India - Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve

Naturetrek Tour Report 14 - 24 April 2011

Bandhavgarh tiger cubs

Tiger cub – Bandhavgarh N.P. Bandhavgarh Tiger Cubs

Tiger at Bandhavgarh National Park

Report compiled by Bharat Mandhyan

Images by kind courtesy of Ric Harding

Naturetrek Cheriton Mill Cheriton Alresford Hampshire SO24 0NG England T: +44 (0)1962 733051 F: +44 (0)1962 736426 E: [email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk

Tour Report India - Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve

Tour Leader: Bharat Mandhyan (Bunty)

Participants: Andy Pay Denise Pay Ric Harding Elaine Harding Alan Bennett Lesley Bennett

Day 1 Thursday 14th April

Open, bright, warm and sunny day The group arrived on time at 0915 hrs at Delhi International airport. After lunch we headed for the railway station to board the overnight train to Katni. Before settling for the night, we looked at the flat farm cultivation of mostly wheat throughout our journey, and mammals seen from the carriage were Nilgai browsing on the crops, and the magnificent Sarus Crane close to the rail track.

Day 2 Friday 15th April

Open, bright, warm and sunny day mostly, with traces of clouds We arrived early morning at Katni railway station and then drove two and a half hours to Bandhavgarh. We headed into Bandhavgarh NP in the afternoon for our safari. One jeep from the group experienced a sighting of a Tiger. Other mammals seen were chital, sambar etc.

Day 3 Saturday 16th April

Pleasant morning, warm afternoon, cool at night After having our tea, coffee and biscuits before dawn we started the drive from the hotel at 6.00 am to queue up at the park entrance to enter at 6.30 am. One jeep had a good tiger sighting in the morning - a Jhurjhura male, while one of the other jeeps from the group experienced a tiger sighting on the afternoon game drive - a big new male tiger at Sidh Baba. Other mammals seen were Sambar, Chital, Wild Boar and Jackal. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were served at the hotel

Day 4 Sunday 17th April

Windy and cloudy morning, hazy conditions, sunny afternoon and cloudy evening In the morning game drive some managed to see the two Mirchahni male cubs at Andhiyari Jhiriya. Other mammals seen were Chital, Sambar, and Wild Boar.

Day 5 Monday 18th April

Dry and bright, warm in the evening

India - Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve Tour Report

On the morning game drive we saw a tigress at Chorbahera, and in the afternoon we saw the Bamera male at Sidhbaba.

Day 6 Tuesday 19th April

Warm, bright and sunny A sighting of three 20 months old cubs and their mother and father from elephant back on the morning game drive was mesmerizing, and what a way of saying goodbye to Bandhavgarh on our last day. The afternoon game drive was shortened because of unexpected rainfall. After having early dinner at the hotel Andy and Denise left for the railway station and boarded the overnight train to Delhi. The rest of the group stayed overnight at the hotel.

Day 7 Wednesday 20th April

Warm and sunny After having an early breakfast we drove to Jabalpur to catch the train to Pipariya, and transferred to Forsyth Lodge at Satpura at 5 p.m. We had tea and coffee and went off to birding around the campus of the hotel, and planned the days ahead.

Day 8 Thursday 21st April

Warm and sunny After having our tea, coffee and biscuits before dawn we entered the part at 6.00 am, and did the park entry paper work before doing the gamedrive by jeep. Mammals seen were Gaur (Indian Bison), Chital, Sambar, Wild Boar and more. Later for the afternoon excursion we did the boat ride which was productive for birds and was a nice change doing the drives.

Day 9 Friday 22nd April

Warm and sunny During the morning game drive we had an excellent Sloth Bear sighting. Other mammals seen were gaur, sambar, chital, and jackal.

Day 10 Saturday 23rd April

Warm and sunny We did the morning safari by elephant and went back to the lodge for breakfast. We then had to drive to Bhopal to catch the train for Agra. We arrived at about 9 p.m. and went to bed after dinner at the hotel.

Day 11 Sunday 24th April

Warm and sunny

2 © Naturetrek July 11

India - Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve Tour Report

We did the magnificent Taj Mahal at sunrise, and went back at the hotel for breakfast at about 9.30 a.m. Before lunch we did Agra Fort and after lunch we went to the Baby Taj and later transferred to the railway station to catch the train to Delhi. On arrival guests were dropped at the airport for their various departures home.

