NORTHWEST INDIA TOUR REPORT 2025

6 - 26 February 2025

Hannu Jännes

Our very successful Birdquest tour to various parts of northwestern India traced an epic route through the states of Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat, with a short visit to the state of Maharasthra to conclude. Additionally, there was a four-day pre-tour extension to some of the finest birding sites on India’s northern plains, including Sariska National Park, Chambal River Sanctuary and the large wetlands of Keoladeo Ghana (a.k.a Bharatpur). We recorded no fewer than 353 bird species and 26 mammals, but, more importantly, we found almost every bird specialty of the dry western and central regions of the subcontinent including a number of increasingly scarce species with highly restricted ranges. Foremost of these was the impressive Great Indian Bustard (with a world population of less than 150 individuals), the increasingly rare Asian Houbara, the rare Indian Vulture, the very localized Forest Owlet, the stunningly patterned White-naped Tit, White-browed (or Stoliczka’s) Bush Chat and Green Avadavat. Many Indian subcontinent endemics or near-endemics were seen with Rock Bush and Jungle Bush Quails, Painted and Red Spurfowls, Red-naped (or Black) Ibis, Indian Courser, Painted Sandgrouse, magnificent Indian Skimmer, Mottled Wood Owl, Indian and Dusky Eagle Owls, Jungle Nightjar, Plum-headed and Malabar Parakeets, Sirkeer Malkoha, Yellow-wattled Lapwing, Black-bellied Tern, Brown-headed Barbet, Indian Bush, Rufous-tailed, Malabar and Sykes’s Larks, Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark, the lovely White-bellied and Orange Minivets, White-spotted Fantail, Marshall’s Iora, Indian Black-lored Tit, Indian Spotted Creeper, Brahminy Starling, Rufous-fronted and Jungle Prinias, Rufous-vented Grass Babbler, Indian Scimitar Babbler, Tawny-bellied Babbler, Vigors’s Sunbird, Sind Sparrow and the range restricted western form of the Jerdon’s Babbler. Amongst many other highlights were the much sought-after Grey Hypocolius, the amazing Demoiselle Cranes in the village of Khichan, the morning flight of thousands of Common Cranes in the Great Rann of Kutch, the critically endangered Sociable Lapwing, Red-necked and Laggar Falcons, Crab-plover, the mind blowing Jorbeer Conservation Reserve with hundreds of wintering eagles and vultures and over a thousand of Yellow-eyed Doves, Sykes’s Nightjar and Pallid (or Striated) Scops Owl, Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark, all three forms of Variable Wheatear, Red-tailed Wheatear, Desert Whitethroat, Sulphur-bellied Warbler, Brooks’s Leaf Warbler, Grey-necked, Red-headed, Black-headed and White-capped Buntings. Additional features of this great tour are the opportunity to observe the fascinating rural and urban everyday life of Indian people along the route, which has to be seen to be believed, and the mostly very delicious food. Special thanks to our excellent local guides Dalveer Singh, Jugal Tiwari and Veer Vaibhav Mishra in the Bhuj area and Rohidas Dagale in Tansa WL.

Our pre-tour extension began at Sariska Tiger Reserve near Alwar, where we spent the afternoon birding the mountain road leading to Bala Fort. This is an excellent area to see the endemic Painted Spurfowl, our main reason to visit this area. Unfortunately, our efforts didn’t pay off, but we had an amazing sight of a Leopard walking along the roadside, and we also encountered some commoner birds like White-bellied Drongo, Cinereous Tit, Small Minivet and Common Woodshrike. The next morning, as the road leading to Bala Fort was not yet open, we decided to visit a nearby Hindu temple in the bottom of the valley, where locals were feeding birds. This proved to be a smart move as we soon located, amongst flocks of peacocks, pigeons, parakeets, babblers, sparrows, treepies and bulbuls, a co-operative male Painted Spurfowl feeding on the puffed rice that was spilled down from a high wall by hungry birds. This bird feeder was also visited by some White-breasted Waterhens and a beautiful male Yellow-crowned Woodpecker. In the end Frank thought that he had seen 2-3 different spurfowls during our stay. Fully satisfied with the results of our morning’s birding, it was time to transport ourselves to Bharatpur, where we spent the afternoon and the following morning birding the famous wetland of Keoladeo Ghana National Park with a local guide Dalveer Singh, who was also going to be our guide on the main tour. Our main quarry in the park was Dusky Eagle Owl, which we saw at their nest. Other birds seen in this world famous birding hot spot, a former hunting ground for the maharajas of Bharatpur and their guests, consisting of 28 square kilometers of managed wetlands and drier, savanna type habitats, included Black and Yellow Bitterns, Brown Crake, Little Heron, Great White and Dalmatian Pelicans, White-tailed and Grey-headed Lapwings, many Greater Spotted and two Eastern Imperial Eagles, Bronze-winged and Pheasant-tailed Jacanas, Clamorous Reed and Blyth’s Reed Warblers and several Bluethroats plus large numbers of ducks, cormorants, egrets, herons and storks.

Next in the agenda was a one-night stay in the lovely Chambal Safari Lodge, where our afternoon walk around the lodge grounds and nearby village pond produced Indian Stone-curlew, Yellow-wattled Lapwing, Brown Boobook, Indian Scops Owl, Brown-headed and Coppersmith Barbets and Indian Grey Hornbill. We headed for the famous Chambal River early the next morning with high hopes. A short walk ‘in the bandit country’ close to the river produced a pair of Jungle Prinias, some Yellow-eyed Babblers, Common Babblers, and a brief White-capped Bunting. Our cruise along the peaceful Chambal River later in the morning was thoroughly enjoyable, and we saw some excellent birds including Ruddy Shelducks, several Great Stone-curlews, River Lapwings, the scarce, and declining, Black-bellied Tern and a total of 12 Indian Skimmers, which we admired from close distance. In addition to these avian delights, we had great views of many Gharials (narrow snouted fish-eating crocodile) and Mugger Crocodiles, plus rather brief views of the Ganges River Dolphin. Back at the lodge we enjoyed a delicious packed lunch before heading back to Delhi and for our late evening flight to Amritsar, where we would meet the rest of the group.

