Monday, December 17, 2012

Birding in the Little Rann of Kutch


Just back from a really rich nature watching experience in (and at the edge of) the Little Rann of Kutch (LRK)!



In some ways this trip was also a personal journey back in time. 
- Flashback - 
It was in a very similar landscape (in the Greater Rann) that I first got interested in the idea of watching birds. That was my first college trip outside of the city I lived in (some 15 years back) ..  I still vividly remember my amusement of seeing lots of birds preached on electrical wires running parallel to most of the roads in that rural landscape. From what I remember I was able to identify that there were possibly 10 different types of birds I was seeing but I was clueless as to their identities, it was another couple of years before I got my first Salim Ali bird book from a second-hand store in Kerala. Today I know I had seen more species on that trip but alas back in those days of the analogue camera I couldn't afford taking fleeting photos of birds on wires! 
-Cut back to the present - 

Unfortunately, the bird densities were no were close to those I (or everyone else on our trip) was expecting and neither were the species count very exciting but the amusement of seeing birds that have migrated from faraway lands in this amazing habitat is nonetheless as great as that of 15 years ago!! :-)


The Little Rann of Kutch is a unique salt marsh habitat that feels almost like a desert. But this bleak looking landscape is extremely rich in  biodiversity and is an ecologically important area for wildlife and many local and migratory birds. It is also famous as the world's last refuge of the Indian Wild Ass (Khur) and the area we were birding in is within the limits of a Sanctuary demarcated for its conservation - the Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary.
Here’s a few photos of some of the bird highlights of our trip: 












Besides the innumerable bird species that have made this unique habitat their wintering home you can also see various mammals apart from Wild Ass (see some other mammal photos in the slideshow below)





This trip was organized by Nature India Tours and like all the trips I have attend organized by this group this one too was immaculately planned [ with extensive research going into the birding sites of the Little Rann and great logistics planning – with some amazing stay arrangements and awesome food J ]. Both Mandar and Adesh know this habitat and it’s birds very well and are constantly sharing amazing insights into the habits and lives of these feathered beauties, I would highly recommend this trip for all those who are interested in watching birds effortlessly! Check out more details of this trip and all the Dos and Don’ts in this habitat on Nature India’s blog @


Here's a complete list of birds we saw on the trip:


