12 – 26 FEBRUARY 2025
By Chris Lotz
(Indian) Grey Wolf near the end of our tour.
Overview
This was a private version of our standard set departure Gujarat birding tour. It was a wonderfully successful trip, with many bird and mammal highlights. Some of the star birds we encountered were Sociable Lapwing, Indian Courser, Grey Hypocolius, huge numbers of Demoiselle and Common Cranes, large flocks of Rosy Starlings, Indian Skimmer, Crab-plover and a lot of other shorebirds and waterbirds, sandgrouse including close-up Painted Sandgrouse, Painted Francolin,many raptors and owls, White-naped Tit and a lot more.
Mammals were, as always, outstanding. Two of the famous animals of Gujarat showed really well: Lion (Gir National Park is the only place in Asia where these animals still lurk) and Blackbuck. We also got superb views of (Indian) Grey Wolf, a number of Jungle Cats including some kittens, three Striped Hyenas, Asiatic Wild Ass,and a number of antelope species such as the strange-looking Nilgai.
Grey Hypocolius was a major target on this tour.
Detailed Report
Day 1, 12th February 2025. Arrival in Ahmedabad
After arriving in Gujarat earlier, the tour officially started when Tim and I met for a delicious buffet of fine Indian food for dinner this evening. We excitedly discussed the coming days of bird and mammal watching.
Day 2, 13th February 2025. Ahmedabad to the Little Rann of Kutch via Nal Sarovar
We left the hotel early so we could get to the amazing Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary area at daybreak. When we arrived at dawn, we were rewarded with thousands of flying, calling, and landing Demoiselle and Common Cranes, and a few Sarus Cranes. What an atmospheric experience, with beautiful sights and sounds! It did not take us very long to find our main target, Sociable Lapwing, which showed extremely well. Many other superb birds were in attendance. These included Grey Francolin, a few vocal but unseen Common Quails, three ibis species, many herons and egrets, luminously colorful Asian Green Bee-eaters, many Rosy Starlings,along with a few Brahminy Starlings, and many Tree Pipits.
We saw the Critically Endangered Sociable Lapwing close-up!
Larks were on the agenda and we managed to find Sykes’s Lark, Hume’s (Short-toed) Lark, Greater Short-toed Lark (thousands of them), a Rufous-tailed Lark, and Ashy-headed Sparrow-lark. A few Isabelline Wheatears were around. A beautifully plumaged Bay-backed Shrike and a few Long-tailed Shrikes were good to see. A couple of Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse flew over.
On one of our stops, we found a lot of Red-headed Buntings and one Black-headed Bunting coming to drink, Black-breasted Weavers, Paddyfield Pipit, Western Yellow Wagtail, Bank Myna and many other species.
Birds of prey abounded this morning and we saw Shikra, Common Kestrel, Montagu’s Harrier, Western Marsh Harrier, Greater Spotted Eagle (later we’d also see a Short-toed Snake Eagle after checking in to our lodge) and Black-winged Kite.
In the afternoon, we took our first of four open safari vehicle sessions to the Little Rann of Kutch and were not disappointed! We saw our first Asiatic Wild Asses and Nilgai, and we recorded 72 bird species this afternoon, so we were kept busy! There were tons of Lesser and Greater Flamingoes, many Great White Pelicans and a few Dalmatian Pelicans, and large numbers of Eurasian Spoonbills, Painted and White Storks. Shorebirds were numerous, and included Temminck’s Stints, Ruffs, Common Greenshanks, Marsh Sandpipers, Black-tailed Godwits, a Wood Sandpiper, Black-winged Stilts and Pied Avocets. We also found four gull species and four tern species (see the bird list at the end of this report for full details of all the species we saw). A few Grey-headed Swamphens lurked around. Wildfowl came in the form of Indian Spot-billed Ducks, Eurasian Teals, Eurasian Wigeons Northern Shovelers, and Greylag Geese.
A Delicate Prinia displayed around us as we watched the waterbirds. Larks were also much in evidence, and we added Sand Lark and Crested Lark to our growing list of them. We also found Long-billed and Tawny Pipits. A Eurasian Hoopoe foraged around on the ground; it is always a delight to lay eyes on this spectacular bird.
A beautiful and close-up Desert Wheatear posed for Tim’s camera, and duller Isabelline Wheatears were also around. An Isabelline Shrike also showed itself. Many Purple and a couple of Purple-rumped Sunbirds were ever-active, as sunbirds always are. Asian Green Bee-eaters provided dazzling splashes of color.
Raptors were wonderful (as they were in the morning). We scoped a beautiful Indian Spotted Eagle, a couple of Greater Spotted Eagles,and an immature and adult Eastern Imperial Eagle, the majestic adult showing absolutely beautifully. A Eurasian Sparrowhawk gave a brief flight view. We ended the day with quite close views of a day roosting Short-eared Owl.
All in all this was a super-amazing first day! Wow!
Day 3, 14th February 2025. A full day birding the Little Rann of Kutch
This morning, we bravely tried for two rare birds, Asian Houbara and Greater Hoopoe-lark, in an area further from our hotel. We were unsuccessful, but nevertheless thoroughly enjoyed our visit to this moon landscape like area, much of which is vegetation-less. We did enjoy seeing a number of species we’d already seen the previous day.
