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Join the ABA and Rockjumper for the 2016 ABA safari to northern India! Perhaps the world’s richest cultural landscape, India boasts a staggering geographical diversity, from deserts and forests to tropical, palm-lined shores to the snow-capped peaks of the impossibly high Himalayas. This ABA Safari starts and ends in the capital of New Delhi, an excellent hub for the rich avifauna and iconic mammalian mega-fauna of northern India. Our safari explores two of the most famous birding and wildlife national parks in northern India: the royal wildfowl sanctuary of Keoladeo National Park at Bharatpur, with its spectacular Northern wetlands; and fabled Ranthambhore National Park, a reserve widely known as one of the best places to see the Bengal Tiger, and also a spectacular birding destination. We invite you to join us for this unforgettable celebration of India’s incred- ible birds, iconic mammals, dramatic scenery, rich history and kaleidoscope of cultures! Please see p. 21 for more information. India —George Armistead, ABA Events Coordinator Sarus Cranes and Great Hornbills,

Adam riley • Cascades, South Africa • [email protected]

Black-rumped Flameback. Mudamulai National Park, Tamil Nadu. Photo by © Adam Riley.

Gray-headed Canary-Flycatcher. Eravikulam National Park, Kerala. Photo by © Adam Riley. Park, Photo Assam. by © Adam Riley. Great Hornbill. Kaziranga National

44 Birding • June 2015 ore than 100 million years ago, the miles (10% of the Asian continent or 3.3% MIndian plate broke away from the of the world’s land surface) but support great southern landmass known as 45% of Asia’s human population and more Gondwanaland and crept northward at a than 25% of the world’s population. slower-than-glacial pace, eventually crash- With more than 1.2 billion citizens, ing into the Eurasian plate. This process India is the world’s second most popu- thrust up the Himalayas, now the world’s lous country, although it’s only the sev- greatest mountain range. Today, the vast enth largest country in area. Nevertheless, Indian subcontinent, also referred to as it’s still a massive nation, encompassing South Asia, is dominated by the Repub- more than 1.2 million square miles. De- lic of India. Other South Asian nations in- spite the high population density, India is clude Pakistan and Bangladesh (the trio a treasure trove for the wildlife watcher. of Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh made Conservation International includes In- up British India), as well as the Himalayan dia among the 17 “mega-diversity” na- nations of Bhutan and Nepal and the scat- tions that support most of the world’s Brahminy Starling. Khujaraho, tered isles of Sri Lanka and the Maldives. plant and animal life. Parts of India are Madhya Pradesh. Photo by © Adam Riley. These countries occupy 1.7 million square matched only by Africa for the big game Painted Spurfowl. Ranthambhore National Park, Rajasthan. Photo Tigersandan dand MMore!the Tajo rMahal,e! by © Adam Riley.

Painted Stork. Velavadar National Park, Gujarat. Photo by © Adam Riley.

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experience, and its total of 291 mammal cellent mammal opportunities (includ- species—most famously the bulk of the ing the best chance of seeing a tiger in world’s tiger population—is formidable. the wild), a staggering cultural expe- Boasting no fewer than 1,274 bird spe- rience, and breathtaking landscapes cies, of which 82 are endemic, India’s from the endless Gangetic Plains to the bird list is surpassed only by Indonesia snow-capped Himalayas. The recom- and China outside the Neotropics. mended time is the northern winter Getting to grips with such a vast and from November to February when tem- bird-rich country is a formidable chal- peratures are pleasant and large num- lenge to any world-birder. To obtain a bers of Palearctic and Himalayan mi- comprehensive coverage of South Asia, grants are present. a big lister would need to visit northern, Situated on the expansive Gangetic southern, northeastern, and western In- Plains, the natural starting point for ex- dia, as well as Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Ne- ploring Northern India is India’s sprawl- pal. Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Mal- ing capital, New Delhi. Despite a bur- Indian Peafowl. Bharatpur, Rajasthan. Photo by © Adam Riley. dives offer relatively limited opportunities geoning population in excess of 16 mil- for supplementing a big lister’s life list. lion people, more than 450 bird species have been recorded within the bound- his article focuses on northern In- aries of Delhi giving the city the title of Tdia, which is the classic Indian bird- the second highest bird list of any na- ing tour. Northern India is on any list of tional capital in the world. (Nairobi is the ten must-do birding journeys on the the winner.) Any leafy suburb or pub- planet. If you have not been to India, lic garden teems with birds; Lodi Gar- this is the recommended introduction, den is a great example. Typical Indian offering world- urban species include Black-rumped Red Avadavit. Bharatpur, class birding, ex- Flameback, an impressive Rajasthan. Photo by © Adam Riley.

