in and around Ranthambhore National Park; this will include two game drives to look again for Bengal Tiger and other wildlife. Target birds include Indian Peafowl, Painted Spurfowl, Plum-headed, Alexandrine, and Rose-ringed Parakeets, River Tern, Rufous Treepie, Citrine Wagtail, Indian Vulture, Yellow-legged Buttonquail, Small Minivet, White-browed Fantail, White-bellied Drongo, White-naped Woodpecker, Crested Serpent Eagle, Yellow-footed Green Pigeon, Bluethroat, Bay-backed, Long-tailed, and Southern Grey Shrikes, Indian Bush Lark, and Large Grey Babbler. In addition to looking for Bengal Tiger we will also keep our eyes peeled for the Mugger crocodile, Rhesus Macaque, Southern Plains Grey Langur, Sambar, Chital (Spotted Deer), and Wild Boar.

Overnight: Ranthambhore

Day 4. Ranthambhore to Bharatpur

Today we will transfer between Ranthambhore and Bharatpur but will make several birding stops along the way, depending on local water levels and our local knowledge of current bird distribution. Birds we will look for during the course of the day include Indian Stone-curlew, Painted Sandgrouse, Yellow-crowned Woodpecker, and Variable Wheatear near the hotel, and then Greater Flamingo, Indian Skimmer, Brown Crake, Great Stone-curlew, Black-bellied Tern, Small Pratincole, Isabelline Wheatear, Greater Painted-snipe, and Yellow-wattled Lapwing on the way. We are likely to arrive in Bharatpur in the late afternoon.

Overnight: Bharatpur

Day 5. Keoladeo Ghana National Park (formerly known as Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary)

We will spend the full day birding around the incredible Keoladeo Ghana National Park, one of the best-known birding sites in the country, and with good reason; this is a great place and always popular, with good views of a range of species possible. We will spend the day moving around this vast area on cycle-rickshaws, which is an excellent way to see the site. Time will be spent birding in a range of habitats such as scrub, woodland, lakes, and marshes to try to maximize the number of species seen. Some of the species possible during the day from the wooded/scrubby areas include Grey Francolin, Indian Peafowl, Indian Scops Owl, Dusky Eagle-Owl, Spotted Owlet, Eurasian Hoopoe, Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher, White-eared Bulbul, Pied Myna, Brahminy Starling, Tickell’s Thrush, and Indian Robin, while the wetlands may produce Bar-headed Goose, Ruddy Shelduck, Black-necked Stork, Black Bittern, Oriental Darter, Sarus Crane, White-tailed Lapwing, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, and Pied Kingfisher. We may also find Western Marsh Harrier, Black-winged Kite, Egyptian Vulture, and Indian Spotted Eagle, Greater Spotted Eagle, and Eastern Imperial Eagle hunting or scavenging over the wetlands.

Overnight: Bharatpur

We should find Bar-headed Goose in Keoladeo Ghana National Park.

Day 6. Bharatpur to National Chambal Sanctuary via Fatehpur Sikri

We will have an early start today to look for Indian Courser, a difficult and local species. We will also keep our eyes peeled for other open-country species such as Black Francolin, Sarus Crane, Isabelline (Daurian) Shrike, Desert Wheatear, and a range of larks, pipits, and wagtails such as Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark, Greater Short-toed Lark, Indian Bush Lark, Oriental Skylark, Citrine Wagtail, Western Yellow Wagtail, White-browed Wagtail, Tawny Pipit, and the stunning Indian Roller.

The beautiful Indian Courser can be found in agricultural fields near the town of Bharatpur.

After the morning birding session we will commence our journey to the delightful Chambal Safari Lodge for our two-night stay, visiting the very impressive Fatehpur Sikri World Heritage Site along the way. Fatehpur Sikri is one of the best-preserved collections of Mughal architecture in India, the fort was actually (amazingly) abandoned in 1585, only 14 years after the huge building project was completed. We will arrive at our hotel in the late afternoon and look for Brown Hawk-Owl and Indian Scops Owl in the hotel grounds in the evening. Sometimes there are interesting mammals around the cabins too, such as Common Palm Civet.

Overnight: Chambal

Day 7. National Chambal Sanctuary

We will have the full day to explore this area, which is very different from other areas on the tour and gives us the opportunity for a wide range of interesting species of birds and other animals. We will take an early-morning boat ride along the Chambal River, where we will look for Indian Skimmer as well as River Lapwing, Great Stone-curlew, River and Black-bellied Terns, and the huge Pallas’s Gull. It is not just birds here, however, as we will keep our eyes firmly peeled for the incredibly rare and Endangered (IUCN) Ganges River Dolphin as well as the Critically Endangered (IUCN) Gharial. We will spend time checking out the scrub around the river, where we may find the secretive and skulking Sirkeer Malkoha, Crested Honey Buzzard, Bonelli’s Eagle, Plum-headed Parakeet, Yellow-eyed Babbler, and White-capped Bunting. Farmland in this area can also hold some interesting species, and we will have time there as well as in the wooded grounds of our accommodation to look for numerous species.

Overnight: Chambal

Day 8. Chambal to New Delhi via Agra and the Taj Mahal

We will do some early-morning birding around the hotel grounds before we swap birding time for some culture. After breakfast we will start the journey back to New Delhi. However, along the way we will stop for a tour of the outside grounds of the majestic Taj Mahal World Heritage Site, allowing you the chance for that ‘must have’ photo souvenir in front of this iconic building. The Taj Mahal was completed in 1648 and is said to be the world’s finest example of Mughal architecture. This architectural masterpiece was described by the poet Rabindranath Tagore as ‘the tear on the face of eternity’. We will spend the late morning here, enjoying the various pavilions, forts, and other attractions of the Taj Mahal, but keep your binoculars with you as there are often interesting birds flying around the grounds and along the river out back.

After lunch in Agra we will continue our journey to New Delhi, arriving in time for dinner.