The afternoon session (back to the same area we visited the previous afternoon), was again highly productive. We saw a lot of the same waterbirds as the day before, along with a really close-up Bluethroat that Tim photographed. We scoped a flock of beautiful Small Pratincoles. A shining Common Kingfisher posed well. At one point, a really close-up Eastern Imperial Eagle took off and flushed three Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, which we then drove towards and got good views of as they hunkered on the ground. A couple of superb male Montagu’s Harriers and good numbers of Western Marsh Harriers quartered low over the desert. A Eurasian Hoopoe again put in an appearance, and Crested Larks showed ridiculously close-up. A couple of Bay-backed Shrikes also showed very well. Rufous-fronted, Jungle and (again) Delicate Prinias all put on shows. A Sykes’s Warbler was new for the trip. We saw a huge but distant murmuration of Rosy Starlings.
This was, again, another really enjoyable day.
Day 4, 15th February 2025. A second full day of birding the Little Rann of Kutch
This morning we headed back to our “usual” area (the Bajana Creek area of the Little Rann of Kutch), but still managed to add some solid new birds to our list. These included a large number of Kentish Plovers (a few of them in breeding plumage), a couple of Little Stints, a massive Pallas’s Gull, an Osprey, an overflying Red-necked Falcon, and a co-operative Eastern Orphean Warbler. We also got superb views of some species we’d seen previously, such as Rosy Starling, a couple of Indian Spotted Eagles, an immature Eastern Imperial Eagle, and a lot of others.
Sunrise over the Little Rann of Kutch this morning.
This afternoon we headed to Nava Talav, a great wetland birding site and also part of the Little Rann of Kutch. On the way, we stopped to look at a duller male and a much more strikingly marked female Greater Painted-snipe. We also saw our first Common Moorhen of the trip. After a while, we reached Nava Talav, where we recorded 86 bird species during our 2.5 hour session. There were masses of wildfowl, with especially large numbers of Gadwalls, Northern Shovelers, and Eurasian Teals. We also saw smaller numbers of Indian Spot-billed Ducks, Garganeys, Ferruginous Ducks, Tufted Ducks, a Common Pochard, a Eurasian Wigeon and a Ruddy Shelduck. There were a few Dalmatian Pelicans in breeding plumage with spectacular orange-red pouches. We saw some new shorebirds for the trip in the form of Pacific Golden Plovers, a Little Ringed Plover, and two very long-legged White-tailed Lapwings.We thoroughly enjoyed seeing close-up, jewel-like Common Kingfishers, along with frequently hovering Pied Kingfishers, and ubiquitous but colorful White-throated Kingfishers. Warblers were good, and included a vocal but elusive Clamorous Reed Warbler, a Blyth’s Reed Warbler, a few Booted Warblers, and a Common Chiffchaff.An Ashy Prinia also gave quite good views. One of the top birds of this afternoon birding session was a Eurasian Wryneck in the scrub along the embankment we were walking on. We enjoyed seeing two more Bluethroats, a couple of Indian Robins,and a number of Greater Coucals. We found our first Citrine Wagtail among various other wagtail species we’d already seen before.
Day 5, 16th February 2025. Little Rann of Kutch to Great Rann of Kutch and initial birding
After a nice breakfast, we started our six hour drive to the Great Rann of Kutch. We were very pleased to find a few Indian Coursers along the way. These, however, got flushed by a Eurasian Sparrowhawk after a little while. A bit later, we spotted a pale phase Booted Eagle and stopped for it, getting good views of this small eagle.
After checking in at our hotel and having a late lunch, we birded the property and adjacent areas a bit. We got very good views of a pair of Marshall’s Ioras, four Grey-breasted Prinias, a Greenish Warbler, a Red-breasted Flycatcher,a couple of Indian Peafowls, some Greater Coucals, a Crested Honey Buzzard, a Long-legged Buzzard, and a beautiful Black-naped Monarch.
We then drove to a nearby area where we enjoyed seeing and spending some time photographing four more Indian Coursers, two Common Woodshrikes, an Eastern Red-rumped Swallow, a pair of Indian Robins, and a flock of seven Yellow-throated Sparrows.
As we arrived back at the hotel, we saw an Indian Roller and an Indian Bush Lark. After dinner, we did a short session of owling and found two Spotted Owlets.
We were pleased to see quite a few Indian Coursers very well during this tour.
Day 6, 17th February 2025. A full day birding the Great Rann of Kutch
We left at 6.30 am with a packed breakfast and it was still dark, so we looked for nightjars in the road and were very pleased to see a Sykes’s Nightjar. We then proceeded to the Banni Grassland area where we birded several sites. We saw a couple of beautiful Golden Jackals which are in the same genus as dogs, wolves and coyotes, rather than other jackals. One of them was having a bath in a pond, awesome! We also saw an Indian Desert Jird.Bird-wise, we saw our main target, Grey Hypocolius, very well and without too much effort. This is the only member of its family and, being localized and sometimes thin on the ground, it is one of the main targets on any winter Gujarat birding tour. There was a great supporting cast of other birds, including the nice-looking Sirkeer Malkoha, a couple of personality-filled Yellow-eyed Babblers, beautiful Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, many Common Cranes (quite a delight to see here in the desert, looking just as at home here as they do in England – Norfolk – where I live), some Montagu’s Harriers, two close-up and showy Marshall’s Ioras, a Plain Prinia, the desert subspecies of Lesser Whitethroat, and some more Yellow-throated Sparrows.
