Birdwatching in Northern India January 8-26, 2001
Trip report by Andreas Hagerman e-mail: andreashagerman@mail.dk
Participants:
Kim Seng Lim (1st week), Andreas Hagerman, and Andreas Bruun Kristensen e-mail: abk@phyl.dk
Travel info:
We booked a return flight Copenhagen – Moscow – Delhi - Moscow - Copenhagen by Aeroflot. Price 4072 DKR.
Itinerary:
January 8: arrived at Delhi airport at 1.00 pm and went by taxi to Bharatpur.
January 9: birding Bharatpur.
January 10: birding Bharatpur.
January 11: birding Bharatpur.
January 12: rented a taxi and went to Helak and Bund Baretha.
January 13: birding Bharatpur.
January 14: birding Bharatpur.
January 15: bus from Bharatpur to Agra. Birding the river Yahuma behind Taj Mahal. Overnight train to Lal Kuan
January 16: taxi from Lal Kuan to Nainital. Birding Nainital
January 17: birding Nainital
January 18: birding Mongoli Valley
January 19: birding Sat Tal
January 20: birding Mongoli Valley
January 21: bus from Nainital to Ramnagar. Birding Kosi River.
January 22: bus to Kumeria where we birded south of Quality Inn.
January 23: birding Corbett Tiger Reserve
January 24: birding Corbett Tiger Reserve
January 25: birding Corbett Tiger Reserve
January 26: birding Corbett Tiger Reserve
January 27: taxi from Ramnagar to Delhi
January 28: flight out of Delhi at 5.45am.
Travelling in India
Our flight from Moscow to Delhi was delayed four hours. We exchanged dollars at Delhi Airport and got 27.000 rupees. More than enough!
We went by taxi to Bharatpur (3400 rupees). You should be able to get the ride for 2500 rupees.
At Bharatpur we stayed the first five nights at Pratap Palace (200 rupees per person). The last two nights we stayed at Hotel Spoonbill (125 rupees).
The entrance fee for entering Keoladeo Ghana National Park (Bharatpur) is 200 rupees. We rented bikes at the hotels we stayed in.
The taxi trip to Helak and Bund Baretha lasted from 7.00am to 3.00pm and we paid 1000 rupees.
Bus to Agra very crowded but the trip only lasts 1,5 hours. In Agra we rented an auto rickshaw for the day (150 rupees) and bought train tickes to Lal Kuan (price 300 rupees). Overpriced because a travel agent bought them for us but then we had more time to search for birds at the River Yamuna.
The train was all right but we did not sleep much because of being nervous that someone should steal our luggage in the train.
Taxi from Lal Kuan to Nainital (250 rupees). Good price but the driver really tried hard for letting us stay at a hotel we did not want to in Nainital and later tried to sell us a five day tour in his jeep but we but we told him to leave our hotel room and so he did!
In Nainital we stayed at the Tourist Rest House (160 rupees), which is very near to the private bus stand in Mallital (western end of Nainital).
Bus to Mongoli (10 rupees) and went back from Mongoli to Nainital with some Indians in a jeep (15 rupees).
Trip to Sat Tal by taxi. Left the hotel at 7.30am and drove to Sat Tal where the driver waited for us until 4.00pm when we returned to Nainital (750 rupees).
Bus to Ramnagar took five hours (40 rupees). Stayed at Everest Hotel (75 rupees). We went to the Corbett National Park Reception Centre and booked a four day stay at Dhikala in the park. Then we rented a jeep with driver for the four days we would stay in the park (4000 rupees). Then we went by foot to the Kosi River.
Before entering the park we used one day birding around the Quality Inn Hotel near Kumeria, some 30 km’s north of Ramnagar. There are frequent buses between the two towns.
Next day our driver picked us up at 6.30am and we drove to Dhikala (3.5 hours). In Dhikala we stayed in the dormitories (100 rupees) where the resident rat is now accompagnied by a second.