Overnight: New Delhi

The majestic Taj Mahal

Days 9 – 10. By train from New Delhi to Kathgodam, continue to and birding at Sattal

We will wake early in the morning and check in at the station for our morning train ride to the city of Kathgodam in the north. Here we will experience an altogether different yet incredibly exciting birding experience in the cooler and stunningly beautiful Himalayan foothills as we make our way to Sattal. On arrival at our hotel around lunchtime we will be immediately impressed by the landscape, cooler air, and a whole suite of new birds. After lunch we will spend the rest of the day, and the whole of the next day, birding in this fascinating and bird-filled area.

Possible highlights during our time in Sattal may include Jungle Owlet, Great, and Blue-throated Barbets, Speckled Piculet, Greater and Lesser Yellownapes, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Slaty-headed Parakeet, Black-headed Jay, Red-billed Blue Magpie, Grey Treepie, Yellow-bellied Fantail, Chestnut-headed Tesia, Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler, Red-billed Leiothrix, Himalayan Rubythroat, Siberian Rubythroat, Golden Bush Robin, Himalayan Bluetail, Spotted Forktail, Rufous-bellied Niltava, Blue Whistling Thrush, Slaty-blue Flycatcher, Crimson Sunbird, Russet Sparrow, Rufous-breasted Accentor, Olive-backed Pipit, Common and Pink-browed Rosefinches, Yellow-breasted Greenfinch, and White-capped Bunting. There will also likely be a number of laughingthrushes to keep us entertained: Rufous-chinned, White-throated, Streaked, and Striated Laughingthrushes (the latter is often voted one of the birds of the trip as it is rather nice-looking).

Overnight: Sattal

The Spotted Forktail is one of the most beautiful in the whole family.

Day 11. Sattal to Nainital and Pangot

The day will be spent birding around Sattal and Nainital, finally arriving at our wonderful lodge high in the mountains in Pangot. We will have a second chance at some of the species listed above, as well as many others, including Kalij Pheasant, Green-backed Tit, Himalayan Black-lored Tit, Himalayan and Black Bulbuls, Black-throated Bushtit, Rufous Sibia, Bar-tailed Treecreeper, Small Niltava, Slaty-backed Forktail, Blue-capped Redstart, Plumbeous Water Redstart, White-capped Redstart, Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush, Crested Kingfisher, Chestnut-headed Tesia, Long-billed Thrush, Green-tailed Sunbird, and so many more!

The grounds around our accommodation offer some great birding, and either today or tomorrow we will be sure to pay them due attention. We could find Black Francolin, Black-headed Jay, Great Barbet, Grey-headed and Brown-fronted Woodpeckers, Striated Prinia, Altai Accentor, White-throated Laughingthrush, Blue Whistling Thrush, and Rock Bunting here, as well as plenty more. A photographic hide also gives good photo opportunities.

Overnight: Pangot

Day 12. Pangot

There will be an early start this morning to gain some further elevation to allow us to focus on some high-elevation key targets, which will include both Cheer Pheasant and Koklass Pheasant along with commoner and more widespread Kalij Pheasant, Hill Partridge, Bearded Vulture (Lammergeier), Griffon Vulture, Himalayan Vulture, Altai Accentor, Rufous-bellied Woodpecker, Himalayan Woodpecker, Himalayan Bluetail, (Spot-winged) Coal Tit, and White-tailed Nuthatch. We will also hope to get some great landscape views of the even higher snow-capped Himalayan mountain ranges, which really are spectacular. We will have the full day to explore this area, and it could be one of the best days of the trip with some very special birds.

Overnight: Pangot

The beautiful Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush.

Day 13. Pangot and Nainital to Jim Corbett National Park

After some final birding in the Nainital/Pangot area, where we will look for anything that we may want to concentrate our final efforts on, we will head to the Corbett area after lunch. Time permitting we will likely explore the Kosi River area to look for two beautiful and highly sought monotypic species, Ibisbill and Wallcreeper. We could also find Brown Dipper, Little Forktail, Pallas’s Fish Eagle, Brown Fish Owl, Red Junglefowl, Besra, Himalayan Swiftlet, Nepal House Martin, White-capped Redstart, Plumbeous Water Redstart, Blue Rock Thrush, and Blue-bearded Bee-eater here. The grounds of our hotel also offer good birding, and we will look for Collared Scops Owl and Crimson Sunbird among many others over the next few days.

Overnight: Corbett

Sighting after sighting, northern India produces so many extraordinary species and never ceases to amaze. Pictured here is a Crimson Sunbird.

Days 14 – 15. Jim Corbett National Park

We will have two full days to explore the areas within and around Jim Corbett National Park (potentially even spending one night inside the park itself). There are numerous great birds to look for here, and we will also look for some of the park’s most spectacular wildlife, maybe getting further sightings of the regal Bengal Tiger, with the added possibility of Indian Leopard, Asian Elephant, and an assortment of other creatures such as Indian Crested Porcupine and Yellow-throated Marten.

Some of the birds we will look for over these two days will include Red-headed Vulture, Cinereous Vulture, Jungle Owlet, Asian Barred Owlet, Changeable Hawk-Eagle, Tawny Fish Owl, Great Hornbill, Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo, Collared Falconet, White-rumped Spinetail, Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Banded Bay Cuckoo, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Himalayan Flameback, White-crested Laughingthrush, Rosy Pipit, Maroon Oriole, Common Green Magpie, Grey-bellied Tesia, and Crested Bunting.

Overnight: Corbett

The vividly colored Common Green Magpie.

Day 16. Corbett to New Delhi

After some time birding around our hotel in the morning we will commence our journey back to New Delhi. Depending on exact timings we may grab another opportunity to look along the river for Ibisbill, Wallcreeper, and Indian Cormorant and will keep a lookout for any other new and interesting species along the way. After our final day birding together we will enjoy another great meal and think about our trip highlights before saying goodbye, as the main tour concludes in New Delhi.

Overnight: New Delhi

Day 17. Departure from New Delhi

You will be transferred to the airport for your flights home or your continuation on the Northwest India tour.

Overnight: Not included

Please note that the itinerary cannot be guaranteed as it is only a rough guide and can be changed (usually slightly) due to factors such as availability of accommodation, updated information on the state of accommodation, roads, or birding sites, the discretion of the guides and other factors. In addition, we sometimes have to use a different international guide from the one advertised due to tour scheduling.