The main part of our Northwest Indian adventure began officially well before sun rise the next morning in the lobby of our hotel in Amritsar from where we drove to Harike, a large wetland area surrounded by vast reed beds and agricultural land. After breakfast in a local dhaba, we spent most of the day along the Sutlej River, where a large stand of Elephant Grass provided great views of one of the avian star attractions of Harike, the Rufous-vented Grass Babbler, a species which was previously placed within Prinias and was known by the name Rufous-vented Prinia. Another major target, the “Sind” Jerdon’s Babbler also proved easy to locate and we all had really good views of it. This western taxa scindicum of Jerdon’s Babbler was earlier thought to occur only in the Indus Valley of Pakistan, but it was discovered here in Harike as recently as October 2012 by Indian birders. A supporting cast of commoner species in this interesting area included Pallas’s Gull, Black Bittern, Oriental Skylark, Yellow-bellied, Delicate (a split from Graceful) and Plain Prinias, Grey-hooded Warbler, many Striated Babblers and Black-breasted and Streaked Weavers. Wildfowl were present in good numbers, and amongst the many commoner species were handsome Bar-headed Geese and Indian Spot-billed Ducks. After a busy day’s birding in Harike we paid a visit to the famous Golden Temple in Amritsar, which sits like a glowing golden barge on the still waters of a large artificial lake, surrounded by a white marble-clad precinct complete with numerous subsidiary buildings and minarets. Sikh pilgrims come from all over the world to visit the shrine, which contains the original copy of the Sikh holy book, the Granth Sahib.

Next morning we were back in Harike and birded the area until late afternoon. New birds included the range-restricted Sind Sparrow, which was actually singing just outside the dhaba, where we had our breakfast, and a rather distant White-tailed Stonechat. In the afternoon we drove to the city of Bathinda for one night’s stay. The next morning was mainly spent travelling as we had nearly 300 kilometers to drive, but we managed a short roadside stop at a nice and very co-operative Laggar Falcon and a longer chai break, with new dry country species like Common Babbler, Northern Raven, many Griffon Vultures, Great Grey Shrike and Variable Wheatear. We reached our destination, Tal Chappar and our comfortable lodge in time for lunch. In the afternoon we visited an open forest looking for the rare and localized Indian Spotted Creeper, which we managed to locate after 30 minutes search and got great views of a pair. Other good birds spotted here included Rufous-fronted Prinia, Small Minivet and Yellow-crowned Woodpecker. A late afternoon visit to some saltpans rewarded us with several Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse. Next morning we visited Tal Chappar Wildlife Sanctuary, which we birded by driving around along the narrow tracks that cross the area. Best birds in this beautiful area of flat grassland included Cinereous Vultures, Pallid Harriers, Black-winged Kites, Long-legged Buzzards, four different Black Francolins, several Long-billed Pipits, couple of Indian Bush Larks, big flocks of Greater Short-toed Larks, and a big surprise in the form of a single Indian Spotted Creeper. We also saw a good number of Blackbucks, which must be one of the best looking antelopes on the planet, and smaller numbers of Nilgais and Chinkaras (Indian Gazelle) during the morning. Next in the agenda, was a visit to a patch of forest, where we soon located a single Brook’s Leaf Warbler, a new bird for us.

After lunch we drove to Bikaner, where we had time to pay a visit to Jorbeer Conservation Reserve (a.k.a Bikaner carcass dump), which is now run by the Forest Department as a reserve for the large number of wintering raptors. During the short visit to this impressive site, we saw hundreds of Steppe Eagles, Griffon and Egyptian Vultures together with smaller numbers of Black Kites, Himalayan Vultures and Eastern Imperial Eagles. All the Egyptian Vultures we checked belonged to the northern nominate subspecies, which occurs in lowland India during the winter months. Other birds noted included over a thousand Yellow-eyed Doves, a species that spends the winter on the plains of northwestern India, and good numbers of Rosy Starlings. In Bikaner we stayed at rather upmarket accommodation, which was once the palace of the king of the former Bikaner state, the Maharaja Ganga Singh.

The following day we started early as we wanted to experience the Demoiselle Crane show in the village of Khichan. On this occasion the cranes behaved in accord with expectations, and we spent some quality time admiring thousands and thousands of noisy cranes coming to eat at a small compound in the middle of the village. Later we headed for Jaisalmer, where after a tasty lunch in a local restaurant, it was time for the traditional guided walk to Jaisalmer city, where we had a couple of hours sightseeing in the old part of the town with its narrow alleys, old houses and merchants’ homes. Later we paid a visit to Akal Wood Fossil Park, without seeing much new, and then it was time to drive to our accommodation, one of the many tented camps that has been built in the middle of the desert near Sam.