Remember that there is no telephone in Corbett. We had to go back to Ramnagar on our second day in the park because we needed to confirm our flight back to Denmark.
After three days in Corbett we returned to Ramnagar and next morning went by taxi (6 hours) to Delhi (2000 rupees). We shared the taxi with three Indians.
Money:
You should bring cash with you to India and exchange enought for the entire trip in the airport because money exchanging in India apparently is very time consuming. In total we spent 3000DKR each during the entire trip.
People:
We did not experience any problems with the locals although it can get pretty annoying when 20 Indians gather around you when you are birding. When you are taking a taxi it is very important to negotiate a price before you start. Make sure that the driver fully understands how much money he will get and where you are going. Often the driver will try to rip you off after the trip trying to charge more money from you. Do not accept this. Give him the money you agreed on and then leave the car.
Food:
Keep away from the most dirty looking restaurants. Drink bottled water. At the restaurants we often had dishes like chicken with rice or macaroni, which was all right most of the times. We ate a lot of toast bread and bananas to calm our stommacks down.
Health
We did not have any problems with our health during the trip although one of us had to shit six times one day – but that was it. I can strongly recommend toast and banana if you want to avoid problems.
Weather:
At Bharatpur it was around 5C in the morning and 20C at midday.
In Nainital it was below freezing during the night. Here you will need warm sweaters, a wind-jammer, gloves and a hat. The hotel was freezing cold and we ate with all our out-door clothes in the restaurant. Even with a good sleeping bag you will need to wear several shirts to keep you warm before you fall asleep.
Litterature:
"Birds of the Indian Subcontinent" (Grimmett, Inskipp & Inskipp) and "A Birdwatchers’ Guide to India" (Kazmierczak & Singh) proved very helpful and you shouldn’t go to India without these books in your luggage.
Bird List:
This complete bird list follows the order of species given in "Birds of the Indian Subcontinent". I have commented on some of the rarer and more sought-after species.
Black Francolin: Corbett
Grey Francolin: Bharatpur
Barred Buttonquail: Bharatpur + Bund Baretha
Red Junglefowl: Sat Tal + Corbett
Kalij Pheasant: Nainital + Mongoli Valley
Indian Peafowl: Bharatpur
Greylag Goose: Bharatpur
Bar-headed Goose: Bharatpur
Ruddy Shelduck: Bharatpur + Bund Baretha + Ramnagar
Comb Duck: Bund Baretha
Cotton Pygmy-goose: Bund Baretha
Gadwall: Bharatpur
Eurasian Wigeon: Bharatpur + Corbett
Spot-billed Duck: Bharatpur
Common Teal: Bharatpur + Corbett
Nothern Pintail: Bharatpur + Corbett
Northern Shoveler: Bharatpur + Corbett
Red-crested Pochard: Bund Baretha + Ramnagar
Common Pochard: Bharatpur, Bund Baretha
Ferruginous Duck: Bund Baretha
Tufted Duck: Bund Baretha
Common Merganser: Ramnagar
Eurasian Wryneck: Bharatpur
Rufous Woodpecker: Corbett
Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker: Bharatpur
Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker: Corbett + Kumeria
Brown-fronted Woodpecker: Nainital
Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker: Sat Tal + Corbett + Kumeria
Rufous-bellied Woodpecker: Cheena Peak (Naini Peak), Nainital. This beautiful species was seen in the forest behind Cheena Peak (view from Nainital). The track from Nainital to Cheena Peak via the "high fields" proved to be very rewarding, especially regarding woodpeckers
Yellow-crowned Woodpecker: Bharatpur
Himalayan Woodpecker: Cheena Peak (Naini Peak), Nainital
Lesser Yellownape: Mongoli Valley + Sat Tal
Greater Yellownape: Mongoli Valley + Sat Tal
Streak-throated Woodpecker: Ramnagar
Grey-headed Woodpecker: Corbett
Himalayan Flameback: Corbett + Kumeria
Black-rumped Flameback: Bharatpur
Great Barbet: Nainital
Brown-headed Barbet: Bharatpur + Kumeria
Lineated Barbet: Corbett
Blue-throated Barbet: Sat Tal + Corbett
Coppersmith Barbet: Bharatpur
Indian Grey Hornbill: Bharatpur + Corbett
Great Hornbill: one fly-over in Corbett.