1 Shikra Accipiter badius
2 Bank Myna Acridotheres ginginianus
3 Common Myna Acridotheres tristis
4 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
5 Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
6 Rufous-tailed Lark Ammomanes phoenicura
7 Northern Pintail Anas acuta
8 Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata
9 Common Teal Anas crecca
10 Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope
11 Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha
12 Gadwall Anas strepera
13 Greylag Goose Anser anser
14 Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris
15 Paddyfield Pipit Anthus rufulus
16 Long-billed Pipit Anthus similis
17 Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga
18 Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca
19 Booted Eagle * Aquila pennata
20 Large Egret Ardea alba
21 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
22 Purple Heron Ardea purpurea
23 Pond Heron Ardeola grayii
24 Short-eared Owl * Asio flammeus
25 Common Pochard Aythya ferina
26 Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
27 Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
28 Eurasian Thick-knee Burhinus oedicnemus
29 White-eyed Buzzard Butastur teesa
30 Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus
31 Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla
32 Temminck's Stint Calidris temminckii
33 Nightjar sp. (in flight) Caprimulgus sp.
34 Greater coucal Centropus sinensis
35 Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis
36 Little Ringed Plover * Charadrius dubius
37 Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybridus
38 Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
39 Purple Sunbird Cinnyris asiaticus
40 Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus
41 Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus
42 Blue Rock Pigeon Columba livia
43 Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis
44 House Crow Corvus splendens
45 Indian Courser Cursorius coromandelicus
46 Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus
47 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
48 Black-shouldered Kite Elanus axillaris
49 Grey-necked Bunting Emberiza buchanani
50 Black-headed Bunting Emberiza melanocephala
51 Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark Eremopterix griseus
52 Red-headed Merlin Falco chicquera
53 Merlin Falco columbarius
54 Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
55 Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
56 Grey Francolin Francolinus pondicerianus
57 Common Coot Fulica atra
58 Crested Lark Galerida cristata
59 Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago
60 Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
61 Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica
62 Common Crane Grus grus
63 White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis
64 Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
65 Syke's Warbler Hippolais rama
66 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
67 Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii
68 Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia
69 Pallas' gull Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus
70 Isabelline Shrike Lanius isabellinus
71 Southern grey shrike Lanius meridionalis
72 Bay-backed Shrike Lanius vittatus
73 Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
74 Indian Silverbill Lonchura malabarica
75 Coppersmith Barbet Megalaima haemacephala
76 Small green bee eater Merops orientalis
77 Intermediate egret Mesophoyx intermedia
78 Little Cormorant Microcarbo niger
79 Black Kite Milvus migrans
80 White Wagtail Motacilla alba
81 Citrine Wagtail (or Yellow-headed Wagtail) Motacilla citreola
82 Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava
83 Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala
84 Desert wheatear Oenanthe deserti
85 Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina
86 Variable Wheatear Oenanthe picata
87 House Sparrow Passer domesticus
88 Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus
89 Dalmatian pelican Pelecanus crispus
90 Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus
91 Sirkeer Malkoha Phaenicophaeus leschenaultii
92 Indian Cormorant Phalacrocorax fuscicollis
93 Ruff Philomachus pugnax
94 Lesser Flamingo Phoenicopterus minor
95 Greater flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus
96 Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
97 Baya Weaver Ploceus philippinus
98 Purple Moorhen Porphyrio porphyrio
99 Rufous-fronted Prinia Prinia buchanani
100 Plain Prinia Prinia inornata
101 Black (or Red-naped) Ibis Pseudibis papillosa
102 Rose ringed parakeet Psittacula krameri
103 Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles exustus
104 Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer
105 White-Eared Bulbul Pycnonotus leucotis
106 Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta
107 Pied Bushchat Saxicola caprata
108 Siberian Stonechat Saxicola maurus
109 Indian Robin Saxicoloides fulicatus
110 Little Brown Dove Spilopelia senegalensis
111 River Tern Sterna aurantia
112 Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
113 Red Collared Dove * Streptopelia tranquebarica
114 Brahminy Starling Sturnia pagodarum
115 Rosy starling Sturnus roseus
116 Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca
117 Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
118 Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea
119 Oriental Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus
120 Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus
121 Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
122 Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
123 Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus
124 Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis
125 Common Redshank Tringa totanus
126 Common Babbler Turdoides caudata
127 Jungle Babbler Turdoides striata
128 Common Hoopoe Upupa epops
129 Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus
130 Yellow-wattled Lapwing Vanellus malabaricus

* - Birds seen by birders in other jeeps.




 Below is a slideshow of a larger selection of photos from this trip

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Nature watching @ Sundarbans

Just back from an amazing two day trip to the Sundarbans tiger reserve in West Bengal, India organized by a local NGO - Help tourism


We were based at the Jungle camp on the Bali island. The camp is conveniently located at the river bank bang opposite the massive tidal forest. It is soo close to the actual forest that they often have tigers swimming across the river and entering their property! 
The trip included multiple boat rides at the edge of the forest and into its buffer zone. 

We were able to spot over 60 species of birds thanks to our very knowledgeable guide - Jayanta Manna.

Mangrove Whistler Pachycephala cinerea
- the highlight of the trip being a clear sighting of the elusive Mangrove Whistler Pachycephala grisola

White-collared Kingfisher Todiramphus chloris 
Sundarbans is the worlds largest tidal forest and a heaven for kingfisher. We were able to get good views of 6 of the 10 kingfisher. 