Early the next morning we took jeeps and headed for the Desert National Park, the last stronghold of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard. There are now two rather large enclosures here, which are closed to all visitors and cattle to ensure peace and quiet for the bustards, a good move in my opinion. In order to locate our target, we drove around the perimeter of the enclosures, stopping regularly for intensive scanning. After some searching, we located two adult male Great Indian Bustards. The birds were a bit distant for decent photographs, but we enjoyed very good scope views of these magnificent birds. This majestic bird is sadly heading for almost certain extinction in the wild during the next 10-20 years as almost no breeding success has been reported for many years, so the surviving population of less than 150 birds is mainly of aging adults. Other interesting birds seen during the first half of the day, included Egyptian Vultures of the resident subspecies ginginianus, couple of Tawny Eagles, Montagu’s Harrier, many Black-crowned Sparrow-Larks, Bimaculated and Desert Larks, Desert Whitethroat, Asian Desert Warblers, Isabelline Shrikes, White-browed Bush Chat doing its comical puff and roll display and Isabelline, Desert and all three forms of Variable Weathers. On the mammal front we were entertained by a Red Fox and African Wildcat, and it was also interesting to see some Spiny-tailed Lizards. After lunch and a bit of siesta in a local homestay, we headed for a temporary lake that had been created by excessive monsoon rains the previous summer and was teeming with birds. New bird species here included 70 Black Storks (a tour write-in), hundreds of ducks, some waders, several Water Pipits and two Black-headed Buntings for some. A nearby acacia wood hold a Sykes’s Warbler and some rockier areas yielded us with confiding Trumpeter Finches, Red-tailed Wheatear, a pair of Greater Hoopoe-Larks, a scarce bird in India, and two Cream-coloured Coursers.

Next morning, we revisited the Desert National Park, where the highlight was a single male Great Indian Bustard, which was in a festive mood and showed us first a bit of its display and then came quite close to us allowing nice views and even some decent photo-ops. In the afternoon we revisited the same monsoon lake and checked couple of small forest patches, where an Eastern Orphean Warbler and a small flock of Sind Sparrows were the most interesting birds.

Next morning we left Sam and our tented camp behind and headed south-east to the remote village of Siana for one night’s stay. En route we stopped at a rocky area, where we soon located a beautiful Indian Eagle Owl. We reached our lovely lodge run by an aristocratic Rajput family of hereditary landowners in time for lunch and, after a short siesta, we were ready for birding in the remote and sparsely inhabited area of dry hills and plains that surround the village. Our knowledgeable guide took us first to an area, where Indian Stone-curlews were roosting and then to some lower slopes of a dry hill. where we soon connected with some White-bellied Minivets, our main target bird here. Our quest for the Painted Sandgrouse at sunset was less successful, but later in the evening we enjoyed good looks of an Indian Scops Owl living in our camp.

The highlights of the following morning’s birding in the Siana area included two critically endangered Indian Vultures at their breeding cliffs, Rock Bush Quail, Barred Bush Quail and a very showy Sirkeer Malkoha. After Siana the next stop was Mount Abu, where an afternoon’s birding resulted in many new birds including a pair of Jungle Bush Quails, Oriental Turtle Dove, White-spotted Fantail, Indian Black-lored Tit, a confiding Sulphur-bellied Warbler, Grey-breasted Prinia, White-capped Bunting and, most importantly, the endearing Green Avadavat, our main reason to visit the mountain. A day roosting Sykes’s Nightjar was a great surprise and apparently the first record of this species for Mt. Abu!

The following morning started well before breakfast with some co-operative Jungle Nightjars calling and flying around near our accommodation. A three-hour birding session on Mt Abu in beautiful sunny weather produced many of the species we had seen the previous day plus a confiding pair of Indian Scimitar Babblers, Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, some Red Spurfowls providing very acceptable views and a brief Grey Junglefowl. On our way to our camp in Zainabad, on the edge of the Little Rann of Kutch, we did a long detour via Lake Nalsarovar for a flock of the critically endangered Sociable Lapwing, which was wintering in the area. In addition to eight handsome lapwings (some of which were already in full breeding plumage) we observed Red-headed and Black-headed Buntings, several Common Quails and some Sarus Cranes here.

As the sun rose next morning, we headed out into the saline wastelands of the Little Rann of Kutch. The main target bird in this habitat was Asian Houbara (a.k.a. Macqueen’s Bustard), a winter visitor from Central Asia, which has become rare owing to both persecution and habitat change. It took some driving and searching, but in the end, we found a single individual that took off in front of our vehicle and flew past us before it disappeared in the impenetrable thorn bush. Other interesting observations of the morning’s safari included several encounters with the beautiful Onagers (Indian Wild Ass) and some Sand Larks. Back in the camp around noon we were shown a sleepy Pallid Scops Owl, which was roosting inside a dense tree. Later in the afternoon/early evening we visited a nearby Navra Talav Lake, which was thronged with birds, including Greater and Lesser Flamingos, Great White and Dalmatian Pelicans, Oriental and Small Pratincoles, and a brief Sykes’s Lark.

Next day, on the way to our destination in western Gujarat, we detoured via Jamnagar on the coast of the Arabian Sea. This proved to be a good move as the tidal beaches of Jamnagar proved to be a shorebird heaven and we added a number of new species to our bird list including Western Reef Heron, Tibetan and Greater Sand Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper, Terek Sandpiper, Eurasian Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Grey Plover, Red Knot, Slender-billed and Heuglin’s Gulls, Caspian, Lesser Crested, Little and Gull-billed Terns, and, most importantly, a flock of 100 of the strange looking Crab-plovers. As if this was not enough, we also encountered a small flock Indian Skimmers roosting at a tidal pool. Due to the detour, we reached our pleasant accommodation in Moti Virani rather late in the evening.