In the general area, we also found a good number of Variable Wheatears and an Asian Desert Warbler. On the way back to our hotel for lunch, we found our first Yellow-wattled Lapwing, Indian Cormorant, and Oriental Darter for the trip. We also saw a couple more Long-legged Buzzards.
This afternoon, we headed to the Fort Mahadev Scrub Forest, stopping for a Crested Serpent Eagle and Eurasian Sparrowhawk en route. The scrub forest was awesome as we saw our major target, White-naped Tit, along with other excellent birds, such as Grey-necked Bunting, very well. There were a number of Small Minivets, Baya Weavers, and other new trip birds around here as well.
Day 7, 18th February 2025. A second full day birding the Great Rann of Kutch
This was another amazing day even though we didn’t add many new trip birds or mammals. We did start the day with an Indian Nightjar in the road, which then put on a display for us, flying over the road and vocalizing. We continued to a wetland area where we spent most of the morning. Birding was immensely enjoyable, but we did not manage to find the crakes we were hoping for. We did obtain much better views of a few species we’d previously seen.
After lunch and a heat of the day rest, we headed to an area for Painted Sandgrouse and, at record speed, found a pair of them right next to the road, posing beautifully for amazing looks and photos. This gave us bonus time and we used this to bird around a temple area where there were masses of Indian Peafowls and a family group of ten Wild Boars! Birding in this general area was very productive but again did not generate anything new. It proved a very rewarding and enjoyable afternoon, though.
The male Painted Sandgrouse we saw.
Day 8, 19th February 2025. The Great Rann of Kutch to Jamnagar
While this was largely a travel day, we did manage to fit in a couple of nice birding sessions. And, near the start of our journey, we managed to see a beautiful male Pallid Harrier flying along the road for quite some time so that we could follow it. We also stopped along the roadside to look at some nice mammals – an Indian Grey Mongoose and a few Nilgais. Much further into our drive, we stopped at a wetland site and found around 70 species in 1.5 hours. These included a couple of new trip birds such as Whiskered Tern, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, and (briefly) Bronze-winged Jacana. There were a lot of birds here that we’d seen before, including a bunch of Demoiselle Cranes alongside larger numbers of Common Cranes, three kingfisher species, and many other species. An Asian Palm Swift was a surprise in this area, and we also saw various hirundines, such as Grey-throated Martins.
After arriving at and checking into our Jamnagar hotel, we went to Lakhota Lake where we experienced a wonderful sunset with murmurations of Rosy Starlings, as well as a lot of other birds like Rose-ringed Parakeets coming in to roost. The only new trip bird here, though, was an Asian Koel. We did enjoy seeing four tern species, three kingfisher species, lots of Knob-billed Ducks and other waterfowl, and various other birds we had seen earlier in the tour. We were also very pleased to see some Indian Flying Foxes.
Day 9, 20th February 2025. A full day of birding around Jamnagar
This morning we birded Dhinchada Lake, accumulating 102 bird species in less than three hours of birding. We found about a dozen individuals of our main target, Indian Skimmer, which showed well as they rested on islands, and at times flew a bit, occasionally skimming. We managed to see a couple of other new trip birds as well, like Asian Openbill, and we also “upgraded” our views of some birds we’d seen before, including spectacular views of Garganeys, as just one example. Huge black-headed Pallas’s Gulls, two pelican species and two flamingo species in perfect light, were further of the many highlights of this morning’s session.
In the afternoon, we headed to Sachana Beach. Our main aim here was to find Crab-plovers and we did very well, with a large flock of these beautiful, unmistakable, pied waders. We spent 2.5 hours with these awesome birds until the sun set (a beautiful experience here). The Crab-plovers gradually came closer and closer to us as the tide came in. There were tons of other shorebirds, terns, etc., including a few that were new for the trip, like Terek Sandpiper, Tibetan Sand Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Eurasian Whimbrel, Grey Plover, and Lesser Crested Tern. A couple of Common Tailorbirds, some Indian White-eyes, and a Bluethroat were in the bushes near the car.
We enjoyed waiting for the sunset with Crab-plovers.
A few majestic male Nilgais came out of the forest onto the beach for a while, also joined by a camel! Just before sunset, a Wild Boar ran across the beach, much to the amusement of a dog that was barking at it.
Day 10, 21st February 2025. Jamnagar to Gir National Park
Today was very exciting as we headed to the only remaining home of Lions outside of Africa, Gir National Park! On the way to the park, we went past the impressive Girnar, an ancient hill and the site of Asia’s longest ropeway (see here for more details). We arrived at our comfortable lodge adjacent to the park for a scrumptious lunch and then headed into the park. It did not take us long to see some Asiatic Lions as we traversed the teak forests. There were good numbers of other mammals around, like Chital (Spotted Deer), Sambar, Wild Boars, and Bengal Sacred Langurs (Northern Plains Grey Langurs).
