WESTERN RAJASTHAN  &  GUJARAT   BIRDING  &  WILDLIFE   TOUR

Day 1–  Arrive at Delhi International airport and meet your Guide transfer to a hotel. Overnight in Hotel.

Day 2 – After breakfast full day birding in Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary and Okhala Bird Sanctuary looking for  Sind Sparrow, White tailed Lapwing , Sarus Crane , Eurasian Marsh Harrier, Imperial Eagle, Common Kestrel, Bay-backed Shrike, Southern Gray Shrike, Rufous-tailed Shrike, Common Woodshrike, Long-tailed Minivet, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Pied Bushchat, Eastern Orphean Warbler, Large Gray Babbler, Indian Bushlark, Crested Lark, Paddyfield Pipit, Tawny Pipit etc. overnight in delhi

Day 3–   morring birding in delhi   evening drive to Train Station ((old Delhi) and connect overnight train to Bikaner. Overnight in the train.

Day 4– Arrive Bikaner at 0545 hours, take a wash and change  and have breakfast in Bikaner. After breakfast drive to birding hotspot where you will look for Yellow eyed pigeon in the ground. Apparently Bikaner carcass dump in worth a visit. Not the best looking of destinations, but it has an incredible collection of vultures and yellow eyed pigeon have been recorded in the environs too. Overnight in hotel.

Day 5– After breakfast drive to Khichan (4hour) – kitchen is a village in the Jodhpur district of the Indian state of Rajasthan that in recent years has established a tradition of feeding wild birds, including Demoiselle Cranes that winter here every year. Up to 5,000 kilograms (11,000 lb) of bird seed are consumed every day by the feeding birds.  Khichan village now hosts over 9,000 Demoiselle Cranes from as early as August each year to as late as March of the following year. The village, which has become popular among bird watchers, achieved international recognition when it was featured in Birding World magazine in an article titled, “Khichan – the Demoiselle Crane village. Overnight in resort.

Day 6– After birding in kitchen drive to Sam Jaisalmer (4 hour). Check in to hotel. Afternoon birding in in and around Jaisalmer. Looking for  Sandgrouse, partridges, bee-eaters, larks and shrikes are year-round residents, while demoiselle crane and houbara bustard arrive in winter. Raptors include Tawny and Steppe Eagles, Long-legged and Honey Buzzards, and falcons. Overnight in Sam Jaisalmer desert camp.

Day 7,8-Desert National Park, Rajasthan, India, is situated in the western Indian state of Rajasthan near the town of Jaisalmer. This is one of the largest national parks, covering an area of 3162 km². The Desert National Park is an excellent example of the ecosystem of the Thar Desert. Sand dunes form around 20% of the Park. The major landform consists of craggy rocks and compact salt lake bottoms, intermedial areas and fixed dunes.

Perhaps the greatest attraction of the park is a bird called the Great Indian Bustard, an endangered species found only in India. Desert National Park is one of the last cities in which this species can be found in good numbers.

Fauna: Desert Fox, Bengal Fox, Desert Cat, Wolf, Hedgehog, Blackbuck and Chinkara.

Avifauna:  partridges, bee-eaters, larks and shrikes are year-round residents, while demoiselle crane and houbara bustard arrive in winter. Raptors include Tawny and Steppe Eagles, Long-legged and Honey Buzzards, and falcons.Full day birding in the park with pack lunch. Overnight in the hotel of Jaisalmer.

Day 9– after breakfast drive to sardarsamand (5:30 hr.), afternoon birding in and around sardarsamand to explore wetland and dry scrub habitats. Overnight at the hotel .

Day 10– After breakfast drive to Kumbhalgarh (5 hour).. afternoon birding in Kumbhalgarh wildlife sanctuary looking for, White napped tit, White naped woodpecker, Jungle prinia, Jungle owlet, Sulphur  bellied warbler, gray jungle fowl,etc.Overnight hotel .

Day 11– Morning birding and evening birding at kumbhalgarh overnight in a hotel. Overnight hotel .

Day 12–  after lunch drive to Mount Abu.Overnight  in hotel .

Day 13– Morning and evening birding in Mount Abu wildlife Sanctuary looking for Green Avadavat (Amandava formosa), Indian Scimitar-babbler (Pomatorhinus horsfieldii), Yellow-eyed Babbler ( Chrysomma sinense), etc.

Day 14– After Breakfast drive to Little Rann of Kutch(6 hour) . over night at Hotel .

Day15– morning and afternoon park drive looking for MacQueen’s Bustard, (Chlamydotis macqueenii), Hoopoe-Larks ,  Indian courser, Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus gregarius )??, Pallid Scops Owl (Otus brucei), Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus), Sindh Nightjar (Caprimulgus mahrattensis),  etc….over night at Hotel

Day 16– Morning  evening birding in  safari in Little Rann of Kutch.overnight in hotel.

Day 17-After breakfast drive to Great Rann of Kutch (6 hour). Afternoon birding in Fort Mahadev Area, looking for White naped tit, Marshall’s Iora (Aegithina nigrolutea), Grey-necked Bunting (Emberiza buchanani), Painted Sandgrouse (Pterocles indicus), etc. overnight in Hotel  Bhuj.

Day 18– Full day birding in Great Rann of Kutch looking for Grey Grey Hypocolius (Hypocolius ampelinus), Rock Bush Quail (Perdicula argoondah), Stoliczka’s Bushchat (Saxicola macrorhynchus), Desert Warbler, Red-tailed Wheatear (Oenanthe chrysopygia), White-bellied Minivet (Pericrocotus erythropygius),  Variable Wheatear (Oenanthe picata), etc. overnight in Hote Bhuj.

Day 19– After breakfast drive to Jamnager 5 hours.evening birding in khajadhiya. Overnight in Jamnagar.

Day 20– Morning and evening birding in jamnager. Overnight in jamnager.

Day 21–      After breakfast drive to Gir National Park (3 hour) birding on the way and evening park safari looking for Lion, Leopard,and birds like Eurasian Wryneck( Jynx torquilla), Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, (Pterocles exustus ), Large Cuckooshrike (Coracina macei),  Black ibis, etc.Overnight in Gir.

Day 22– Morning and afternoon Park Safaris looking for Asiatic Lion, Leopard , Marsh Crocodile etc … and  Mottled Wood Owl (Strix ocellata), Tawny Billed Babbler, Black Bittern (Ixobrychus flavicollis), Yellow Bittern (Ixobrychus sinensis), Cinnamon Bittern or Chestnut Bittern (Ixobrychus cinnamomeus), White-browed Fantail (Rhipidura aureola), etc.…Overnight in Hotel.

Day 23– Morning and evening park safari in Gir. overnight in a hotel of Gir.

Day 24-After breakfast drive to Velavadar Black buck Sanctuary (5 hour). Afternoon birding in the Sanctuary looks for  Montagu’s Harrier, Eurasian Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, Pallid Harrier, Black Francolin, Sykes’s Lark (Galerida Deva), Rufous-tailed Lark (Ammomanes phoenicura), Desert Lark , Quails etc.…Overnight in a hotel.

Day 25– Morning and evening park safari by our car and   birding in the Sanctuary looking for Hyena, Black Buck, Nilgai,  Harriers, Larks, Pipits, eagles, etc.. Overnight in a hotel.

Day 26-After breakfast drive to Ahmadabad. Overnight in a hotel.

Day 27– After breakfast drive Airport. Hotel .