After landing at Delhi airport your guide will gladly welcome you and take you to your nearby accommodation, where you have the opportunity to recover from the flight,and relax for the remainder of the morning.
After lunch leave for the Okhla Bird Sanctuary. This Sanctuary is roughly 4 square kilometres in size and is situated in Ghaziabad near New Delhi, in-between Okhla Barrage on the river Yamuna and Okhla wier. With an aim to safeguard the hundreds of local and migratory birds and provide a safe sanctuary for their breeding, the area around the water body was taken up and developed as a tourist spot
The bird species of thorny scrub, grassland and wetland are seen in the sanctuary due it's unique positioning. It is now one of the 466 IBAs (Important Bird Areas) in India.
The birds and aquatic animals that can be sighted in the Okhla Bird Sanctuary:
Migratory Birds – Geese, Teal, Coot, Pin-tail, Spot-Bill, Pochard, Pelican, Shovler, Gadwal,s Mallard and many more.
Accommodation, park entrance fee
After breakfast we will visit Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary, situated just over the border in the adjoining state of Haryana, and its surroundings. Sultanpur National Park is essentially a bird watcher's paradise with few trees obscuring the visitor's view of the lake. The birds here can be easily spotted wading, swimming or flying. To facilitate bird watching, there are four watch towers located at different points.
In the afternoon we will take an express train from Delhi to Ramnagar near the base of the Himalayas and then drive the short distance to Corbett National Park.
Some of the resident birds at the park are: Common Hoopoe, Paddyfield Pipit, Purple Sunbird, Little Cormorant, Eurasian Thick-knee, Gray Francolin, Black Francolin, Indian Roller, White-throated Kingfisher, Spot billed Duck, Painted Stork, White Ibis, Black headed Ibis, Little Egret, Great Egret, Cattle Egret, India Crested Lark, Red vented Bulbul, Rose ringed Parakeet, Red wattled Lapwing, Shikra, Eurasian collared Dove, Red collared Dove, Laughing Dove, Spotted Owlet, Rock Pigeon, Magpie Robin, Greater Coucal, Weaver Bird, Bank Mynah, Common Mynah and Green Bee Eater.
16:00
Utr Samprk K Express train
Accommodation, breakfast, lunch, dinner, park entrance fee
Drinks
After breakfast we’ll enter the highly scenic Corbett National Park, to explore the river edge at Kumeria in the morning for tawny & brown fish owl,
Red Junglefowl and Kalij Pheasant are also immediate possibilities. The forests and grasslands of Corbett National Park are the richest place for birds and mammals in northern India.
Other species which are possible in the forest are Asian barred owlet, plumbeous redstart, brown dipper, as well as crested tree swift, spangled drongo, blue bearded bee-eater. Look out for black bulbul, brown-eared bulbul, yellow-bellied and white-browned fantail, crested laughing thrush, red-breasted parakeet, and ashy-crowned sparrow lark
Leave after breakfast and enjoy birding in Pangot and Baggar. Pangot is situated 160 kilometers from the Corbett National Park. The 350 or so bird species that inhabit these woods attract enthusiasts from around the world.
One can have excellent birding opportunities in the lodge itself. Besides, there are numerous walks through the terrace fields into thickly wooded oak forest which are extremely rewarding.
There are good trails from the lodge to Timla Pani, Ggughu Khan, Kilbury Forest Rest House and on to Cheena Peak. The guide may accompany you on these treks.
Possibility to see crested serpent-eagle, mountain hawk eagle, brown-fronted woodpeckers, dark throated thrushes, striated prinia, tickell's leaf warbler, asian brown flycatchers, rufous-bellied Niltava, orange flanked bush robin, slaty-headed & red-breased parakeet, grey bushchat, long-tailed & grey-backed shrike, common kestrel, besra, chestnut-bellied rock thrush
Kumeria
Accommodation, breakfast, transport
Dinner, lunch, drinks
Tody we will visit Sattal, which is a fascinating cluster of seven interconnected lakes that are perched at an elevation of 1370 m above the sea level. We pass through coniferous forests, a patchwork of farm fields, and deciduous woodland surrounding the lake. Sattal is a paradise for nature buffs and bird watchers. It has mystery to it that makes it all the more charming and a photographer's paradise.
Return to the lodge in the evening.