Northern India: Tigers, Amazing Birds and Himalayas Set Departure Trip Report, January 2025

21 JANUARY – 06 FEBRUARY 2025

By Dominic Rollinson

We could not have asked for better looks at Tiger in Jim Corbett National Park.

Overview

This Indian birding tour covered central northern India and went from the lowlands of Ranthambore and Keoladeo National Parks to the heights of the foothills of the mighty Himalaya Mountains and finished with a few days in Jim Corbett National Park. The tour focused on the many beautiful, rare and most-wanted birds which can be found throughout northern India, however, we also focused on finding Tigers and other wildlife as well as taking in some Indian culture by visiting the Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri.

Simply put, India is a busy and bustling place which many consider an ‘assault of the senses’, however, if you know where to go, it is possible to escape the crowds. Our time in the Himalayas was an example of this, where we essentially had the higher altitude forests to ourselves with barely a person around and the relaxed atmosphere in the villages could even be considered tranquil.

The impressive snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas, some of which are over 22,000 feet (7,000 meters) high!

The birding highlights from this tour were many. Early in the tour (after leaving Delhi), we spent a few days around Ranthambore National Park where we found Indian Peafowl (proper wild ones), Painted Spurfowl, Painted Sandgrouse, Indian Vulture, Brown Fish Owl and Crested Serpent Eagle. We then moved on to the Bharatpur area, where we were acquainted with many waterbird species such as Bar-headed Goose, Dalmatian Pelican, Pheasant-tailed Jacana and Sarus Crane, while other standout species included Eastern Imperial Eagle, Dusky Eagle-Owl and Siberian Rubythroat. In the Chambal River area we enjoyed the likes of Indian Skimmer, Great Stone-curlew, River Lapwing, Black-necked Stork and Black-bellied and River Terns, along with strange-looking Gharial crocodiles. A few nights in the Himalayan foothills were up next and here we found a very different suite of birds, with highlights including Koklass and Cheer Pheasants, Brown Dipper and an assortment of laughingthrushes. Before finishing in Delhi, we spent a few enjoyable days in Jim Corbett National Park where birding and wildlife viewing was fantastic and included Ibisbill, Wallcreeper, Pallas’s Fish Eagle and Jungle Owlet as well as Asian Elephant, multiple Tiger sightings and Golden Jackal.

It was not just about birds on this trip, as we found other charismatic wildlife such as this Asian Elephant.

Other wildlife highlights (not previously mentioned) included Leopard, three species of langurs, Indian Flying Fox, Ruddy Mongoose, Northern Palm Civet, Nilgai, Himalayan Goral, Sambar and Chital deer, Eurasian Wild Pig and Mugger crocodile.

Detailed Report

Day 1, 21^st January 2025. Arrival in Delhi and Sultanpur birding

Mahendra, our expert local guide, and I met all the clients this morning at our hotel in Delhi and we headed out after lunch to an area just outside of Sultanpur National Park (one of India’s smallest national parks), on the outskirts of Delhi, for our introduction to Indian birding.

We mostly birded in the Chandu Canal area (with Sanjay, the local site guide) which was just full of birdlife and was a little overwhelming (in a good way) with new bird species everywhere. Immediately after stepping out of the bus we worked our way through a bunch of wading species feeding in a rice paddy, which included Black-winged Stilt, Little Ringed Plover, Red-wattled and White-tailed Lapwings, Black-tailed Godwit, Green and Wood Sandpipers, Common Greenshank, Ruff and Temminck’s Stint. Here, we also found a few Citrine Wagtails and a single Rosy Pipit. In the surrounding wetland areas we found Indian Spot-billed and Ferruginous Ducks, Common Moorhen, Grey-headed Swamphen, White-breasted Waterhen, Asian Woolly-necked and Painted Storks, Black-headed and Red-naped Ibises and Western Marsh Harrier. In the surrounding scrub we found Eurasian Hoopoe, Black Drongo, Long-tailed Shrike, Crested Lark, Delicate, Ashy, Plain and Yellow-bellied Prinias, Yellow-eyed, Large Grey, Jungle and Striated Babblers, Indian Pied Myna, Rosy and Common Starlings, Bluethroat, Pied Bush Chat, Streaked and Black-breasted Weavers, Sind Sparrow, Red Avadavat and Indian Silverbill. We heard the calls of Ruddy-breasted Crake and Water Rail, but despite our best efforts we could not lay eyes on these skulkers. A small group of Nilgai antelope got our mammal list off to a good start. We finished the afternoon with 70+ species recorded, many of which were lifers for the group.

Day 2, 22^nd January 2025. Transfer to Ranthambore National Park

After an early breakfast we left Delhi and headed south to Ranthambore National Park where we were based for the next two nights. En route to Ranthambore we birded some open fields where we found our target bird, Indian Courser, as well as Indian Roller, Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark, Siberian Stonechat, Isabelline Wheatear and Tawny Pipit. As good as the birding was here, we could not linger though, as we had our first safari drive within the park this afternoon.

Small groups of the scarce Indian Courser were seen near Ranthambore.

We arrived at our lodge for lunch and soon afterwards we headed out for our first safari drive, where we would begin our search for Tiger. We were assigned Zone 6 this afternoon, which is comprised of dry woodlands and rolling hills. Upon our arrival at the gate we bumped into a small feeding flock of Small Minivets before we headed into the park. We spent the next three hours or so driving through the park and making regular stops to enjoy the many birds and other wildlife on offer. It did not take long to find our first Indian Peafowls, which were common and conspicuous – it was exciting to see truly wild Indian Peafowl after being so familiar with the species from feral populations and pets from around the world. As we moved through the open and closed woodlands, we found good numbers of both Sambar and Chital (Spotted) deer and had our ears honed for the alarm call of Chital, which often gives away the presence of predators. Over our time in Ranthambore we also encountered good numbers of Bengal Sacred (Northern Plains Grey) Langurs as well as Rhesus Macaques (a species which was to be seen daily over the rest of the tour) and a pair of Indian Hares. A waterhole held Black Stork, Indian Pond Heron, Great White Egret, White-throated Kingfisher and Mugger crocodiles. Overhead we saw a small flock of vultures comprising of Indian Vulture and a single Red-headed Vulture.