Black-capped Kingfisher Halcyon pileata 
Brown-winged Kingfisher Pelargopsis amauroptera 
Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis 
Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis 
However, the apex predator of this unique mangrove forest - the Royal Bengal Tiger - eluded us


 (we were only able to see its footprints)


One of the other highlights of the trip was seeing a group of 5 Irrawaddy dolphins Orcaella brevirostris playing in one of the wider rivers cutting across the Mangroves.

Here's a few more photos I clicked during my stay there.. 










And listed below is a complete list of birds we saw: 

1 Shikra Accipiter badius
2 Eurasian (or Northern) Sparrowhawk  Accipiter nisus
3 Common Myna Acridotheres tristis
4 Common Sandpiper  Actitis hypoleucos
5 Common Iora  Aegithina tiphia
6 Common Kingfisher  Alcedo atthis
7 Olive-backed Pipit  Anthus hodgsoni
8 Great Egret  Ardea alba
9 Pond Heron  Ardeola grayii
10 Ashy Woodswallow  Artamus fuscus
11 Spotted Owlet Athene brama
12 Cattle Egret  Bubulcus ibis
13 Little (or Striated) Heron   Butorides striata
14 Large-tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus macrurus
15 Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis
16 Pied Kingfisher  Ceryle rudis
17 Lesser Sand Plover  Charadrius mongolus
18 Brown-headed Gull  Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus
19 Greater Flameback  Chrysocolaptes lucidus
20 Oriental Magpie-Robin  Copsychus saularis
21 Eastern Jungle Crow  Corvus macrorhynchos levaillantii
22 Rufous Treepie Dendrocitta vagabunda
23 Lesser Whistling Duck  Dendrocygna javanica
24 Forest Wagtail Dendronanthus indicus
25 Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker Dicaeum cruentatum
26 Bronzed Drongo Dicrurus aeneus
27 Black-rumped Flameback  Dinopium benghalense
28 Little Egret  Egretta garzetta
29 Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopaceus
30 Red Junglefowl  Gallus gallus
31 Black-capped Kingfisher  Halcyon pileata
32 White-throated Kingfisher  Halcyon smyrnensis
33 Brahminy kite  Haliastur indus
34 Barn Swallow  Hirundo rustica
35 Pheasant-tailed Jacana Hydrophasianus chirurgus
36 Brown Shrike  Lanius cristatus
37 Lesser Adjutant stork  Leptoptilos javanicus
38 Scaly-breasted Munia  Lonchura punctulata
39 Small Green Bee-eater  Merops orientalis
40 Little Cormorant  Microcarbo niger
41 White Wagtail  Motacilla alba
42 Yellow Wagtail  Motacilla flava
43 Eurasian Curlew  Numenius arquata
44 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
45 Eurasian Golden Oriole  Oriolus oriolus
46 Black-hooded Oriole Oriolus xanthornus
47 Mangrove Whistler Pachycephala cinerea
48 House Sparrow  Passer domesticus
49 Brown-winged Kingfisher  Pelargopsis amauroptera
50 Small Minivet Pericrocotus cinnamomeus
51 Pacific Golden Plover  Pluvialis fulva
52 Rose-ringed Parakeet  Psittacula krameri
53 Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer
54 White-throated Fantail Rhipidura albicollis
55 Spotted Dove  Spilopelia chinensis
56 Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
57 White-collared Kingfisher  Todiramphus chloris
58 Common Redshank  Tringa totanus
59 Jungle Babbler Turdoides striata
60 Terek Sandpiper  Xenus cinereus
61 Oriental White-eye  Zosterops palpebrosus


And lastly, here's a couple of reference websites that should help you plan a Birding trip to Sundarbans:

I would strongly recommend a visit to the unique habitat of the Sundarbans to all those who are interested in any aspect of nature but I feel you really need to spend at least 2 nights and 3 days to do some justice to this tremendous habitat!

Below is a slideshow of a larger selection of photos from this trip:



Thanks Jayanta for an amazing trip! 

Jayanta is an expert on the Sundarbans and also a great photographer, check some of his excellent photos HERE.