Winged Wonders of the Mountain Kingdom

 

Bhutan has been protected by both its isolation within the Himalayas and the topography of its mountainous land, resulting in over 70% of the land remaining forested with approximately 25% protected by 10 National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries. The diverse range of environments varies from sub-tropical at 150 m to alpine over 4,500 m, supporting a natural habitat and wide range of ecosystems with rich and varied bird-life, flora and fauna. Our Bhutanese tour leader is a birding expert and an accredited naturalist who will ensure that your trip through this varied and beautiful landscape is full of birding excellence.

Birdwatchers will find themselves in breathtaking surroundings looking for legendary species in pristine and seemingly endless forests, such as Himalayan Monal, Satyr Tragopan, Blood Pheasant, Rufous-necked Hornbill, Ward’s Trogon, Beautiful Nuthatch, Himalayan Cutia, Black-necked Crane, White-bellied Heron, and a whole host of other spectacular species, including the recently split Black-rumped Magpie.

The birding journey begins as you enter the country at Samdrup Jongkhar. Along this drive one can keep an eye out in the fields for the rare Lesser and Greater Adjutants, Little Cormorant, White-throated Kingfisher, or spend time birding once you reach, looking for Indian Pond and Striated Herons, Black-crowned Night Heron, Little and Eastern Cattle Egret, Pied Myna, Common Myna, Great Myna, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Common and Mountain Tailorbirds, Oriental Magpie-Robin, Yellow-footed Green Pigeon, Black-hooded Oriole, Common Iora, Green Bee-eater and with a bit of luck the very rarely seen Blyth’s Kingfisher, Dark-rumped Swift and Black-backed Forktail.

From there, you can spend time exploring the tropical forest between Samdrup Jongkhar and Deothang. Here, one can look for species such as Mrs Gould’s Sunbird, Little and Streaked Spiderhunters, Golden-fronted Leafbird, Indian Paradise Flycatcher, Blue-eared Barbet, Coppersmith and Lineated Barbets, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Green-billed Malkoha, Long-tailed Sibia, White-rumped Shama, Thick-billed Warbler, Pin-striped Tit- and Grey-throated Babblers, Black-naped Monarch, Asian Fairy-bluebird, Oriental Dollarbird, Oriental Pied, Wreathed & Great Hornbills, Violet Cuckoo, and more.

Birding along Morong and Narphung valleys on the way to Trashigang is also memorable. These superb forests are filled with birds such as Himalayan Shrike-babbler, Himalayan Cutia, Rusty-fronted Barwing, Long-tailed Sibia, Beautiful Nuthatch, Red-tailed and Blue-winged Minlas, Hill Partridge, Kalij Pheasant, Bay and Crimson-breasted Woodpeckers, Greater and Lesser Yellownapes, Golden-throated and Great Barbets, Mountain Tailorbird, Red- headed Trogon, Himalayan Swiftlet, Blyth's and House Swifts, Collared and Asian Barred Owlets, Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Besra, Northern Goshawk, Steppe and Bonelli’s Eagles, Orange-bellied Leafbird, Long-tailed and Grey-backed Shrikes, and many more.

 

The warm broadleaf forests of Yongkola provide the perfect environment for many avian species including many of Bhutan’s sought-after birds. It is here in this birding hotspot that one can look for: Ward’s Trogon, Slender-billed Scimitar Babbler and Rufous-throated Wren-babbler , Black-headed Shrike-babbler, Satyr Tragopan, Bar-winged Wren-babbler, Blue-winged Laughingthrush, White-breasted Parrotbill and perhaps Gould’s Shortwing.

Birdwatching In Royal Rajasthan

Rajasthan is perhaps best known for its history and culture. However, the royal heritage of the state is highly evident not only in the palaces, and monuments of the state but also in the wildlife. There is something regal about the animals and birds that call this state home.

Keoladeo National Park, more popularly known as Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, is a famous bird sanctuary near the town of Bharatpur. The man-made wetland was created more than 250 years ago by Maharaja Suraj Mal, then the ruler of Bharatpur, as a duck hunting ground. It was designated as a bird sanctuary in 1976, and established as a national park in 1982. Over 230 bird species are known to be resident here, and many more visit in the winter. The wetland system consists of many small habitats, including lakes, marshland, forest patches, and grassy patches. This variety of habitats results in a variety of wildlife being found here.

Ranthambore National Park is arguably one of the best wildlife reserves in North India to spot a tiger. In fact, Ranthambore is credited to be home to the world’s most photographed wild tigers. The park is also a great place for birders, with species like Large Cuckooshrike, Indian Scops Owl, Dusky Eagle-Owl, Black-rumped Flameback, Yellow-legged Buttonquail, and more, calling it home.

 

The park is made up mainly of deciduous forest, and is considered to be among India’s most beautiful national parks thanks to the ruins of the Ranthambore Fort, and the various adjoining man-made lakes, that create a regal backdrop. Many villages and resorts are usually located around the fringes of the buffer areas.

 

In addition to safaris, a popular activity is a visit to Ranthambore Fort. The Fort itself lies inside the park, and the drive to and from the fort is a mini-safari in itself.If time permits, you will also have the chance to visit Dastkar, an organisation that utilises the unique talents of displaced villagers, especially women, and thus generates income for the locals of this region. 