Hoopoe: Bharatpur
Indian Roller: Bharatpur
Common Kingfisher: Bharatpur + Corbett + Ramnagar
Stork-billed Kingfisher: Corbett
White-throated Kingfisher: Everywhere
Crested Kingfisher: Corbett + Ramnagar + Kumeria
Pied Kingfisher: Bharatpur + Corbett + Ramnagar + Kumeria
Green Bee-eater: Taj Mahal
Common Hawk Cuckoo: Bharatpur
Sirkeer Malkoha: Bharatpur. On two occasions we visited the Kholadahar area of Bharatpur, and on both visits we saw this Great Spotted Cuckoo-like bird.
Greater Coukal: Bharatpur + Ramnagar
Lesser Coukal: Sat Tal. Seen walking around in the accentor fields.
Rose-ringed Parakeet: Bharatpur
Slaty-headed Parakeet: Mongoli Valley + Sat Tal
Plum-headed Parakeet: Bund Baretha + Ramnagar
Red-breasted Parakeet: Corbett
Himalayan Swiftlet: Mongoli Valley + Corbett
White-rumped Needletail: Corbett
House Swift: Bharatpur + Ramnagar
Pacific Swift: Kosi River, Ramnagar. A single bird appeared in the late afternoon, feeding over the bridge along with other swifts and swallows.
Alpine Swift: Sat Tal
Crested Treeswift: Corbett
Collared Scops Owl: Bharatpur. A single roosting in a tree along the main track.
Dusky Eagle Owl: Bharatpur. With some help from a guide we found two birds roosting together.
Brown Fish Owl: Corbett + Kumeria. Six or seven birds in total.
Tawny Fish Owl: Corbett 24/1. This bird discovered by our guide was identified after prolonged views and serious discussions.
Asian Barred Owlet: Two sightings in Nainital.
Jungle Owlet: Two sightings in Corbett.
Spotted Owlet: Bharatpur + Helak
Large-tailed Nightjar: This winter Bharatpur was suffering from the worst draught for ten years, which apparently meant that the nightjars were very hard to find – only one of the guides knew a roost site with "a one hundred percent chance".
Rock Pigeon: Ramnagar
Oriental Turtle Dove: Nainital + Ramnagar
Laughing Dove: Bharatpur
Spotted Dove: Ramnagar + Corbett
Red-collared Dove: Helak
Collared Dove: Bharatpur
Yellow-footed Green Pigeon: Bharatpur
Pin-tailed Green Pigeon: Corbett. In one of our attempts of finding the Great Slaty Woodpecker we saw two of these pigeons.
Siberian White Crane: The two birds in Bharatpur were easily seen and were showing at quite close range.
Sarus Crane: Bharatpur. Also seen en route from Delhi to Bharatpur.
Common Crane: Bharatpur
Water Rail: Corbett
Brown Crake: Bund Baretha + Corbett
White-breasted Waterhen: Bharatpur
Ruddy-breasted Crake: Bund Baretha. The bird was feeding along with a Brown Crake on a pool behind the dam. Producing other goodies like Plum-headed Parakeet and Marsh Sandpiper, this pool was definitely worth a visit.
