Itinerary - North India

A Brief introduction of the trip This three week tour to Northern India provides the best opportunity to visit the ancient Indian Culture and see the country's birds, and mammals. It alsol provids an opportunity to visit three of the most famous and major cities of Northern India, known as Golden triangle: Delhi, Jaipur and Agra, . The whole tour is well focused on birding by providing the best opportunity to visit the three most beautiful National Parks of India. Delhi: This is the capital of India and is divided into the old and new. The old Delhi was established by Mughal Emperors while New Delhi was designed by the British Government. The India Gate: This is a great memorial for eighteen thousand soldiers, who died in First world war. It was built by the British Govt. after the war. Agra: Visit the TAJ MAHAL, one of the wonder of the world. This is a great memory of love, built by the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan, in the 17th century in memory of his wife. Red fort: is a beautiful and impressive fort in Northern India, built by the Mughals. The Keola Deo National Park Bharatpur: In India they call this paradise on the Earth. You will find that this is the finest bird sanctuary in the world. About 400 species of birds and about 27 types of mammals have been recorded in only 29 square kilometers. Ranthambore National Park: (Under the Tiger Project) This is one of the best habitat for tigers, leopards, and Sloth Bears, and more than 30 species of mammals have been recorded, including the Sambar and spotted Deer, Wild Boar, Blue Bull and Indian Gazells ( Chinkara Antilopes) and Common Langur (Hanuman Monkey). Rhesus Macaques are commonly seen. The Corbett National Park: (Tiger Project) This is one of the first national parks of India, with the richest habitat for the tigers, leopards, wild elephants, Himalayan Black Bear and Sloth Bears. Over 50 species of mammals, more than 570 birds and 25 species of reptiles have been recorded in Corbett, including crocodile and alligators (Gharial). You will see more during this trip than you can anticipate.

