India - Birds & Mammals
Day 1
Board international Flight
Day 2
Ranthambore Tiger Reserve
After an early morning arrival in New Delhi we will be met by our tour leader and driven the short distance to the
Okhla Barrage. This is one of the premier birdwatching sites around the city and will provide us with an impressive
introduction to Indian waterbirds. Among the throngs of familiar ducks, such as Shoveler and Teal, we will hope to
find Red-crested Pochard and Ferruginous Duck. A variety of egrets, herons, storks and cormorants frequent the
flooded river edges and islands and there is a good chance of catching up with a few more unusual species, such as the beautiful Black-bellied Tern and Brown-headed Gull. We will also keep a look out for Gangetic specialities such as the Striated Babbler and the attractive White-tailed Stonechat.
After a leisurely lunch at a local restaurant, we will transfer to Delhi railway station for the rail journey to Ranthambore Tiger Reserve. This will take about five hours, and we will be able to watch the Indian landscape unfolding from our air-conditioned compartments until dusk as we head steadily south. Arriving late in the evening close to the Reserve at Sawai Madhophur, we will take a short jeep ride to Ranthambore Forest Lodge. This is a modern jungle lodge consisting of 25 chalet cottages (each room with private facilities) set in five acres of grounds,
with a swimming pool for use on hot afternoons. We will be staying here for three nights.
Days 3 – 4
Ranthambore Tiger Reserve
Ranthambore is considered by many to be one of India’s most beautiful Tiger reserves. Encircled by a series of high
escarpments, the forests, lakes and dry scrub that make up Ranthambore are dotted with old forts and temples,
creating a wonderful atmosphere for both bird and mammal viewing.
Ranthambore is perhaps most famous for being one of the original Project Tiger reserves and until recently it
provided one of the best opportunities anywhere in India of seeing a Tiger. With the recent escalation in poaching
right across the subcontinent, there has been a decline in both numbers and sightings of this magnificent animal.
Today Tiger sightings in the park are far less frequent than a few years ago when encounters could be almost guaranteed, but if anti-poaching measures are successful it is likely that the population will quickly increase again as happened on previous occasions when numbers had been reduced in this way.
Whether or not you see Tiger on this holiday (and we have been lucky on this tour in the past!), you cannot fail to
be impressed by the sheer variety and number of other mammals and birds that make the park their home.
Common Langurs are abundant, as are both Spotted (Chital) and Sambar Deer; the latter often feeding so far out
into the lakes that only their heads show above the water. Nilgai (the largest of India’s antelopes) are also fairly
common, and Barking Deer occur here but are somewhat harder to find. For the very fortunate there is also a
chance of tracking down a Sloth Bear, or perhaps a Chinkara Antelope. Mugger Crocodiles are common in the lakes
and Monitor Lizards are frequently seen round their shores.
In addition to the mammals and reptiles, we will also see a wonderful diversity of birds. Flocks of Peafowl are on
almost constant show, while on the lakes Cotton Pygmy Geese, as well as Bronze-winged and Pheasant-tailed
Jacanas are common. The surrounding woodland and grassland areas hold such species as Black-rumped Flameback
Woodpeckers, Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher, Rufous-tailed Finch Lark (an Indian endemic), Painted Spurfowl, Jungle
Bush Quail, Small Minivet and Stork-billed Kingfisher. There is also an opportunity to find up to five species of
Owl, including Brown Fish Owl, Dusky Eagle Owl and Collared Scops Owl. On each of our game drives we will be
accompanied by local guides, whose expert knowledge of the Reserve is invaluable when tracking down some of its
more elusive species.
From our lodge we will be able to take morning and evening drives into the Reserve in search of its many mammals
and birds. The deciduous woodland surrounding Ranthambore Forest Lodge is also home a variety of birds,
including Rufous Treepie, Yellow-fronted Pied Woodpecker and Brown Rock Chat. During our final morning we
may also visit a small open area close to the lodge used as a helicopter landing pad. This and the adjacent low hill
holds a regular flock of Indian Coursers, along with Yellow Wattled Lapwing, both Painted and Chestnut-bellied
Sandgrouse, Eastern Pied Wheatear and Short-toed Lark. You may also choose to take time to visit Ranthambore
Fort, whose massive battlements dominate the Reserve.