The new morning found us near the village of Fulay in the Greater Rann of Kutch, where berry-bearing bushes held a few Grey Hypocolius including both males and females. We also had brilliant views of a pair of Marshall’s Iora here, a new bird for our list, and an Indian Nightjar at nest. Next in the agenda was a visit to a drinking pool at the edge of the Banni Grassland, where we were also having our picnic breakfast. On the way back to our accommodation for lunch and some siesta, our skillful guides showed us an Eastern Barn Owl, Painted Sandgrouse and the much needed Indian Courser. The afternoon was spent birding some patches of thorn forest, where we encountered several handsome White-naped Tits, a new bird for us, and also got good views of a Sykes’s Lark.

The next day we drove back to Banni Grassland to see the magnificent morning flight of the Common Cranes, which winter here in huge numbers and visited a lake, where we had great views of Clamorous Reed, Moustached and Paddyfield Warblers, all of which seemed to be rather common and easy to see here. In addition, we noted a small flock Alpine Swifts (a new bird for us), both Dalmatian and Great White Pelicans, many Black-crowned Night Herons, several Citrine and Western Yellow Wagtails (subspecies beema and feldeggi). Later when driving through the grassland, we spotted two Indian Foxes and a very photogenic Red-necked Falcon.

The next day we travelled from Bhuj to Mumbai and reached our comfortable accommodation near Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary at lunchtime. In the late afternoon, Rohidas, our excellent local guide, took us to the forest station of Tansa WLS, where after a fair bit of walking he showed us a fine Forest Owlett. We then spent quite some time admiring this very rare bird. Rediscovered by Pamela Rasmussen and others in northwest Maharashtra as recently as 1997, there had been a gap of over 100 years since a few specimens were taken in the late 19th century from various points along the Satpura range. Other birds seen during our late afternoon birding session included good views of the distinct sommervillei form of Jungle Babbler, which looks like a good future split, Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, Ashy and White-bellied Drongos, Black-rumped Flameback, Alexandrine and Plum-headed Parakeets, and a Sulphur-bellied Warbler. At sunset we worked on a pair of Mottled Wood Owls and obtained good views of them.

Next morning we tried another part of the Tansa forest finding species like Common Woodshrike, Thick-billed Flowerpecker, Black-hooded Oriole of the vocally distinct Peninsular Indian form maderaspatanus, Indian Golden Oriole, Jerdon’s Leafbird, Indian Paradise Flycatcher, Green Warbler, Crested Treeswift, Cinerous Tit, Spotted Dove and the range restricted Vigors’s Sunbird. After breakfast at the forest rest house, where we admired a nice Jungle Owlet, we walked through a woodland seeing White-bellied Drongo, Pale-billed Flowerpecker and White-eyed Buzzard and checked a large reservoir, where good numbers of Tufted Ducks and Cotton Pygmy Geese were swimming. Late in the afternoon we visited some dry paddyfields and grassy hills, where the best birds included Malabar Lark, an Indian endemic and a new bird for this itinerary, Jungle Prinia, Rufous-tailed Lark and Yellow-wattled Lapwing.

A new day saw us at Mahuli Fort area, where we spent the morning seeing Greater Racket-tailed Dongo, another Jungle Owlet, Indian Cuckooshrike (a split from Large Cuckooshrike), Blue-winged (Malabar) Parakeet, Black-naped Monarch, Brown-cheeked Fulvetta, Tawny-belllied Babbler, Rufous Woodpecker, a fine Western Crowned Warbler spotted by Ken, Golden-fronted Leafbird and Orange Minivet. After check-out and lunch at a roadside dhaba it was time to transport us back to Mumbai, where, after a good dinner in a swish hotel, it was time to say our goodbyes, and to thank everyone for their great company, which, together with all the excellent birds and exciting places, made this such a memorable trip.

BIRDS OF THE TRIP WINNERS 2025:

1st: Great Indian Bustard

2nd: Forest Owlet & Demoiselle Crane

3rd: Green Avadavat & Crab-plover

4th: Grey Hypocolius

5th: Sociable Lapwing

SYSTEMATIC LIST OF SPECIES RECORDED DURING THE TOUR

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 follow Gill, F., Donsker, D., & Rasmussen, P. (Eds). 2025. IOC World Bird List (v15.1).

BIRDS

Lesser Whistling Duck  Dendrocygna javanica

Bar-headed Goose  Anser indicus

Greylag Goose  Anser anser

Knob-billed Duck  Sarkidiornis melanotos

Ruddy Shelduck  Tadorna ferruginea

Cotton Pygmy Goose  Nettapus coromandelianus

Garganey  Spatula querquedula

Northern Shoveler  Spatula clypeata

Gadwall  Mareca strepera

Eurasian Wigeon  Mareca penelope

Indian Spot-billed Duck  Anas poecilorhyncha

Mallard  Anas platyrhynchos

Northern Pintail  Anas acuta

Eurasian Teal  Anas crecca

Red-crested Pochard  Netta rufina

Common Pochard  Aythya ferina

Ferruginous Duck  Aythya nyroca

Tufted Duck  Aythya fuligula

Indian Peafowl  Pavo cristatus

Red Spurfowl ◊  Galloperdix spadicea  Endemic. Decent views on Mt Abu.

Painted Spurfowl ◊  Galloperdix lunulata  Endemic. Great views of a male near Alwar on the extension.

Grey Junglefowl ◊  Gallus sonneratii  Endemic. Seen by Ken and Dalveer only, heard by others on Mt Abu.

Grey Francolin  Ortygornis pondicerianus  Widespread, noted almost daily.

Black Francolin  Francolinus francolinus  Excellent views in Tal Chappar.

Common Quail  Coturnix coturnix  Heard at Lake Nalsarovar and seen at Banni grassland in GRK.