Other interesting species seen on our drive included Shikra, Painted Spurfowl, White-eyed Buzzard, Indian Scops Owl, Spotted Owlet, White-naped Woodpecker, Black-rumped Flameback, Plum-headed Parakeet, Common Woodshrike, White-browed Fantail, Rufous Treepie (very common), Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher, Grey Wagtail and Long-billed Pipit. Unfortunately, we did not find any Tiger this afternoon, however, with two more safari drives in the park the following day, we were hopeful that we would still see this dream animal!

Painted Spurfowl were seen infrequently in Ranthambore National Park.

Day 3, 23^rd January 2025. Ranthambore National Park

After meeting for early tea and coffee, we loaded up into our private safari vehicles and made our way back into the park and into Zone 1 for the morning. Tiger was the main priority for the morning, as we hoped to find them while it was still cool, and they were still roaming about. As we drove through the park we were particularly mindful of the alarm call of Chital deer. This meant some of the morning felt a bit rushed as we didn’t make too many birding stops, however, this method paid off when we heard alarm calls nearby, which soon revealed a small female Leopard that showed incredibly well for us. Soon thereafter we struck gold when we found a large female Tiger lying in the grass, occasionally sitting up to give us clear views of her face. After what had been a slow start to the morning, we were all elated and watched the Tiger until we felt we had had our fill and then moved on out of the park. While we hadn’t fully concentrated on birding this morning, we still came across many bird species, including the likes of Greater Coucal, Bronze-winged Jacana, Crested Honey Buzzard, Indian Scops Owl, Spotted Owlet, Common, Stork-billed and White-throated Kingfishers, Coppersmith Barbet, White-bellied Drongo and Indian Robin.

Your first Tiger sighting is always a special one!

We got back to our lodge in the late morning and grabbed a delicious breakfast. After breakfast we went for a walk along the entrance road to a small pond which was quite birdy and found Greater Coucal, Spotted and Common Redshanks, Temminck’s Stint, River Tern, Common Babbler, Brahminy Starling, Black Redstart, Purple Sunbird and a good-sized flock of Yellow-throated Sparrows.

Later that afternoon, we headed out for our third and final Ranthambore safari drive, this time in Zone 5. With the big cat pressure off, it meant that we could take it much slower and enjoy a more relaxed drive and fully concentrate on finding any bird species we had yet to find in the park. Highlights from our drive were many but some of the standout species included River Tern, Crested Honey Buzzard, Crested Serpent Eagle, Indian Scops Owl, Brown Fish Owl, Dusky Eagle-Owl, Yellow-crowned Woodpecker, Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher, Dusky Crag Martin, Taiga, Red-breasted and Tickell’s Blue Flycatchers, Yellow-throated Sparrow and Grey Wagtail. We eventually exited the park in the late afternoon and headed back to our hotel, where we celebrated our first Tiger sighting with a tasty meal and a drink.

We had many good sightings of Brown Fish Owl on this tour.

Day 4, 24^th January 2025. Ranthambore National Park to Bharatpur

We didn’t have a particularly long transfer today as we made our way northeast towards the town of Bharatpur. After breakfast, at a normal hour, we packed our vehicle and enjoyed some fine birding along the drive. Soon after we left the hotel, we stopped for a pair of very showy Painted Sandgrouse which posed for photos.

After a quick curio shop, we stopped at some roadside pans which produced Knob-billed Duck, Eurasian Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Red-crested Pochard and Eurasian Coot. On the opposite side of the road Mahendra did well to spot a pair of Yellow-wattled Lapwings, and here we also saw Red Collared Dove, White-browed Wagtail and Long-tailed Shrike.

We then moved onto the same fields where we had birded a couple days ago and, sure enough, the Indian Coursers were still around in decent numbers. Today, we had a bit more time to bird the area and while walking the area we found Indian Roller, Indian Bush Lark, Greater Short-toed Lark, Siberian Stonechat, Isabelline, Desert and Variable Wheatears and may Tawny Pipits. A distant Great Grey Shrike also provided good scope views.

We then made the rest of the journey to Bharatpur and checked into our rather luxurious hotel, where we enjoyed lunch. For the remainer of the afternoon, we birded some wetland areas, on the edge of town, which were full of birds and gave us great looks in the beautiful afternoon light. Here, we enjoyed looking through large flocks of waterfowl which were mostly comprised of Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail and Eurasian Teal, however, on closer inspection we picked out Bar-headed Goose, Knob-billed Duck, Ruddy Shelduck, Garganey, Eurasian Wigeon and Indian Spot-billed Duck. Other waterbirds seen here included Grey-headed Swamphen, White-breasted Waterhen, Asian Openbill, Painted Stork, Oriental Darter, Eurasian Spoonbill and a multitude of shorebirds such as Pied Avocet, White-tailed Lapwing, Black-tailed Godwit, Common Snipe, Green, Marsh and Wood Sandpipers, Common and Spotted Redshanks, Ruff and Temminck’s Stint. Overhead we saw a few raptor species with Greater Spotted and Booted Eagles, Shikra and Western Marsh Harrier all seen well, while good numbers of hirundines comprised of Grey-throated Martin and Barn, Wire-tailed and Streak-throated Swallows. Along the shoreline we found Western Yellow, Citrine and White Wagtails with singletons of Tawny and Rosy Pipits also seen well. An incredibly obliging male Bluethroat further entertained us here.

Waterfowl, such as these Bar-headed Geese, are numerous around Bharatpur.

Day 5, 25^th January 2025. Full day at Keoladeo National Park

Keoladeo National Park, just outside Bharatpur, was originally designated a duck-hunting reserve, however, it was thankfully proclaimed a bird sanctuary in 1956 and ultimately a national park in 1982. It hosts impressive numbers of waterbirds, particularly during the winter months when tens of thousands of waterfowl reside here to escape the colder temperatures further north. We spent the full day birding the park and were moved around the park in electronic rickshaws, which is the best way to explore the park.