Bar-headed Goose. Bharatpur, Rajasthan. Photo by © Markus Lilje.

46 Birding • June 2015 Kalij Pheasant. Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand. Photo by © Adam Riley.

woodpecker, noisy groups of Jungle Bab- blers, Rose-ringed and Alexandrine parakeets, Brown-headed and Coppersmith barbets, Oriental Magpie-Robin, Red-whis- kered Bulbul, and a diversity of starlings including Asian Pied and Brahminy as well as Common and Bank mynas. Farther afeld, but within close proxim- ity to the city, excellent birding sites include Okhla Sanctuary on the holy Yamu- na River. Although Okhla is one of the most polluted and flthy places I have ever visited, it also counts as one of the locations hosting the most birds I have ever seen. Waterfowl, famingoes, gulls, shorebirds, and passerine migrants are everywhere during the northern winter, and desiderata include Brown Crake, Jack Snipe, White-tailed Stonechat, Streak-throated Swallow, and Red Avada- vat. Tughlaqabad Fort is another superb birding and historical site. This deserted, walled city was built within a dry scrubby zone that supports Rufous-tailed Lark, Ru- fous-fronted Prinia, and the strange Sirkeer Malkoha. A little farther from the city is Sul- tanpur Lake National Park, also known as Himalaya view from Nainital, Uttarakhand. Photo by © Adam Riley.

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Sultanpur Jheel. (A jheel is a pool ging the roadways. People are con- or lake, usually seasonally inundat- tinuously busy, going about their ed.) This park hosts water birds and daily chores, be it selling roasted overwintering raptors, among them peanuts and vegetables from carts, Painted Stork, Bar-headed Goose, collecting cow patties for cooking and Imperial and Greater Spotted fuel, or working the felds. eagles. The key location at the end of However, time around Delhi is this journey is Keoladeo National only a precursor to even better sites! Park, an extensive series of shallow River Lapwing. Near Ranthambhore National ponds artifcially created as a duck- Park, Rajasthan. Photo by © Adam Riley. eading southward into the regal hunting preserve by a former ma- Hstate of Rajasthan, one reaches haraja of Bharatpur. Now it is a wet- the birding mecca of Bharatpur. A land sanctuary attracting thousands frst-time visitor’s primary taste of of wintering waterfowl, shore- traditional India is usually experi- birds, cranes, and raptors. The enced when exiting New Delhi to best method for exploring the re- the quieter, but nevertheless hu- serve is by means of bicycle rick- manity-flled rural areas. One pass- shaw, following the network of es through small towns and villag- raised dikes that crisscross the lab- es and farming homesteads where yrinth of ponds. These rickshaws, people still live lives little changed each capable of transporting only by the modern world. Domestic two people, are operated by lo- livestock abound including camels, cal guides, many of whom know donkeys, goats, sheep, holy cows the park and its birds intimate- Chestnut-headed Tesia. Kosi River near Jim Corbett and, at times, even elephants clog- ly. Scanning through the water National Park, Uttarakhand. Photo by © Adam Riley.

Gypsy family. near Bharatpur, Rajasthan. Photo by © Markus Lilje.