Purple Swamphen: Bharatpur
Common Moorhen: Bharatpur
Common Coot: Bharatpur + Bund Baretha
Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse: 9 fly-overs at Bund Baretha
Common Snipe: Bharatpur + Bund Baretha
Black-tailed Godwitt: Bharatpur
Eurasian Curlew: Bharatpur
Spotted Redshank: Bharatpur
Redshank: Bharatpur + Ramnagar
Marsh Sandpiper: Bharatpur + Bund Baretha
Greenshank: Bharatpur + Ramnagar
Green Sandpiper: Bharatpur + Bund Baretha
Wood Sandpiper: Bharatpur
Common Sandpiper: Bharatpur + Ramnagar
Long-billed Dowitcher: Bharatpur. This Indian mega had been present since November 2000, and was easily located feeding on an isolated pool along with Black-tailed Godwitts.
Little Stint: Taj Mahal
Temminck’s Stint: Bharatpur + Ramnagar
Ruff: Bharatpur
Painted Snipe: 4 birds performing very well just west of the sanctuary at Bharatpur. Apparently the draught had forced some of the water birds to move out in the open.
Indian Courser: We got this one at quite a controversial locality near Helak railway station. The problem is that the area is used by the Indian army as some kind of ammunition store. Driving from Bharatpur to Helak we stopped a few km’s before Helak, when some watchtowers appeared on the right side of the road. We quickely entered the area, but after 15 minutes or so some soldiers stopped us. We apologized and acted innocent and assured them that we would leave immediately. On our way out of the area we walked slowly, carefully scanning the sandy fields, and finally we found a single Indian Courser. However, the military guys were still watching us, so we had to leave after enjoying the bird for about 20 seconds! If you are thinking about going for the couser at Helak, remember not to bring any cameras. Some Indians told us we were lucky not to get arrested and tortured.
Eurasian Thick-knee: Kosi River, Ramnagar
Great Thick-knee: Kosi River, Ramnagar
Ibisbill: After arriving and checking in at a cheap hotel in Ramnagar, we started searching for the famous Ibisbills. In the fading sunlight we located two birds giving great views standing on the river shore. Judging from the guest book at restaurant Govinda in Ramnagar, others have had great difficulties finding these birds, so perhaps we were lucky.
Black-winged Stilt: Bharatpur + Bund Baretha + Taj Mahal
Avocet: One fly-over at Bharatpur
Pheasant-tailed Jacana: Bund Baretha
Bronze-winged Jacana: Bharatpur + Bund Baretha
Small Pratincole: Taj Mahal. A flock of 20 birds were feeding energetically over the River Yamuna for just 15 minutes and then disappeared.
Little Ringed Plover: Bharatpur + Ramnagar
Kentish Plover: Bund Baretha
Yellow-wattled Lapwing: A single near Helak Railway Station
River Lapwing: Taj Mahal + Corbett + Ramnagar
Red-wattled Lapwing: Common
White-tailed Lapwing: Up to 50 birds daily at Bharatpur.
Caspian Gull: Taj Mahal. Adult flying down the Yamuna River along with a 3rd winter Heuglin’s Gull.
Heuglin’s Gull: Taj Mahal. 3rd winter flying down the Yamuna River along with an adult Caspian Gull.
Great Black-headed Gull: Taj Mahal. 1st winter flying dovn the Yamuna River.
Brown-headed Gull: Taj Mahal
Black-headed Gull: Taj Mahal
River Tern: Bharatpur + Bund Baretha + Corbett + Taj Mahal
Balck-bellied Tern: One bird still present behind the Taj Mahal.
Whiskered Tern: Taj Mahal + Bund Baretha
Indian Skimmer: Two birds resting on an islet at Bund Baretha.
Osprey: Bund Baretha + Corbett
Black-shouldered Kite: Bharatpur
Black Kite: Thousands and thousands in Delhi
Brahminy Kite: Bharatpur + Corbett
Pallas’s Fish Eagle: Corbett
White-tailed Eagle: Bharatpur + Corbett
Lesser Fish Eagle: Seen daily in Corbett
Lammergeier: one adult at Nainital
Egyptian Vulture: Bharatpur + Taj Mahal + also seen en route
White-rumped Vulture: Bharatpur + Corbett. Only a handful every day.