We entered the park soon after sunrise and immediately started birding the woodlands and scrub, which held Indian Stone-curlew, Hume’s Leaf, Greenish, Blyth’s Reed and Clamorous Reed Warblers, Indian Grey Hornbill, Yellow-crowned Woodpecker, Indian Golden Oriole, Bay-backed Shrike, Common Tailorbird, White-eared Bulbul, Yellow-eyed Babbler and Bluethroat. We spent a long time trying to lure out a male Siberian Rubythroat which unfortunately only showed briefly for Mahendra, Chuck and I. There were plenty of raptors around too including Indian Spotted, Greater Spotted, Booted and Eastern Imperial Eagles, Shikra and Western Marsh Harrier. We also enjoyed good looks at another pair of Dusky Eagle-Owls and found roosting Indian Scops Owl and Spotted Owlet.

We then moved onto the wetlands part of the reserve which was just teeming with birdlife, and we spent the remainder of the day birding various water bodies, with a tasty lunch in between. Some of our waterbird highlights included Lesser Whistling Duck, Greylag Goose, Cotton Pygmy Goose, Garganey, Gadwall, Common Pochard, Ferruginous Duck, Sarus Crane, Grey-headed Lapwing, Great Crested Grebe, Little, Great and Indian Cormorants, Black Bittern and Dalmatian and Great White Pelicans.

We encountered some other exciting wildlife today including Indian Flying Fox (which Jami particularly enjoyed), Golden Jackal (all too briefly), Chital, Eurasian Wild Pig, Mugger crocodile, Ganges Softshell Turtle, Indian Roofed Turtle and a huge Indian Python.

Indian Python, one of our many targets around Keoladeo National Park.

After dinner that evening, we found a group of Grey Francolins which I had seen flying in to roost for the night, a bird we had heard for most of the day but had not yet laid eyes on.

Day 6, 26^th January 2025. Fatehpur Sikri visit and transfer to the Chambal area

After breakfast, a quick walk around the hotel grounds did not produce too much, except a Brown-headed Barbet and a couple of flyover Egyptian Vultures. After our walk we loaded up the vehicle and left Bharatpur for the ancient town of Fatehpur Sikri, where we were to enjoy a cultural tour. Fatehpur Sikri was the former capital of the Moghul Empire and was established in 1571, however, it only served as the capital until 1585, due to a campaign in Punjab. We were guided around the city’s many impressive red sandstone buildings and monuments, most of which were intricately decorated and sculpted. During our time here, we noted many Brown Rock Chats and a flyover Booted Eagle.

From Fatehpur Sikri, we continued east, bypassing Agra, for now, and arrived at our beautiful safari lodge for a tasty lunch and some down time in the early afternoon. Later that afternoon, we took a walk around the lodge grounds and the general area and although the birding was a bit slow, we did find Orange-headed Thrush (skulking in the leaf litter), Yellow-footed Green Pigeon, Yellow-wattled Lapwing, Eurasian Hoopoe, Coppersmith Barbet, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Lesser Whitethroat, Olive-backed Pipit and roosting Indian Scops Owl and Brown Boobook.

Later that evening after dinner, we went for a night walk around the property, which produced a single Northern Palm Civet.

Coppersmith Barbet in the beautiful afternoon light.

Day 7, 27^th January 2025. Chambal River boat cruise and birding the surrounds

This morning we left our lodge after an early breakfast and then headed towards the Chambal River for our boat cruise. We made a few birding stops en route and birded the dry open scrub, which held several new trip birds such as Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Jungle Prinia and Paddyfield Pipit, as well as familiar species like Indian Roller, Siberian Stonechat, Pied Bush Chat and Yellow-eyed Babbler. Another stop nearby further added Purple Sunbird and Baya Weaver, but unfortunately, we could not find Sirkeer Malkoha.

We then boarded a small boat and slowly made our way down the wide Chambal River. The water levels were relatively low at this time of the year (we could see the maximum height of the river during the monsoon period, which was difficult to fathom) and so it meant that one of our main target species, Indian Skimmer, was around and it did not take long until we were enjoying close looks at a good-sized flock. Other birds seen here on these sand banks included Kentish Plover, Great Stone-curlew, River Lapwing, Common Snipe and Black-bellied and River Terns. We also had decent looks at a single Black-necked Stork, which we had missed up until this point. There were good numbers of raptors around in the area including Osprey, Black-winged Kite, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Long-legged Buzzard and Egyptian Vulture. We had hoped to see the rare Ganges River Dolphin but unfortunately drew a blank here, although we did get great looks at the strange-looking Gharial crocodile and saw Ganges Softshell, Red-crowned Roof and Indian Tent Turtles. After a good two hours out on the water, we returned to dry land and then made our way back to the lodge for lunch.

The strange-looking Gharial crocodile was seen along the Chambal River.

After lunch and a bit of down time in the early afternoon, we headed back out to the same dry scrub we had birded in the morning. We again missed Sirkeer Malkoha but found some other great birds like Jungle Bush Quail (after much work) and Barred Buttonquail, which both took a lot of effort to see, but we were eventually rewarded with good enough looks. Other noteworthy birds seen in the area included Rufous-fronted Prinia, Indian Silverbill and Common Rosefinch.

Day 8, 28^th January 2025. Taj Mahal and transfer back to Delhi

Another early breakfast was taken this morning (a definite theme developing here), as we wanted to get to the Taj Mahal before it got too late when visitor numbers would swell. We arrived at the Taj Mahal around mid-morning along with lots of other people (our trip coincided with three days of Independence Day celebrations) and we spent a couple of hours enjoying the marvel of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. The attention to detail is incredible and almost every square inch of the building is seemingly adorned with semi-precious stones and amazing and intricate patterns,  it is no wonder it took over two decades to complete work on it. Of course, we had our binoculars around our necks and enjoyed good numbers of birds along the Yamuna River such as Pallas’s Gull, Pied Avocet, Little Stint and Whiskered Tern. Other birds seen while walking around the Taj Mahal grounds included Egyptian Vulture (perched on the turrets), Indian Grey Hornbill, Indian Pied Myna and Booted Eagle.

The Taj Mahal in all its beauty!

