BANGLADESH EXPEDITION REPORT 2024

10-18 February 2024

by Mark Beaman

Our first expedition to Bangladesh and its wonderful Sundarbans was an outstanding success. Not only did we enjoy no fewer than three great and prolonged encounters with Masked Finfoot in our five days in the Sundarbans (perhaps a record) but we also had three encounters with the very rare and sought-after White-eared Night Heron (a species only recently discovered to winter in the Sundarbans) and a very close encounter with the sometimes-tricky Cachar Bulbul at Satchari National Park! Bangladesh is not the place for a huge bird list but our total of 200 species recorded in just 9 days was more than respectable.

Before we headed into the Sundarbans, that vast area of tidally flooded mangrove forest at the mouths of the Ganges and Padma (or Brahmaputra) Rivers, we travelled to the northeastern region of Bangladesh to explore Satchari National Park.  This small area of protected forest is situated just at the point where the plains give way to low hills, nowadays mostly converted to vast tea gardens.

Most of the birds found at Satchari are widespread Oriental species or winter visitors from the Palearctic Region, but there is one major exception, for this is just about the only easily accessible area where the range-restricted Cachar Bulbul can be seen. I need to stress ‘can’ as this is by no means an easy bird to see at Satchari. We soon realised it was thin on the ground and our first afternoon spent at the birds’ favourite drinking pool drew a total blank. Oops! We were clearly going to have to devote more of our time to this sometimes tricky species.

At least we had the chance for an introduction to Satchari’s birds, encountering such species as Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, Greater Yellownape, Greater Flameback, Bronzed and Greater Racket-tailed Drongos, Black-naped Monarch, Rufous Treepie, Black-headed and Black-crested Bulbuls, Hill Blue Flycatcher, Ruby-cheeked Sunbird and Little Spiderhunter. Winter visitors included Yellow-browed, Greenish, Yellow-vented and Blyth’s Leaf Warblers, Verditer, Blue-throated Blue, Little Pied and Taiga Flycatchers and a superb male Siberian Blue Robin.

Mercifully the pool session on our second day turned up trumps and we watched a nice pair of Cachar Bulbuls coming to drink at very close range, but this is a bird that some visitors to Satchari miss, so we counted ourselves fortunate!

White-cheeked Partridge occurs in the area and some of the group saw one that flushed from beside the trail, but we did not even hear a Blue-naped Pitta in spite of using playback in its favoured locations. It was unusually dry in the park during our visit, so that likely influenced responsiveness.

A tall tower proved a great place to spend the early morning and turned up good views of Vernal Hanging Parrots and also Golden-fronted Leafbirds and Hair-crested Drongos feeding on the red coral-tree flowers, as well as Capped Langur, Irrawaddy Squirrel, Northern Treeshrew, Green-billed Malkoha, Ashy-headed and Yellow-footed Green Pigeons, Green Imperial Pigeon, Asian Barred Owlet, Lineated, Blue-throated, Blue-eared and Coppersmith Barbets, Common Iora, Black-winged Cuckooshrike, Grey-backed Shrike, Ashy Drongo, Indian White-eye, Pin-striped Tit-babbler, Common Hill Myna, Chestnut-tailed Starling and Purple-rumped and  Crimson Sunbirds.

Hanging around at the drinking pool or walking the forest trails turned up a noisy pair of Oriental Pied Hornbills, White-throated Bulbul, great views of Puff-throated and Abbott’s Babblers, Green-crowned Warbler, White-rumped Shama, Snowy-browed Flycatcher and a wonderful, close performance by male and female Western Hoolock Gibbons.

With the Cachar Bulbul ‘in the bag’, we had time for a short visit to bird-rich Baikka Beel, a large wetland area further to the north. Lots of herons, ducks, shorebirds and other waterbirds were present, including large numbers of Glossy Ibises, Grey-headed Swamphens, Black-tailed Godwits, Pheasant-tailed Jacanas and Medium Egrets. Also present were Ferruginous Duck, Black-headed Ibis, Red-crested Pochard, Grey-headed Lapwing, Eastern Marsh and Pied Harriers, Brown Shrike, Striated Grassbird and Dusky Warbler. As we left, a big roost of Indian Pied and Jungle Mynas was building up.