48 Birding • June 2015 bird assemblage is a treat, and frst- while Wire-tailed and Red-rumped time visitors are often overwhelmed swallows hawk insects overhead. Rap- by the staggering numbers of species. tors are especially well represented in Regulars include Knob-billed Duck, the reserve, with concentrations of large Lesser Whistling-Duck, and Indian migrant eagles such as Eastern Imperi- Spot-billed Duck, Pied and White- al, Greater Spotted, Steppe, and Indian throated kingfshers, Oriental Dart- Spotted being of special interest. Other er, Indian Pond-Heron, Woolly-necked raptors include Short-toed Snake-Eagle, and Black-necked storks, Asian Open- Bonelli’s and Booted eagles, Eurasian Spotted Owlet. Gir National Park, bill, Black-headed Ibis, Dalmatian Marsh-Harrier, Shikra, Eurasian Spar- Gujarat. Photo by © Adam Riley. Pelican, Pheasant-tailed and Bronze- rowhawk, and Laggar Falcon. winged jacanas, Greater Painted-Snipe, Extensive areas of arid acacia-dom- and White-tailed Lapwing. inated woodland and dry grasslands Standing at nearly six feet tall, the world’s tallest fying bird, the Sarus Crane, is joined during the northern winter by small numbers of mi- gratory Common Cranes. Sadly, the population of Siberian Cranes that overwintered here were extirpated in 2002. Marshy edges attract a variety of migrant passerines including Blue- throat, Blyth’s and Clamorous reed warblers, and Western Yellow, Citrine, White and White-browed wagtails, Greater Painted Snipes. Bharatpur, Rajasthan. Photo by © Adam Riley.

Crested Serpent-Eagle. Ranthambhore National Park, Rajasthan. Photo by © Adam Riley.

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surround the ponds, providing Gray Close to Bharatpur is the city of Francolin, Yellow-crowned Woodpeck- Agra, home to India’s and argu- er, Greater Coucal, the very uncom- ably the world’s most famous build- mon and localized White-tailed (Mar- ing, the magnifcent Taj Mahal that shall’s) Iora, White-eared Bulbul, Gray- translates literally as “Crown of Pal- headed Canary-Flycatcher, Purple Sun- aces.” This World Heritage Site is fa- bird, Baya Weaver, and Indian Silver- mous for the elegance of its design, its Ibisbill. Kosi River near Jim Corbett National bill. These Indian residents share their extraordinary translucent white marble Park, Uttarakhand. Photo by © Adam Riley. habitat during the winter months with dome, its mathematical symmetry and

Spotted deer or a wide range of migrants from northern the immense numbers of intricately Chital. Ranthambhore Asia, notably Red-breasted Flycatcher, carved and inlaid semi-precious stones National Park, Hume’s and Greenish warblers, the very that adorn its walls. Beginning in Rajasthan. Photo by © Adam Riley. localized Brooks’s Leaf Warbler, Siberi- 1632, tens of thousands of architects an Rubythroat, and Isabelline Wheat- and laborers—and more than a thou- ear. In the evening, nocturnal resi- sand elephants—toiled for 20+ years dents to be looked for include Dusky to complete this breathtaking edifce. Eagle-Owl, Spotted Owlet, Indian The Taj Mahal was commissioned by Scops-Owl, and Large-tailed, Gray, and the grief-stricken Shah Jahan after his Jungle nightjars. Bharatpur’s mammals third and favorite wife Mumtaz Ma- include groups of nilgai; these huge an- hal died during the birth of their 14th imals, largest of all Asian antelopes, also child. The birding is excellent here, are known as blue bulls. Also be on the so keep a look out for Indian Chats, lookout for sambar, spotted deer (chi- Dusky Crag-Martins, families of Spot- tal), wild boars, golden jackals, rhe- ted Owlets and Dusky Eagle-Owl in sus macaques, northern palm squir- the gardens, Egyptian Vul- rels, and Asian palm civets. Interesting tures, and elegant River reptiles include mugger Lapwings. Other nearby crocodiles, massive In- sites worth visiting indian softshell turtles, clude the Agra Red and Indian rock Fort and the ancient pythons. city of Fatehpur Sikri.

