Trip Report INDIA 2002

Simon Plat, Bernard Oosterbaan, Willem Oosterbaan
Dates: 7-11-2002 till 12-12-2002
For more info, comments, questions etc please contact us.

It is about impossible to use this report without the excellent Birdwatchers Guide to India by Krys Kazmierczak and Raj Singh. All locations mentioned in this report are described in detail in this guide, so there’s no need to repeat this. When we refer to an area that is not mentioned in Kazmierczak and Singh, we’ll try to explain the location as accurate as possible.
For general information on the country, health, climate etc. we refer to Kazmierczak and Singh and books like the Lonely Planet (North India).
Everything in this report is based on a one-time experience. Nevertheless we don’t hesitate to give our opinion on diverse strategic subjects and items like relative abundance of birds. So when reading this report keep in mind that a lot of things can be completely different when you’re there, especially the presence or abundance of birds.
The total trip list is not included in this report. This list is separately available in Excel format.
There’s one peculiar aspect about this report we’d like to mention before we start with the relevant items. This might be one of the few reports you read in which the authors did not succeed in finding all or most of the targets. As a matter of fact in the first part of our trip we dipped about all specialties (like Siberian Crane, Skimmer, Ibisbill, Tawny Fish Owl, Tiger etc.). Luckily the second part in Assam compensated a lot (read on for more info). We came to realize that trip reports are primarily written by those with successful and impressive lists, making the real thing harder than it seams after reading these reports. Nevertheless, or actually because of this effect, we felt obliged to write down our experiences. A lot of things are changing in India for the worse, with the absence of the former omnipresent Gyps vultures as most striking example and the absence of the Siberian Cranes in Keoladeo NP as sheer case of bad luck (and supposedly bad planning).

Note (added juli 2003): since the 2002 drought was apparently one of the worst ever, the Cranes didn't appear at all this season. This was the first winter without Siberian Cranes in Keoladeo since there reappearence in 1996. Pretty bad news for the last Siberian Cranes of India. I have a vague remembrance of a message on the Oriental Bird Newsgroup that the Indian birds that breed somewhere near the Po river in Russia didn't reappear at there breeding sites in 2003. So this might be even worse news.

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The country

Tall stories go around about India, and a lot of them are true: India is crowded, dirty and full of birds. Nevertheless we did not have the toughest vacation ever. A lot depends on how you prepare and plan the trip (see also Strategy). Good health precautions are essential, but in our opinion there’s no need to become paranoid about this topic. All relevant aspects about staying healthy in India are covered in detail in guides like the Lonely Planet. Best thing to do is to consult your doctor in time (at least a month before leaving) for vaccinations and malaria prophylaxes. We had no problems with our health, except for some travelers diarrhoea, causing no serious problems. You better stay actively involved with your health and safety during the complete trip, not neglecting this when things are going fine.
We never felt unsafe except during some of the drives in Assam, especially one during the night (we strongly advise not to drive during the dark hours). On the other hand we didn’t visit large cities or took one of those ‘tourist trains’ between Delhi and Agra. Having a private driver certainly makes it easier to get around and feel safe in India.
Safety is a fast changing subject. Assam has a bad reputation being an unsafe area due to rebel activity but tourists seldom are subject to attacks. Most governments have a foreign affairs office where you can gather the most recent information. It is sometimes possible to find recent travel advise on the internet. In the Netherlands the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has an internet site with information on traveling and safety (see Relevant Internet sites). Like most third world countries your worst fear should be joining the traffic chaos.

