Date: - 28th Oct.- 3rd Nov. (6 nights 7 days) 
Guest Name: Andrew Macanzie 
Nationality: British

The North India Birding Tour Started on 28th October and ended on 3rd November with a British Birdwatcher Andrew Macanzie around Sattal, Pangot, and Corbett. These birding locations are situated in the Western Himalayan range which contained vital diversity of flora and fauna with more than 600 species of birds with eleven restricted-range species. A short trip report is presented here with daily activities and a bird checklist:

North India Birding

28th October (Day 1):
First day of the birding had started at afternoon after lunch at Pine Crest Hotel Sattal. We had very good afternoon at Chanfi River creek. Chamfi is one of the best birding hotspots of Uttarakhand. Walking slowly through the small creek to Chanfi River was very exciting. We saw Small Niltava, Black-lored Tit, Spotted Forktail, Brown Dipper, Crested Kingfisher and many other passerine .

29th October (Day 2):
Second day of the tour started in the morning after early breakfast at hotel. Walking through the road was very fruitful birding to get White-tailed Rubythroat, Slaty Blue Flycatcher, Rusty-cheecked Scimitar Babbler, Rufous-chinned Laughingthrush, Red- billed Leiothrix, Tits, Warblers, Sunbirds and many more. At noon we returned to hotel for lunch and back to Sattal at afternoon. Afternoon was very quite although we saw Kalij Pheasanat, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Greater Goldenback, Ultramarine Flycatcher etc. At the end of the day we found a Thick-billed Warbler which might be an irregular passage migrant for this area.

30th October (Day 3):
After early breakfast and check-out we headed again towards sattal to get morning moment of birds. Spending 2hrs around sattal gave us some gorgeous birds like Common Green Magpie, Maroon Oriole, Red-breasted Parakeet, Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker, Ashy Bulbul etc. On the way to Pangot we stopped at a place called Kilbury and enjoyed with Warblers, Tits, Treecreepers and Woodpeckers. We went down to Bagger and Timlapani at afternoon and find out some beautiful birds along with a globally threatened species Grey-crowned Prinia. It was an excellent birding day coz we didn’t stop at all, we didn’t stop to watch and search till night and finally got a mysterious owl Mountain Scops Owl just in 5m distance. It was a perfect birding day.

Grey-crowned Prinia

31st October (Day 4):
A mission had set last night for Two Pheasants species so we headed earlier to search Cheer and Koklass with packed breakfast. We heard Koklass from car parking but it was higher up on the hill. Drive slowly and watch carefully on the road and stop at some point and scan up-down in valley are only two methods to find Koklass but we didn’t get any koklass so we returned back to cheer point to try for Cheer and tried hard and scanned every parts of the valley which is totally covered by grass and the result was same like Koklass. But we saw Peregrine Falcon, Himalayan Vulture, Altai Accentor, Blue-capped Redstart, Wallcreeper there. On the way back to hotel we saw 6 different species of Woodpecker, Long-billed Thrush, White-browed Shrike-babbler. Afternoon birding was around Ghughukhan and we saw a group of Striated Laughingthrush, Whiskered Yuhina and a Black-and-Yellow Grosbeak. The morning was quite clear and sunny but the afternoon was totally Misty and poor visibility.
 

1st November (Day 5):
The morning was same like yesterday morning and result also same for the pheasants but we got a pair of Hill Partridge and a feeding party of Buff-barred, Lemon-rumped, and Black-faced Warbler and a Mistle Thrush . After early lunch, drove down to Corbett and stopped at Koshi Barrage for waterbirds. There was a big flock of Ruddy Shelducks and Great Cormorants, Stork-billed Kingfisher, River Lapwing, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper some Egrets and Herons too. We then directly went to Kumeria. Kumeria is very quite at afternoon although; we saw one Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker and a group of White-crested Laughingthrush.
 