Long-billed Vulture: Two at Bharatpur, ten in Corbett
Himalayan Griffon: Nainital
Eurasian Griffon: Sat Tal + Corbett
Cinereous Vulture: Sat Tal + Corbett
Red-headed Vulture: Bharatpur
Short-toed Eagle: One sighting in Bharatpur
Crested Serpent Eagle: Bharatpur + Ramnagar + Corbett
Marsh Harrier: Bharatpur
Hen Harrier: Bharatpur
Pallid Harrier: Bharatpur. At a harrier roost in the Kholadahar area we counted ten birds in the evening including two adult males.
Shikra: Bharatpur
Eurasian Sparrowhawk: Sat Tal
Oriental Honey Buzzard: Bharatpur
Common Buzzard: Mongoli Valley
Greater Spotted Eagle: Very common at Bharatpur.
Steppe Eagle: Bharatpur + Sat Tal + Mongoli Valley + Corbett
Imperial Eagle: Seen daily at Bharatpur, also at Bund Baretha
Bonelli’s Eagle: One sighting at Bharatpur
Booted Eagle: Taj Mahal
Changeable Hawk Eagle: Corbett
Mountain Hawk Eagle: Nainital + Corbett
Collared Falconet: Corbett. Seen near the watchtower in Dhikala.
Kestrel: Bharatpur
Peregrine: Corbett
Little Grebe: Bharatpur + Ramnagar
Little Cormorant: Bharatpur + Ramnagar
Indian Darter: Bharatpur + Corbett
Indian Cormorant: Bharatpur
Great Cormorant: Bharatpur + Ramnagar
Little Egret: Bharatpur
Great White Egret: Bharatpur
Intermediate Egret: Bharatpur
Cattle Egret: Bharatpur + Ramnagar
Indian Pond Heron: Very common – Indian trash
Grey Heron: Bharatpur + Corbett
Purple Heron: Bharatpur
Little Heron: 2 sightings at Bharatpur
Black-crowned Night Heron: Bharatpur
Cinnamon Bittern: Bharatpur. Discovered in flight about 1 km NE of the Keoladeo Temple, then relocated skulking under the thick bushes along the track leading to the temple.
Yellow Bittern: For some of the scarcer birds at Bharatpur, including Yellow Bittern, we had to hire a guide. Seen just next to the rickshaw stand on the eastern side of the main road near the Sapan Mari.
Black Bittern: Bharatpur. This bird would have been impossible to find without a guide. It was sitting in an Acacia tree just a few metres from the previous species.
Glossy Ibis: Bharatpur
Black-headed Ibis: Bharatpur
Spoonbill: Bharatpur + Bund Baretha
Great White Pelican: Hundreds at Bharatpur
Painted Stork: Bharatpur + en route Delhi-Bharatpur
Asian Openbill: Bund Baretha
Woolly-necked Stork: Bharatpur + Bund Baretha + Corbett
White Stork: 1 at Bharatpur
Black Stork: Corbett
Black-necked Stork: Bharatpur + Corbett
Lesser Adjudant: A single bird seen on several occasions at Bharatpur
Golden-fronted Leafbird: Corbett. Two sightings around Dhikala
Brown Shrike: 1st winter seen well at Bharatpur. The bird was discovered by British birders.