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Strategy

India still is a pretty cheap country but much depends on the way you organize the trip. During our preparations we realized that there’s a direct relation between the money spent and a potential good bird list. The cheapest option is to make all arrangements yourself and using public transport, but this might cost a lot of time and consequently, birds. On the other hand, several tour operators are more than willing to arrange everything for you, leaving you to the birding essentials. Some of those tour operators are specialized in finding target birds. This option surely is the most expensive but if you choose a tour operator that is specialized in birds they will do everything to get you to the local specialties.
Our strategy was somewhat in between the two extremes. For the first half of the trip (around Delhi) we were able to arrange a car with driver over the internet for a good price. Major advantage is that we were picked up by the driver on arrival at the airport, skipped the fuss of finding transport at the airport, and were ‘in business’ less than two hours after arrival. A disadvantage of travelling by car is that it is not as quick as some of the (night) trains. It took us two days (including some birding en route) to get from Agra to Ramnagar, while a night train does it in one night, not even loosing a day. Another relative disadvantage was that we actually didn’t need a car in areas like Keoladeo NP and Corbett NP. We even rented a second car (an open 4-WD) for three days to get into Corbett NP (see Itinerary). So having the constant availability of a car for two weeks certainly wasn’t the cheapest option, but it definitely was luxuriously handy to have a car and driver ready at all times (early mornings was no problem for our driver). See Car hire for details on the car and driver hire.
For the second half of our trip, in Assam we decided to get a totally arranged trip, primarily because of the uncertain safety situation in Assam. We got a good offer for a custom trip by Flamingo Travels, which worked out very well for us since we only had to bother finding birds. See Organized package deal for more details.
So strategy mostly depends on available time and budget. With limited time we advise to get an arranged trip for at least a part of your holiday. With limited budget it is best to try to arrange things yourself. Also it is best to make your itinerary not too tight: travelling at a mean speed of 30 km/h is the rule rather than the exception.

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Highlights and targets

Spot-billed Pelican (Pelecanus philippensis, Grijze Pelikaan) –Vulnerable–: common and easy to find in Kaziranga NP, over 50 birds, single individuals seen on all visits to western  and eastern range.

Asian Openbill (Anastomus oscitans, Indische Gaper): probably due to the drought very uncommon around Delhi (only one in Bund Baretha), much more common in the wet fields all over Assam.

Black-necked Stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus asiaticus, Zwarthalsooievaar) –Near threatened–: despite the drought still present at Keoladeo, seen in small numbers in almost all visited national parks, never outside these parks.

Greater Adjutant (Leptoptilos dubius, Indische Marabou) –Endangered–: large group (> 35) on waste dump near Guwahati (see Assam general), only single individual in Kaziranga NP but hard to separate from Lesser while soaring high in the sky.

Lesser Adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus, Javaanse Marabou) –Vulnerable–: Seen only in Kaziranga NP in small numbers on all visits, sometimes soaring in small groups (<5). One bird was present in Nameri NP.

Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala, Indische Nimmerzat) –Near threatened–: largest group seen in Sultanpur NP (about 100) where apparently still on breeding site, probably because of the presence of water. Next largest group (about 30) in a small pond beside the road Delhi-Agra. Very uncommon in the other visited areas (only 1 in Keoladeo NP).

Red-naped Ibis (Pseudibis papillosa, Wrattenibis): one group of 16 individuals in Bhindawas, where it appears to be resident year round.

Black-headed Ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus, Indische Witte Ibis) –Near threatened–: present on most waterbodies but in small numbers. Common in Bhindawas and widespread in Kaziranga NP.

Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber, Europese Flamingo): one bird flying over the Yamuna river in Agra.

White-winged Duck (Cairina scutulata, Witvleugelboseend) –Endangered–: confined to Nameri NP. The first sighting of this elusive and shy bird was by one of us being just in time to see two birds flying away while approaching a pool. The two other birders missed it by reaching the pool a split second too late! It took over 2,5 hours to (re)locate two birds, running around the forests in search for pools. So here’s a tip: try to convince the guides that they point out the pools and then leave the approach to you, then approach every pond very carefully, hopefully not scaring them away. It should be possible to be able to see them sitting in the water, mostly two birds together, without chasing them. This was successful for us on the last day of our visit, with very good views of two birds. The probably best local guide that knows all the pools in the area lives in Nameri NP, about 2 km east of the ‘entrance’ to the park. Make sure that your guide knows that you want to see the ducks, and they will help you find it.

Comb Duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos, Knobbeleend): another indication of the drought in Keoladeo NP: we finally found the only bird of our trip in the last remnant of water in Bhindawas.

Short-toed Snake-Eagle (Circaetus gallicus, Slangenarend): apart from one individual in Keoladeo NP an unexpected bird in Kaziranga NP (central trail), according to the bird guides a little out of range.