Jungle Bush Quail ◊  Perdicula asiatica  A pair was seen well on Mt. Abu.

Rock Bush Quail ◊  Perdicula argoondah  Endemic. Scope views of a male singing in a wheat field in Siana.

Jungle Nightjar ◊ (I Jungle N)  Caprimulgus indicus  A few birds with good views on Mt. Abu.

Sykes’s Nightjar ◊  Caprimulgus mahrattensis  Great day time views of one on Mt Abu at 1250m asl.

Indian Nightjar ◊  Caprimulgus asiaticus  One at nest in GRK.

Savanna Nightjar  Caprimulgus affinis  Seen briefly at GRK by some, heard only by others.

Crested Treeswift  Hemiprocne coronata  A few at Tansa WLS.

Asian Palm Swift  Cypsiurus balasiensis  Small numbers in Maharastra.

Alpine Swift  Tachymarptis melba  A small flock in GRK.

Little Swift  Apus affinis

Great Indian Bustard ◊ (Indian B)  Ardeotis nigriceps  A total of three males with excellent views in DNP:

Asian Houbara ◊  Chlamydotis macqueenii  Rather brief but close views of one at LRK.

Greater Coucal  Centropus sinensis

Sirkeer Malkoha ◊  Taccocua leschenaultii  Great views of one in Siana.

Asian Koel (Common K)  Eudynamys scolopaceus

Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse  Pterocles exustus  Common and widespread.

Painted Sandgrouse ◊  Pterocles indicus  Great close-up encounters with this beautiful bird in GRK. Also noted in Siana.

Rock Dove  Columba livia

Yellow-eyed Pigeon ◊ (Y-e Stock Dove)  Columba eversmanni  Well over 1000 birds near Bikaner.

Oriental Turtle Dove (Rufous T D)  Streptopelia orientalis

Eurasian Collared Dove  Streptopelia decaocto

Red Collared Dove (R Turtle D)  Streptopelia tranquebarica

Spotted Dove  Spilopelia chinensis

Laughing Dove  Spilopelia senegalensis

Yellow-footed Green Pigeon ◊  Treron phoenicopterus

Common Moorhen  Gallinula chloropus

Eurasian Coot (Common C)  Fulica atra

Grey-headed Swamphen  Porphyrio poliocephalus

Brown Crake  Zapornia akool  One in Bharatpur during the extension and another one, seen by some, in Harike.

White-breasted Waterhen  Amaurornis phoenicurus

Sarus Crane ◊  Antigone antigone  Three near Lake Nalsarovar on main tour and another three on the extension.

Demoiselle Crane ◊  Grus virgo  We had an amazing Demoiselle show with thousands of birds in Khichan.

Common Crane  Grus grus  Common in Gujarat.

Little Grebe  Tachybaptus ruficollis

Great Crested Grebe  Podiceps cristatus

Greater Flamingo  Phoenicopterus roseus

Lesser Flamingo  Phoeniconaias minor

Barred Buttonquail  Turnix suscitator

Great Stone-curlew ◊ (G Thick-knee)  Esacus recurvirostris

Indian Stone-curlew (I Thick-knee)  Burhinus indicus

Eurasian Oystercatcher  Haematopus ostralegus

Black-winged Stilt  Himantopus himantopus

Pied Avocet  Recurvirostra avosetta

Grey Plover (Black-bellied P)  Pluvialis squatarola

Little Ringed Plover  Charadrius dubius

River Lapwing  Vanellus duvaucelii

Yellow-wattled Lapwing ◊ (Y-w Plover)  Vanellus malabaricus

Grey-headed Lapwing  Vanellus cinereus  Three in Bharatpur on the extension. A new bird for this itinerary.

Red-wattled Lapwing (R-w Plover)  Vanellus indicus

Sociable Lapwing ◊ (S Plover)  Vanellus gregarius  Eight of this critically endangered bird in the Lake Nalsarovar area.

White-tailed Lapwing ◊ (W-t Plover)  Vanellus leucurus

Tibetan Sand Plover  Anarhynchus atrifrons

Greater Sand Plover  Anarhynchus leschenaultii

Kentish Plover  Anarhynchus alexandrinus

Pheasant-tailed Jacana  Hydrophasianus chirurgus  Only noted in Bharatpur on the extension.

Bronze-winged Jacana  Metopidius indicus  Only noted in Bharatpur on the extension.

Eurasian Whimbrel  Numenius phaeopus

Eurasian Curlew  Numenius arquata

Bar-tailed Godwit  Limosa lapponica

Black-tailed Godwit  Limosa limosa

Common Snipe  Gallinago gallinago

Terek Sandpiper ◊  Xenus cinereus

Common Sandpiper  Actitis hypoleucos

Green Sandpiper  Tringa ochropus

Marsh Sandpiper  Tringa stagnatilis

Wood Sandpiper  Tringa glareola

Common Redshank  Tringa totanus

Spotted Redshank  Tringa erythropus

Common Greenshank  Tringa nebularia

Red Knot  Calidris canutus

Ruff  Calidris pugnax

Curlew Sandpiper  Calidris ferruginea

Temminck’s Stint  Calidris temminckii

Dunlin  Calidris alpina

Little Stint  Calidris minuta

Crab-plover ◊  Dromas ardeola  A flock of 100 in the Jamnagar area.

Indian Courser ◊  Cursorius coromandelicus

Cream-colored Courser ◊  Cursorius cursor

Small Pratincole ◊  Glareola lactea

Collared Pratincole  Glareola pratincola

Indian Skimmer ◊  Rynchops albicollis  Excellent encounter with 12 birds at the Chambal River on the extension and 10 more distant birds at Jamnagar on the main tour.