2nd November ( Day 6):
We headed towards Kumeria again for morning birding with packed breakfast. Morning birding alongside of the road was superb enough to get more variety of birds. In the morning we got a Tawny Fish Owl, Pallas's Fish Eagle, White-capped Bunting, Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, Brown Dipper, Olive-backed Pipit, Ashy Bulbul etc. We then back to Tiger Camp and went for afternoon Safari inside Bijrani Zone after Lunch. At Bijrani we got Isabelline Wheater, Eurasian Wryneck, Yellow- eyed Babbler, Sirkeer Malkoha. Including all we saw 87 species of birds and 7 species of Mammals but not Tiger.
 

3rd November (Day 7):
We had a morning Safari inside Jhirna Zone in Last day of the tour. We headed Jhirna very early and searched for Tiger n birds. This morning was quite beautiful and exciting Although we didn’t get the Tiger but we got some beautiful birds like Peregrine Falcon, Great Hornbill, Long-billed Pipit, Puff-throated Babbler, Crested Treeswift, Black Stork, Golden-fronted Leafbird. The morning safari closed with 60 different varieties of bird and we did checklist at Tiger camp and departed.
 

Great Hornbill

At last, the tour was very successful. Although we couldn’t get some highlighted and some common species we saw nearly 200 species of bird including 13 species of woodpecker, 5 species of Bulbul, 5 species of Laughingthrushes, and many other rare birds like Grey-crowned Prinia, unusual sighting of Thick-billed Warbler (prob.
Passage migrant), Mountain Scops Owl such in a close distance, Long-billed Thrush,
Isabelline Wheatear etc. 

Checklist:-

 