White-rumped Vulture (Gyps bengalensis, Bengaalse Gier) –Critical–: only one individual of this once very common vulture, flying over the ‘Adjutant dump’ near Guwahati.

Eurasian Griffon (Gyps fulvus, Vale Gier): one of the proofs that things change rapidly in India. This was the commonest vulture in Kazirange NP during our visit with over 25 birds seen. At a Rhino carcass in the eastern range in Kaziranga NP this species appeared to be dominant over the also present (smaller) Long-billed Vulture.

Himalayan Griffon (Gyps himalayensis, Himalaya-gier): at least two birds soaring with Eurasian Griffon near Mongoli Valley.

Long-billed Vulture (Gyps indicus tenuirostris, Indische Gier) –Critical–: only seen in the eastern range of Kaziranga NP where a handful of birds were present near a Rhino carcass.

Red-headed Vulture (Sarcogyps calvus, Indische Oorgier) –Near threatened–: we saw two birds on both days in Keoladeo NP and several birds in Corbett NP.

Pallas's Sea-Eagle (Haliaeetus leucoryphus, Witbandzeearend) –Vulnerable–: not uncommon in Corbett NP and Kaziranga NP. Seen on most days visiting these areas.

Grey-headed Fish-Eagle (Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus, Grote Rivierarend) –Near threatened–: only seen in Kaziranga NP in small numbers on several days in all regions.

Lesser Fish-Eagle (Ichthyophaga humilis, Kleine Rivierarend) –Near threatened–: only seen in Corbett NP, in singles on two or three days.

Black Eagle (Ictinaetus malayensis, Indische Zwarte Arend): one juvenile flying over while walking to Cheena Peak near Nainital.

Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus, Dwergarend): one bird flying over in the eastern range of Kaziranga NP, apparently a bit out of range.

Pied Falconet (Microhierax melanoleucus, Bonte Dwergvalk): though seemingly hard to find we were lucky enough to see three birds on different occasions. The first was in the middle of Modarjuri forest (Panbari), the second was a surprise in Nameri NP, we expected (by the books) Collared here and the third was from the balcony of our hotel in Bhalukpong. All three showed well enough to rule out Collared.

Swamp Francolin (Francolinus gularis, Moerasfrankolijn) –Vulnerable–: rather easy to find in Kaziranga NP. Seen on almost all visits in all ranges, mostly in numbers between 5 and 20 birds together.

Bengal Florican (Eupodotis bengalensis, Baardtrap) –Endangered–: we were lucky to find one bird from the Derban watchtower in the western range of Kaziranga NP, especially after realizing that we were not allowed to go to Debeswari.

Great Thick-knee (Burhinus recurvirostris, Grote Griel): one bird on one of the islands at Bund Baretha.

Grey-headed Lapwing (Vanellus cinereus, Grijskopkievit): several birds in Kaziranga NP, one bird in Corbett NP was a surprise.

Pallas's Gull (Larus ichthyaetus, Reuzenzwartkopmeeuw): after missing this species at all the river crossings we checked, we saw a juvenile flying over the river at Nameri NP, which is, according to the books, a bit out of range.

Vernal Hanging-Parrot (Loriculus vernalis, Indische Vleermuisparkiet): as with many birds, once we learned the sound it proved to be rather common in Nameri NP.

Blossom-headed Parakeet (Psittacula roseata, Bloesemkopparkiet): the least common of the parakeets seen. Only one bird in Panbari Forest and (at least) one bird in the eastern range of Kaziranga NP. Probably overlooked.

Plaintive Cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus, Piet-van-Vliet): the only bird we saw was an hepatic female in the tea gardens near Kohora.

Brown Fish-Owl (Ketupa zeylonensis, Bruine Visuil): 4 different sightings, all in Corbett NP. Nice was a sighting at dusk in Dhikala with two birds flying on and off exactly the same branch after each other.

Wreathed Hornbill (Aceros undulatus, Gewone Jaarvogel): one bird flying over at the western part of Nameri NP.