We departed early the next day for the long drive to Khulna, our jumping-off point for the Sundarbans. Dhaka traffic is awful and the queues (and the totally beaten up, paint-scraped buses!) have to be seen to be believed. Luckily we could bypass most of the city so we only had to endure about an hour of crawling along.

Once at Khulna port, we were soon boarding our skiff for the short journey to our riverboat, the Bawali, our home for the next six nights. We soon made ourselves at home and after getting used to the cabins, dining area and the like, we made our way to the comfortable observation deck and our adventure began in earnest. At first, we travelled through the heavily populated lowlands of Bangladesh, but as the light faded we arrived in more sparsely inhabited areas and by late evening we had arrived at the edge of the famous Sundarbans. But in the meantime, we got to know our friendly crew and had our first opportunity to enjoy the delicious Bangladeshi cuisine that was a feature of our time aboard.

Setting off while it was still dark the next morning we were all excited by the prospect of maybe seeing a Masked Finfoot but at that stage, as our skiff left Bawali behind and we headed off up a mangrove-lined channel, we had no idea what an amazing, indeed awesome first day in the Sundarbans we would all enjoy!

Our first highlight of the day was a Buffy Fish Owl out hunting by the channel side that gave wonderful close-up views. As it got light and the sun rose, typical Sundarbans scenery started to appear, with long mud-fringed channels lined by extensive mangrove forests. Along the channels the big, range-restricted Brown-winged Kingfisher proved to be common and there were also many smart Black-capped Kingfishers and smaller numbers of White-throated and Common Kingfishers. Our first encounter with the delightful Asian Small-clawed Otter was yet another highlight.

As the tide slowly fell and more and more mud was exposed we scanned carefully in the hope of seeing a Masked Finfoot foraging on the mud, but at first, there was nothing. Then the shout went up, “finfoot, finfoot!” and there was a male walking along on a mudbank (or was it wading, given the thick mud?) and then hurrying for cover in the forest! Damnation! But we pulled the boat over and waited and after a time the finfoot emerged and started going about its business, becoming less wary of us and eventually giving a prolonged period of observation lasting over an hour and a half! It was fun to watch it using its broad, lobed toes to walk on the mud without sinking as it picked tiny crabs, small mudskippers and no doubt other prey from the newly uncovered mudbanks. After a time it crossed the river not far from us and started exploring the other bank before finally disappearing into the forest. What a brilliant start to our Sundarbans adventure!

After lunch and a break, we headed out again on our traditional wooden skiff, known as a ‘country boat’ in Bangladesh. It was fascinating to come across some Tiger pugmarks on both sides of a channel, demonstrating how freely Tigers swim from one area to another in the Sundarbans. They are only rarely seen by visitors, however, as they are both shy and mostly nocturnal owing to ongoing illegal persecution by humans. Our guide from Bawali, who had spent over 200 weeks in the Sundarbans in total, had only seen Tiger four times during all that time! They seemed to have plenty of food available as Chital (or Spotted Deer) is numerous throughout the area.

We finally caught up with Collared Kingfisher (one of the less numerous kingfishers in this part of the world) and then, deep in a side channel, we enjoyed a fantastic close encounter with a beautiful Ruddy Kingfisher.

Soon dusk fell and we got the spotlight out and started to look for mammals. Rats were everywhere! Black Rats seemed to be the common species but there could have been other species present. And then came the first of two amazing sightings. A heron could be seen crossing the channel ahead of us and as we got closer and closer it was clearly a night heron… And then, closer still, it could be identified as the rare White-eared Night Heron, an Endangered species breeding in southern China and vicinity that has only recently been found to winter in the Sundarbans. Once the light went on it could be seen in all its glory, but soon it was flying off along the channel and we headed for Bawali and our supper.

