Delhi, Corbett National Park, Pangot, Sat Tal, Gwaldam, Chopta, Doon Valley
Birds and Mammals in Himalayas Tour
Overview
This tour takes you to the best birding and wildlife sites of North India, including the Corbett National Park, one of India’s premier wildlife destinations, and the western Himalayan foothills. Your life list will be able to get a major boost with the abundant wildlife and relatively easy birding. Not only will jungle safaris in Corbett help you see iconic Indian mammals like Tiger and the Asian Elephant, but with the help of your guide, you will get great pictures and sightings of birds like the Brown and Tawny Fish Owls, the Kalij, Koklass and Cheer Pheasants, the Greater and Lesser yellow-naped, the Brown Wood Owl, the Himalayan and Black Bulbuls.
Established as the Hailey National Park in 1936, Corbett is India’s oldest national park and tiger reserve. Located in the western Himalayan foothills, Corbett is one of India’s premier wildlife destinations. Apart from a healthy population of tigers, leopards, Asian elephants, Indian muntjacs, Sambar Deer, Chital, and more, Corbett is also home to a wide variety of birds. One may expect to see birds like Lesser Fish Eagle, Cinereous Vulture, Pallas's Fish Eagle, Tawny Fish and Spot-bellied Eagle-Owls, Great Slaty Woodpecker, Ibisbill, Wallcreeper, Golden-headed Cisticola, Rosy Minivet and Himalayan Rubythroat to name a few. The park is home to a wide variety of habitats, from riverine belts, marshlands, and lakes, to forests and grasslands, adding to both its natural beauty and biodiversity
Located about 15km from Nainital, in the state of Uttarakhand, Pangot is a quiet hamlet surrounded by the Himalayas. Lush forests surround this Kumaoni hamlet, making it the perfect place for the birds of the region to thrive. One can see a variety of Himalayan species such as the Himalayan Vulture, the Blue-winged Minla, the Spotted & Slaty-backed Forktail, Rufous-bellied Woodpecker, Rufous-bellied Niltava, the Kalij Pheasant, a variety of thrushes, and more. Almost 150 bird species have been recorded at Pangot and the surrounding areas.
Apart from being India’s oldest birding lodge and one of the earliest resorts in Pangot, Jungle Lore Birding Lodge is also at the forefront of the Zero Waste Pangot project, a project that aims to reduce waste by adopting responsible waste and water management practices and teaching them to other lodges in Pangot. Through village walks, Jungle Lore also showcases local rural village life, while activities like cooking classes help traditional practices endure and spread.
Sat Tal, the land of seven freshwater lakes connected mysteriously, is a beautiful haven, an abode set amid the Himalayan landscape, criss-crossed with lush meadows and tall trees. With a rich diversity of mammals, birds (both migratory and resident), and butterflies, the natural diversity of Sat Tal is truly awe-inspiring.
Birding in Sat Tal in December is a special experience as the area plays host to many birds from higher altitudes who migrate down for the winter. With the help of a Sat Tal birding guide, you will be able to find species like Green-tailed Sunbird, Griffon Vulture, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Red-billed Blue Magpie, Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, and many more.
Chopta, in the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, provides some excellent winter and spring birding, and fantastic landscapes. A variety of montane habitats, from pine forests to alpine meadows, results in a rich diversity of birds. It is famous among photographers and birders for being the best and most easily accessible place in India to see the Himalayan Monal, as well as other pheasants, woodpeckers, laughingthrushes, rosefinches, and more. That alone would be worth the long drive, but the area has much more to offer.
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Tiger Camp
In the morning, you will be picked up from Delhi and driven to Corbett National Park (7 hours). After arriving at your resort and checking in, you will be heading for an afternoon safari into the national park. The duration of the safari is about three hours each and is conducted till sunset. You will have a private jeep to yourself, accompanied by an expert driver and guide. These experts are well-versed in the region and are a treasure trove of knowledge.
Overnight stay.
Key species: Tawny Fish Owl (R), Brown Fish Owl (R), Great Hornbill (R), Oriental Pied Hornbill (R), Lineated Barbet (R), Chestnut-headed Bee-eater (S), Rufous-breasted Accentor (W), Grey-sided Bushwarbler (W), Common Merganser (W), Eurasian Sparrowhawk (W).
PS: If you want to do the safari, please book it in advance.
Meals: Breakfast in Corbett, Lunch and Dinner in Pangot
Accommodation: Jungle Lore Birding Lodge
Explore the jungle further with a morning safari into the park. Besides the mammals of the park, a morning safari is also great for birdwatching. Corbett’s variety of habitats is home to a great diversity of avifauna. Return to the lodge post safari. Check-out at 12 noon. After lunch, drive to Pangot, with stops along the way for birdwatching at places like Kaladhungi. Reach Pangot. You can spend the remainder of the day birdwatching in and around Jungle Lore Birding Lodge with your guide.
Overnight stay.
Key species: Greater Yellownape (R) , Himalayan Black Bulbul (R), Pied Myna (R), White-throated Laughingthrush (R), Streaked Laughingthrush (R), Striated Laughingthrush (R), Red-billed Blue Magpie (R), Oriental Turtle Dove(R)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Accommodation: Jungle Lore Birding Lodge
Spend a full day birding at Pangot village, Bagga,r and Gughu Khan. Trek to Cheena Peak - a very enjoyable half-day trek with a packed picnic lunch. These walks can be very rewarding. You have the afternoon free to visit the local villages and observe the remote lifestyle of the hill folk with a guided village walk.