Bird-wise, we also had a lot of fun. A Shikra, a Common Iora, a couple of Cinereous Tits, and several other bird species were around the park entrance gate as we waited for our paperwork to get processed.Once we entered the park, the avian highlight was seeing several stunningly beautiful Plum-headed Parakeets (along with many more Rose-ringed Parakeets). There were many Indian Peafowls around, as well as our first Spotted Doves for the trip. A White-browed Fantail sat on top of a Chital’s (Spotted Deer’s)back. Indian Jungle Crows were numerous. A couple of Grey Wagtails were along a river.
Day 11, 22nd February 2025. A full day in Gir National Park
Our morning birding/game drive was spectacular! A Forest Wagtail provided great views as it walked around in the dappled shade and, at one point, flew up onto a stick. While it was still quite dark, a Jungle Nightjar flew up onto a branch and we got great views (and heard it calling once) as it got lighter. We spent quite a lot of time stationary here, as birds were all around us, including a mixed flock mobbing what must have been a snake in the fallen leaves on the ground (we only saw the movement of this). The mobbing birds included a truly magnificent white morph male Indian Paradise Flycatcher at extremely close quarters, two Black-rumped Flamebacks (these spectacular woodpeckers were right next to the ground near us) and a bunch of Jungle Babblers. There were a lot of other good birds around the general area as well, including a few Tawny-bellied Babblers,a Common Iora,a Common Woodshrike, a White-browed Fantail,some Small Minivets,and a Western Crowned Warbler.
We then continued our drive through the park, getting brief views of an Indian Cuckooshrike and a Yellow-footed Green Pigeon, and more prolonged views of a couple of Indian Stone-curlews. Eagles and owls were amazing as we continued our journey. We got extremely close-up views of a Crested Serpent Eagle,which we could compare with a beautifully long-crested Changeable Hawk-Eagle that we also saw. An incredibly cute Spotted Owlet and a wonderfully-marked Mottled Wood Owl, lying seemingly uncomfortably in a hole in a stump, were true highlights.
We returned to the hotel for a delicious breakfast and then did some “campus birding” around the lodge grounds. The two new trip birds we added to our tour bird list during this session, were Pale-billed and Thick-billed Flowerpeckers.
After lunch and a bit of a rest during the heat of the day, we embarked on an afternoon game drive. New trip birds came in the form of White-eyed Buzzard and a gorgeous male Ultramarine Flycatcher.
After this game drive, we decided to ask to be let out of the vehicle so we could walk the last 800 yards to our hotel, and we were richly rewarded. A couple of attractively patterned female Asian Koels showed themselves nicely, as did a new trip bird in the form of a White-browed Wagtail. We also enjoyed seeing some Mugger Crocodiles.
Mammals were great again today, and included Golden Fox and several Lion sightings, among a lot more.
A majestic pair of Asiatic Lions.
Day 12, 23rd February 2025. Morning at Gir, then drive to Blackbuck National Park
We had another fabulous game/birding drive this morning, enjoying some more close-up experiences with Lions and various other good mammals. We also added a pair of Brown-crowned Pygmy Woodpeckers to our constantly growing bird list. After this, we did some relaxing birding around our hotel, had lunch, and then drove to the Blackbuck National Park with much excitement.
Day 13, 24th February 2025. A full day in Blackbuck National Park, Velavadar
This was one of the most exciting mornings of the entire trip, mainly because of the exceptional mammals. After finding a Striped Hyena, we were soon distracted by a large herd of gorgeous Blackbucks running across the road, followed by an (Indian) Grey Wolf! We had great views of all three of these mammals. Soon afterwards, we got views of a Jungle Cat kitten, and then prolonged views of an adult Jungle Cat (although not in the jungle!).
Birding was also very exciting. One of the highlights was a family of close-up Barred Buttonquails walking around. A Eurasian Wryneck also showed at close quarters – awesome! A Short-toed Snake Eagle and a Steppe Eagle, along with various other raptors we’d previously seen, were further highlights. A Short-eared Owl hunted over the grassland. Bay-backed and Long-tailed Shrikes were all over the place. We saw four lark species, including Sykes’s Lark.
We then enjoyed a late breakfast back at our comfortable lodge. A couple of Rufous Treepies were hanging out in the lodge grounds, as were a few nice birds we’d seen earlier during the trip, such as Bluethroat, Common Kingfisher,and White-throated Kingfisher.
After a bit of a break during the heat of the day and lunch, we did another super-amazing afternoon game drive. We had the privilege of spending more time seeing two Striped Hyenas very well, and we also saw four Jungle Cats in two sightings, one sighting of a single cat, and the other of an adult with two kittens lurking around mischievously. We also enjoyed seeing majestic Nilgais and more Blackbucks. Bird-wise, we saw another close-up Eurasian Wryneck, a Eurasian Hoopoe dust-bathing, Red-headed Buntings (including nicely colorful males)coming in to drink at a pool, along with several lark species, about 30 Great White Pelicans and a Dalmation Pelican, and many other bird species. Birds of prey were (again) amazing and included a very close-by pair of Steppe Eagles, a Short-toed Snake Eagle that put on an amazing show (initially perched and then in flight, coming right over us at one point), and tens of harriers (Pallid, Montagu’s,and Western Marsh Harriers). We also enjoyed seeing a Spotted Owlet and the Short-eared Owl again.
