Birding Himalaya – pheasants, forktails & more (13 days) B409

Introduction

Search for stunning pheasants with our experienced guides – Kalij Pheasant is easy to see in the lower foothill forests of Corbett.  Despite iridescent rainbow-coloured plumage the male Himalayan Monal can be tricky to observe in lichen-draped oak-conifer forest with rhododendron and bamboo, but once seen it’s never forgotten!  We will look for Cheer and Koklass Pheasants near Pangot, where a wealth of other birds occur, from brightly-coloured Red-billed Blue Magpie to the very desirable Siberian Rubythroat and several tit species including Rufous-vented and Black-throated.  Sattal (“seven lakes”) also offers productive birding – Golden Bush Robin, various laughingthrushes, warblers and flycatchers are all possible.  At higher altitude around Lohaghat we’ll focus on Satyr Tragopan while keeping watch for Pink-browed and Beautiful Rosefinches and perhaps Red-fronted Serin.  Birders love grosbeaks and we have a chance of both Black and Yellow and Spot-winged.  This tour includes some great birding in truly stunning scenery.

Previous title Himalayan Birding: in search of monals, minlas and mesias (same code B409)

There are many ways to extend this tour, so please contact us for details

Itinerary and price

For help with your flight arrangements and to receive a no obligation quote, you can complete the enquiry form on our website or call 0800 280 8947 to speak to a flight advisor at StudentUniverse (in partnership with Gapyear.com), part of the Flight Centre Travel Group, a leading retailer of airfares and worldwide flights.