Bay-backed Shrike: Bharatpur
Long-tailed Shrike: Bharatpur + en route
Southern Grey Shrike: Several seen en route Bharatpur-Bund Baretha
Black-headed Jay: Seen on both our visits to Mongoli Valley
Red-billed Blue Magpie: Mongoli Valley
Rufous Treepie: Bharatpur
Grey Treepie: Mongoli Valley
House Crow: Delhi + Bharatpur
Large-billed Crow: Common
Eurasian Golden Oriole: Bharatpur
Black-hooded Oriole: Recorded twice in Corbett
Maroon Oriole: Corbett. Seen briefly from the back of an elephant
Large Cuckooshrike: Ramnagar
Black-winged Cuckooshrike: 1 in Bharatpur was a surprise
Small Minivet: Bharatpur
Long-tailed Minivet: Sat Tal
Scarlet Minivet: Kumeria + Corbett
Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike: Corbett + Kumeria + Sat Tal
Yellow-browed Fantail: Mongoli Valley + Sat Tal + Corbett
White-throated Fantail: Mongoli Valley + Sat Tal + Corbett
Black Drongo: Bharatpur + en route
Ashy Drongo: Bharatpur
White-bellied Drongo: Bharatpur + Corbett
Bronzed Drongo: Mongoli Valley
Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo: Corbett
Spangled Drongo: Kumeria
Common Iora: Ramnagar + Corbett
Marshall’s Iora: One bird in Bharatpur
Large Woodshrike: Kumeria
Common Woodshrike: Bharatpur + Nainital + Corbett
Brown Dipper: Quality Inn area, Kumeria (Ramnagar). In this bird-filled area we found the dipper about 2 km north of the bridge crossing the Kosi River. The area also gave us Himalyan Flameback, Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker, Oriental Turtle Dove, Large Woodshrike, Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher, Brown Fish Owl.
Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush: Female in Mongoli Valley
Blue Rock Thrush: Kumeria + Ramnagar
Blue Whistling Thrush: Common around Nainital
Orange-headed Thrush: Male seen in the Nursery in Bharatpur. Look for it under the bushes just outside the small brick wall.
Long-billed Thrush: One of the target species in Mongoli Valley. We found it on our second visit. It was flushed from the upper part of the dry stream and flew into a bush where it "freezed" for minutes.
Long-tailed Thrush: Mongoli Valley. Walking off the track we flushed this true skulker. When flushed it landed in a small tree some 20 metres away, where it "freezed" in typical Zoothera style.
Tickell’s Thrush: Bharatpur. One or two birds were apparently wintering in the garden of Hotel Spoonbill, but nevertheless they were very hard to see. We saw a bird being flushed on the evening of January 12th and another was seen briefly inside the reserve.
Chestnut Thrush: Mongoli Valley
Black-throated Thrush: Sat Tal
Rufous-gorgetted Flycatcher: Sat Tal + Mongoli Valley + Nainital + Corbett
Red-breasted Flycatcher: In Bharatpur only parvas were identified. Interestingly, all the Red-breasted Flycatchers in Nainital and Corbett were of the race albicilla (Taiga Flycatcher).
Little Pied Flycatcher: Corbett + Ramnagar
Slaty-blue Flycatcher: Mongoli Valley + Sat Tal + Corbett
Small Niltava: Mongoli Valley + Sat Tal
Rufous-bellied Niltava: Mongoli Valley
Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher: Quality Inn, Kumeria
Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher: Bharatpur + Sat Tal + Corbett
Siberian Rubythroat: Male seen at the barrier in Bharatpur. After several unsuccesful searchings we decided to hire a guide for this one. He easily whistled the bird out of the bushes.
White-tailed Rubythroat: Sat Tal + Corbett
Bluethroat: Bharatpur + Corbett
Orange-flanked Bush Robin: Nainital + Mongoli Valley + Sat Tal
Golden Bush Robin: Sat Tal. A male was frustratingly brief.
Oriental Magpie Robin: Bharatpur
White-rumped Shama: One brief sighting in Corbett.
Indian Robin: Bharatpur + Ramnagar
Blue-capped Redstart: Nainital
Black Redstart: Bharatpur
White-capped Water Redstart: Mongoli Valley + Corbett
Plumbeous Water Redstart: Sat Tal + Ramnagar + Corbett
Little Forktail: Seen in a small stream leading into the Kosi River about 800 m south of the Quality Inn near Kumeria.
Slaty-backed Forktail: Walking in the stream in Mongoli Valley produced both Slaty-backed and Spotted Forktails.