Little Tern  Sternula albifrons

Gull-billed Tern  Gelochelidon nilotica

Caspian Tern  Hydroprogne caspia

Whiskered Tern  Chlidonias hybrida

River Tern  Sterna aurantia

Black-bellied Tern ◊  Sterna acuticauda  Four at the Chambal River on the extension.

Lesser Crested Tern  Thalasseus bengalensis

Slender-billed Gull  Chroicocephalus genei

Black-headed Gull (Common B-h G)  Chroicocephalus ridibundus

Brown-headed Gull  Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus

Pallas’s Gull (Great Black-headed G)  Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus

Lesser Black-backed Gull (Heuglin’s G)  Larus [fuscus] heuglini

Lesser Black-backed Gull (Steppe G)  Larus [fuscus] barabensis

Asian Openbill ◊  Anastomus oscitans

Painted Stork ◊  Mycteria leucocephala

Asian Woolly-necked Stork  Ciconia episcopus

Black Stork  Ciconia nigra  70 at the desert lake in Jaisalmer! A new bird for this itinerary.

Oriental Darter  Anhinga melanogaster

Little Cormorant  Microcarbo niger

Indian Cormorant ◊ (I Shag)  Phalacrocorax fuscicollis

Great Cormorant  Phalacrocorax carbo

Black-headed Ibis  Threskiornis melanocephalus

Red-naped Ibis ◊  Pseudibis papillosa

Glossy Ibis  Plegadis falcinellus

Eurasian Spoonbill  Platalea leucorodia

Black Bittern  Botaurus flavicollis

Yellow Bittern  Botaurus cinnamomeus  Noted in Bharatpur on the extension.

Black-crowned Night Heron  Nycticorax nycticorax

Little Egret  Egretta garzetta

Western Reef Heron (W R Egret)  Egretta gularis

Little Heron  Butorides atricapilla

Indian Pond Heron  Ardeola grayii

Great Egret  Ardea alba

Medium Egret  Ardea intermedia

Eastern Cattle Egret  Ardea coromanda

Grey Heron  Ardea cinerea

Purple Heron  Ardea purpurea

Great White Pelican  Pelecanus onocrotalus

Dalmatian Pelican ◊  Pelecanus crispus

Black-winged Kite  Elanus caeruleus

Egyptian Vulture  Neophron percnopterus R esident ginginianus in Desert National Park, migratory nominate elsewhere.

Crested Honey Buzzard (Oriental H B)  Pernis ptilorhynchus

Indian Vulture  Gyps indicus

Himalayan Vulture  Gyps himalayensis

Griffon Vulture (Eurasian G V)  Gyps fulvus

Cinereous Vulture (Eurasian Black V)  Aegypius monachus

Crested Serpent Eagle  Spilornis cheela

Short-toed Snake Eagle (S-t Eagle)  Circaetus gallicus

Greater Spotted Eagle  Clanga clanga

Booted Eagle  Hieraaetus pennatus

Steppe Eagle  Aquila nipalensis

Tawny Eagle  Aquila rapax

Eastern Imperial Eagle (Imperial E)  Aquila heliaca

Bonelli’s Eagle  Aquila fasciata

Shikra  Tachyspiza badia

Eurasian Sparrowhawk  Accipiter nisus

Western Marsh Harrier  Circus aeruginosus

Pallid Harrier  Circus macrourus

Montagu’s Harrier  Circus pygargus

Black Kite (Black-eared K)  Milvus [migrans] lineatus

Black Kite (Indian B K)  Milvus [migrans] govinda

White-eyed Buzzard ◊  Butastur teesa

Long-legged Buzzard  Buteo rufinus

Eastern Barn Owl  Tyto javanica

Brown Boobook  Ninox scutulata  Seen at the Chambal Safari Lodge on the extension and heard in Tansa WLS.

Forest Owlet ◊  Athene blewitti  Endemic. One bird, with excellent views, in Tansa WLS.

Spotted Owlet  Athene brama

Jungle Owlet ◊  Glaucidium radiatum

Pallid Scops Owl ◊ (Striated S O)  Otus brucei

Indian Scops Owl ◊  Otus bakkamoena

Indian Eagle-Owl ◊ (Rock E-O)  Bubo bengalensis 

Dusky Eagle-Owl ◊  Ketupa coromanda  Three birds at nest in Bharatpur on the extension.

Mottled Wood Owl ◊  Strix ocellata

Eurasian Hoopoe  Upupa epops

Indian Grey Hornbill  Ocyceros birostris

Indian Roller  Coracias benghalensis

White-throated Kingfisher  Halcyon smyrnensis

Common Kingfisher  Alcedo atthis

Pied Kingfisher  Ceryle rudis

Asian Green Bee-eater  Merops orientalis

Brown-headed Barbet  Psilopogon zeylanicus

Coppersmith Barbet  Psilopogon haemacephalus

Eurasian Wryneck  Jynx torquilla

Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker ◊  Yungipicus nanus

Yellow-crowned Woodpecker ◊  Leiopicus mahrattensis

Black-rumped Flameback  Dinopium benghalense

Rufous Woodpecker  Micropternus brachyurus

Common Kestrel  Falco tinnunculus

Red-necked Falcon ◊  Falco chicquera

Laggar Falcon ◊  Falco jugger

Peregrine Falcon  Falco peregrinus

Plum-headed Parakeet ◊  Psittacula cyanocephala

Blue-winged Parakeet ◊ (Malabar P)  Psittacula columboides  Endemic.