Oriental Magpie Robin	Bengal Tiger	Ibisbill

Wallcreeper	Lammergeir	Sarus Crane

Day 1: Arrive New Delhi : Transfers from Airport to Hotel Ashok Country Resort or similar.
Day 2: Morning is for leisure. afternoon - City tour of New and Old Delhi, visits to the House of Parliament, President House, India Gate . Then take the train Janshatabdi to Ranthambore at 1.10 pm, arriving Ranthambore at 6 pm., then transfer to hotel, check in to Tiger Den Resort. The birds commonly seen in Delhi. Rose-ringed Parakeet, Black kite, Asian Pied Starling, Common and Bank Myna, Red-vented Bulbul, Rock Dove, Red Wattled Lapwing, Collared and Laughing Dove, Brown headed and Coppersmith Barbets, Yellow- Footed Green Pigeon, White throated Kingfisher, and several types of Wagtails are also possible.
Day 3 : Ranthambhore : Early excursion to the park by open jeep, to look especially tigers and leopard and Sloth Bears. Other Mammals : Sambar Deer, Spotted Deer, Blue Bull (Neel Gai), Wild Boar, Ruddy Mongoose (A rare species) Indian Gazelle (Chinkara Antelope). Golden Jackals are also possible. The Park has a great variety of birds. Our Target birds will be : Long-billed and Red-headed Vultures, Painted Spurfowl, Jungle Bush Quail, Plum-headed Parakeet, White bellied Drongo, Marshalls, Iora, White-browed Fantail, White-napped woodpeckers, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Brown-fish Owl, and Short-toed Eagle.
Day 4 : Ranthambhore : AM Game viewing to the park again by open Jeep. PM : Birding at the Soorwal lake or at Uniyara Dam Target birds are: Sarus and Demoiselle Cranes, Great White and Dalmatian Pelicans, Great Thick knee, Bronze-winged and Pheasant-tailed Jacanas, Small Pratincole. Pallas's Gull, Indian River and Whiskered Turns, and Indian Skimmers.
Day 5 : Ranthambhore / Bharatpur : AM : Visit the park by jeep or by canter (a bigger vehicle) if the tiger was not seen yesterday or birding around the resort to look for Painted and Chestnut-belled Sandgrouses, Indian Bush Lark, Rufous-fronted Prinia, long-billed Pipit, Indian Courser, Variable Wheatear and Desert Wheatear. Later on, we drive to Bharatpur, check into hotel Kadamb Kunj Resort or Udai Villas Palace.
Day 6-8 : Bharatpur : We will have two full days of birding in Keoladeo National Park and one full day at Bundh Baretha. Bharatpur is a great birding place in India where participants will feel like home. Hundred of birds can be seen each day. Target Birds : Dusky Eagle Owl, Collared Scops Owl. Brown hawk owl, Long-tailed Nightjar, Orange headed Thrush, Imperial, Lesser and Greater Spotted Eagle, Bonelli's Eagle, and Black Bittern, Purple Heron, Pintail Snipe, Blue-throat, Brown Crake, Greater Painted Snipe and White-tailed lapwing, Baya, Black-throated Weaver and Streaked Weaver, White-eared Bulbul and Wire tailed Swallows and lots more.
Day 9 : Bharatpur / Agra/ Bharatpur : AM Drive to Agra (about an hour drive by car) visit the TAJ MAHAL and Red Fort of Agra, time for shopping, then back to Bharatpur. This is not a serious day for birding, but booted Eagle and Black Ibis will be our target. PM: Visit the Indian Village, perhaps you will have dinner with an Indian Family.
Day 10 : Bharatpur / Fort Uncha Gaon: AM, Drive to Corbett NP, stay at For Uncha Gaon to avoid the longer drive (This is an old fort, built by Jat Maharajas in the olden days before freedom, recently converted into a hotel) and providing good opportunity for birding.
Day 11 : Fort/ Claridges : AM, drive to Corbett Park, stopping at the holy Ganges river, and to look for River Dolphin. Several types of gulls and terns can be seen. Indian Skimmers are also possible. The we continue the drive to Corbett, checking into Claridges Hide-away Resort.
Day 12 : Claridges/Nainital : AM, Visit the Bijrani area of the Corbett Park by open jeep. This park has a richest habitat for birds and for healthy tigers, which we will have a good chance to see. The target birds are : Oriental Pied and Great Hornbills, Black Stork, Jungle Owlet, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Black hooded oriole, long tailed and Scarlet Minivets, Kalij Pheasant, Red Jungle Fowl, Lesser and Greater Yellow- Nape, Streak - throated Woodpeckers, Lineated Barbet, Rock and White capped Buntings, Barking Deer (Muntjac) will be new for us. PM, Drive to Nainital, stopping to bird at Kosi river and to look for Ibisbill and wallcreepers, We will visit the Jim Corbett Museum on the way, and check into Vikram Vintage Inn.
Day 13 &14: Nainital : We will have two full days of birding in different areas, including Sat Tal, Mongoli Valley, Snow view Point and Pangot. We will have a great opportunity to see the high attitude birds, including several types of thrushes and Laughing Thrushes, Tits, Tree creeper, more than ten species of Flycatchers, Mrs Gould's Sunbirds, Crimson Sunbird, and several types of Woodpeckers. Target birds are : Rufous-breasted and Black-throated accentors, Rusty-Checked Scimitar and Black-chinned Babblers, Orange-flanked Bush Robin, Blue-fronted Red Start, Blue-capped Red Start, Chestnut-bellied, White-tailed and Velvet-fronted Nuthatches, Black-throated, Black-lored, spot winged Tits, Buff-barred, Lemon-rumped, Hume's Golden-spectacled. Warblers. Red-billed Leiothrix, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker, Yellow-breasted Green Finch. Rufous Sibia, Grey-headed Parakeet, Yellow-bellied and White-throated Fantail. Black Eagle. Mountain Hawk Eagle, Common Buzzard and about six types of vultures can be seen, including Lammergeir.
Day 15: Nainital / Quality Inn : AM Drive to Quality Inn Resort, stopping to bird at Kosi river, to look for Ibisbill and Brown Dipper and other birds. Then check into Quality Inn Jungle Resort. PM, Birding in Kumeria Reserve Forest or along the Kosi River, look specially for Little Forktails, Brown Fish and Tawny Fish Owls.
Day 16: Quality Inn / Dhikala : AM birding around the Resort then drive to Dhikala tourist rest house (32 Km. in side the Corbett National Park) by open jeeps, stopping to bird. We will have a chance to see the crocodile, alligators (Gharial) and wild elephants on the way to our check in at Rest House. PM : Excursion to the park by jeep, looking especially for birds and tigers in the Grass land.
Day 17: Dhikala : AM + PM, 'Game Viewing" in the park by jeep. We will enjoy birding all day around the Dhikala. Target birds are : Collared Falconet, common Green Magpie, Lesser and Greater Racket-tailed Drongos, Small Niltava, Rufous-bellied Niltava, Ashy and Black Bulbuls, Crested and Pied Kingfisher, Crested Bunting, Zitting and Bright- headed Cisticolas, Jungle Prinia, Chestnut-tailed Starling, Red breasted Parakeet, Lessor Coucal, Scaly-bellied, Himalayan Flamback, Grey-Headed and Great-slaty woodpeckers and lots more.
Day 18 : Dhikala / Quality INN : AM : Birding around the complex, then drive to Quality Inn, check into Resort. PM Birding around the lodge or along the Kosi River.
Day 19 : Quality Inn/ Delhi : AM drive to Delhi (A room will be provided for wash up, our farewell dinner, then we will transferr to the Airport for return flights to North America) . The participants, who are taking the one week extension trip, stay in Delhi Hotel.