50 Birding • June 2015 hile visiting these great plains of In- high concentrations of mammalian her- Wdia, it’s essential to visit one of In- bivores. This abundance of prey species dia’s tiger reserves. Several provide reli- supports one of the healthiest popula- able chances of encountering the larg- tions of tigers anywhere. est of all cats, and arguably the most im- Traveling in open vehicles, visitors ex- pressive of all predators. Recommend- plore the network of roads within the ed tiger reserves include Bandhavgarh, park watching for telltale signs such as Kanha and Tadoba, but currently my pugmarks or scat in the road, and listen- frst choice is Ranthambhore National ing for the alarm calls of sambar, spot- Park. The park is easily accessible from ted deer, southern plains gray langurs, Delhi and Bharatpur by road or train, and and Indian Peafowl. With luck, these it is also currently providing excellent ti- will lead one to a tiger, padding along a ger sightings. Tiger numbers have recov- dusty track or sprawled out in the dap- Rufous Treepie. Ranthambhore National ered well after a poaching crisis here in pled sunlight of a bamboo thicket. If for- Park, Rajasthan. Photo by © Adam Riley. the early 2000s, with more than 60 ti- tunate, one might even fnd a Tiger pho- gers now in the park, quite a few of which togenically arranged on one of the abun- Cheer Pheasant. are habituated to the presence of tourists. dant 10th-century ruins dotted around near Nainital, Locating these magnifcent cats requires the park, or swimming across a lake. Uttarakhand. Photo skill, patience, and luck. Looking into the amber eyes of a royal by © Adam Riley. Located in the Sawai Madhopur dis- Bengal tiger undoubtedly ranks as one of trict of south-eastern Rajasthan, Ranth- the world’s ultimate wildlife experiences. ambhore National Park is one of India’s Although tigers are the most celebrat- largest parks, protecting over 150 square ed reason for visiting Ranthambhore, this miles (540 square miles if you include scenically stunning park also offers ex- the buffer zone) of a rich mosaic of cellent birding. More than 320 bird spe- deciduous woodland, bamboo thick- cies have been recorded. The mixture of ets, meadows, lakes, and marshes. Dom- deciduous woodland and meadows sup- inated by the 10th-century Ranthamb- ports good numbers of resplendent In- hore Fort, which sits atop a plateau dian Peafowl, surely the most mag- 700 feet above the plains, this nifcent bird on the planet. Other key scenic reserve contains birds include the stunningly

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beautiful Painted Spurfowl, the elu- cast of intriguing mammals. The leopard sive Jungle and Rock bush quails, Yel- population is healthy. Although harder to low-legged Buttonquail, the endemic spot than tigers, leopards are nevertheless Painted Sandgrouse, the uncommon regularly sighted. Striped hyenas prefer White-naped Woodpecker, the impres- the park outskirts, and sloth bears roam sive Brown Fish-Owl, eye-numbingly the park. Other predators include Indian colorful Plum-headed Parakeets, South- wolf (rare), golden jackal, Indian fox, jun- ern Gray, Bay-backed, and Long-tailed gle cat, caracal (rare), and ruddy, Indian shrikes, Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher (lis- gray, and small Indian mongooses. Like- ten for its sweet song, given from dense ly herbivores include spotted deer (chital) bamboo patches), focks of Small Min- and sambar. Less common are Indian ga- ivets, the active White-browed Fan- zelle (chinkara) and nilgai. “Sounders” of tail, and the seemingly ever-present and wild boars are frequently encountered, as often very tame Rufous Treepies. Small are troops of the often-tame southern numbers of the critically endangered In- plains gray langur. And the very lucki- dian Vulture nest on the cliffs entering est might spot an Indian pangolin. the park, and other raptors to keep an eye out for include Red-headed Vulture o perfectly round off an exploration of Brown Fish-Owl. Ranthambhore T National Park, Rajasthan. Photo by © Adam Riley. (rare), Pallid Harrier, Shikra, Eurasian Northern India, a visit to the forests and Sparrowhawk, the unusual White-eyed slopes of the Himalayas is essential. From Buzzard, Bonelli’s Eagle, and the chunky Delhi, the most accessible recommended Crested Serpent-Eagle. site is the old hill station of Nainital in Around the lakes and marshes, wa- the Kumaon foothills. An overnight train ter birds abound. Possibilities include ride—an adventure in its own right, but a Woolly-necked, Black, and Painted better option than driving due to this re- storks, Asian Openbill, Black-headed gion’s highly congested roads—followed Ibis, focks of migrant waterfowl and by a drive gets one to this quaint town waders, Common and White-throat- perched atop a pear-shaped lake at an al- ed kingfshers, focks of Gray-throated titude of 6,837 feet. Nainital is surround- Martins, and skulking Bluethroats. ed by forests, woodlands, and cultivated Tigers are the star attraction, valleys offering a great selection of Hima- White-throated Kingfsher. but Ranthambhore hosts an layan species, especially during the winter Ranthambhore National Park, exciting supporting months when numerous high-elevation Rajasthan. Photo by © Adam Riley.