Species S.N. Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Latin Name
Hill Partridge 1         2     Arborophila torqueola
Rufous-throated Partridge 2   H H         Arborophila rufogularis
Koklass Pheasant 3       H       Pucrasia macrolopha
Red Jungle Fowl 4             14 Gallus gallus
Kalij Pheasant 5   12   2       Lophura leucomelanos
Indian Peafowl 6           6 12 Pavo cristatus
Ruddy Shelduck 7         114     Tadorna ferruginea
Black Stork 8             11 Ciconia nigra
Indian Pond Heron 9         40 3 9 Ardeola grayii
Little Egret 10         26     Egretta garzetta
Little Cormorant 11         40     Phalacrocorax niger
Great Cormorant 12     36   28     Phalacrocorax carbo
Common Kestrel 13             2 Falco tinnunculus
Peregrine Falcon 14       1     2 Falco peregrinus shaheen
Black-winged Kite 15         1 3 3 Elanus caeruleus
Black Kite 16         4 1 12 Milvus migrans
Pallas's Fish Eagle VU 17           2   Haliaeetus leucoryphus
Black Eagle 18         1     Ictinaetus malayensis
Oriental Honey-buzzard 19             1 Pernis ptilorhynchus
Himalayan Vulrure NT 20 6   2 5       Gyps himalayensis
Eurasian Sparrowhawk 21 1   1 2 1 1 1 Accipiter ninus
River Lapwing NT 22         5 4   Vanellus duvaucelii
Red-wattled Lapwing 23   1     2 1   Vanellus indicus
Common Greenshank 24         7     Tringa nebularia
Green Sandpiper 25   1     2 1   Tringa ochropus
Common Sandpiper 26           1   Actitis hypoleucos
Common Pigeon 27 14 24 6   120 26 14 Columba livia
Oriental Turtle Dove 28   1 2 2 4     Streptopelia orientalis
Eurasian Collared Dove 29             1 Streptopelia decaocto
Spotted Dove 30         60 8 4 Stigmatopelia chinensis
Emerald Dove 31           1   Chalcophaps indica
Rose-ringed Parakeet 32         4 30 30 Psittacula krameri
Slaty-headed Parakeet 33   32 45         Psittacula himalayana
Plum-headed Parakeet 34           H 20 Psittacula cynocephala
Red-breasted Parakeet NT 35 1   30         Psittacula alexandri
Sirkeer Malkoha 36           1   Taccocua leschenaultii
Mountain Scops Owl 37     1 1       Otus spliocephalus
Collared Owlet 38     1         Glaucidium brodiei
Tawny Fish Owl 39           1   Ketupa flavipes
Crested Treeswift 40             30 Hemiprocne coronata
Little Swift 41   6     10     Apus affinis
Common Hoopoe 42           2 1 Upupa epops
Stork-billed Kingfisher 43         1     Pelargopsis capensis
White-throated Kingfisher 44         3 4 3 Halcyon smyrnensis
Common Kingfisher 45   2           Alcedo atthis
Crested Kingfisher 46 2       2 1 1 Megaceryle lugubris
Pied Kingfisher 47         1 1   Ceryle rudis
Oriental Pied Hornbill 48             4 Anthracoceros albirostris
Great Hornbill NT 49             2 Buceros bicornis
Great Barbet 50 2 1 4 H       Megalaima virens
Brown-headed Barbet 51         H H H Megalaima zeylanica
Lineated Barbet 52           1 8 Megalaima lineata
Blue-throated Barbet 53   2 H         Megalaima asiatica
Coppersmith Barbet 54           3 12 Megalaima haemacephala
Eurasian Wryneck 55           1   Jynx torquilla
Speckled Piculet 56   1           Picumnus innominatus
Rufous-bellied Woodpecker 57     2 6       Dendrocopos hyperythrus
Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker                  
58 1 Dendrocopos nanus
Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker                  
59 1 Dendrocopos canicapillus
Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker 60     1         Dendrocopos macei
Brown-fronted Woodpecker 61 1 3   3 1     Dendrocopos auriceps
Himalayan Woodpecker 62       3       Dendrocopos himalayensis
Greater Yellownape 63   2 4 3   2   Picus flavinucha
Streak-throated Woodpecker 64           4   Picus xanthopygaeus
Scaly-bellied Woodpecker 65       2       Picus squamatus
Grey-headed Woodpecker 66   4 2 4   8   Picus canus
Himalayan Goldenback 67           6   Dinopium shorii
Lesser Goldenback 68         1 5 1 Dinopiun benghalense
Greater Goldenback 69   1 H     5   Chrysocolaptes lucidus
Large Cuckooshrike 70           1   Coracina macei
Black-winged Cuckooshrike 71           1   Coracina melaschistos
Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrike 72   12       18   Hemipus picatus
Common Iora 73           1   Aegithina tiphia
Small Minivet 74           6 8 Pericrocotus cinnamomeus
Long-tailed Minivet 75   26 24   4 16   Pericrocotus ethologus
Scarlet Minivet 76           24   Pericrocotus (flammeus) specio
Long-tailed Shrike 77 2         1 3 Lanius (schach) erythronotus
Grey-backed Shrike 78   1           Lanius tephronotus
Spangled Drongo 79             5 Dicrurus hottentottus
Black Drongo 80         2 4   Dicrurus macrocercus
Ashy Drongo 81   9 4     2 2 Dicrurus leucophaeus
White-bellied Drongo 82           1   Dicrurus caerulescens
Bronzed Drongo 83   13 6   6 4   Dicrurus aeneus
Black-hooded Oriole 84           1   Oriolus xanthornus
Maroon Oriole 85     1 2   1 1 Oriolus traillii
White-throated Fantail 86   1 4   3 4 1 Rhipidura albicollis
Eurasian Jay 87     1 3 2     Garrulus glandarius
Black-headed Jay 88   8 16 6 6     Garrulus lanceolatus
Red-billed Blue Magpie 89 3 6 18         Urocissa erythrorhyncha
Common Green Magpie 90     1         Cissa chinensis
Rufous Treepie 91         1 5 3 Dendrocitta vagabunda
Grey Treepie 92   3 H     2   Dendrocitta formosae
Large-billed Crow 93 3 2 4 2 4     Corvus macrorhynchos
                  Corvus (macrorhynchos) culminatus
Indian Jungle Crow 94 2 6 6
House Crow 95         6     Corvus splendens
Great Tit 96 4 3       6 4 Parus major
Green-backed Tit 97 4 6 26 10 16 4   Parus monticolus
Black-lored Tit 98 6 2   5       Parus xanthogenys
Coal Tit 99     8 8 18     Periparus ater melanolophus
Yellow-browed Tit 100     4 1 6     Sylviparus modestus
Black-throated Tit 101     8 14 8     Aegithalos concinnus
Plain Martin 102           12 10 Riparia paludicola
Eurasian Crag Martin 103       4 2     Ptyonoprogne rupestris
Barn Swallow 104       10 20     Hirundo rustica
Red-rumped Swallow 105             8 Cecropis daurica
Himalayan Bulbul 106 16 14 50 12 20 28 16 Pycnonotus leucogenys
                  Pycnonotus (melanicterus flaviventris)
Black-crested Bulbul 107 4
Red-whiskered Bulbul 108           6 24 Pycnonotus jocosus
Red-vented Bulbul 109 28 9 60   16 30 40 Pycnonotus cafer
Ashy Bulbul 110     2     7   Hemixos flavala
Black Bulbul 111   23 16 2   16   Hypsipetes leucocephalus
Striated Prinia 112     3 1 1     Prinia crinigera
Grey-breasted Prinia 113 6   6   4 6 6 Prinia hodgsonii
Grey-crowned Prinia CR 114     2         Prinia cinereocapilla
Zitting Cisticola 115           4   Cisticola juncidis
Common Tailorbird 116   1       1   Orthotomus sutorius
Thick-billed Warbler 117   1           Phragamaticola aedon
Common Chiffchaff 118 1       2 2   Phylloscopus collybita
Tickell's Leaf Warbler 119     1         Phylloscopus affinis
Buff-barred Warbler 120     2 6 4     Phylloscopus pulcher
Lemon-rumped Warbler 121         2     Phylloscopus chloronotus
Hume's Leaf Warbler 122 1 1 8 2   4   Phylloscopus humei
Greenish Warbler 123           H   Phylloscopus trochiloides
Black-faced Warbler 124     14 12 8     Abroscopus schisticeps
Whistler's Warbler 125   1           Seicercus whistleri
Grey-hooded Warbler 126 18   30 30 12 10   Phylloscopus xanthoschistos
Lesser Whitethroat 127   1         1 Sylvia curruca
Puff-throated Babbler 128             1 Pellorneum ruficeps
Black-chinned Babbler 129 4 2   2 4     Stachyridopsis pyrrhops
Rusty-cheecked Scimitar Babbler                  
130 2 4 Pomatorhinus erythrogenys
Jungle Babbler 131 8   6   8 32 30 Turdoides striata
White-throated Laughingthrush 132   24 64 30 20     Garrulax albogularis
White-crested Laughingthrush 133         7 6 H Garrulax leucolophus
Striated Laughingthrush 134       4       Garrulax striatus
Rufous-chinned Laughingthrush 135   6           Garrulax rufogularis
Streaked Laughingthrush 136 4 8 28 16 9     Garrulax lineatus
Red-billed Leiothrix 137   14           Leiothrix lutea
Blue-winged Siva 138   4 2 6       Siva cyanouroptera
White-browed Shrike-babbler 139       5       Pteruthius flaviscapis
Rufous Sibia 140   9 14 16 4     Malacias capistratus
Whiskered Yuhina 141       4       Yuhina flavicollis