Meals: Payable directly today Arrive at New Delhi airport where you will be welcomed by your guide and driver who will stay with you for the duration of the tour. Depending on your arrival time you could visit Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary for a few hours to search for Brooks’s Leaf Warbler, Indian Courser and a wealth of waterbirds. Sind Sparrow has been recorded here and occurs locally. Night at hotel in Delhi. Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner After breakfast (served from 0700 hours) you will drive to Corbett National Park.  Wherever you are around Corbett you will be impressed by the abundant bird life and wonderful scenery. The Park is in a huge valley, with thickly forested ridges and open grasslands intersected by the Ramganga and Kosi rivers and their tributaries, all set against a stunning backdrop of the Himalayan foothills.  Diverse habitats attract all kinds of bird.  Without even entering the Park you have an excellent chance of seeing River Lapwing, Crested Treeswift, Plumbeous Water Redstart, White-capped Redstart, Wallcreeper and the magnificent Crested Kingfisher. Sometimes Tawny Fish Owl and Pallas’s Fish Eagle are spotted and your guide will try hard to locate the cryptic Ibisbill along the Kosi River.  With luck you could see Great Slaty Woodpecker. Check in at your lodge and enjoy the remainder of the day birding along the Kosi River.  Relax for the evening at your lodge. Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch and dinner Full day birding in the buffer zone of Corbett National Park by open jeep and on foot.  Watch for Red Junglefowl and Kalij Pheasant along the tracks and perhaps a Lesser Fish Eagle overhead.  Also listen out for woodpeckers as there are several to see locally in these forested hills ranging from Brown-capped and Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpeckers and perhaps a Speckled Piculet, to the larger and brightly-coloured Grey-headed Woodpecker, Lesser Yellownape and Black-rumped Flameback, to name just a few.  Night at same lodge Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner This morning you’ll enjoy a jeep safari in the Bijrani Zone of Corbett where you may find Rufous-bellied Hawk Eagle, Great Hornbill, Blue-bearded Bee Eater, Rosy Minivet, Black-naped Monarch, Chestnut-headed Tesia, Crimson Sunbird, White-rumped Shama, Scaly-breasted Wren-babbler, Ashy, Black and Himalayan Bulbuls. Return to your lodge for lunch then spend the afternoon birding locally outside of Corbett National Park where likely species include White-crested Laughingthrush, Long-billed Thrush, Brown Dipper, Little and Spotted Forktails. Night at same lodge. Meals: Breakfast at Corbett, lunch and dinner at Sattal After a couple of hours of early morning birding drive to Sattal to enjoy some lake and mountain birds.  Check in and have lunch at your hotel, then in the afternoon head off to explore - typical species may include Siberian Rubythroat, Red-billed Leiothrix, White-throated and Streaked Laughingthrushs, Grey Treepie, White-capped Bunting, Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch, Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-babbler, Slaty-blue Flycatcher, Mountain Chiffchaff, Sulphur-bellied and Hume’s Warblers and so many others.  One lucky client even spotted a Himalayan Civet sleeping on a branch.  Night at local hotel Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner You’ll spend the whole day birding locally around the lakes and forests, returning for lunch, then heading out again.  Arrive back at your hotel and relax for the evening. Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner There will be time for some early morning birding before starting your journey (approx. 6 hours) to Abbott Mount, near Lohaghat, and the snow-clad peaks of Panch Chulli which rise to a height of 22,640 ft / 6,900 m.  Located at approx. 6,500 ft / 1,980 metres Abbott Mount is a comfortable base from which to explore this stunning mountain environment and search for many target species which include Himalayan Monal, Satyr Tragopan, Green Shrike-babbler, Black and Yellow Grosbeak, Spot-winged Grosbeak, Brown-cheeked Fulvetta, Silver-eared Mesia, Red-tailed Minla and many more.  Night at comfortable lodge. Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner Explore further, allowing plenty of time to search for the Himalayan Monal and Satyr Tragopan as they can prove difficult to see.  Also keep a look out for Pink-browed and Beautiful Rosefinches, Red-fronted Serin, Yellow-billed Blue Magpie, Brown-flanked Bush Warbler, Chestnut-crowned Bush Warbler and other species.  Return to the comfort of your lodge. Meals: Breakfast at Abbott Mount, lunch en-route and dinner at Pangot This morning you’ll drive to Pangot.  Expect this journey to take 7 – 8 hours, with a little birding on the way.   Check in at your accommodation and if time permits enjoy birding down the valley from the lodge where you may add Red-billed Blue Magpie and Velvet-fronted Nuthatch to your list!  Relax for the evening. Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner This is another bird-rich area and today you’ll search for Koklass Pheasant as well as the more difficult Cheer Pheasant, and there will be plenty more to see in these beautiful wooded Kumaon hills.  Great Hill Barbet and Black-headed Jay are often seen and others include Rufous-bellied and Himalayan Woodpeckers, Altai Accentor, Slaty-headed Parakeet, Yellow-browed Tit, White-tailed Nuthatch, Bar-tailed Treecreeper, Upland Pipit, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker and Whiskered Yuhina. Meals: Breakfast and packed lunch After breakfast and some early morning birding, you’ll commence your journey back to Delhi.  Expect the drive to take around 7 hours, depending on traffic.  Arrive at Delhi International Airport in time to connect with a flight home.  Your guide will say farewell at the airport.  A late night flight would be fine.  Note: See supplement if you require an extra night in Delhi with transfers to the airport the next morning.  Extra note: See supplements should you wish to extend this tour by a few days. Tour ends Tour extensions available. Please contact us for details Price per person: 2 people travelling together (on a twin share basis) £1495 3 people travelling together (on a twin share basis) £1255 4 people travelling together (on a twin share basis) £1165 Single room supplement £375 Price is based on the following hotels:

Place	Hotel name	No. of nights
Delhi	Hotel Lohmod, Executive Room	1
Corbett	Camp Riverwild, Deluxe Cottage	3
Sattal	Pine Crest, Deluxe Room	2
Lohaghat area	Abbott Mount Cottage, Standard Room	3
Pangot	Nest Cottages, Cottage	2

Price includes

• Accommodation in the above mentioned hotels with meals as listed
• All mentioned transfers by air-conditioned vehicle (saloon car for 2 and Innova for 3 & 4)
• One full day and one half day use of jeep for birding outside Corbett National Park
• 1 jeep safari to Bijrani Zone of Corbett National Park on an exclusive basis with mandatory park guide inclusive of entrance fee
• Accompanying bird guide from Day 2 to Day 13
• All National Park and Sanctuary entrance fees
• All currently applicable taxes

Price excludes

• Any international airfare to/from India including International airport tax
• Meals not specified
• Tourist visa and travel insurance
• Camera fee
• Any additional taxes levied by the Government of India on the tourism sector in future
• Any expenses of personal nature such as hard/soft drinks, laundry, phone/fax calls, tips etc.
• Any item not mentioned in the price includes section
• Any increase in the entrance fee to National Parks or Sanctuaries in the future. The price is based on the current entrance fee
• Cost incidental to any change in the itinerary/stay on account of flight cancellation due to bad weather, ill health, roadblocks and/or any factors beyond control

Photo Gallery