A Grey Wolf chased these beautiful Blackbuck across the road!
Day 14, 25th February 2025. A final morning in Blackbuck National Park before heading back to Ahmedabad
Our final morning in the Blackbuck National Park was amazing, to say the least! We got wonderful views of three Striped Hyenas,including a young one, a Grey Wolf scaring a large herd of Blackbucks close to the road again, another Jungle Cat, some Indian Hares and several other goodies. Bird-wise, the only new species we added was the elusive Painted Francolin, a superb bird which we saw well. All in all, it was a very enjoyable last morning of the trip, allowing us to admire and photograph things very nicely.
In the afternoon, we drove back to Ahmedabad, where the tour ended. We were very excited about the next leg of our journey, the Forest Owlet extension.
Bird List – Following IOC (version 14.2, August 2024)
Birds ‘heard only’ are marked with (H) after the common name, all other species were seen. The following notation after species names is used to show conservation status following BirdLife International: CR = Critically Endangered, EN = Endangered, VU = Vulnerable.
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
| Ducks, Geese, Swans (Anatidae) | |
| Greylag Goose | Anser anser |
| Knob-billed Duck | Sarkidiornis melanotos |
| Ruddy Shelduck | Tadorna ferruginea |
| Garganey | Spatula querquedula |
| Northern Shoveler | Spatula clypeata |
| Gadwall | Mareca strepera |
| Eurasian Wigeon | Mareca penelope |
| Indian Spot-billed Duck | Anas poecilorhyncha |
| Northern Pintail | Anas acuta |
| Eurasian Teal | Anas crecca |
| Common Pochard – VU | Aythya ferina |
| Ferruginous Duck | Aythya nyroca |
| Tufted Duck | Aythya fuligula |
| Pheasants & Allies (Phasianidae) | |
| Indian Peafowl | Pavo cristatus |
| Grey Francolin | Ortygornis pondicerianus |
| Painted Francolin | Francolinus pictus |
| Common Quail (H) | Coturnix coturnix |
| Nightjars (Caprimulgidae) | |
| Jungle Nightjar | Caprimulgus indicus |
| Sykes’s Nightjar | Caprimulgus mahrattensis |
| Indian Nightjar | Caprimulgus asiaticus |
| Treeswifts (Hemiprocnidae) | |
| Crested Treeswift | Hemiprocne coronata |
| Swifts (Apodidae) | |
| Asian Palm Swift | Cypsiurus balasiensis |
| Little Swift | Apus affinis |
| Cuckoos (Cuculidae) | |
| Greater Coucal | Centropus sinensis |
| Sirkeer Malkoha | Taccocua leschenaultii |
| Asian Koel | Eudynamys scolopaceus |
| Common Hawk-Cuckoo | Hierococcyx varius |
| Sandgrouse (Pteroclidae) | |
| Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse | Pterocles exustus |
| Painted Sandgrouse | Pterocles indicus |
| Pigeons, Doves (Columbidae) | |
| Rock Dove | Columba livia |
| Eurasian Collared Dove | Streptopelia decaocto |
| Red Collared Dove | Streptopelia tranquebarica |
| Spotted Dove | Spilopelia chinensis |
| Laughing Dove | Spilopelia senegalensis |
| Yellow-footed Green Pigeon | Treron phoenicopterus |
| Rails, Crakes & Coots (Rallidae) | |
| Common Moorhen | Gallinula chloropus |
| Eurasian Coot | Fulica atra |
| Grey-headed Swamphen | Porphyrio poliocephalus |
| White-breasted Waterhen | Amaurornis phoenicurus |
| Cranes (Gruidae) | |
| Sarus Crane – VU | Antigone antigone |
| Demoiselle Crane | Grus virgo |
| Common Crane | Grus grus |
| Grebes (Podicipedidae) | |
| Little Grebe | Tachybaptus ruficollis |
| Great Crested Grebe | Podiceps cristatus |
| Flamingos (Phoenicopteridae) | |
| Greater Flamingo | Phoenicopterus roseus |
| Lesser Flamingo | Phoeniconaias minor |
| Buttonquail (Turnicidae) | |
| Barred Buttonquail | Turnix suscitator |
| Stone-curlews, Thick-knees (Burhinidae) | |
| Indian Stone-curlew | Burhinus indicus |
| Oystercatchers (Haematopodidae) | |
| Eurasian Oystercatcher | Haematopus ostralegus |
| Stilts, Avocets (Recurvirostridae) | |
| Black-winged Stilt | Himantopus himantopus |
| Pied Avocet | Recurvirostra avosetta |
| Plovers (Charadriidae) | |
| Grey Plover | Pluvialis squatarola |
| Pacific Golden Plover | Pluvialis fulva |