But our amazing day was not yet over. As we neared the main channel where Bawali was anchored, a Mainland Leopard Cat was sitting watching us from a fallen tree and it allowed us to get closer and closer and take great photos before it decided to head off into the forest.

What a first day in the Sundarbans!!!

Over the following days, we explored the area thoroughly, getting another prolonged encounter with a Masked Finfoot and seeing a wide selection of Sundarbans birds including two more White-eared Night Heron encounters (!), more Buffy Fish Owls, a rather fleeting view of a Dusky Eagle-Owl after tracking it down by its distinctive call, Red Junglefowl feeding on the mudbanks, two wintering Brown-headed Gulls, Streak-breasted Woodpecker at the limits of its distribution and smart wintering ‘Chinese Golden Orioles’. Mangrove Pitta tormented us by calling regularly but never responding to playback. Even here in the Sundarbans, the forest was unusually dry.

Other additions or highlights included some great encounters with Ospreys and Crested Serpent Eagles, Slaty-breasted Rail, Rufous Woodpecker, Black-rumped Flameback, Small Minivet, Black-hooded Oriole and Purple Sunbird.

New mammals included Wild Boar and both Ganges River Dolphins and Irrawaddy Dolphins (the Ganges often breaching in their entirety). Huge Saltwater Crocodiles and some very large (2.5 metres long) Asian Water Monitors added to the variety of Sundarbans creatures we encountered.

Exploring a new area with an ancient Hindu Temple dating from the 16th century, now largely swallowed by the jungle, turned up trumps in the form of a wonderful encounter with very obliging Asian Small-clawed Otters that fished right in front of us and noisily chewed on their mudskipper prey. Even this wildlife encounter was soon overshadowed by our best Masked Finfoot encounter, a female watched for nearly an hour that became so used to us that she foraged for crabs on the mudbanks or swam in the channel within 15 metres of us. Finally, she even walked right down to the channel side only about 10 metres away before we watched her swim away upstream and we decided to let her be!

Our final birding in the Sundarbans was at a forest station at its northern edge. We had to start early on the boardwalk here to avoid the crowds of locals on day boats who thronged the area later. A few additions came our way in the form of Asian Brown Flycatcher, Forest Wagtail and Orange-bellied Flowerpecker at the edge of its range. As usual, a Mangrove Pitta called from the forest but refused to show itself. Not far away, a visit to a channel, village and paddy area turned up two Jungle Cats, migrant Richard’s Pipit and ‘Himalayan’ White Wagtails, as well as typical rural birds like Jungle Babbler, Baya Weaver, Indian Silverbill and White-rumped Munia.

The next morning it was time to leave the Bawali and its special crew behind and return to Dhaka at the end of our adventure, but birding was not yet done. After a brief stop for Bank Mynas at the eastern edge of their distribution (yes, imagine actually having to seek out this usually numerous species!), we made a long stop at the wide Padma (or Brahmaputra) River, here three or four kilometres (around two miles) wide. It proved a good move as key finds included Red-necked Falcon, Bengal Bushlark, Baikal Bush Warbler, Striated Babbler, White-tailed Stonechat and Blyth’s Pipit, while other new birds included Plaintive Cuckoo, Asian Koel, Hen Harrier, Watercock, Grey-throated Martin, Delicate Prinia, Bluethroat, Siberian Rubythroat, Siberian Stonechat, Chestnut Munia and Citrine Wagtail (of both types).

After that, it was a case of enduring the endless Dhaka traffic jams on the way to a celebratory dinner and the first chance in 9 days to enjoy a cold beer!

TOP BIRDS & MAMMALS OF THE EXPEDITION

1st  Masked Finfoot

2nd  Mainland Leopard Cat

3rd  White-eared Night Heron

4th  Cachar Bulbul

5th=  Buffy Fish Owl

5th=  Asian Small-clawed Otter

SYSTEMATIC LIST OF SPECIES RECORDED DURING THE EXPEDITION

Bird species marked with the diamond symbol (◊) are either endemic to the country or local region or considered ‘special’ birds for some other reason (e.g., it is only seen on one or two Birdquest tours; it is difficult to see across all or most of its range; the local form is endemic or restricted-range and may in future be treated as a full species).