Spotted Forktail: Mongoli Valley + Sat Tal + Kumeria
Stonechat: Bharatpur + Corbett
Pied Bush Chat: Bharatpur
Grey Bush Chat: A female in Bharatpur was a surprise, otherwise common around Nainital and Corbett.
Brown Rock Chat: Bharatpur + Bund Baretha + Taj Mahal + Ramnagar
Variable Wheatear: Helak. Seen in the same area as the Indian Courser. This area was rich in birds and also held Desert Wheatear, Orphean Warbler, Bimaculated Lark, Ashy-crowned Sparrow-lark, Southern Grey Shrike, Red Collared Dove and Yellow-wattled Lapwing.
Desert Wheatear: Helak
Brahminy Starling: Bharatpur
Common Starling: Bharatpur + Delhi
Asian Pied Starling: Bharatpur + en route
Common Myna: Bharatpur + Bund Baretha + en route
Bank Myna: Bharatpur + en route.
Jungle Myna: Nainital + Corbett
Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch: Bharatpur + Nainital + Corbett
White-tailed Nuthatch: Nainital
Velvet-fronted Nuthatch: Mongoli Valley + Kumeria + Corbett
Wallcreeper: Kosi River, Ramnagar
Bar-tailed Treecreeper: Seen daily around Nainital.
Rufous-vented Tit: Nainital
Spot-winged Tit: Nainital + Mongoli Valley
Great Tit: Bund Baretha + Corbett
Green-backed Tit: Nainital + Mongoli Valley + Sat Tal
Black-lored Tit: Nainital + Mongoli Valley + Sat Tal
Yellow-browed Tit: Cheena Peak (Naini Peak), Nainital. Two birds in association with various Phylloscopus wablers, laughingthrushes, shrikebabblers, tits and woodpeckers.
Black-throated Tit: Nainital + Corbett
Plain Martin: Bharatpur + Ramnagar
Eurasian Crag Martin: Mongoli Valley
Dusky Crag Martin: Bund Baretha + Ramnagar
Barn Swallow: Bharatpur
Red-rumped Swallow: Bharatpur + Ramnagar
Asian House Martin: One identified in Delhi Airport
Nepal House Martin: Mongoli Valley + Sat Tal
Black-crested Bulbul: Corbett
Red-whiskered Bulbul: Ramnagar + Corbett
White-eared Bulbul: Bharatpur
Himalayan Bulbul: Nainital + Sat Tal + Mongoli Valley
Red-vented Bulbul: Bharatour + Nainital + Corbett
Ashy Bulbul: Kumeria + Corbett
Mountain Bulbul: Nainital + Mongoli Valley
Black Bulbul: Mongoli Valley + Corbett
Striated Prinia: Mongoli Valley
Grey-breasted Prinia: Sat Tal + Corbett
Plain Prinia: Bharatpur
Ashy Prinia: Bharatpur + Corbett
Zitting Cisticola: Bharatpur
Bright-headed Cisticola: Corbett
Oriental White-eye: Bharatpur + Nainital + Corbett
Aberrant Bush Warbler: Nainital + Sat Tal
Grey-sided Bush Warbler: Nainital + Sat Tal
Blyth’s Reed Warbler: Bharatpur
Clamourous Reed Warbler: Bharatpur
Lesser Whitethroat: Bharatpur + Sat Tal + Ramnagar
Orphean Warbler: Helak
Common Tailorbird: Bharatpur + Ramnagar
Chiffchaff: Bharatpur + Sat Tal + Ramnagar
Dusky Warbler: Corbett. One brief sighting near the watchtower at Dhikala.
Smoky Warbler: Surely one of the highlights of the trip. The bird was seen in Bharatpur feeding on little branches floating on the water. For ten minutes it gave absolutely cripling views, actively hunting insects just in front of us. Actually, two days later it was succesfully twitced by some British birders.
Buf-barred Warbler: Nainital + Mongoli Valley
Ashy-throated Warbler: Seen on both visits to Mongoli Valley.