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Great Egret at Satpura

Taj Mahal and reflection at Agra Dusky leaf-nosed bat at Bandhavgarh

India - Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve Tour Report

Species Lists

Mammals Mammal Species Scientific name Sightings Royal Bengal Tiger Panthera tigris 8 Jungle Cat Felis chaus 1 Rhesus Macaque Macca mulatta 6 Common Langur Presbytis entellus 6 Common Mongoose Herpestes edwardsi 2 Ruddy Mongoose Herpestes smithii 2 Sloth Bear Merursus ursinus 1 Black-naped Hare Lepus nigricollis 1 Jackal Canis aureus 2 Indian Flying Fox Pteropus giganteus 1 Three-striped Palm Squirrel Funabbulus pennarum 2 Five-Striped Palm Squirrel Funambulus pennantii 6 Indian Giant Squirrel Ratufa indica 2 Indian Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista philippensis 1

Birds Nomenclature and taxonomy generally follows Grimmett and Inskipp’s The Birds of Northern India (2003) which follows the treatments in The Birds of the Indian Subcontinent (1999) by the same authors.

Bird species Scientific Name No.Seen Remarks Tachybaptus ruficollis Little Grebe 1 Phalacrocorax carbo Great Cormorant 1 Phalacrocorax niger Little Cormorant 3 Anhinga melanogaster Oriental Darter 2 Ardea cinerea Grey Heron 3 Ardea alba Great Egret 3 Egretta intermadia Intermediate Egret 2 Egretta garzetta Little Egret 5 Ardeola grayii Indian Pond Heron 5 Bubulcus ibis Cattle Egret 6 Butorides striata Striated Heron 1 Mycteria leucocephala Painted Stork 2 Anastomus oscitans Asian Openbill 2 Ciconia nigra Black Stork 2 Ciconia episcopus Woolly-necked Stork 5 Leptoptilos javanicus Lesser Adjutant 5 Threskiornis Black-headed Ibis 2 melanocephalus Pseudibis papillosa Red-naped Ibis 2

India - Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve Tour Report

Bird species Scientific Name No.Seen Remarks Platalea leucorodia Eurasian Spoonbill 1 Dendrocygna javanica Lesser Whistling Duck 1 Anser indicus Bar-headed Goose 2 Tadorna ferruginea Ruddy Shelduck 2 Sarkidiornis melanotos Comb Duck 2 Anas crecca Common Teal 2 Anas poecilorhyncha Spot-billed Duck 2 Anas querquedula Garganey 1

Goosander 1 Pandion haliaetus Osprey 1 Pernis ptilorhynchus Oriental Honey-buzzard 3 Elanus caeruleus Black-shouldered Kite 4 Milvus migrans Black Kite 3 Often abundant in urban settings, especially common in Delhi, but much scarcer or even absent in more rural areas Ichthyphaga ichthyaetus Grey-headed Fish Eagle 2 Neophron percnopterus Egyptian Vulture 3 Gyps bengalensis White-rumped Vulture 4 Gyps indicus Long-billed Vulture 5 Gyps fulvus Eurasian Griffon 1 Sacrogyps calvus Red-headed Vulture 4 Circaetus gallicus Short-toed Eagle 1 Spilornis cheela cheela Crested Serpent Eagle 4 Accipiter badius Shikra 2 Quite common and widespread Accipiter nisus Eurasian Sparrowhawk 1 Butastur teesa White-Eyed Buzzard 1 Spizaetus cirrhatus Changeable Hawk Eagle 2 Falco tinnunculus Common Kestrel 3 Falco peregrines Peregrine Falcon 1 Francolinus pictus Painted Francolin 1 Francolinus pondicerianus Grey Francolin 1 Perdicula asiatica Jungle Bush Quail 1 Galloperdix lunulata Painted Spurfowl 1 Pavo cristatus Indian Peafowl 5 Gallus gallus Red Junglefowl 4 Grus antigone Sarus Crane 1 Amaurornis phoenicurus White-Breasted Waterhen 1 Gallinula chloropus Common Moorhen 2 Reasonably common at suitable waterbodies Fulica atra Common Coot 2

India - Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve Tour Report

Bird species Scientific Name No.Seen Remarks Himantopus himantopus Black-winged Stilt 4 Burhinus oedicnemus Stone Curlew 1 Glareola lacteal Small Pratincole 2 Vanellus duvaucelli River Lapwing 2 Vanellus malabaricus Yellow-wattled Lapwing 2 Vanellus indicus indicus Red-wattled Lapwing 6 Very common, widespread and noisy Charadrius dubius Little-ringed Plover 2 Charadrius alexandeinus Kentish Plover 1 Gallinago gallinago Common Snipe 1 Tringa erythropus Spotted Redshank 2 Tringa tetanus Common Redshank 2 Tringa stagnatilis Marsh Sandpiper 2 Tringa nebularia Common Greenshank 2 Tringa ochropus Green Sandpiper 4 Tringa glareola Wood Sandpiper 2 Actitis hypoleucos Common Sandpiper 2 Calidris minuta Little Stint 2 Calidris teminckii Temminck’s Stint 2 Calidris alpine Dunlin 1 Philomachus pugnax Ruff 2 Stema aurantia River Tern 1 Sterna albifrons Little Tern 3 Columba livia neglecta Rock Pigeon 3 Streptopelia turtur Oriental Turtle Dove 2 Streptopelia decaoto Eurasian Collard Dove 3 Streptopelia chinensis Spotted Dove 5 Fairly common Streptopelia senegalensis Laughing Dove 2 Common and very widespread Treron phoenicoptera Yellow-footed Green 4 phoenicoptera Pigeon Psittacula eupatria Alexandrine Parakeet 4 Psittacula krameri Rose-ringed Parakeet 6 Common and widespread, one of very few species seen every day Psittaculla cyanocephala Plum-headed Parakeet 3 Cuculus varius Common Hawk-cuckoo 2 Eudynamys scolopacea Asian Koel 2 Phaenicophaeus Sirkeer Malkoha 1 leschenaultia Centropus sinensis Greater Coucal 2 Regularly encountered in a range of scrubby and grassland settings Otus bakkamoena Indian Scops-owl 1

India - Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve Tour Report

Bird species Scientific Name No.Seen Remarks Ketupa zeylonensis Brown-fish owl 2 Strix ocelllata Mottled Wood-owl 2 Glaucidium Jungle Owlet 2 Athene brama indica Spotted Owlet 2 Caprimulgus indicus Grey Nightjar 1 Caprimulgus asiaticus Indian Nightjar 1 Caprimulgus affinis Savannah Nightjar 1 Apus affinis Little Swift 3 Hemiprocne corona Crested Treeswift 3 Alcedo atthis Common Kingfisher 3 Pelargopsis capensis Stork-billed Kingfisher 1 Halcyon pileata Black-capped Kingfisher 1 Halcyon smyrnensis White-throated Kingfisher 5 Common and very widespread, a frequent sight on roadside wires Ceryle rudis Pied Kingfisher 2 Nyctornis athertoni Blue-bearded Bee-eater 1 Merops orientalis Green Bee-Eater 5 Coracias benghalensis Indian Roller 5 Frequently seen, often along roadsides benghalensis Cursorius coromandelicus Indian Courser 1 Upupa epops Hoopoe 1 Ocyceros birostris Indian Grey Hornbill 3 Small numbers were seen at most wooded or parkland sites Megalaima zeylanica Brown-Headed Barbet 2 Megalaima haemacephala Coppersmith Barbet 2 Quite common, though much more often heard than seen Dendrocopos canicapillus Brown-capped Pygmy 1 Woodpecker Dendrocopos mahrattensis Yellow-crowned 2 pallescens Woodpecker Dinopium benghalense Black-rumped Flameback 4 The commonest and most widespread woodpecker with records coming from all wooded locations Chrysocolaptes festivus White-Naped Woodpecker 2 Eremopterix grisea Ashy-crowned Sparrow 2 Lark Ammomanes phoenicurus Rufous-tailed lark 2 Riparia paludicola Plain Martin 3 Ptyonoprogne concolor Dusky Crag Martin 1 Hirundu rustica Barn Swallow 2 Hirundu smithii Wire-tailed Swallow 2

India - Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve Tour Report

Bird species Scientific Name No.Seen Remarks Cecropis daurica Red-rumped Swallow 2 Petrochelidon fluvicola Streaked-throated Swallow 2 Motallica alba White Wagtail 3 Motallica madaraspatensis White-browed Wagtail 1 Motallica flava Yellow Wagtail 2 Motallica cinerea Grey Wagtail 4 Anthus rufulus Oriental Pipit 3 Anthus campestris Tawny Pipit 1 Anthus similis Long-billed Pipit 1 Anthus trivialis Tree Pipit 2 Anthus hodgsoni Olive-backed Pipit 2 Coracina macei macei Large Cuckooshrike 4 Pericrocotus cinnamomeus Small Minivet 2 Pericrocotus flammeus Scarlet Minivet 1 Pycnonotus cafer Red-vented Bulbul 6 Very common and widespread Chloropsis aurifrons Golden-Fronted Leafbird 1 Aegithina tiphia Common Iora 2 Zoothera citrina Orange-headd Thrush 1 Turdus unicolor Tickell’s Thrush 1 Cisticola juncidis Zitting Cisticola 1 Prinia hodgsonii Grey-breasted Prinia 1 Prinia socialis Ashy Prinia 2 Prinia inomata Plain Prinia 1

Blyth’s Reed Warbler 1 Orthotomus sutorius Common Tailorbird 3 Widespread in small numbers with birds recorded at all sites Phylloscopus collybita Common Chiffchaff 2 Phylloscopus griseolus Sulphur-bellied Warbler 1 Phylloscopus trochiloides Greenish Warbler 3 Sylvia curruca Lesser Whitethroat 2 Cyornis tickelliae Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher 2 Ficedula parva Red-breasted Flycatcher 4 Copsychus saularis Oriental Magpie Robin 4 Copsychus malabaricus White-rumped Shama 1 Saxicoloides fulica Indian Robin 3 Phoeicurus ochruros Black Redstart 2 Saxicola caprata Pied Bushchat 1 Saxicola ferrea Grey Bushchat 2 Cercomela fusca Indian Chat 1

India - Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve Tour Report

Bird species Scientific Name No.Seen Remarks Rhipidura aureola White-browed Fantail 1

Black-naped Monarch 2 Terpsiphone paradise Asian paradise-flycatcher 1 Pellomeum ruficeps Puff-throated babbler 2 Dumetia hyperythra Tawny-bellied Babbler 2 Chrysomma sinense Yellow-eyed Babbler 1 Turdoides malcolmi Large Grey Babbler 1 Turdoides striatus Jungle Babbler 6 Generally common and widespread Alcippe poioicephala Brown-cheeked Fulvetta 2 Parus major(cinereus Great Tit 3 group)

Black-lored Tit 1 Parus xanthogenys Purple Sunbird 5 Present throughout at low densities Nectarinia asiatica Thick-Billed Flowerpecker 3 Dicaeum agile Pale-billed Flowerpecker 2 Dicaeum erythrorhynchos Oriental White-eye 4 Zosterops palpebrosus Black-Hooded Oriole 4 Oriolus xanthornus Brown shrike 1 Lanius cristatus Bay-backed shrike 2 Lanius vittatus Long-tailed Shrike 4 Lanius schach Common Woodshrike 4 Tephrodornis Black Drongo 5 Very common, a frequent site on roadside wires pondicerianus Dicrurus macrocercus White-bellied Drongo 2 Dicrurus caerulescens Greater Racket-Tailed 2 Drongo Dicrurus paradiseus Rufous Treepie 5 Widespread at fairly low densities Dendrocitta agabunda House Crow 3 common around settlements, but less frequently seen in wooded areas Corvus splendens Large-billed Crow 6 Generally found in more wooded settings than splendens the last species, though with some habitat overlap, and never in such large concentrations Corvus macrorhynchos Bank Myna 2 Rather localised, sometimes the dominant myna culminatus but generally scarce and heavily outnumbered by Common Mynas Acridotheres ginginianus Common Myna 6 Ubiquitous

Acridotheres tristis tristis Asian Pied Starling 2 Common in the vicinity of water Sturnus contra Brahminy Starling 3 Temenuchus pagodarum House Sparrow 3 Fairly common in most urban settings and in some more rural areas

India - Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve Tour Report

Bird species Scientific Name No.Seen Remarks Petronia xanthocollis Chestnut-shouldered 4 Petronia Ploceus philippinus Baya Weaver 1 Euodice malabarica White-throated Munia 1 Carpodacus erythrinus Common Rosefinch 1 Saxicola torquata Common Stonechat 2