February 1 to 20, 2020 India Scouting Trip

Birds, Mammals, Reptiles & Amphibians

Our recently completed Natural Selections India scouting trip was full of fun, discovery and adventure from start to finish! Our success came not only in the diversity of birds and wildlife seen, but in opening our eyes to the immensely rich nature, history, and culture of India. The possibilities for additional, incredibly enjoyable itineraries where we traveled and in other parts of the country are seemingly endless. And while this was intended as a scouting tour of northern India as well as parts of the Western Ghats with multiple foci and some improvisation along the way, our group of 5 people succeeded in observing 210 species of birds, 32 mammal species, and some great reptiles and amphibians.

Along this itinerary we covered areas around Delhi, Sultanpur National Park, Jawai, Jodpur, Jaipur, Nahargarh National Park, Ranthambore National Park, Keoladeo National Park, Agra (the Taj Mahal!),

The Chambal River, and finally moved south to the Western Ghats, spending 5 days in and around Someshwara Wildlife sanctuary and Kudremukh National Park.

In the north we had multiple Tiger sightings at Ranthambore, 4 different Leopards and a Caracal at Jawai, and numerous Gharials along the Chambal River where we also had great, close looks at Indian Skimmers and a few Ganges River Dolphins. The birding in Keoladeo was almost more than our binoculars could stand (species diversity and numbers of birds here are just astounding) with Painted Storks and Sarus Cranes making an appearance, and at our lodging at the Bagh hotel, the hides there produced great sightings and photos of Golden Jackals, male and female Jungle Cat, and Small Indian Civet! We also encountered several Indian Pythons at Keoladeo (3 that were HUGE!). In the Western Ghats, we crossed paths with Spectacled Cobras, several endemic frog species including the endearing Blue-eyed Bush Frog, and on 2 occasions spotted several Slender Loris in the rain forest canopy. But what really stole the show in the Ghats were the incomparably beautiful Lion-tailed Macaques we encountered on multiple occasions along the Agumbe Road.

Below is a listing of species seen with the mammals and herps in no particular order. Plans are underway to repeat a similar itinerary, and add two completely different routes in 2021.

BIRDS:

Phasianidae 1 Galloperdix lunulata Painted Spurfowl 2 Pavo cristatus Indian Peafowl 3 Coturnix coturnix Common Quail 4 Perdicula asiatica Jungle Bush-quail 5 Francolinus pondicerianus Grey Francolin 6 Gallus sonneratii Grey Junglefowl Anatidae 7 Dendrocygna javanica Lesser Whistling-duck 8 Anser indicus Bar-headed Goose 9 Anser anser Greylag Goose 10 Tadorna ferruginea Ruddy Shelduck 11 Sarkidiornis melanotos Knob-billed Duck 12 Nettapus coromandelianus Cotton Pygmy-goose 13 Netta rufina Red-crested Pochard 14 Aythya ferina Common Pochard 15 Aythya nyroca Ferruginous Duck 16 Aythya fuligula Tufted Duck 17 Spatula querquedula Garganey 18 Spatula clypeata Northern Shoveler 19 Mareca strepera Gadwall

20 Mareca penelope Eurasian Wigeon 21 Anas poecilorhyncha Indian Spot-billed Duck 22 Anas acuta Northern Pintail 23 Anas crecca Common Teal Podicipedidae 24 Tachybaptus ruficollis Little Grebe Phoenicopteridae 25 Phoenicopterus roseus Greater Flamingo Columbidae 26 Columba livia Rock Dove 27 Columba elphinstonii Nilgiri Woodpigeon 28 Streptopelia decaocto Eurasian Collared-dove 29 Spilopelia chinensis Eastern Spotted Dove 30 Spilopelia senegalensis Laughing Dove 31 Treron affinis Grey-fronted Green-pigeon 32 Treron phoenicopterus Yellow-footed Green-pigeon Pteroclidae 33 Pterocles indicus Painted Sandgrouse Caprimulgidae 34 Caprimulgus asiaticus Indian Nightjar Apodidae 35 Apus affinis Little Swift Cuculidae 36 Centropus sinensis Greater Coucal 37 Clamator coromandus Chestnut-winged Cuckoo 38 Cacomantis passerinus Grey-bellied Cuckoo Rallidae 39 Amaurornis phoenicurus White-breasted Waterhen 40 Porphyrio porphyrio Purple Swamphen 41 Gallinula chloropus Common Moorhen 42 Fulica atra Common Coot Gruidae 43 Antigone antigone Sarus Crane Ciconiidae 44 Mycteria leucocephala Painted Stork 45 Anastomus oscitans Asian Openbill 46 Ciconia nigra Black Stork 47 Ciconia episcopus Asian Woollyneck 48 Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus Black-necked Stork Threskiornithidae 49 Platalea leucorodia Eurasian Spoonbill 50 Pseudibis papillosa Red-naped Ibis 51 Plegadis falcinellus Glossy Ibis Ardeidae