| Little Ringed Plover | Charadrius dubius |
| Yellow-wattled Lapwing | Vanellus malabaricus |
| Red-wattled Lapwing | Vanellus indicus |
| Sociable Lapwing – CR | Vanellus gregarius |
| White-tailed Lapwing | Vanellus leucurus |
| Tibetan Sand Plover | Anarhynchus atrifrons |
| Greater Sand Plover | Anarhynchus leschenaultii |
| Kentish Plover | Anarhynchus alexandrinus |
| Painted-snipes (Rostratulidae) | |
| Greater Painted-snipe | Rostratula benghalensis |
| Jacanas (Jacanidae) | |
| Pheasant-tailed Jacana | Hydrophasianus chirurgus |
| Sandpipers, Snipes (Scolopacidae) | |
| Eurasian Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus |
| Eurasian Curlew | Numenius arquata |
| Black-tailed Godwit | Limosa limosa |
| Common Snipe | Gallinago gallinago |
| Terek Sandpiper | Xenus cinereus |
| Common Sandpiper | Actitis hypoleucos |
| Green Sandpiper | Tringa ochropus |
| Marsh Sandpiper | Tringa stagnatilis |
| Wood Sandpiper | Tringa glareola |
| Common Redshank | Tringa totanus |
| Spotted Redshank | Tringa erythropus |
| Common Greenshank | Tringa nebularia |
| Ruff | Calidris pugnax |
| Curlew Sandpiper | Calidris ferruginea |
| Temminck’s Stint | Calidris temminckii |
| Little Stint | Calidris minuta |
| Crab-plover (Dromadidae) | |
| Crab-plover | Dromas ardeola |
| Coursers, Pratincoles (Glareolidae) | |
| Indian Courser | Cursorius coromandelicus |
| Small Pratincole | Glareola lactea |
| Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae) | |
| Indian Skimmer – EN | Rynchops albicollis |
| Little Tern | Sternula albifrons |
| Gull-billed Tern | Gelochelidon nilotica |
| Caspian Tern | Hydroprogne caspia |
| Whiskered Tern | Chlidonias hybrida |
| River Tern – VU | Sterna aurantia |
| Lesser Crested Tern | Thalasseus bengalensis |
| Slender-billed Gull | Chroicocephalus genei |
| Black-headed Gull | Chroicocephalus ridibundus |
| Brown-headed Gull | Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus |
| Pallas’s Gull | Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | Larus fuscus |
| Storks (Ciconiidae) | |
| Asian Openbill | Anastomus oscitans |
| Painted Stork | Mycteria leucocephala |
| White Stork | Ciconia ciconia |
| Anhingas, Darters (Anhingidae) | |
| Oriental Darter | Anhinga melanogaster |
| Cormorants, Shags (Phalacrocoracidae) | |
| Little Cormorant | Microcarbo niger |
| Indian Cormorant | Phalacrocorax fuscicollis |
| Great Cormorant | Phalacrocorax carbo |
| Ibises, Spoonbills (Threskiornithidae) | |
| Black-headed Ibis | Threskiornis melanocephalus |
| Red-naped Ibis | Pseudibis papillosa |
| Glossy Ibis | Plegadis falcinellus |
| Eurasian Spoonbill | Platalea leucorodia |
| Herons, Bitterns (Ardeidae) | |
| Black-crowned Night Heron | Nycticorax nycticorax |
| Little Egret | Egretta garzetta |
| Western Reef Heron | Egretta gularis |
| Striated Heron | Butorides striata |
| Indian Pond Heron | Ardeola grayii |
| Great Egret | Ardea alba |
| Medium Egret | Ardea intermedia |
| Eastern Cattle Egret | Ardea coromanda |
| Grey Heron | Ardea cinerea |
| Purple Heron | Ardea purpurea |
| Pelicans (Pelecanidae) | |
| Great White Pelican | Pelecanus onocrotalus |
| Dalmatian Pelican | Pelecanus crispus |
| Ospreys (Pandionidae) | |
| Osprey | Pandion haliaetus |
| Kites, Hawks, Eagles (Accipitridae) | |
| Black-winged Kite | Elanus caeruleus |
| Crested Honey Buzzard | Pernis ptilorhynchus |
| Crested Serpent Eagle | Spilornis cheela |
| Short-toed Snake Eagle | Circaetus gallicus |
| Changeable Hawk-Eagle | Nisaetus cirrhatus |
| Indian Spotted Eagle – VU | Clanga hastata |
| Greater Spotted Eagle – VU | Clanga clanga |
| Booted Eagle | Hieraaetus pennatus |
| Steppe Eagle – EN | Aquila nipalensis |
| Eastern Imperial Eagle – VU | Aquila heliaca |
| Shikra | Tachyspiza badia |
| Eurasian Sparrowhawk | Accipiter nisus |
| Western Marsh Harrier | Circus aeruginosus |
| Pallid Harrier | Circus macrourus |
| Montagu’s Harrier | Circus pygargus |
| Black Kite | Milvus migrans |