Overnight stay
Key species: Cheer(R), Koklass and Kalij Pheasants(R), Crested Serpent Eagle(R), Mountain Hawk-Eagle(R), Brown-fronted and Rufous-bellied Woodpecker(R), Mistle Thrush (R), Striated Prinia(R), Rufous-bellied Niltava(R), Himalayan Bluetail (W), Blue-capped Redstart (W), White-throated, Striated and Streaked Laughingthrushes (R), Upland Pipit (R), Whiskered Yuhina(R), Slaty-headed Parakeet(R), Red-breasted Parakeets (S), Grey Bushchat (R), Long-tailed & Grey-backed Shrike (R), Common Kestrel (R), Besra (W), Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush (R). Black-throated Thrush (W)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Accommodation: Jungle Lore Birding Lodge
Spend the full day birding at Pangot village, Baggar, and Gughu Khan with your guide. Explore the campus of Jungle Lore Birding Lodge, as well as the surrounding woods and streams for targets.
Overnight stay
Key species: Black-throated Bushtit (R), Black-throated Sunbird(R), Streaked Laughingthrush(R), Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon(S) , Spotted Dove (R), Mountain Scops Owl (S), Eurasian Jay(R), Large-tailed Nightjar(S).
Meals: Breakfast in Pangot, Lunch and Dinner in Sat Tal
Accommodation: Lavanya Resort
Spend the morning birding in Pangot. After a late breakfast, check out and drive to Sat Tal, stopping en route for birding. Arrive in Sat Tal in the early afternoon. Check in to your resort and have lunch. Spend the evening birding in Sat Tal. The deliberately undeveloped and well-wooded areas around Sat Tal are a great place for a walk, even without the intention of birding.
Overnight stay.
Key species: White-crested Laughingthrush(R), Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher (W), Red-billed Leothrix(R), Siberian Rubythroat (W), Rock Bunting (W)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Accommodation: Lavanya Resort
Spend the day in Sat Tal enjoying bird watching and nature trails with your guide, exploring the wild side of this place. If time permits, go for a guided village walk, exploring how life is both similar and different to the rural scene in and around Pangot.
Overnight stay.
Key species: Blue-winged Minla(R), Himalayan Bulbul(R), Black Bulbul(R), Ashy Bulbul(R), Mountain Bulbul(R), Rufous-chinned Laughingthrush(R), Kalij Pheasant(R), Slaty-backed Forktail (R)
Meals: Breakfast in Sat Tal
Accommodation: Nature's Treat Resort
Morning birding in Sat Tal with your guide. The habitat offers species such as White-crested Laughingthrush, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, Red-billed Leothrix, Siberian Rubythroat, Rock Bunting etc. This scattered and deliberately undeveloped area is one of the most pleasant destinations. Look for Rufous-chinned Laughingthrush, Rufous-breasted Accentor, Greater Yellownape, Speckled Piculet, Golden Bush Robin, etc.
After breakfast, check out, and later, drive to Gwaldam with a packed lunch.
Arrive Gwaldam, evening bird walk in Gwaldam
Overnight stay.
Meals: Breakfast in Gwaldam, and Dinner in Chopta
Accommodation: Bunker's House
After a morning birdwalk in Gwaldam, check out and drive to Chopta. The road to Chopta runs along the Ganga and Alaknanda Rivers before turning into the Mandakini valley in Rudraprayag. On arrival at the Magpie Jungle Camp and checking in, you can relax with some refreshments. In the evening, one can take a walk at the camp’s grassland patches for acclimatization or visit some of the nearby places for a short stroll.
Key species: Green-tailed Sunbird, Rock Bunting, Dark-breasted Rosefinch, Pink-browed Rosefinch, Siberian Stonechat, Grey Bush Chat
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Accommodation: Bunker's House
Spend the full day birding at Tungnath. Tungnath is the highest Shiva Temple, and part of the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary. From a birding point of view, this trek can be very rewarding.
Overnight stay
Key species: Kalij Pheasant, Himalayan Monal, Hill Partridge, Crested Kingfisher, Brown Dipper, Spotted Forktail, Red-billed Blue Magpie, Speckled Piculet
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Accommodation: Bunker's House
You have a full day of birding in and around Chopta today to look for targets. Chopta is probably the best and most easily accessible place in India to see Himalayan Monal, as well as other birds like Kalij and Koklass Pheasants, Brown Dipper, nuthatches, and laughingthrushes.
Overnight stay.
Meals: Breakfast in Chopta, Lunch on the way, and Dinner in Kachnar
Accommodation: Kachnar Homestay
After a morning birding session around Chopta, drive to Kachnar, Doon Valley. Arrive at Kachnar in the late afternoon.
Overnight stay.
Key species: Scaly-breasted Cupwing, Variegated Laughingthrush, White-throated Laughingthrush, Himalayan Bulbul, Himalayan Bluetail, Blue-fronted Redstart
But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful.
Highlights
- Stunning landscapes of the Himalayan foothills
- Piping hot and farm-fresh delicious meals
- Stay in some of the best ecolodges of the region
- Jungle safaris in India’s oldest national park, to see tigers, elephants, and more
- Leisurely-paced and relatively easy birding
- Insights into daily Kumaoni life
Included
- Flight by plane Flight and transfer to the hotel