The various habitats hold different birds and highlights may include Brown Wood Owl, White-crested and Rufous-chinned Laughingthrushes, Red-billed Leiothrix, Scaly Thrush, Black-throated Accentor, White-capped Bunting, Siberian ruby throat, speckled piculet, golden bush robin, and rufous-gorgeted flycatcher.
We leave in the morning and travel to the old hill station of Nainital, India’s Best Hill Station is one of the most beautiful places of India. It is famous for it lakes, breathtaking view and ancient temples.
We will stop at Naini Lake and the Naina Devi Bird Reserve. This reserve is a paradise for bird watchers and ornithologists. Some important species found here are: Cheer Pheasant, Red-headed Vulture, Greater Spotted Eagle, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Grey-crowned Prinia, Black-crested Tit, Green-crowned Warbler, Whistler's Warbler.
Nainital District is unique for its biodiversity and ecological amplitude. It has more than 1000 species of resident and migratory birds, 20 species of mammals, over 525 species of butterflies and over 11,000 species of moths, beetles, bugs and other insects.
The unique avian fauna of Nainital District includes red-billed blue magpie, kingfishers, various barbets, parakeets, chestnut bellied rock thrush, titmouse, babblers, jungle Owlet, fish eagle, woodpeckers, Indian tree pies, blue whistling-thrush, lammergeier, Himalayan Griffon, crested serpent eagle, flycatchers, cheer pheasants, Kalij pheasant, leaf birds, kingfishers, sunbirds, flowerpeckers, russet Sparrow, black-headed Jay, black-capped sibia, blue whistling thrush, finches, mountain hawk eagle, black eagle, eurasian jay, white-rumped needletail, black-lored, black-throated tits, black bulbul, ashy-throated warblers, Eurasian griffon, common buzzard, pink-browed rosefinch, common wood pigeon and many more.
After breakfast we will return to Delhi and have several birding stops along the way.
Have a look out on the way for birds that may include blue whistling thrush, red-billed blue magpie, blue-capped redstart, rusty-tailed flycatcher, grey-backed shrike and yellow-breasted green finch.
We will stop at the Corbett Falls, a small scenic waterfall within a lush green forest. Look out for rare sightings of fork tails and Ibisbill.
Driving distance: 285km
After breakfast drive to Chambal and check into the eco-friendly Chambal Safari Lodge. The Lodge has a pair each of resident Spotted Owlets and Collared Scops Owls.
In the afternoon enjoy a boat ride accompanied by a boatman and naturalist guide to see black-bellied tern, Indian Skimmer, flock of migratory waterfowl, cranes and demoiselle.
Pipits, larks and birds of prey are often seen on the sandy river banks. River and Black-bellied Terns and River Lapwing which are best seen on a walk by the river. Species that can be seen include Marsh Harrier, Egyptian Vulture, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Tawny Eagle, Booted Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard, Kestrel and Black-shouldered Kite.
Accommodation, breakfast, dinner
Lunch, drinks
Spend the day on a river safari on the calm waters of the Chambal River where you get to see the Dolphins, Gharials, Crocodiles, Turtles, and almost all the other species of Mammals and Birds that this area is famous for. Look out for bar headed geese, ruddy shelducks, Indian skimmers; Black bellied river terns, Sarus and Common Crane, Buzzards, little Pratincole, Great thick-Knee, Wheatears, Black-winged stilts and migratory water bird species.
The reed beds hold weavers, skulking Bluethroats and warblers. Look out for the large Black-necked Stork amongst the Painted and Woolly-necked Storks.
Chambal River
Accommodation, breakfast
After breakfast we’ll drive to Agra and visit the Taj Mahal. There is a chance to see Asian Koel and Brown-headed Barbet in the gardens and Pallas’s Gull or River Lapwing on the Yamuna.
On the way to Bharatpur we will stop at the Bund Baretha sanctuary. This bird watcher's paradise has over 200 species of birds. With the majority of the birds found here being herons, painted stocks and Indian skimmers. Even the elusive Black Bittern can be found here.
After extensive birding we will continue to Barathpur, which holds the Keoladeo Ghana National Park also called the Bharatpur National Park which spreads across an area of 30 sq km and hosts around 375 finest species of birds. Herons, egrets, cormorants, ibis, spoonbills and storks can be seen in huge numbers and in the months of winter, migratory birds like the famous Siberian Crane also comes to this location.
