Diversity is one trait that truly defines India. It is not
only limited to the nation's people, language, culture, and heritage but it is
very well depicted in its vast and prolific landscape. The assortment of
various landform has added to the beauty of this glorious country. During our
upcoming
North India Birding Tour, one will be rendered with great opportunity
to explore the magnitude of its unique forest and wonderful topography on which
this great country is settled. Through the eyes of a common man, the
cosmopolitan city of Delhi is a destination of laudable history recounting
magnificent eras of Mughal Empire, Delhi Sultanate, Harappan Civilization, and
also find its mention as Indraprastha in Mahabharata- ancient Indian's famous
epic. But from the prism of a wildlife enthusiast and birdwatcher Delhi is a
beautiful amalgamation of untamed forest attached with scattered pockets of
wetland transforming into an interim home for migratory birds coming from
Europe Siberia, China, and Southern Part of the Indian Subcontinent. Colonies
of Siberian Cranes, Lesser Flamingos, Northern Pintail, Bar-headed Geese,
Bristled Grassbird, Painted Stork, Sarus Cranes, Purple Swamphen, White
Spot-headed Dutch, etc. Perching in the extreme right from Delhi lies
Rajasthan- the land of brave Rajputs who fought victorious battles preventing
intruders in invading our country.
Ringed by the Aravalli Mountains, Rajasthan is a vast sand
dunes, mountains, lakes, agricultural land, and palatial edifices. The place is
a beautiful melange of desert, and scrubby forest that has become a paradise
for some of the rarest species on this planet. Brimming with the valiant
stories of Big Cats, Ranthambore National Park is feted as the finest wildlife
sanctuary to see the majestic gait of Bengal Tigers through the naked eyes. The
park is a beautiful composition of deciduous forest and open grassy meadows, It
provides a perfect habitat for both the families of antelope and deer grazing
carelessly under the watchful eyes of Bengal Tigers, Asian Leopards, Marsh
Crocodile, and Striped Hyenas- top ace predators of the park. Named after the
formidable Ranthambore Fort designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its
laudable past and antiquity, the park was an erstwhile hunting ground for the
royals before elevating itself into the world's greatest national park inviting
wildlife photographers from all across the globe to photograph the unique
wildlife throbbing in the region.
Eighty kilometers away from the iconic structure of Taj
Mahal lies Chambal- a destination which has become a paradise for several rare
and endemic species on this planet. Being part of the riverine ecosystem, the
place is named after the perennial of Chambal originating in Indore City.
The river passage which is spread across central India is marked by a
series of gorges and canyons. Although the place carries the dent of the
infamous hooliganism of Dacoits active in the nineteenth century, it has drawn
several attentions for supporting the unique avian and marine life throbbing in
the region. While cruising through the river in search of Gangetic Dolphins, Indian
Otters, Red-crowned roofed turtle, and Mugger Crocodile you will get every
opportunity to see the wide variety of birds residing in the region including
Indian Skimmer, Bar-headed Geese, Black-bellied tern, Eurasian Vulture, River
Tern, etc.
Perched in the Shivalik Range, Cornett National Park is yet
another Wildlife Sanctuary that has been the talking point amongst the wildlife
enthusiasts and nature lovers. Named after the hunter turned conservationist
Jim Corbett who is credited for protecting the villages from man-eaters and
re-establishing the dwindling population of Bengal Tigers in Kumaon region, Jim
Corbett National Park is a spectacular melange of the riverine belt, marshy
depression, lush green hills and long stretches of grassland. Besides holding a
significant turf for Bengal Tigers, the unique topography of the forest has
become a humble abode for many rare and gorgeous species belonging to both
mammal and avian world. People visit the place intending to unfold the secret
world of wilderness thriving in this very precinct. Ibisbill, Great Hornbill,
Asian Leopard, Asian Elephant, Tawny fish owl, Pallas's fish eagle, Sloth Bear
are some of the species that are attributed for beautifying this very land with
their benign presence.
In the forthcoming North India Birding Tour, you will be
bestowed with many opportunities to closely understand the diverse landforms of
this great nation supporting a unique variety of birdlife.