Alexandrine Parakeet ◊  Psittacula eupatria

Rose-ringed Parakeet (Ring-necked P)  Psittacula krameri

Common Woodshrike  Tephrodornis pondicerianus

Common Iora  Aegithina tiphia

Marshall’s Iora ◊  Aegithina nigrolutea

White-bellied Minivet ◊  Pericrocotus erythropygius

Small Minivet  Pericrocotus cinnamomeus

Orange Minivet ◊  Pericrocotus flammeus

Indian Cuckooshrike  Coracina macei

Black-hooded Oriole  Oriolus xanthornus

Indian Golden Oriole ◊  Oriolus kundoo

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo  Dicrurus paradiseus

Ashy Drongo  Dicrurus leucophaeus

White-bellied Drongo  Dicrurus caerulescens

Black Drongo  Dicrurus macrocercus

White-spotted Fantail ◊ (Spot-breasted F)  Rhipidura albogularis  Endemic.

White-browed Fantail  Rhipidura aureola

Black-naped Monarch  Hypothymis azurea

Indian Paradise Flycatcher  Terpsiphone paradisi

Great Grey Shrike (Indian G S)  Lanius [excubitor] lahtora

Bay-backed Shrike  Lanius vittatus

Isabelline Shrike ◊ (Daurian S)  Lanius isabellinus

Long-tailed Shrike  Lanius schach

Rufous Treepie  Dendrocitta vagabunda

House Crow  Corvus splendens

Indian Jungle Crow  Corvus culminatus

Northern Raven (Common R)  Corvus corax

Grey Hypocolius ◊  Hypocolius ampelinus  Three birds, two males and a female near the village of Fulay in GRK

Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher (G-h Flycatcher)  Culicicapa ceylonensis  Heard only.

Cinereous Tit  Parus cinereus

White-naped Tit ◊  Machlolophus nuchalis  Endemic. Several encounters with great views in the Nakhatrana area.

Indian Black-lored Tit ◊  Machlolophus aplonotus  Endemic. Several birds on Mt Abu.

Greater Hoopoe-Lark  Alaemon alaudipes

Desert Lark  Ammomanes deserti

Rufous-tailed Lark ◊  Ammomanes phoenicura

Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark ◊ (B-c Finch-L)  Eremopterix nigriceps

Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark ◊ (A-c Finch-L)  Eremopterix griseus

Indian Bush Lark  Plocealauda erythroptera

Oriental Skylark  Alauda gulgula

Sykes’s Lark ◊  Galerida deva  Endemic.

Crested Lark  Galerida cristata

Malabar Lark ◊  Galerida malabarica  Endemic. A new bird for this itinerary.

Greater Short-toed Lark  Calandrella brachydactyla

Bimaculated Lark ◊  Melanocorypha bimaculata

Sand Lark ◊  Alaudala raytal

Red-whiskered Bulbul  Pycnonotus jocosus

Red-vented Bulbul  Pycnonotus cafer

White-eared Bulbul  Pycnonotus leucotis

Grey-throated Martin  Riparia chinensis

Sand Martin (Bank Swallow)  Riparia riparia

Dusky Crag Martin  Ptyonoprogne concolor

Barn Swallow  Hirundo rustica

Wire-tailed Swallow  Hirundo smithii

Eastern Red-rumped Swallow  Cecropis daurica

Streak-throated Swallow ◊ (Indian Cliff S)  Petrochelidon fluvicola

Cetti’s Warbler  Cettia cetti Heard only

Hume’s Leaf Warbler  Phylloscopus humei

Brooks’s Leaf Warbler ◊  Phylloscopus subviridis

Sulphur-bellied Warbler ◊  Phylloscopus griseolus

Dusky Warbler  Phylloscopus fuscatus

Common Chiffchaff  Phylloscopus [collybita] tristis

Green Warbler  Phylloscopus nitidus

Greenish Warbler  Phylloscopus trochiloides

Western Crowned Warbler ◊  Phylloscopus occipitalis

Grey-hooded Warbler  Phylloscopus xanthoschistos

Clamorous Reed Warbler ◊  Acrocephalus stentoreus

Moustached Warbler  Acrocephalus melanopogon

Paddyfield Warbler  Acrocephalus agricola

Blyth’s Reed Warbler ◊  Acrocephalus dumetorum

Sykes’s Warbler ◊  Iduna rama

Zitting Cisticola  Cisticola juncidis

Rufous-fronted Prinia ◊  Prinia buchanani

Grey-breasted Prinia  Prinia hodgsonii

Delicate Prinia  Prinia lepida

Jungle Prinia ◊  Prinia sylvatica

Yellow-bellied Prinia  Prinia flaviventris

Ashy Prinia  Prinia socialis

Plain Prinia  Prinia inornata

Common Tailorbird  Orthotomus sutorius

Lesser Whitethroat  Curruca curruca

Lesser Whitethroat ◊ (Desert L W)  Curruca [curruca] minula

Eastern Orphean Warbler  Curruca crassirostris

Asian Desert Warbler ◊  Curruca nana

Yellow-eyed Babbler  Chrysomma sinense

Jerdon’s Babbler ◊  Chrysomma altirostre

Indian White-eye  Zosterops palpebrosus

Tawny-bellied Babbler ◊  Dumetia hyperythra

Indian Scimitar Babbler ◊  Pomatorhinus horsfieldii Endemic.

Rufous-vented Grass Babbler ◊  Laticilla burnesii

Brown-cheeked Fulvetta  Alcippe poioicephala

Large Grey Babbler ◊  Argya malcolmi

Jungle Babbler  Argya striata  Subspecies sindiana in the NW, sommervillei in Tansa WLS.