We then had our lunch in Agra and began the long drive northwards to Noida, on the outskirts of Delhi. We made one birding stop just outside of Noida at Okhla Bird Sanctuary which proved worthwhile and was full of birds. Interesting birds seen here included lots of waterfowl (such as Ferruginous and Tufted Ducks), Black-headed and Brown-headed Gulls, Whiskered Tern, Asian Green Bee-eater, Alexandrine Parakeet (a quick flyby), Yellow-bellied Prinia, Red-breasted Flycatcher and many Citrine Wagtails. We also passed by a massive landfill which must have had tens of thousands of Black Kites circling above it and was quite something to witness! Eventually we made it to Noida and checked into our hotel for the night.

Day 9, 29^th January 2025. Train ride to the Himalayan foothills at Bhimtal

We had our earliest start yet as we made our way to the Delhi train station (which was expertly navigated by Mahendra), and we spent the whole morning transferring to the Himalayan foothills by railway, this was comfortable and clean. We eventually arrived at our accommodation in Bhimtal (overlooking a lake and some impressive hills) for lunch and then, later that afternoon, headed out for the day’s first birding.

As we were meeting to head out for the afternoon, we noticed a feeding flock from the hotel’s balcony and had soon picked out Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike, Cinereous and Himalayan Black-lored Tits, Himalayan Bulbul, Buff-barred, Lemon-rumped and Grey-hooded Warblers, Red-billed Leiothrix and Tree Pipit – all without leaving the hotel balcony! We eventually left the hotel and made our way to the Chaffi River area, which is a picturesque setting with a beautiful boulder-strewn river cutting through the landscape, with some fine birds on offer. Brown Dipper was our primary target here and, despite the pair not being present on our arrival, a dipper suddenly appeared out of nowhere and gave us incredible looks as it went about feeding in the fast-flowing water. We later discovered the pair had a nest, likely with youngsters, as they kept returning with food to the nest. It took some effort, but after a while we had amazing looks at a stunning male Himalayan Rubythroat which sat out in the open for all to see!

This male Himalayan Rubythroat put on a show for us near Sattal.

Other birds seen along the river here included Crested Kingfisher, Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch, Spotted Forktail, White-capped Redstart and Plumbeous Water Redstart. In the nearby riparian forest we found further great birds such as Blue-throated Barbet, Greater Flameback, Greater Yellownape, Bronzed Drongo, Mountain and Black Bulbuls, Small Niltava, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher and Grey Bush Chat. It had been a great introduction to Himalayan foothill birding, and we eagerly awaited the next day’s birding adventures.

Day 10, 30^th January 2025. Birding the Sattal area

We had a pre-dawn start this morning and headed to the Sattal area where we would be visiting a hide/blind where birds are fed, with perches set up perfectly for bird photography. We arrived just before sunrise and made our way down to the hide, where we waited for the birds to start arriving. It took a little while but then the floodgates opened, and we had dozens of birds coming into feed, which all showed incredibly well, for sustained periods and at close range. Highlights of our almost two hours here included Rufous-throated Partridge, Kalij Pheasant, Great Barbet, Brown-fronted and Grey-headed Woodpeckers, Greater and Lesser Yellownapes, Slaty-headed and Plum-headed Parakeets, Red-billed Blue Magpie, Common Green Magpie, Grey Treepie, Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler, Striated, White-crested, Rufous-chinned and White-throated Laughingthrushes and Grey-winged Blackbird. We also improved our looks at Rufous Turtle Dove, Green-backed Tit, Red-billed Leiothrix, Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch and Blue Whistling Thrush. We eventually had to tear ourselves away as we had other birds to find and had just about seen all the likely species on offer.

A pair of normally elusive Rufous-throated Partridges showed incredibly well from the bird hide in Sattal.

Next, we birded along a road winding through the hills and, after grabbing our picnic breakfast, we started to add further new birds. The beautiful Green-tailed Sunbird showed briefly, as did Ashy Bulbul and then we moved on further down the road, where we found a small feeding flock which included the likes Lemon-rumped and Grey-hooded Warblers, Blue-winged Minla, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker and the diminutive Speckled Piculet.

Carrying on further down the hill to the Sattal Studio (named after the fact that birds used to bathe and drink at a certain spot which photographers took advantage of), we found a group of noisy Red-breasted Parakeets. Walking deeper into the forest we found Greater Flameback, Greater Yellownape, Yellow-bellied Fantail, Whistler’s Warbler, Aberrant Bush Warbler (a real skulker) and Himalayan Bluetail. We spent a while trying to lay eyes on a Chestnut-headed Tesia and eventually had decent enough looks as it slowly bounced along the edge of a stream.

We then had lunch back at the hotel and a bit of time off, before we headed back to briefly bird the riverine forest along the Chaffi River which added Asian Barred Owlet, Black Bulbul, Small and Rufous-bellied Niltavas, and more Himalayan Bluetails. Mahendra then excitedly called us over onto a small wooden bridge overlooking a stream and pointed out a Slaty-backed Forktail, which we had missed the previous afternoon.

We then moved further around the corner and birded another stretch of riverine scrub. We had to work for our birds here but, with persistence, we eked out some quality birds such as Steppe Eagle (flying high overhead), Grey-breasted Prinia, Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler, Streaked Laughingthrush, Brown Dipper, Blue-fronted Redstart, Scaly-breasted Munia, Grey Wagtail and Common Rosefinch.

Brown Dipper was a highlight around Sattal.

It had been a long but productive day’s birding and we headed back to the hotel for a good night’s rest!

Day 11, 31^st January 2025. Sattal birding and transfer to Pangot

With several more species to target around Sattal, we headed back to the same road as the previous morning and slowly walked our way downhill. Having arrived a bit earlier than the previous morning, the birding was much more productive, and we soon found Kalij Pheasant, Speckled Piculet, Grey-capped Pygmy, Brown-fronted and Fulvous-breasted Woodpeckers, Long-tailed Minivet, Maroon Oriole, Black-throated Bushtit, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Bar-tailed Treecreeper, Red-billed Blue Magpie, Rufous-breasted Accentor and the exquisite Black-throated Sunbird.

Red-billed Blue Magpie as seen from the Sattal bird hide.