| White-eyed Buzzard | Butastur teesa |
| Long-legged Buzzard | Buteo rufinus |
| Owls (Strigidae) | |
| Spotted Owlet | Athene brama |
| Short-eared Owl | Asio flammeus |
| Mottled Wood Owl | Strix ocellata |
| Hoopoes (Upupidae) | |
| Eurasian Hoopoe | Upupa epops |
| Rollers (Coraciidae) | |
| Indian Roller | Coracias benghalensis |
| Kingfishers (Alcedinidae) | |
| White-throated Kingfisher | Halcyon smyrnensis |
| Common Kingfisher | Alcedo atthis |
| Pied Kingfisher | Ceryle rudis |
| Bee-eaters (Meropidae) | |
| Asian Green Bee-eater | Merops orientalis |
| Asian Barbets (Megalaimidae) | |
| Coppersmith Barbet (H) | Psilopogon haemacephalus |
| Woodpeckers (Picidae) | |
| Eurasian Wryneck | Jynx torquilla |
| Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker | Yungipicus nanus |
| Yellow-crowned Woodpecker | Leiopicus mahrattensis |
| Black-rumped Flameback | Dinopium benghalense |
| Caracaras, Falcons (Falconidae) | |
| Common Kestrel | Falco tinnunculus |
| Red-necked Falcon | Falco chicquera |
| Old World Parrots (Psittaculidae) | |
| Plum-headed Parakeet | Psittacula cyanocephala |
| Rose-ringed Parakeet | Psittacula krameri |
| Vangas & Allies (Vangidae) | |
| Common Woodshrike | Tephrodornis pondicerianus |
| Ioras (Aegithinidae) | |
| Common Iora | Aegithina tiphia |
| Marshall’s Iora | Aegithina nigrolutea |
| Cuckooshrikes (Campephagidae) | |
| Small Minivet | Pericrocotus cinnamomeus |
| Indian Cuckooshrike | Coracina macei |
| Drongos (Dicruridae) | |
| Greater Racket-tailed Drongo | Dicrurus paradiseus |
| Ashy Drongo | Dicrurus leucophaeus |
| Black Drongo | Dicrurus macrocercus |
| Fantails (Rhipiduridae) | |
| White-browed Fantail | Rhipidura aureola |
| Monarchs (Monarchidae) | |
| Black-naped Monarch | Hypothymis azurea |
| Indian Paradise Flycatcher | Terpsiphone paradisi |
| Shrikes (Laniidae) | |
| Bay-backed Shrike | Lanius vittatus |
| Isabelline Shrike | Lanius isabellinus |
| Long-tailed Shrike | Lanius schach |
| Crows, Jays (Corvidae) | |
| Rufous Treepie | Dendrocitta vagabunda |
| House Crow | Corvus splendens |
| Indian Jungle Crow | Corvus culminatus |
| Hypocolius (Hypocoliidae) | |
| Grey Hypocolius | Hypocolius ampelinus |
| Tits, Chickadees (Paridae) | |
| Cinereous Tit | Parus cinereus |
| White-naped Tit (Endemic) – VU | Machlolophus nuchalis |
| Larks (Alaudidae) | |
| Rufous-tailed Lark | Ammomanes phoenicura |
| Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark | Eremopterix griseus |
| Indian Bush Lark | Plocealauda erythroptera |
| Sykes’s Lark (Endemic) | Galerida deva |
| Crested Lark | Galerida cristata |
| Hume’s Short-toed Lark | Calandrella acutirostris |
| Greater Short-toed Lark | Calandrella brachydactyla |
| Sand Lark | Alaudala raytal |
| Bulbuls (Pycnonotidae) | |
| Red-vented Bulbul | Pycnonotus cafer |
| White-eared Bulbul | Pycnonotus leucotis |
| Swallows, Martins (Hirundinidae) | |
| Grey-throated Martin | Riparia chinensis |
| Sand Martin | Riparia riparia |
| Dusky Crag Martin | Ptyonoprogne concolor |
| Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica |
| Wire-tailed Swallow | Hirundo smithii |
| Eastern Red-rumped Swallow | Cecropis daurica |
| Leaf Warblers (Phylloscopidae) | |
| Common Chiffchaff | Phylloscopus collybita |
| Greenish Warbler | Phylloscopus trochiloides |
| Western Crowned Warbler | Phylloscopus occipitalis |
| Reed Warblers & Allies (Acrocephalidae) | |
| Clamorous Reed Warbler | Acrocephalus stentoreus |
| Blyth’s Reed Warbler | Acrocephalus dumetorum |
| Booted Warbler | Iduna caligata |
| Sykes’s Warbler | Iduna rama |
| Cisticolas & Allies (Cisticolidae) | |
| Zitting Cisticola | Cisticola juncidis |
| Rufous-fronted Prinia | Prinia buchanani |
| Grey-breasted Prinia | Prinia hodgsonii |
| Delicate Prinia | Prinia lepida |
| Jungle Prinia | Prinia sylvatica |
| Ashy Prinia | Prinia socialis |
| Plain Prinia | Prinia inornata |
| Common Tailorbird | Orthotomus sutorius |
| Sylviid Babblers (Sylviidae) | |