52 Birding • June 2015 specialties descend to escape the extreme ing Scaly-breasted Cupwing (formerly cold. The scenery is stunning, especially Wren-Babbler), small focks of Red-billed Yellow-bellied Fantail. Kosi River near Jim Corbett from a point known as Snow View, which Leiothrixes, Fire-breasted Flowerpeckers, National Park. Uttarakhand. Photo by © Adam Riley. offers spectacular study of the high Hima- fighty Yellow-bellied Fantails, White- layas, including Nanda Devi, 25,643 feet tailed Rubythroats, Himalayan Bluetails, Black-necked Stork. Bharatpur, above sea level. and a variety of leaf warblers, tits, fycatch- Rajasthan. Photo by © Adam Riley. As one ascends to Nainital, the broad- ers, thrushes, and nuthatches. Raptors are leaved woodlands provide such goodies commonly seen soaring along the as Red Junglefowl (ancestor of the do- steep ridges, and potential species mestic chicken), Kalij Pheasant, Hill Par- include the sought-after Lammergeier, tridge, Rufous-bellied Eagle, the beautiful Himalayan Griffon, the huge Cinereous Long-tailed Broadbill, and the truly im- Vulture, and Mountain Hawk-Eagle. pressive Red-billed Blue-Magpie. High-al- If you have further time, it’s worth in- titude grasslands support coveys of cryp- cluding a visit to Jim Corbett Nation- tic Cheer Pheasants and, in the surround- al Park and the forests along the Kosi ing woodlands, the lovely Koklass Pheas- River upstream from Ramnagar. ant. Keep an eye out for Himalayan Quail, The Corbett reserve supports a tiger originally collected from the Nainital population, but sightings are less reli- area. Last recorded in 1876, it is likely ex- able than at Ranthambhore. Key birds in tinct—although habitats haven’t changed this area include the unique and highly dramatically so hope remains. Birds of the sought-after Ibisbill, Great Slaty Wood- open coniferous and native broad-leaved pecker (the world’s largest extant wood- forest include the ubiquitous Blue Whis- pecker), Tawny Fish Owl, the impres- tling-Thrush, Speckled Piculets, a host sive Great Hornbill, the classy Wall- Bengal Tiger. Ranthambhore National of woodpeckers, including Scaly-bellied, creeper, Spotted and Little forktails and Park, Rajasthan. Photo by © Adam Riley. Himalayan, Rufous-bellied, and Brown- the rare White-throated Bushchat. The fronted, Black-headed Jays, busy focks endangered Gharial, a bizarre snouted of White-throated, Chestnut-crowned, crocodile also occurs in the park’s rivers. White-crested, Rufous-chinned, and Stri- It would be diffcult to fnd a more ex- ated laughingthrushes, the beautiful Ru- citing, culturally-diverse bird and wild- fous Sibia, Blue-winged Minlas, the de- life packed voyage than northern In- lightful but secretive Chestnut-headed dia, an experience that every traveling Tesia, Green-tailed Sunbirds, the skulk- birder should seriously consider.

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