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. It is also known for sighting of rare bird species such as Orange-headed Ground Thrush, Dusky Warbler, Marshall's Iora and Large-tailed Nightjar.
Accommodation, breakfast, park entrance fees
Lunch, dinner, drinks
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is arguably the finest bird sanctuary in the world and today you will enjoy a full day birding here. The sanctuary is spread over 29 sq km with well laid-out forest trails and can be easily covered on foot, a rickshaw, or a cycle. Formerly a shooting preserve of the Rajput Maharajahs of Bharatpur, it holds a remarkable diversity of habitats.
A typical day around the sanctuary will produce dozens of raptor sightings and the range of species includes Spotted, Lesser Spotted, Imperial, Steppe, Tawny and Bonelli's Eagles with the possibility of also seeing wandering White-tailed, Pallas's Fishing and even Golden Eagles
The most prominent birds at the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary are the migratory Pelicans, Cranes, Ibis, Spoonbills, Egrets, Darters, Cormorants, Grey Herons, Stork, Ducks, Eagles, Hawks, Pipits, Warblers, Wheatears, Wagtails, Flycatchers, Buntings, Larks, Shanks, and Stints.
Accommodation, breakfast, park entrance fee and transport
Lunch, dinner, drinks
After breakfast we leave for the Ranthambore National Park. It is situated in Sawai Madhopur district of south-eastern Rajasthan, and covers an area of 1134 sq km. With its vast grasslands, golden meadows, lush forests, deep lakes and marshes, the Park is home to over 300 migratory and native bird species. This enormous area is an absolute pilgrimage for bird watchers. Bird watching tours set out open 4×4 jeeps, with the opportunity to disembark from the vehicle for short periods in the safer areas. A few important species are Greylag Goose, Woodpeckers, Indian Gray Hornbills, Common Kingfishers, Bee Eaters, Cuckoos, Parakeets, Asian Palm Swift, and Snipes.
The most important birds in Ranthambore include: Indian courser, Painted spurfowl, Indian skimmer, quails, larks, Nightjars, Dove, spoonbills, quails, storks, Crakes, Sandpipers, Terns, Great Crested Grebe, Eagles, Cormorants, Egrets, Herons, Bitterns, Flamingos, Ibis, Pelicans, Pittas, Treepies, Crows, Orioles, Minivets, Flycatchers, Ioras, Wood Shrikes, Pipits, Bayas, Sparrows, Finches, Wagtails, Munias, Bulbul, Mynas, Falcons, shell ducks and plenty more.
Accommodation, breakfast, park entrance & transport
This will be our second full day in and around Ranthambhore. Today you will enjoy two game drives by shared jeep for birding and to view the wildlife. There are numerous other attractions here as well, including a spectacular ancient fort and a series of bird-thronged lakes, and outside the reserve we have a good chance of finding regional specialties such as the gorgeous Indian Courser and elusive Painted Sandgrouse, Painted Spurfowl, Changeable Hawk-Eagle, and White-naped Woodpecker.
We will leave early morning driving back to Delhi, the capital city of the country. To most people it is a surprise that the bird list of Delhi includes more than 430 species of birds. On the way we will be driving through the open countryside of the Gangetic Plain, which will be a wonderful ending to rural India. Birding along the route, we hope to see Indian Pond Heron, Black-shouldered Kite, Common Peafowl, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Indian Roller, Black Drongo, and Common and Bank Mynas along the way.
In Delhi we might see regional specialties such as Brooks’s Leaf Warbler or even White-tailed Stonechat.
The tour ends after dinner this evening in Delhi.
The North East of the city are the Aravili hills, the other part of city have Acacia Forest and thick throny scrub where as Yamuna River offers a great habitat for number of water birds. Some of the common birds seen at the Gardens of Delhi are Oriental Magpie Robin and Purple Sun bird, Asian Koel, white - throated Kingfisher, Common Myna, House Crow, Common Hoopee, Rong ringed Parakeet, Black rumped Flameback,brown headed and coppersmith Barbets, Red - vented Bulbul, Jungle Babbler, Yellow footed green pigeon and indian Grey Hornbill.
Accommodation, breakfast
Lunch, dinner, drinks
Do some last minute birding or souvenir shopping today. Transfer to New Delhi airport in time to board your flight back home.
Breakfast