| Lesser Whitethroat | Curruca curruca |
| Eastern Orphean Warbler | Curruca crassirostris |
| Asian Desert Warbler | Curruca nana |
| Parrotbills & Allies (Paradoxornithidae) | |
| Yellow-eyed Babbler | Chrysomma sinense |
| White-eyes (Zosteropidae) | |
| Indian White-eye | Zosterops palpebrosus |
| Babblers, Scimitar Babblers (Timaliidae) | |
| Tawny-bellied Babbler | Dumetia hyperythra |
| Laughingthrushes & Allies (Leiothrichidae) | |
| Jungle Babbler | Argya striata |
| Common Babbler | Argya caudata |
| Starlings, Rhabdornises (Sturnidae) | |
| Bank Myna | Acridotheres ginginianus |
| Common Myna | Acridotheres tristis |
| Brahminy Starling | Sturnia pagodarum |
| Rosy Starling | Pastor roseus |
| Chats, Old World Flycatchers (Muscicapidae) | |
| Oriental Magpie-Robin | Copsychus saularis |
| Indian Robin | Copsychus fulicatus |
| Bluethroat | Luscinia svecica |
| Ultramarine Flycatcher | Ficedula superciliaris |
| Red-breasted Flycatcher | Ficedula parva |
| Pied Bush Chat | Saxicola caprata |
| Siberian Stonechat | Saxicola maurus |
| Isabelline Wheatear | Oenanthe isabellina |
| Desert Wheatear | Oenanthe deserti |
| Brown Rock Chat | Oenanthe fusca |
| Variable Wheatear | Oenanthe picata |
| Flowerpeckers (Dicaeidae) | |
| Thick-billed Flowerpecker | Dicaeum agile |
| Pale-billed Flowerpecker | Dicaeum erythrorhynchos |
| Sunbirds (Nectariniidae) | |
| Purple-rumped Sunbird | Leptocoma zeylonica |
| Purple Sunbird | Cinnyris asiaticus |
| Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches (Passeridae) | |
| Yellow-throated Sparrow | Gymnoris xanthocollis |
| House Sparrow | Passer domesticus |
| Weavers, Widowbirds (Ploceidae) | |
| Black-breasted Weaver | Ploceus benghalensis |
| Baya Weaver | Ploceus philippinus |
| Waxbills, Munias & Allies (Estrildidae) | |
| Indian Silverbill | Euodice malabarica |
| Wagtails, Pipits (Motacillidae) | |
| Forest Wagtail | Dendronanthus indicus |
| Western Yellow Wagtail | Motacilla flava |
| Citrine Wagtail | Motacilla citreola |
| Grey Wagtail | Motacilla cinerea |
| White Wagtail | Motacilla alba |
| White-browed Wagtail | Motacilla maderaspatensis |
| Paddyfield Pipit | Anthus rufulus |
| Tawny Pipit | Anthus campestris |
| Long-billed Pipit | Anthus similis |
| Tree Pipit | Anthus trivialis |
| Buntings (Emberizidae) | |
| Grey-necked Bunting | Emberiza buchanani |
| Red-headed Bunting | Emberiza bruniceps |
| Total seen | 247 |
| Total heard only | 2 |
| Total recorded | 249 |
Mammal List – Following Mammal Watching (April 2024)
| Common name | Scientific name |
| Old World Monkeys (Cercopithecidae) | |
| Bengal Sacred Langur (Endemic) | Semnopithecus entellus |
| Hares and Rabbits (Leporidae) | |
| Indian Hare | Lepus nigricollis |
| Squirrels (Sciuridae) | |
| Indian Palm Squirrel | Funambulus palmarum |
| Old World Mice and Rats (Muridae) | |
| Indian Desert Jird | Meriones hurrianae |
| Indian Bush Rat | Golunda ellioti |
| Old World Fruit Bats (Pteropodidae) | |
| Indian Flying Fox | Pteropus medius |
| Canids (Canidae) | |
| Golden Jackal | Canis aureus |
| Grey Wolf | Canis lupus |
| Indian Fox | Vulpes bengalensis |
| Felids (Felidae) | |
| Jungle Cat | Felis chaus |
| Lion – VU | Panthera leo |
| Mongooses (Herpestidae) | |
| Indian Grey Mongoose | Urva edwardsii |
| Hyaenas (Hyaenidae) | |
| Striped Hyena | Hyaena hyaena |
| Equines (Equidae) | |
| Onager | Equus hemionus |
| Bovids (Bovidae) | |
| Blackbuck | Antilope cervicapra |
| Chinkara | Gazella bennettii |
| Nilgai | Boselaphus tragocamelus |
| Deer (Cervidae) | |
| Chital | Axis axis |
| Sambar – VU | Rusa unicolor |
| Suids (Suidae) | |
| Eurasian Wild Pig | Sus scrofa |
| Total | 20 |
Reptile List – Following Reptiles of the World (October 2023)
| Common name | Scientific name |
| Crocodiles (Crocodylidae) | |
| Mugger Crocodile – VU | Crocodylus palustris |
| Total | 1 |
This is a sample trip report. Please email us ([email protected]) for more trip reports from this destination.