The species names and taxonomy used in the bird list follows Gill, F., Donsker, D., & Rasmussen, P.(Eds). 2023. IOC World Bird List (v13.2) (this was the current version when the checklist for the tour report was created).

BIRDS

Garganey  Spatula querquedula  3 at Baikka Beel.

Northern Shoveler  Spatula cylpeata  10 at Baikka Beel.

Gadwall  Mareca strepera  Numerous at Baikka Beel.

Northern Pintail  Anas acuta  Very numerous at Baikka Beel.

Eurasian Teal  Anas crecca  Common at Baikka Beel.

Red-crested Pochard  Netta rufina  A male at Baikka Beel.

Ferruginous Duck  Aythya nyroca  20 at Baikka Beel.

White-cheeked Partridge ◊  Arborophila atrogularis  One seen when flushed by some of the group.

Red Junglefowl  Gallus gallus  Small numbers recorded at Satchari and in the Sundarbans.

Large-tailed Nightjar  Caprimulgus macrurus  Heard-only in the Sundarbans.

Asian Palm Swift  Cypsiurus balasiensis  Widespread and fairly common.

House Swift  Apus nipalensis  Small numbers during our drives.

Greater Coucal  Centropus sinensis  Fairly common in the Sundarbans and at the Padma.

Green-billed Malkoha  Phaenicophaeus tristis  Three at Satchari.

Asian Koel  Eudynamys scolopaceus  Several recorded.

Plaintive Cuckoo  Cacomantis merulinus  One at the Padma.

Rock Dove  Columba livia  Feral birds were common or numerous in urban areas or near villages.

Oriental Turtle Dove  Streptopelia orientalis  Widespread and often common.

Eurasian Collared Dove  Streptopelia decaocto  Widespread and often common.

Red Collared Dove  Streptopelia tranquebarica  Fairly common in more open areas.

Spotted Dove  Spilopelia chinensis  Common and widespread.

Ashy-headed Green Pigeon  Treron phayrei  Three at Satchari.

Yellow-footed Green Pigeon  Treron phoenicopterus  Three at Satchari.

Green Imperial Pigeon  Ducula aenea  Two at Satchari.

Masked Finfoot ◊  Heliopais personatus  We were fortunate to enjoy three prolonged sightings in our five days in the Sundarbans, involving two different adult males and an adult female. Awesome close views of a female just 10 metres from us!

Slaty-breasted Rail  Lewinia striata  One in the Sundarbans.

Common Moorhen  Gallinula chloropus  Small numbers at Baikka Beel and at the Padma.

Eurasian Coot  Fulica atra  Very numerous at Baikka Beel.

Grey-headed Swamphen  Porphyrio poliocephalus  Very numerous at Baikka Beel.

Watercock  Gallicrex cinerea  One at the Padma.

White-breasted Waterhen  Amaurornis phoenicurus   Scattered records of up to three.

Little Grebe  Tachybaptus ruficollis  Common at Baikka Beel.

Little Ringed Plover  Charadrius dubius  A single at Baikka Beel and two in the Sundarbans.

Grey-headed Lapwing ◊  Vanellus cinereus  Five records of up to 30 at a time.

Pheasant-tailed Jacana  Hydrophasianus chirurgus  Numerous at Baikka Beel.

Bronze-winged Jacana  Metopidius indicus  Four at Baikka Beel and one at the Padma.

Eurasian Whimbrel  Numenius phaeopus  Six in the Sundarbans.

Black-tailed Godwit  Limosa limosa  Numerous at Baikka Beel.

Common Snipe  Gallinago gallinago  Numerous at the Padma and in addition a single at Baikka Beel.

Common Sandpiper  Actitis hypoleucos  Common in the Sundarbans.

Marsh Sandpiper  Tringa stagnatilis  10 at Baikka Beel.

Wood Sandpiper  Tringa glareola  Numerous at Baikka Beel and common at the Padma.

Common Redshank  Tringa totanus  One in the Sundarbans.