Common Babbler ◊  Argya caudata

Striated Babbler ◊  Argya earlei

Indian Spotted Creeper ◊  Salpornis spilonota  Endemic. A total of three with great views in Tal Chappar.

Bank Myna  Acridotheres ginginianus

Common Myna  Acridotheres tristis

Indian Pied Myna  Gracupica contra

Brahminy Starling ◊  Sturnia pagodarum

Rosy Starling ◊  Pastor roseus

Common Starling (European S)  Sturnus vulgaris

Oriental Magpie-Robin  Copsychus saularis

Indian Robin ◊  Copsychus fulicatus

Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher  Cyornis tickelliae

Bluethroat  Luscinia svecica

Red-breasted Flycatcher  Ficedula parva

Taiga Flycatcher (Red-throated F)  Ficedula albicilla

Black Redstart  Phoenicurus ochruros

White-browed Bush Chat ◊ (Stoliczka’s B C)  Saxicola macrorhynchus  Two birds, with some great views, at DNP.

Pied Bush Chat  Saxicola caprata

White-tailed Stonechat ◊  Saxicola leucurus

Siberian Stonechat  Saxicola maurus

Isabelline Wheatear  Oenanthe isabellina

Desert Wheatear  Oenanthe deserti

Brown Rock Chat ◊  Oenanthe fusca

Variable Wheatear ◊  Oenanthe picata

Red-tailed Wheatear ◊  Oenanthe chrysopygia

Jerdon’s Leafbird ◊  Chloropsis jerdoni

Golden-fronted Leafbird  Chloropsis aurifrons

Thick-billed Flowerpecker  Dicaeum agile

Pale-billed Flowerpecker ◊  Dicaeum erythrorhynchos

Purple Sunbird  Cinnyris asiaticus

Vigors’s Sunbird ◊  Aethopyga vigorsii  Endemic. Great encounters in Tansa WLS.

Yellow-throated Sparrow ◊  Gymnoris xanthocollis

Sind Sparrow ◊  Passer pyrrhonotus

House Sparrow  Passer domesticus  Two forms, resident indicus and wintering parkini, were encountered.

Black-breasted Weaver ◊  Ploceus benghalensis

Streaked Weaver ◊  Ploceus manyar

Baya Weaver  Ploceus philippinus

Indian Silverbill  Euodice malabarica

Scaly-breasted Munia  Lonchura punctulata

Green Avadavat ◊  Amandava formosa  Endemic. 25 or so, including attractive adult birds, on our first afternoon on Mt Abu. 

Red Avadavat  Amandava amandava

Western Yellow Wagtail (Grey-headed W)  Motacilla [flava] thunbergi

Western Yellow Wagtail (Black-headed W)  Motacilla [flava] feldegg

Western Yellow Wagtail (Sykes’s W)  Motacilla [flava] beema

Citrine Wagtail  Motacilla citreola

Grey Wagtail  Motacilla cinerea

White Wagtail  Motacilla [alba] alba

White Wagtail ◊ (Masked W)  Motacilla [alba] personata

White Wagtail (Amur W)  Motacilla [alba] leucopsis

White-browed Wagtail  Motacilla maderaspatensis

Paddyfield Pipit  Anthus rufulus

Tawny Pipit  Anthus campestris

Long-billed Pipit ◊  Anthus similis

Tree Pipit  Anthus trivialis

Water Pipit  Anthus spinoletta

Trumpeter Finch  Bucanetes githagineus

White-capped Bunting ◊  Emberiza stewarti

Grey-necked Bunting ◊  Emberiza buchanani

Black-headed Bunting  Emberiza melanocephala

Red-headed Bunting ◊  Emberiza bruniceps

MAMMALS

African Wildcat (Asian W)  Felis [lybica] ornata  One in the Desert National Park.

Leopard  Panthera pardus  One in the Bala Fort area on the extension.

Small Indian Mongoose  Urva auropunctata

Indian Grey Mongoose  Urva edwardsii

Golden Jackal (Common J)  Canis aureus

Indian Fox (Indian F)  Vulpes bengalensis

Red Fox  Vulpes vulpes

Onager (Indian W Ass)  Equus hemionus

Eurasian Wild Pig  Sus scrofa

Chital (Spotted Deer) Axis axis

Sambar  Rusa unicolor

Blackbuck  Antilope cervicapra

Nilgai (Blue Bull)  Boselaphus tragocamelus

Chinkara (Indian Gazelle)  Gazella bennettii

Ganges River Dolphin (E)  Platanista gangetica  One in the Chambal River on the extension.

Indian Flying Fox  Pteropus giganteus

Rhesus Macaque  Macaca mulatta

Bengal Sacred Langur (Hanuman L)  Semnopithecus entellus

Indian Hare  Lepus nigricollis

Indian Crested Porcupine  Hystrix indica  One at the Desert Coursers in LRK. A new mammal for this itinerary.

Indian Palm Squirrel (Southern P S)  Funambulus palmarum  Small numbers in Tansa WLS.

Northern Palm Squirrel  Funambulus pennantii  Very common in the north.

Indian Desert Jird (Mid-day Jird)  Meriones hurrianae

REPTILES

Gharial  Gavialis gangeticus  Several at the Chambal River on the extension.

Marsh Mugger  Crocodylus palustris  Several at the Chambal River on the extension.

Indian Soft-shell Turtle  Pangshura tentoria

Hardwicke’s Spiny-tailed Lizard  Saara hardwickii

Indian Pond Terrapin  Melanochelys trijuga

Oriental Garden Lizard  Calotes versicolor

Common House Gekko  Hemidactylus frenatus