Yellow-eyed Babbler 142           2   Chrysomma sinense
Oriental White-eye 143 12 16 24 6 8 18 38 Zosterops palpebrosus
Brown Dipper 144 1         1   Cinclus pallasii
Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch 145   6 6     6   Sitta (castanea) cinnamoventris
White-tailed Nuthatch 146     4 16 12     Sitta himalayensis
Velvet-fronted Nuthatch 147   2       1   Sitta frontalis
Wallcreeper 148       1       Tichodroma muraria
Bar-tailed Treecreeper 149 1 3 6 8 4     Certhia himalayana
Common Myna 150 2       6 10 8 Acridotheres tristis
Blue Whistling Thrush 151 4 4 8 8 6 6 1 Myophonus caeruleus
Long-billed Thrush 152       1 1     Zoothera monticola
Grey-winged Blackbird 153       6       Turdus boulboul
Tickell's Thrush 154   2 6         Turdus unicolor
Mistle Thrush 155         1     Turdus viscivorus
White-tailed Rubythroat 156   1           Luscinia pectoralis
Oriental Magpie Robin 157             1 Copsychus saularis
Indian Robin 158           2 2 Saxicoloides fulicatus
Plumbeous Water Redstart 159 6       3 10   Rhyacornis fuliginosa
White-capped Redstart 160 7 3 4   4 13 2 Chaimarrornis leucocephalus
Blue-capped Redstart 161       2       Phoenicurus coeruleocephalus
Black Redstart 162           1   Phoenicurus ochruros
Blue-fronted Redstart 163       1       Phoenicurus frontalis
Spotted Forktail 164 4 3 2         Enicurus maculatus
Common Stonechat 165 1         8 14 Saxicola torquatus
Pied Bushchat 166           2 6 Saxicola caprata
Grey Bushchat 167 8 6 10 4 6 18 10 Saxicola ferreus
Isabelline Wheater 168           1   Oenanthe isabellina
Brown Rock Chat 169             1 Cercomela fusca
Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush 170     4 1       Monticola rufiventris
Dark-sided Flycatcher 171           1   Muscicapa sibirica
Taiga Flycatcher 172           2   Ficedula albicilla
Ultramarine Flycatcher 173   1           Ficedula superciliaris
Slaty Blue Flycatcher 174   2 1         Ficedula tricolor t.
Verditer Flycatcher 175           1 1 Eumyias thalassinus
Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher 176             3 Culicicapa ceylonensis
Rufous-bellied Niltava 177   1 2   1 1   Niltava sundara
Small Niltava 178 1 1 1         Niltava macgrigoriae
Golden-fronted Leafbird 179             2 Chloropsis aurifrons
Fire-breasted Flowerpecker 180   1 2         Dicaeum ignipectus
Purple Sunbird 181   2           Cinnyris asiaticus
Green-tailed Sunbird 182     3 4       Aethopyga nipalensis
Black-throated Sunbird 183     2         Aethopyga saturata
Crimson Sunbird 184   3 1       1 Aethopyga siparaja
Fire-tailed Sunbird 185     1         Aethopyga ignicauda
House Sparrow 186 10 14 20 8 12 8   Passer domesticus
Russet Sparrow 187   4 6         Passer rutilans
Scaly-breasted Munia 188 4   10   6     Lonchura punctulata
Altai Accentor 189       2 2     Prunella himalayana
Grey Wagtail 190 4 2     4 6   Motacilla cinerea
White Wagtail 191               Motacilla alba
White-browed Wagtail 192         6 9   Motacilla moderaspatensis
Long-billed Pipit 193             2 Anthus similis
Olive-backed Pipit 194           3   Anthus hodgsoni
Yellow-breasted Greenfinch 195     12 40       Carduelis spinoides
Common Rosefinch 196               Carpodacus erythrinus
Black-and-yellow Grosbeak 197       1       Mycerobas icterioides
Rock Bunting 198   1           Emberiza cia
White-capped Bunting 199           3   Emberiza stewarti
                   
MAMMALS                  
Rhesus Macaque 1 - - - - - - - Macaca mulatta
Terai Langur 2           30+ 25 Semnopithecus hector
Himalayan Langur 3 6 12 24 12       Semnopithecus schistaceus
Asian Elephant 4           4 3 Elephas maximus
Red Muntjac 5       2       Muntiacus muntjak
Sambar 6       1   1   Rusa unicolor
Spotted Deer 7               Axis axis
Himalayan Brown Goral 8       4       Nemorhaedus goral
Indian Wild Pig 9         5 1   Sus scrofa
Golden Jackal 10             1 Canis aureus
Five-striped Squirrel 11           1   Funambulus pennantii
Yellow-throated Marten 12           1   Martes flavigula


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