We then headed back to our accommodation for a quick breakfast before packing the vehicle and making the relatively short transfer to the small village of Pangot, which sits at an altitude of 6,500 feet (1,950 meters). The drive through the mountains was a pretty one as we caught glimpses of the snow-capped Himalaya Mountains in the distance. We then arrived at Pangot for a delicious lunch with Black-headed Jay, Rufous Sibia and White-tailed Nuthatch as pleasant distractions around our beautifully set and tranquil birding lodge.

Later that afternoon we headed out to bird a track through some higher altitude scrub, which was a little on the quiet side, but did produce Himalayan Vulture (overhead), Himalayan Prinia, Himalayan Bulbul, Ashy-throated Warbler, Blue-fronted Redstart, Rufous-breasted Accentor, Russet Sparrow, Common and Pink-browed Rosefinches, Red-fronted Serin and a flushed Black francolin, only seen be Mel and I.

That evening we had a wonderful barbecue under the stars and excitedly discussed the following day’s plans to see some rare pheasants!

Day 12, 1^st February 2025. High altitude birding at Pangot

We had a pre-dawn start this morning as we wanted to be in the higher-altitude forest at dawn to stand a decent chance of seeing Koklass Pheasant. Over the next couple of hours, we heard distant Koklass Pheasants but none that could be easily targeted and were starting to lose hope in seeing the bird. Suddenly Mahendra brought the vehicle to a halt and excitedly pointed out a pair of Koklass Pheasants close to the road, with the male even beginning to call as we watched it. We were elated, as it can be a very difficult bird to lay eyes on, and we then moved further down the road to enjoy a celebratory breakfast.

Koklass Pheasant was seen incredibly well in the Himalayan foothills.

We decided to have our breakfast at a spring which is used by birds to come and drink, which meant it was a very distracted breakfast. Highlights from our breakfast stop included Bonelli’s Eagle, Eurasian Crag Martin, Black-chinned Babbler, Black-throated Thrush, Black-throated Accentor, Plain Mountain Finch, Yellow-breasted Greenfinch and many Himalayan Vultures as they started their search for thermals.

We then moved back into the forested areas and started searching for feeding parties, which is normally how one finds new birds in these forests. We soon heard excited bird calls and, on closer investigation, found a small feeding flock which produced many new species, such as White-browed Shrike-babbler, Eurasian Jay and Yellow-browed, Coal and Grey-crested Tits, as well as now familiar species such as Grey-hooded Warbler, Black-throated Bushtit, White-tailed Nuthatch and Bar-tailed Treecreeper.

We then came to a break in the forest which opened into steep grass-covered slopes, which is where we hoped to find our next target, Cheer Pheasant. We were just starting to get ourselves comfortable for a long wait when Mahendra again shouted that he had them. Sure enough, Mahendra pointed out a pair of cryptically colored Cheer Pheasants, and we enjoyed excellent prolonged scope views and slowly improved our photos over the next 30 minutes or so. While enjoying the pheasants, we also watched Large-billed Crows flying high overhead and a whirling flock of Altai Accentors. While watching the pheasants we also had good looks at a single Himalayan Goral – a range-restricted mountain goat.

The well-camouflaged Cheer Pheasant was seen in grassy slopes in the Himalayan foothills.

We couldn’t believe our luck, and before returning to camp we further added Himalayan Woodpecker and the cute Black-faced Warbler. We then enjoyed some lunch and some well-deserved time off in the early afternoon.

Later that afternoon we headed back out and took a steep, winding road to some nearby farmland and scrub to try to eke out a few other missing species. We started our birding with a long walk through open scrub and small cultivated fields, which added Eastern Red-rumped Swallow, Common Chiffchaff, Aberrant Bush Warbler, Striated and Streaked Laughingthrushes, Spotted Forktail, Slaty-blue Flycatcher (after much effort), Olive-backed Pipit and Yellow-breasted Greenfinch. We then moved to another spot where we found our hoped-for Grey-crowned Prinia, which showed well alongside Grey-breasted Prinias. It was then back to our lodge after a long but highly successful day in the Himalayan foothills.

Day 13, 2^nd February 2025. Transfer to the lowlands of Jim Corbett National Park

We had a sit-down breakfast at a more respectable time this morning and then packed the bus and started our descent towards Jim Corbett National Park. At the next village down from Pangot, we stopped to look for Vinaceous Rosefinch, of which there had been numerous reports of a single male over the last few days. We slowly walked along the edge of a quaint village and accumulated an impressive bird list in our 90 minutes, or so, here. While we were looking for the rosefinch, we also found Kalij Pheasant, Slaty-headed Parakeet, Grey Treepie, Black-chinned Babbler, Rufous Sibia, White-tailed Nuthatch, Grey-winged Blackbird, Golden Bush Robin (a smart male), Pink-browed Rosefinch, Brown Bullfinch and eventually the brightly colored male Vinaceous Rosefinch. We were also excited to find a pair of Hill Partridges, a bird we thought we had missed after no luck around Pangot.

Rufous Sibia were common and conspicuous around Pangot.

We then continued our drop in altitude and had a pleasant stop at the Jim Corbett Museum (the house where he used to live) and here we added Lineated Barbet and Asian House Martin. Soon after, we stopped for lunch at a forested section, enjoying Red-headed Vulture and Crested Serpent Eagle as we ate. A short while later we arrived at our accommodation just outside of the national park in the small, busy town of Dhikuli, and took a couple hours off during the early afternoon heat.

Our afternoon’s birding would be an exciting trip to the nearby Koshi River to look for two highly desired targets; Ibisbill and Wallcreeper, both monotypic families. We arrived on the boulder-strewn banks of the river, near to the Girija Devi Temple and slowly started scanning the fast-flowing river. It did not take long for Mahendra to spot two Ibisbill feeding a little way off, which we all enjoyed scope views of. Not fully satisfied with our views, we edged our way closer and eventually had to cross a tributary which we easily skipped across (read, cautiously and slowly waded across, it was a well-planned and -orchestrated crossing) and enjoyed much improved looks with some decent photographic opportunities. We could not find Wallcreeper today but had to be content with River Lapwing, Crested Kingfisher, Alexandrine Parakeet, Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher, Common Tailorbird, Slaty-blue Flycatcher and White-browed Wagtail, as a support act.