Great Hornbill (Buceros bicornis, Dubbelhoornige Neushoornvogel) –Near threatened–: we had a lot of different sightings of this magnificent bird: 2 in Corbett NP about 2 km from the entrance at Dhangarhi, 2 birds showing very well in scattered trees in the central range of Kaziranga NP, at least 2 birds not showing well in Panbari forest, 2 birds pretty close in Nameri NP and one calling just outside the park on the south side of the river.

Blue-eared Barbet (Megalaima australis, Blauwoorbaardvogel): only one bird in Nameri NP.

Great Barbet (Megalaima virens, Grote Baardvogel): 3 birds at different locations in the Northern Indian Hills. The one in Mongoli Valley showed very well.

Speckled Piculet (Picumnus innominatus, Aziatische Dwergspecht): one great sighting of a bird in Panbari Forest (Modarjuri)

Forest Wagtail (Dendronanthus indicus, Boomkwikstaart): one sighting of a bird in the forest on the western trail of Kaziranga NP.

Mountain Bulbul (Hypsipetes mcclellandii, Groenvleugelbuulbuul): only one sighting of two birds in Mongoli Valley (first part) during the second visit.

Isabelline (Chinese) Shrike (Lanius arenarius, Chinese Klauwier): a single individual at our lookout spot near the palace at Bund Baretha.

Brown Dipper (Cinclus pallasii, Zwarte Waterspreeuw): our only sighting was of two birds in the Kosi River bed behind Quality Inn (Corbett Jungle Resort) near Kumeria.

Black-throated Accentor (Prunella atrogularis, Zwartkeelheggenmus): two birds in the fenced off fields just before Sat Tal.

Black-backed Forktail (Enicurus immaculatus, Zwartrugvorkstaart): one bird was present in the same pool where we got good views of the White-winged Ducks in Nameri NP.

Chestnut-bellied Rock-Thrush (Monticola rufiventris, Roodbuikrotslijster): a female together with an invisible male in Mongoli Valley on our second visit.

Blue Rock-Thrush (Monticola solitarius, Blauwe Rotslijster): a bird, present in the town of Bhalukpong showed rufous under tail coverts, indicating a possible hybrid with the philippensis subspecies.

Daurian Redstart (Phoenicurus auroreus, Spiegelroodstaart): a beautiful male was present at the entrance of the western range of Kaziranga NP on our first visit.

White-collared Blackbird (Turdus albocinctus, Witkraaglijster): one bird was present in a group of Dark-throated Thrushes at Snow View Point and  two birds were seen at Cheena Peek (both Nainital).

Black-breasted Thrush (Turdus dissimilis, Zwartborstlijster): at least one male in the first feeding flock of Nameri NP, but things were a bit hectic at that time (lots of birds everywhere).

Orange-headed Thrush (Zoothera citrina, Dama-lijster): great views of a bird allowing itself to be relocated after being discovered by a local guide in Keoladeo NP, just beside the main road halfway between the entrance and the temple.

Blue-winged Minla (Minla cyanouroptera, Blauwvleugelminla): we were pretty happy with this bird in Corbett NP but it proved to be more common at Mongoli Valley with a group of at least 5 birds on our second visit.

Green Shrike-Babbler (Pteruthius xanthochlorus, Groene Briltimalia): we were surprised by this bird, probably most because nobody mentions it in Nainital. There were at least two birds in a feeding flock also containing White-browed Shrike-Babblers.

Brooks's Leaf-Warbler (Phylloscopus subviridis, Brooks' Bladkoning): not one of the easiest birds to find. We found only one in Keoladeo NP, in Acacia trees south of the temple.

Orphean Warbler (Sylvia hortensis, Orpheusgrasmus): one of our first birds in India was a juv. Orphean Warbler in Sultanpur NP.

Pygmy Blue-Flycatcher (Muscicapella hodgsoni, Dwergniltava): apparently a target species for Nameri NP. We saw one individual of this very charming little bird on the trail leading east from the entrance.

Sultan Tit (Melanochlora sultanea, Sultanmees): during our first day in Nameri NP we were accompanied by probably one and the same feeding flock of birds containing also three Sultan Tits. Consequently we saw this species constantly during the morning, but no sign of them the other days.

Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria, Rotskruiper): all in all we had a lot of sightings of this charming bird. The first was on one of the pillars of the dam in Ramnagar. Two birds were present in the riverbed south of this dam (about 1 km). Another two birds were seen in the Kosi river bed behind Quality Inn (Corbett Jungle Resort) near Kumeria. The last bird was seen during our rafting experience in Nameri NP.

Chestnut-eared Bunting (Emberiza fucata, Grijskopgors): a juvenile bird was present in a group of other buntings, Russet Sparrows and accentors in what we called the Sub Valley (see the site description of Mongoli Valley).

Spot-winged Starling (Saroglossa spiloptera, Marmerspreeuw): at one time only we had one bird in an ever-present group of Chestnut-tailed Starlings in the garden of Aranya Lodge.

Crow-billed Drongo (Dicrurus annectans, Kraaiebekdrongo): two birds together in the Modarjuri part of the Panbari forest.

Green Magpie (Cissa chinensis, Groene Kitta): after a quick look at a  elusive bird we had great views of two birds at closerange, while driving back from Dhikala to the entrance in Corbett NP.

Grey Treepie (Dendrocitta formosae, Grijsborstboomekster): not very hard to find in Mongoli Valley where we saw a bird on both occasions. Also seen at Sat Tal.

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Books and maps

We used the following books and guides:

Pocket Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent by Richard Grimmett, Carol Inskipp and Tim Inskipp (1999). The field guide version proved very useful, though texts are limited and the order in which the birds are presented makes it hard to find the groups you’re looking for (We made our own index to groups).
A Field Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent by Krys Kazmierczak and Ber van Perlo (2001). Even after 3.5 weeks of experience it is hard to decide which of these books was the best. Some plates are better in the Grimmet et al. while others are better in Kazmierczak and Van Perlo. It is advisable to take both.
A Birdwatchers’ Guide to India by Krys Kazmierczak and Raj Singh (1998). Though already old this book proved to be invaluable. Good site descriptions and useful maps. Only a few spots are not described well enough to find them yourself (like Bhindawas and Bund Baretha), and several recent spots around Delhi (like Basia) which are certainly worth a visit, are not added.

We bought a Map of India (Worldcart, 2000) but this one was not good enough to be useful.

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Car Hire

When hiring a car it is advised to hire a car with driver. Not only is it suicidal to drive by yourself in India, it will be pretty hard to find your way since not all route information is bilingual. Moreover, insurance rates and deposits are often high, you may get all kinds of bureaucratic problems regarding your driving license etc. and, finally, the state and road tax system can be difficult to comprehend.
We were able to arrange a car at Metropole Tourist Service by e-mail (metropole@vsnl.com). The package included a self supporting driver. It is advised to ask specifically for a self supporting driver (in terms of food and lodging), and to make explicit agreements on who’s paying for expenses like fuel, parking fee and entrance fees. We paid Rs 16500 for 15 days car hire with self supporting driver and fuel included and 200km free per day.
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Organized package deal

Flamingo Travels arranged a complete package for us in Assam. We made all arrangements over the internet. The deposit was payed by bank transfer. The package included the return flight Delhi - Guwahati, all transfers and accommodation, two excursions per day and the entrance fees and guide prices in Kaziranga and Nameri National Park. Total costs were $ 1000,- per person. Flamingo Travels booked us in Aranya Lodge, one of the better lodges near Kaziranga NP with a nice garden and a high bird potential. In Nameri NP we stayed at the Tourist Guest House in the town of Bhalukpong which was about 20 km from the entrance of the park. This hotel was good but dinner options were limited and the food was not very tasty. It might be good to know that Nameri Eco Camp is not inside the park either but about 1,5 km from the river bordering the park. The direct surroundings of the Eco Camp were not that inspiring for birding, so we didn’t mind staying at Bhalukpong, one hour drive from the entrance. Actually, birding potential around the hotel at Bhalukpong seemed better than around Nameri Eco Camp (to our surprise we found a Pied Falconet from our balcony at Bhalukpong!).
Flamingo Travels certainly did a very good job entertaining us. They arranged excursions every morning and afternoon, keeping us busy continuously. They were able to arrange a whole-day visit to the Eastern Range in Kaziranga NP, which normally is only allowed for scientific reasons (in return we had to do a small survey). We decided to skip an elephant ride in Nameri NP, but the elephant ride in Kazirange NP (only 1 hour nowadays) is quite nice to see wildlife at close range (mammals). The raft we took in Nameri NP was neat and can be good for birding, though not spectacular in terms of rafting (we found a beautiful Wallcreeper during the ‘ride’).
Flamingo Travels is also able to arrange you local experienced birdwatching guides. We asked them for a non-birding guide, for reasons that eluded me and that don’t make much sence afterwards. Flamingo Travels will be able to help you find the relatively easy targets and to create the options for finding birds by yourself.