Days 5 – 7
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary
Following a final morning’s activities in and around Ranthambore we will take the midday train from Sawai
Madhopur to Bharatpur for a 3-night stay at this premier Asian birdwatching spot.
On arrival we will transfer to Laxmi Vilas Palace Hotel. This small ex-palace is comfortable, friendly, and has a
magnificent swimming pool and a great deal of character. All rooms have private facilities, but this is not one of
those palaces that has been modernised to offer 5-star amenities. Instead, its decor, old photographs and other
furnishings reflect the past history of Bharatpur and provide the hotel with an old-fashioned charm.
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, also known as Keoladeo Ghana National Park, is without question one of the finest
birdwatching locations in Asia. The Sanctuary provides a diversity and abundance of birdlife only equalled in Africa
and you cannot fail to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of birds present. This is one of the best times of year to
visit Bharatpur and we will see an outstanding range of waterbirds, raptors and some mammals too. The flooded
‘jheels’ with their shady, tree-lined bunds provide the perfect site for birdwatcher and photographer alike.
Notable species among the throngs of nesting Painted Storks, White Ibises, Darters and Spoonbills are specialities
such as the threatened Black-necked Stork, Comb Duck, and the elusive Spotted Creeper. Thousands of ducks
crowd the marshes and pools and include, among the more familiar species, hundreds of Ferruginous and Lesser
Whistling Ducks, plus smaller numbers of Red-crested Pochards and Spot-billed Ducks. Both White and Dalmatian
Pelicans may occur, along with large numbers of Common Cranes; smaller numbers of Sarus Cranes winter at the
Sanctuary. We could even be lucky enough to see the seriously endangered Siberian White Crane, four of which
returned to Bharatpur in the winter of 1995/1996 after an absence of three years. At least two birds have returned in
subsequent winters but they remain on the verge of extinction and we would need to be fortunate indeed to see this
magnificent crane.
Bharatpur also provides unrivalled opportunities for observing a large range of raptors, including Spotted, Imperial,
Steppe and Tawny Eagles, as well as a host of vultures. As the day heats up columns of raptors spiral on the
thermals, a single flock of eagles comprising 20 or more birds of four or five different species. The tree-lined edges
to the jheels also provide good habitat for a range of wintering and resident passerines. Both Blyth’s Reed and
Clamorous Reed Warblers are numerous, as are Bluethroats, Yellow-browed Warblers and Asian Magpie Robins.
Careful searching should also turn up Siberian Rubythroat and other more elusive species such as Orange-headed
Ground Thrush, Dusky Warbler, Marshall’s Iora and Large-tailed Nightjar. Other interesting wildlife we could see
includes the rare and beautiful Blackbuck, Indian Smooth Otter, Fishing Cat, Soft-shelled Turtle and Indian Python.
Nilgai, Sambar, Spotted Deer and Rhesus Macaques are also common.
We will spend most of our time in Bharatpur exploring the many trackways that criss-cross the park, accompanied
by our guide. Most of the birdwatching will be done on foot, but we will also make full use of the local rickshaw drivers who provide an indispensable service ferrying birdwatchers and locals alike from the entrance into the heart of the wetland.
Day 8 Friday
Delhi
After a final morning’s birdwatching, we will return to Delhi by train. All train travel in India is basic rather than
comfortable, something of an adventure and an experience, and one that provides a unique chance to experience
true Indian life. We will have air-conditioned seats for this journey and we pass through some lovely countryside as
well. We will spend our last night on the Indian subcontinent at the City Park Hotel – comfortable 4-star
accommodation which offers en suite rooms, a wide choice of cuisine and a swimming pool.
Day 9 London
This morning we will transfer to Delhi airport to catch our return flight to London
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