Spotted Redshank  Tringa erythropus  12 at Baikka Beel.

Ruff  Calidris pugnax  20 at Baikka Beel.

Brown-headed Gull ◊  Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus  Two adults in the Sundarbans.

Asian Openbill  Anastomus oscitans  50 at Baikka Beel and five more en route to Khulna.

Oriental Darter  Anhinga melanogaster  Five at Baikka Beel.

Little Cormorant  Microcarbo niger  Common in freshwater wetlands.

Great Cormorant  Phalacrocorax carbo  Common in freshwater wetlands.

Black-headed Ibis  Threskiornis melanocephalus  15 at Baikka Beel.

Glossy Ibis  Plegadis falcinellus  Around 1000 at Baikka Beel and 200 near Dhaka.

Little Egret  Egretta garzetta  Fairly widespread and sometimes common.

White-eared Night Heron ◊  Oroanassa magnifica  Three encounters with adults in the Sundarbans, probably involving two or three different individuals.

Striated Heron  Butorides striata  Common in the Sundarbans.

Indian Pond Heron  Ardeola grayii  Common and widespread.

Eastern Cattle Egret  Bubulcus coromandus  Fairly common away from the Sundarbans.

Great Egret [Eastern Great Egret]  Ardea [alba] modesta  Common in all wetland areas, with 300 at Baikka Beel.

Medium Egret  Ardea intermedia  Common at Baikka Beel and two at the Padma.

Grey Heron  Ardea cinerea  Common at Baikka Beel and one at the Padma.

Osprey  Pandion haliaetus  Common in the Sundarbans.

Black-winged Kite  Elanus caeruleus  Two en route to Khulna and three at the Padma.

Crested Serpent Eagle  Spilornis cheela  Widespread and fairly common.

Shikra  Accipiter badius  Common in the Sundarbans.

Eastern Marsh Harrier  Circus spilonotus  Two at Baikka Beel.

Hen Harrier  Circus cyaneus  A female at the Padma.

Pied Harrier  Circus melanoleucos  An adult male at Baikka Beel.

Black Kite  Milvus migrans  Widespread and often common.

Brahminy Kite  Haliastur indus  Widespread and locally common.

Spotted Owlet  Athene brahma  One near Satchari.

Asian Barred Owlet  Glaucidium cuculoides  Seen and heard at Satchari.

Oriental Scops Owl  Otus sunia  Two heard in the Sundarbans.

Collared Scops Owl  Otus lettia  Heard at Satchari.

Buffy Fish Owl ◊  Ketupa ketupu  Common by voice in the Sundarbans and three sightings.

Dusky Eagle-Owl ◊  Ketupa coromanda  One in the Sundarbans.

Eurasian Hoopoe  Upupa epops  Just a couple of singles in open country areas.

Oriental Pied Hornbill  Anthracoceros albirostris  A noisy pair at Satchari.

Indian Roller  Coracias benghalensis  One en route to Khulna.

Brown-winged Kingfisher ◊  Pelargopsis amauroptera  Positively common in the Sundarbans. Wonderful views.

Ruddy Kingfisher ◊  Halcyon coromanda  A cracking, very close encounter in the Sundarbans!

White-throated Kingfisher  Halcyon smyrnensis  Common and widespread.

Black-capped Kingfisher  Halcyon pileata  Common in the Sundarbans.

Collared Kingfisher  Todiramphus chloris  Fairly common in the Sundarbans.

Common Kingfisher  Alcedo atthis  Common and widespread.

Asian Green Bee-eater  Merops orientalis  Scattered records of up to six.

Chestnut-headed Bee-eater  Merops leschenaulti  Small numbers at Satchari.

Lineated Barbet  Psilopogon lineatus  Two seen at Satchari and another heard at the Padma.

Blue-throated Barbet  Psilopogon asiaticus  Small numbers away from the Sundarbans.

Blue-eared Barbet  Psilopogon duvaucelii  A single at Satchari.

Coppersmith Barbet  Psilopogon haemacephalus  Three at Satchari.