The city of Jaipur boasts of beautiful architecture, monuments, forts and palaces, a royal era or queens and kings and delicious food. No trip to Jaipur is complete without visiting the famous Amer fort, the majestic fort, walled through and through, City Palace (where the royal family of Jaipur still lives), a beautiful palace with various rooms that used to serve different purposes to the royals back in the day, Hawa Mahal, the palace of windows and the local markets, as you walk around the pink city, you realise the heritage value of the monuments, forts, palaces and markets.

 

In addition to all this, the forests of Jhalana make for a quick and easy wildlife addition. Once a sport hunting ground for the nobles of Jaipur, Jhalana is a leopard-rich forest that is the perfect quick addition to any Jaipur visit. Apart from Leopard, Jhalana has other attractions such as Striped Hyena, Golden Jackal, Indian Palm Civets, various species of deer, and a myriad of birds, including Indian Pitta, Dusky Eagle-Owl, Spotted Owlet, Jungle Nightjar, and more. 

From forests and wetlands, the next bioregion to explore would be the desert habitats. The desert habitats of Rajasthan may seem like the last place one would find a variety of natural life. However, these unique places are home to some of the Indian subcontinent’s most sought-after birds and mammals, from Great Indian Bustard and Indian Spotted Creeper, to Blackbuck, Desert Fox, Desert Cat, and more.

Once the hunting ground of the Maharaja of Bikaner, the small protected area of Tal Chhapar has a large population of Blackbuck and Chinkara, and a very impressive list of birds, including raptors, owls, shrikes, larks, Yellow-eyed Pigeon, Indian Spotted Creeper, and more.

After visiting Tal Chhapar, you can visit Bikaner and the Jorbeer Vulture Conservation Reserve, where you can have the opportunity to watch flocks of Himalayan, Griffon and Egyptian Vultures. Steppe Eagles and other raptors are also commonly found in Jorbeer.

A much more pleasant environment can be found in Kheechan. This Rajasthani village is famous for the several-thousand strong flock of Demoiselle Cranes, which stop here on their migration route. For years, it has been a local tradition to keep grains out for the birds, and this spot has now become a important fueling stop for the cranes. Afterwards one can drive to the fortified city of Jaisalmer.

West of Jaisalmer, close to the Indo-Pakistan border, lies the Desert National Park, one of the favourite places in Rajasthan for birdwatchers. Desert National Park is one of India’s largest national parks, covering an area of 3,162 sq km of the Thar Desert, with habitats like sand dunes, rock patches, scrub patches, and small water bodies.

The park is of special interest to birdwatchers, as there is an abundance of birdlife. The region is a haven for migratory and resident birds of arid habitats. Many raptors are spotted here, including Short-toed Snake Eagle, Tawny Eagle, Greater and Indian Spotted Eagles, and various falcons, and sandgrouses at the water bodies. The star bird species here is the Great Indian Bustard, which migrates locally in different seasons. The park is one of the last remaining strongholds of the Great Indian Bustard, now sadly reduced to a population of less than 200 birds and with a real risk of extinction during our lifetimes.

Moving back to big cats, especially leopards, another must in Rajasthan for wildlife lovers is the leopard-rich Bera. Habitat-wise, this is almost a far cry from the forests of Jhalana, showing the versatility of this big cat. The rocky outcrops of Bera are not only home to great rugged scenic beauty, but also a healthy leopard population, making for amazing sightings and photographic opportunities. In addition, they are also great case studies of how local communities have coexisted with leopards for countless generations before and surely many more yet to come.

My special Gir National Park Experience

 I really can’t place my finger on one specific thing that made my visit to Gir Birding Lodge special. Maybe it was the memorable and informative birdwatching trails with Amitji, or maybe the delicious food cooked by Yakub Bhai that was so well-made that one could taste the love in them. Maybe it was the safaris we took in the wildlife-rich national park, or maybe just a combination of all these.

Gir Birding Lodge itself holds some beautiful natural energy. Sharing a common wall with the interiors of the national park, wildlife is plenty here. Not only can you do some amazing birdwatching within the grounds of the lodge itself, but we even had sightings of Spotted Deer and a Sambar stag in the mango orchards.

The best part of this lodge is their commitment to respecting and giving back to nature. No TV in the rooms means you can enjoy the sounds of nature, from birdsong throughout the day, to the occasional calls of deer at night. In addition, during a casual yet informative chat with the manager Ms. Alem, I learnt that they are involved in other eco-friendly projects, such as some small-scale organic farming, composting, and more, and they are also spearheading a movement to make tourism in Gir as a whole more sustainable. 

I also got to learn about the amazing tribal culture of Sasan Gir from her and Mr. Ramesh. I learnt about the Maldaris, who are a nomadic pastoral people, many of whom still live deep inside the park with no electricity, coexisting with the wildlife of Gir. I learnt about the Siddis, a tribal people of African descent, whose ancestors were brought to Junagadh centuries ago as mercenaries and workers. The lodge was even kind enough to organize a Siddi tribal dance program for those of us inside the lodge, accompanied by a bonfire (truly welcome in the chilly winter), and a barbecue dinner.

While most would say my stay here was of a normal length, I think anyone would find their stay here too short. Time seems to lose all meaning here, and with a variety of activities on offer, wildlife to explore, both inside and outside the park, and so much culture and history to learn about, there is loads of stuff for anyone in Gir.