Ibisbill along the Koshi River, near Jim Corbett National Park.

Days 14-15,3-4^th February 2025. Safari drives in Jim Corbett National Park

We could only enter the reserve in the late morning, so before breakfast we took a walk around camp which added Spotted Dove, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Crimson Sunbird and a distant Lesser Fish Eagle. We then decided to have another shot at Wallcreeper which proved to be a good decision as we had incredible looks at a Wallcreeper which flew right by us. Other birds seen here included Stork-billed, Crested, White-throated, Common and Pied Kingfishers (a clean sweep on the kingfishers), Hair-crested Drongo and Western Yellow Wagtail.

We arrived at the park gate in the late morning, and after the entry formalities, we proceeded into the reserve and towards Dhikala Camp, where we would be staying, deep in the reserve, for the night. Over these two days in the park we enjoyed morning and afternoon safari drives and enjoyed a beautiful sunset overlooking the floodplain below Dhikala Camp.

We had amazing flight views of Wallcreeper along the Koshi River.

During our safari drives in the Dhikala area, we came across multiple Tiger sightings, including sightings of two groups of three subadult Tigers. By far, our best Tiger sighting included watching one of these subadults bathing in a river and providing point blank views in glorious afternoon light–surely one of the trip highlights. We also got to watch the same group of three subadults cross a fast-flowing river, which was fun to watch.

Later the same day we had multiple prolonged Tiger sightings.

The birding around Dhikala was sublime and over these two days we notched up an impressive list including White-rumped Spinetail, Changeable Hawk-Eagle, Lesser and Pallas’s Fish Eagles, Lineated Barbet, Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker, Himalayan Flameback, Scarlet Minivet, Greater and Lesser Racket-tailed Drongos, Ashy Bulbul, Kalij Pheasant, Red Junglefowl (from which present-day chickens originate), Black Francolin, Common Emerald Dove, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Alpine Swift, Crested Treeswift, Asian Barred Owlet, Black-hooded Oriole, Indian Cuckooshrike, Brown Crake and Besra. We also enjoyed decent looks at a small group of Great Slaty Woodpeckers, one of the largest woodpeckers on the planet!

The floodplain below camp was constantly littered with birds, including Mallard (a trip bird!), Northern Pintail, Great Stone-curlew, River Lapwing, Black and Black-necked Storks, Pallas’s and Lesser Fish Eagles and Jungle Myna. The area also had good numbers of animals around too, including Asian Elephant, Chital, Sambar, Northern Red Muntjac, Hog Deer, Asian Wild Pig, Golden Jackal and Gharial crocodile. Closer inspection of the grasslands in the floodplain further yielded Oriental Skylark, Paddyfield Pipit and Siberian Stonechat.

Lesser Fish Eagles were conspicuous in Jim Corbett National Park.

We returned to our camp in Dhikuli later on that second afternoon, after an incredible two days in the park, and decided to bird a nearby river which was very quiet but did yield Himalayan Swiftlet, Collared Owlet and White-rumped Shama.

Day 16,5^th February 2025. Jim Corbett safari and transfer to Delhi

We had one final safari drive in Jim Corbett National Park and this time we were assigned the Jhirna area. Despite having spent the last two days in the park, we still managed a bunch of new birds. Highlights from our morning safari included Red Junglefowl, Indian Thick-knee, Crested Honey Buzzard, Himalayan Vulture, Jungle Owlet, Great Hornbill, Black-rumped Flameback, Small and Scarlet Minivets, Ashy, Bronzed and Hair-crested Drongos, Thick-billed Flowerpecker, Crimson Sunbird and Golden-fronted Leafbird. This ended a wonderful few days in this most impressive national park!

Black-rumped Flameback was seen frequently throughout this tour.

It was then the long drive west to Delhi, which went by uneventfully. We said our goodbyes to Chuck and Mel, and then to Mahendra, who had done an excellent job over the last 16 days and checked into our Delhi hotel for the evening.

Day 17,6^th February 2025. Sultanpur birding and departure

Kim and Jami only flew out in the evening and so we decided to spend most of the final day birding the Sultanpur area, which we hadn’t fully done justice to earlier in the trip. We again met up with Sanjay and let him know our list of targets for the day. We immediately set off to the same Chandu Canal area as before and had an amazing few hours of birding here. Highlights here included Ruddy-breasted Crake (seen well this time), Spotted Redshank, Brown-headed and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Greater Flamingo, Black-necked Stork, Indian Spotted Eagle, Eurasian Hoopoe, Eurasian Wryneck, Isabelline and Brown Shrikes, Delicate Prinia, Zitting Cisticola, Moustached and Paddyfield Warblers and Black-breasted Weaver.

Next, we moved onto Sultanpur National Park itself where we did a good walk around the various pans and birded the small patches of woodland. Here we found Grey Francolin, Common Hawk-Cuckoo, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Asian Green Bee-eater, Brown-headed Barbet, Brook’s Leaf, Greenish and Eastern Orphean Warblers and Olive-backed Pipit. We eventually made our way back to the hotel in the mid-afternoon, after a highly productive final day of birding.

Later we said our final goodbyes, after a thoroughly successful and fun 17 days in northern India. Our multiple Tiger sightings and countless spectacular bird species will not be forgotten anytime soon. Thanks to Mahendra for his expert guiding and intricate knowledge of the route, which made sure the logistics of the trip ran flawlessly.

Common Green Magpie, another highlight of our time at the Sattal bird hide.

Bird List – Following IOC (Version 15.1/February 2025)

Birds ‘heard only’ are marked with (H) after the common name, all other species were seen.

The following notation after species names is used to show conservation status following BirdLife International: CE = Critically Endangered, EN = Endangered, VU = Vulnerable.

The following notation after species names is used to show conservation status following IUCN Red List: EN = Endangered, VU = Vulnerable.

The following notation after species names is used to show conservation status following IUCN Red List: CE = Critically Endangered, EN = Endangered, VU = Vulnerable.

This is a sample trip report. Please email us ([email protected]) for more trip reports from this destination.

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