Speckled Piculet  Picumnus innominata  One in the Sundarbans.

Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker  Yungipicus canicapillus  Small numbers at Satchari and in the Sundarbans.

Greater Yellownape  Chrysophlegma flavinucha  Small numbers at Satchari and in the Sundarbans.

Streak-breasted Woodpecker  Picus viridanus  One in the Sundarbans. This is the only part of the Indian subcontinent in which it occurs.

Grey-headed Woodpecker  Picus canus  One in the Sundarbans.

Common Flameback  Dinopium javanense  A pair in the Sundarbans.

Black-rumped Flameback  Dinopium benghalense  Fairly common in the Sundarbans.

Greater Flameback  Chrysocolaptes guttacristatus  Widespread and fairly common.

Rufous Woodpecker  Micropternus brachyurus  Fairly common in the Sundarbans.

Common Kestrel  Falco tinnunculus  A single at the Padma.

Red-headed Falcon  Falco chicquera  A hunting individual passed close by us at the Padma.

Blossom-headed Parakeet  Psittacula roseata  Four at Satchari.

Red-breasted Parakeet  Psittacula alexandri  Common at Satchari.

Rose-ringed Parakeet  Psittacula krameri  Scattered records of up to five.

Vernal Hanging Parrot  Loriculus vernalis  Common at Satchari.

Mangrove Pitta ◊  Pitta megarhyncha  In spite of plenty of effort we only managed to hear this species. It was bone dry during our visit and they seemed very unresponsive.

Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike  Hemipus picatus  Two in the Sundarbans.

Ashy Woodswallow  Artamus fuscus  Not uncommon in the Sundarbans.

Common Iora  Aegithina tiphia  Common and widespread.

Small Minivet  Pericrocotus cinnamomeus  Widespread and fairly common.

Black-winged Cuckooshrike  Lalage melaschistos  Three at Satchari.

Black-hooded Oriole  Oriolus xanthornus  Widespread and fairly common.

Black-naped Oriole [Chinese Golden Oriole] ◊  Oriolus [chinensis] diffusus  Multiple sightings of this distinctive form in the Sundarbans. A likely future split.

Bronzed Drongo  Dicrurus aeneus  Widespread and fairly common.

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo  Dicrurus paradiseus  Common and widespread.

Hair-crested Drongo  Dicrurus hottentottus  Common at Satchari and a few in the Sundarbans.

Ashy Drongo  Dicrurus leucophaeus  Two at Satchari.

Black Drongo  Dicrurus macrocercus  Common and widespread.

White-throated Fantail  Rhipidura albicollis  Two at the edge of the Sundarbans.

Black-naped Monarch  Hypothymis azurea  Widespread in small numbers.

Brown Shrike  Lanius cristatus  Scattered records of small numbers.

Long-tailed Shrike  Lanius schach  Common in open country. The form in Bangladesh is tricolor.

Grey-backed Shrike  Lanius tephronotus  One at Satchari.

Common Green Magpie  Cissa chinensis  Heard both days at Satchari but we were too intent on seeing Cachar Bulbul to chase it up!

Rufous Treepie  Dendrocitta vagabunda  Widespread in small numbers.

House Crow  Corvus splendens  Numerous in urban and village areas and quite often seen in open country.

Eastern Jungle Crow  Corvus levaillantii  Common and widespread.

Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher  Culicicapa ceylonensis  Small numbers at Satchari.

Cinereous Tit  Parus cinereus  Fairly widespread in small numbers.

Bengal Bush Lark ◊  Mirafra assamica  Five seen at the Padma where we had superb views.

White-throated Bulbul  Alophoixus flaveolus  Fairly common at Satchari.

Cachar Bulbul ◊  Iole cacharensis  This one made us sweat (quite literally) but eventually, a pair came to drink right next to us. Phew!

Black-headed Bulbul  Brachypodius melanocephalos  A few at Satchari.

Black-crested Bulbul  Rubigula flaviventris  Common at Satchari.

Red-whiskered Bulbul  Pycnonotus jocosus  Very common and widespread.