Lemon-rumped Warbler: Nainital + Sat Tal + Mongoli Valley
Hume’s Warbler: Bharatpur + Corbett
Greenish Warbler: Bharatpur + Ramnagar
Western Crowned Warbler: Corbett. Prolonged views allowed us to identify this bird. It was part of a species-mixed flock.
Golden-spectacled Warbler: Nainital + Mongoli Valley + Sat Tal
Grey-hooded Warbler: Nainital +Sat Tal + Mongoli Valley + Corbett
Goldcrest: Nainital
White-throated Laughingthrush: Mongoli Valley
White-crested Laughingthrush: Mongoli Valley + Sat Tal + Corbett
Striated Laughingthrush: Nainital
Rufous-chinned Laughingthrush: Nainital + Sat Tal
Streaked Laughingthrush: Nainital + Sat Tal + Mongoli Valley
Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush: Nainital + Corbett
Puff-throated Babbler: Kumeria + Corbett
Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler: Mongoli Valley + Sat Tal + Corbett
Scaly-breasted Wren Babbler: Sat Tal. Walking on the road in the forest we suddenly heard some buzzing wingbeats from the dense undergroth next to us. I got a brief view of a small brown bird and promtly alarmed Andreas that it might have been a wren babbler, which proved to be right! After some bush-beating this strange bird was willing to cooperate, although it was never easy to see. Running mouse-like on the ground, and with the size of a Wren, this was certainly a peculiar bird.
Black-chinned Babbler: Mongoli Valley + Sat Tal
Chestnut-capped Babbler: Corbett. Two birds showing well at some tiger watch point.
Yellow-eyed Babbler: Bharatpur + Bund Baretha
Common Babbler: Kholadahar area of Bharatpur
Large Grey Babbler: Bharatpur
Jungle Babbler: Very common in Bharatpur and Corbett
Red-billed Leiothrix: Sat Tal
White-browed Shrike Babbler: Nainital + Mongoli Valley
Rufous Sibia: Nainital + Sat Tal + Mongoli Valley
Indian Bushlark: Helak + Bharatpur
Ashy-crowned Sparrow Lark: 35, Helak
Bimaculated Lark: 8, Helak
Short-toed Lark: Helak + Taj Mahal + Corbett
Purple Sunbird: Bharatpur
Green-tailed Sunbird: Mongoli Valley
Black-throated Sunbird: Mongoli Valley
Crimson Sunbird: Kumeria
House Sparrow: Helak + Ramnagar
Russet Sparrow: Nainital + Sat Tal
Chestnut-shouldered Petronia: Bund Baretha
White Wagtail: Bharatpur + Ramnagar
White-browed Wagtail: Bharatpur + Bund Baretha + Ramnagar
Citrine Wagtail: Bharatpur + Ramnagar
Yellow Wagtail: Bharatpur + Bund Baretha
Grey Wagtail: Nainital + Ramnagar + Taj Mahal
Paddyfield Pipit: Bund Baretha
Tawny Pipit: Ramnagar + Helak + Bharatpur
Blyth’s Pipit: 1 en route Helak-Bund Baretha
Tree Pipit: Bharatpur
Olive-backed Pipit: Bharatpur + Nainital + Corbett
Rosy Pipit: 10 in Corbett
Water Pipit: Bharatpur
Rufous-breasted Accentor: Mongoli Valley + Sat Tal
Black-throated Accentor: Sat Tal. We saw a single bird feeding along with the commoner Rufous-breasted Accentors.
Baya Weaver: Bharatpur
Red Avadavat: Bharatpur
Indian Silverbill: Bharatpur
Yellow-breasted Greenfinch: Nainital + Mongoli Valley + Sat Tal
Common Rosefinch: Bharatpur + Nainital + Sat Tal
White-capped Bunting: Bund Baretha + Sat Tal
Red-headed Bunting: Bharatpur
374 species