Here’s the info on Flamingo Travels:
Flamingo Travels & Adventures(A) Pvt. Ltd.
Renuka Complex,Zoo Road Tiniali,
R.G.Baruah Road, Guwahati-24
Assam, India
Ph. ++91-361-2456514/2454669
Website: www.flamingotravels.com
E-mail: info@flamingotravels.com
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Prices

During our stay the rates were 45 rupees for € 1,-.
Prices are subject to change everywhere, but apparently especially in India. We were unhappily surprised to find that (just two months before our arrival) the government of Assam had raised a lot of prices, especially the – weird – camera-fees. We had to pay 500 rupees (€ 11,-) per still camera per day, apart from all other fees that are applicable. (Prices for videocameras are even higher.) In our opinion that is exorbitant high for tourists just wanting a snapshot or two. We decided not to use the camera all the days we visited Kaziranga NP and Nameri NP.
Hotel prices were all between 300 and 550 rupees (€ 7,- and € 12,-) per room. This was including the extra fee we had to pay for a third person in one room. None of the hotels had problems arranging an extra bed to sleep together in one room. This actually turned out to be cheaper per person. Hotels in Assam were included in the package deal.
Food was never expensive (between 100 and 450 rupees) but sometimes hard to come by (in Ramnagar we had problems finding a restaurant with English speaking staff). If our hotel didn’t serve food we chose local restaurants.
Other relevant prices en route are mentioned in Itinerary.
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Relevant internet sites

Indian sites
www.ee.princeton.edu/~vivek/indianbirds.html : Good to browse during preparation. Recent info makes this site interesting
www.flamingotravels.com : Flamingo travels arranged the trip in Assam for us. They are also willing to buy the airline tickets (Delhi <-> Guwahati) for you.
www.camacdonald.com/birding : The Indian site has a lot of links to information on different areas. Links do not always work but this site is a good start. There's also a part with trip reports.
www.delhibirds.org : Specific information on birding in and around Delhi. Good and informative site, with recent sightings.
www.indiabirds.com : Lot of information on birding in India

Trip reports
www.birdtours.co.uk : This is a great site with a huge amount of trip reports. Certainly good to check while preparing the trip.
www.crosswinds.net/~birdtrips/tripreports : This used to be one of the greatest sites to find trip reports. Still a lot of trip reports but no recent reports are added any more. This link brings you to the site, recently hosted by Camacdonald.

Background info
www.joho.nl : Dutch site including good and relevant tips concerning safety and travelling in foreign countries. Worth checking and reading the tips on India.
www.buza.nl : Dutch governmental site with recent information on safety issues, it is advised to check this site before arranging a trip.

Other sites
www.orientalbirdclub.org : Might prove useful for general information. You can also buy trip reports from the Oriental Bird Club.
www.worldtwitch.com : The gate to finding rare birds all around the world did not prove very useful for India. The popup screens are annoying.
metropole@vsnl.com : E-mail address of Metropole car hire, the place where we rented our car with driver.
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Downloads:

Download total trip report in doc format (112 kB)

Download total trip report in PDF format (271 kB)

Download triplist in xls format (101 kB)

Download triplist in pdf format (104 kB)

Download checklist with all Indian birds in xls (203 kB)

Download checklist with all Indial birds in csv (74 kB)

Download checklist with all Indian birds in pdf (75 kB)

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