Red-vented Bulbul  Pycnonotus cafer  Very common and widespread.

Grey-throated Martin  Riparia chinensis  Five at the Padma.

Barn Swallow  Hirundo rustica  Widespread and locally very common.

Yellow-browed Warbler  Phylloscopus inornatus  Scattered records of small numbers.

Dusky Warbler  Phylloscopus fuscatus  Widespread and fairly common.

Green-crowned Warbler  Phylloscopus burkii  Small numbers at Satchari.

Greenish Warbler  Phylloscopus trochiloides  Common and widespread.

Yellow-vented Warbler ◊  Phylloscopus cantator  A single at Satchari.

Blyth’s Leaf Warbler  Phylloscopus reguloides  Two singles at Satchari.

Baikal Bush Warbler or Baikal Grasshopper Warbler ◊  Locustella davidi  One at the Padma. Two other Locustella were seen but not identified.

Striated Grassbird  Megalurus palustris  Common at Baikka Beel and at the Padma.

Zitting Cisticola  Cisticola juncidis  Four at the Padma.

Delicate Prinia  Prinia lepida  Five at the Padma.

Plain Prinia  Prinia inornata  Common at the Padma and also two at the edge of the Sundarbans.

Common Tailorbird  Orthotomus sutorius  Common and widespread.

Dark-necked Tailorbird  Orthotomus atrogularis  Heard-only at Satchari.

Indian White-eye  Zosterops palpebrosus  Common and widespread.

Pin-striped Tit-Babbler  Mixornis gularis  Widespread and fairly common.

Puff-throated Babbler  Pellorneum ruficeps  Small numbers at Satchari.

Abbott’s Babbler  Malacocincla abbotti  Small numbers at Satchari.

Jungle Babbler  Argya striata  A group of six at the edge of the Sundarbans.

Striated Babbler ◊  Argya earlei  Common at the Padma.

Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush  Pterorhinus pectoralis  Heard-only at Satchari.

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch  Sitta frontalis  A pair in the Sundarbans.

Common Hill Myna  Gracula religiosa  Six at Satchari.

Jungle Myna  Acridotheres fuscus  Fairly widespread and sometimes numerous.

Bank Myna ◊  Acridotheres gingianus  Two between Khulna and Dhaka.

Common Myna  Acridotheres tristis  Widespread and often numerous away from the Sundarbans.

Indian Pied Myna  Gracupica contra  Widespread and often numerous away from the Sundarbans. A roost of 1000 or more at Baikka Beel.

Chestnut-tailed Starling  Sturnia malabarica  Widespread and locally common.

Oriental Magpie-Robin  Copsychus saularis  Common and widespread.

White-rumped Shama  Copsychus malabaricus  A female at Satchari.

Asian Brown Flycatcher  Muscicapa dauurica  One at the northern edge of the Sundarbans.

Verditer Flycatcher  Eumyias thalassinus  Scattered records of ones and twos.

Hill Blue Flycatcher  Cyornis whitei  A male at Satchari.

Blue-throated Blue Flycatcher  Cyornis rubeculoides  A female at Satchari.

Bluethroat  Luscinia svecica  A male at the Padma.

Siberian Rubythroat  Calliope calliope  A male at the POadma.

Siberian Blue Robin  Larvivora cyane  A smart adult male at Satchari.

Snowy-browed Flycatcher  Ficedula hyperythra  One at Satchari.

Little Pied Flycatcher  Ficedula westermanni  One at Satchari.

Taiga Flycatcher  Ficedula albicilla  Scattered records of small numbers.

White-tailed Stonechat ◊  Saxicola leucurus  Common at the Padma.

Siberian Stonechat  Saxicola maurus  Three at the Padma.

Golden-fronted Leafbird  Chloropsis aurifrons  Fairly common at Satchari and in the Sundarbans.

Orange-bellied Flowerpecker  Dicaeum trigonostigma  A nice male in the Sundarbans. Another species that just creeps into the Indian subcontinent in Bangladesh.

Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker  Dicaeum cruentatum  Not uncommon in the Sundarbans.

Ruby-cheeked Sunbird  Chalcoparia singalensis  A male at Satchari.

Purple-rumped Sunbird  Leptocoma zeylonica  Scattered records of small numbers.

Purple Sunbird  Cinnyris asiaticus  Common in and around the Sundarbans.

Crimson Sunbird  Aethopyga siparaja  Fairly common at Satchari and in the Sundarbans.

Little Spiderhunter  Arachnothera longirostra  Small numbers at Satchari.

House Sparrow  Passer domesticus  Common in urban areas and around villages.

Baya Weaver  Ploceus philippinus  Common at the edge of the Sundarbans and at the Padma.

Indian Silverbill  Euodice malabarica  Small numbers at the edge of the Sundarbans and at the Padma.

Scaly-breasted Munia  Lochura punctulata  Five at the Padma.

White-rumped Munia  Lonchura striata  Small numbers at the fringes of the Sundarbans.

Chestnut Munia  Lonchura atricapilla  Numerous at the Padma.

Forest Wagtail ◊  Dendronanthus indicus  One in the Sundarbans, where they overwinter.

Eastern Yellow Wagtail  Motacilla tschutschensis  Common at the Padma and also one near Khulna.

Citrine Wagtail  Motacilla citreola  Very numerous at the Padma where we had both the nominate form and the Tibetan Plateau race calcarata.

White Wagtail [Himalayan Wagtail]  Motacilla [alba] alboides  Small numbers at the edge of the Sundarbans and at the Padma.

Richard’s Pipit  Anthus richardi  One in fallow paddies at the edge of the Sundarbans.

Paddyfield Pipit  Anthus rufulus  Small numbers at the edge of the Sundarbans and at the Padma.

Blyth’s Pipit ◊  Anthus godlewskii  One at the Padma.

MAMMALS

Jungle Cat  Felis chaus  Two different individuals at the edge of the Sundarbans.

[Tiger  Panthera tigris  Pug marks seen on several occasions where Tigers had swum the channels in the Sundarbans.]

Mainland Leopard Cat  Felis bengalensis  A brilliant encounter with one at night in the Sundarbans.

Small Indian Mongoose  Urva auropunctata  One at the Padma.

Golden or Common Jackal  Canis aureus  Singles near Sree Mangal, at Baikka Beel and at the Padma.

Asian Small-clawed Otter  Aonyx cinerea  Up to four regularly observed in the Sundarbans in the course of a day.

Eurasian Wild Boar  Sus scrofa  One in the Sundarbans.

Chital or Spotted Deer  Axis axis  Common in the Sundarbans.

Ganges or South Asian River Dolphin  Platanista gangetica  Locally common in the Sundarbans.

Irrawaddy Dolphin  Orcaella brevirostris  A total of three in the Sundarbans.

Indian Flying-fox  Pteropus giganteus  Scattered singles.

Assamese Macaque  Macaca assamensis  An adult male at Satchari.

Rhesus Macaque  Macaca mulatta  Common and widespread.

Capped Langur  Trachypithecus pileatus  Three at Satchari.

Western Hoolock Gibbon*  Hoolock hoolock  A close male and female at Satchari.

Northern Treeshrew  Tupaia belangeri  Three at Satchari.

Irrawaddy (or Hoary-bellied) Squirrel  Callosciurus pygerythrus  A few at Satchari.

Black or House Rat  Rattus rattus  Very common and active in the Sundarbans at night.

REPTILES

Saltwater Crocodile  Crocodylus porosus  A few in the Sundarbans. One or two were huge!

Common House Gecko  Hemidactylus frenatus  Living onboard the Bawali as well as ashore!

Oriental Garden Lizard  Calotes versicolor  One at the edge of the Sundarbans.

Keeled Indian Mabuya or Common Keeled Skink  Eutropis carinata  Two at Satchari.

Asian Water Monitor  Varanus salvator  Two singles in the Sundarbans, both of which appeared to be around 2.5 metres in length! This is the world’s heaviest reptile after the Komodo Dragon.