52 Ixobrychus sinensis Yellow Bittern 53 Ixobrychus flavicollis Black Bittern 54 Nycticorax nycticorax Black-crowned Night-heron 55 Ardeola grayii Indian Pond-heron 56 Bubulcus ibis Cattle Egret 57 Ardea cinerea Grey Heron 58 Ardea purpurea Purple Heron 59 Ardea alba Great White Egret 60 Ardea intermedia Intermediate Egret 61 Egretta garzetta Little Egret Phalacrocoracidae 62 Microcarbo niger Little Cormorant 63 Phalacrocorax carbo Great Cormorant 64 Phalacrocorax fuscicollis Indian Cormorant

Anhingidae 65 Anhinga melanogaster Oriental Darter Burhinidae 66 Burhinus indicus Indian Thick-knee 67 Esacus recurvirostris Great Thick-knee Recurvirostridae 68 Himantopus himantopus Black-winged Stilt Charadriidae Charadrius dubius Little Ringed Plover 69 Charadrius alexandrinus Kentish Plover 70 Vanellus duvaucelii River Lapwing 71 Vanellus indicus Red-wattled Lapwing 72 Vanellus leucurus White-tailed Lapwing Rostratulidae 73 Rostratula benghalensis Greater Painted-snipe Jacanidae 74 Hydrophasianus chirurgus Pheasant-tailed Jacana 75 Metopidius indicus Bronze-winged Jacana Scolopacidae 76 Limosa limosa Black-tailed Godwit 77 Calidris ferruginea Curlew Sandpiper 78 Gallinago megala Swinhoe's Snipe 79 Gallinago gallinago Common Snipe 80 Actitis hypoleucos Common Sandpiper 81 Tringa ochropus Green Sandpiper 82 Tringa nebularia Common Greenshank 83 Tringa totanus Common Redshank 84 Tringa glareola Wood Sandpiper 85 Tringa stagnatilis Marsh Sandpiper

86 Tringa guttifer Spotted Greenshank Glareolidae 87 Cursorius coromandelicus Indian Courser Laridae 88 Rynchops albicollis Indian Skimmer 89 Larus ichthyaetus Pallas's Gull 90 Sterna aurantia River Tern Tytonidae 91 Tyto alba Common Barn-owl Strigidae 92 Ninox scutulata Brown Hawk Owl 93 Athene brama Spotted Owlet 94 Otus bakkamoena Indian Scops-owl 95 Bubo bubo Indian Eagle-owl 96 Bubo coromandus Dusky Eagle-owl Pandionidae 97 Pandion haliaetus Osprey Accipitridae 98 Elanus caeruleus Black-winged Kite 99 Neophron percnopterus Egyptian Vulture 100 Spilornis cheela Crested Serpent-eagle 101 Gyps indicus Indian Vulture 102 Clanga clanga Greater Spotted Eagle 103 Aquila rapax Tawny Eagle 104 Aquila nipalensis Steppe Eagle 105 Aquila heliaca Eastern Imperial Eagle 106 Aquila fasciata Bonelli's Eagle 107 Hieraaetus pennatus Booted Eagle 108 Circus aeruginosus Western Marsh-harrier 109 Accipiter badius Shikra 110 Accipiter nisus Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Lesser Kestrel) 111 Haliastur indus Brahminy Kite 112 Milvus migrans Black Kite Bucerotidae 113 Ocyceros birostris Indian Grey Hornbill Upupidae 114 Upupa epops Common Hoopoe Meropidae 115 Merops orientalis Asian Green Bee-eater 116 Merops philippinus Blue-tailed Bee-eater 117 Coracias benghalensis Indian Roller Alcedinidae 118 Alcedo meninting Blue-eared Kingfisher 119 Alcedo atthis Common Kingfisher

120 Ceryle rudis Pied Kingfisher 121 Halcyon smyrnensis White-breasted Kingfisher Megalaimidae 122 Psilopogon haemacephalus Coppersmith Barbet 123 Psilopogon zeylanicus Brown-headed Barbet 124 Psilopogon viridis White-cheeked Barbet Picidae 125 Jynx torquilla Eurasian Wryneck 126 Dinopium benghalense Black-rumped Flameback 127 Picoides nanus Indian Pygmy Woodpecker Falconidae 128 Falco columbarius Merlin 129 Falco peregrinus Peregrine Falcon Psittacidae 130 Psittacula cyanocephala Plum-headed Parakeet 131 Psittacula krameri Rose-ringed Parakeet Oriolidae 132 Oriolus kundoo Indian Golden Oriole Campephagidae 133 Pericrocotus cinnamomeus Small Minivet 134 Pericrocotus flammeus Orange Minivet 135 Lalage melanoptera Black-headed Cuckooshrike Vangidae 136 Tephrodornis pondicerianus Common Woodshrike Aegithinidae 137 Aegithina tiphia Common Iora Rhipiduridae 138 Rhipidura aureola White-browed Fantail Dicruridae 139 Dicrurus macrocercus Black Drongo 140 Dicrurus leucophaeus Ashy Drongo 141 Dicrurus caerulescens White-bellied Drongo 142 Dicrurus paradiseus Greater Racquet-tailed Drongo Laniidae 143 Lanius cristatus Brown Shrike 144 Lanius vittatus Bay-backed Shrike 145 Lanius schach Long-tailed Shrike 146 Lanius tephronotus Grey-backed Shrike Corvidae 147 Dendrocitta vagabunda Rufous Treepie 148 Corvus splendens House Crow 149 Corvus macrorhynchos Large-billed Crow Stenostiridae 150 Culicicapa ceylonensis Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher

Paridae 151 Parus Major Great Tit Alaudidae 152 Eremopterix griseus Ashy-crowned Sparrow-lark 153 Mirafra erythroptera Indian Bushlark Cisticolidae 154 Prinia khasiana Rufous-crowned Prinia 155 Prinia buchanani Rufous-fronted Prinia 156 Prinia sylvatica Jungle Prinia 157 Prinia socialis Ashy Prinia 158 Prinia inornata Plain Prinia 159 Orthotomus sutorius Common Tailorbird 160 Hirundinidae 161 Hirundo rustica Barn Swallow 162 Riparia chinensis Asian Plain Martin Pycnonotidae 163 Hypsipetes leucocephalus Black Bulbul 164 Rubigula gularis Flame-throated Bulbul 165 Pycnonotus jocosus Red-whiskered Bulbul 166 Pycnonotus leucotis White-eared Bulbul 167 Pycnonotus cafer Red-vented Bulbul 168 Brachypodius priocephalus Grey-headed Bulbul 169 Acritillas indica Yellow-browed Bulbul Phylloscopidae 170 Phylloscopus humei Hume's Leaf-warbler Phylloscopus collybita Common Chiffchaff 171 Phylloscopus trochiloides Greenish Warbler Sylviidae 172 Sylvia curruca Lesser Whitethroat Zosteropidae 173 Zosterops palpebrosus Indian White-eye Timaliidae 174 Pomatorhinus horsfieldii Indian Scimitar-babbler Leiotrichidae 175 Argya malcolmi Large Grey Babbler 176 Argya caudata Common Babbler 177 Turdoides striata Jungle Babbler Sittidae 178 Sitta frontalis Velvet-fronted Nuthatch Sturnidae 179 Gracupica contra Asian Pied Starling 180 Sturnia pagodarum Brahminy Starling 181 Sturnia malabarica Chestnut-tailed Starling 182 Acridotheres tristis Common Myna

183 Acridotheres ginginianus Bank Myna Muscicapidae 184 Copsychus saularis Oriental Magpie-robin 185 Saxicoloides fulicatus Indian Robin 186 Cyanecula svecica Bluethroat 187 Calliope calliope Siberian Rubythroat 188 Ficedula parva Red-breasted Flycatcher 189 Phoenicurus ochruros Black Redstart 190 Saxicola jerdoni Jerdon's Bushchat 191 Saxicola macrorhynchus Pied Bushchat 192 Saxicola caprata Pied Bushchat 193 Saxicola torquatus Common Stonechat 194 Oenanthe fusca Brown Rockchat Irenidae 195 Irena puella Asian Fairy-bluebird Chloropseidae 196 Chloropsis aurifrons Golden-fronted Leafbird Nectariniidae 197 Arachnothera longirostra Little Spiderhunter 198 Leptocoma zeylonica Purple-rumped Sunbird 199 Cinnyris asiaticus Purple Sunbird Estrildidae 200 Euodice malabarica Indian Silverbill Passeridae 201 Passer domesticus House Sparrow 202 Gymnoris xanthocollis Yellow-throated Sparrow Motacillidae 203 Anthus trivialis Tree Pipit 204 Motacilla cinerea Grey Wagtail 205 Motacilla citreola Citrine Wagtail 206 Motacilla tschutschensis Eastern Yellow Wagtail 207 Motacilla maderaspatensis White-browed Wagtail 208 Motacilla alba White Wagtail Emberizidae 209 Emberiza buchanani Grey-necked Bunting 210 Emberiza stewarti White-capped Bunting TOTAL: 210

MAMMALS:

1 Panthera pardus fusca Indian Leopard 2 Caracal caracal Caracal

3 Panthera tigris tigris Bengal Tiger 4 Herpestes fuscus Indian Brown Mongoose

5 Herpestes edwardsi Indian Gray Mongoose 6 Herpestes smithii Ruddy Mongoose 7 Semnopithecus johnii Nilgiri Langur 8 Semnopithecus entellus Northern Plains Gray Langur 9 Boselaphus tragocamelus Nilgai 10 Lepus nigricollis Indian Hare 11 Sus scrofa cristatus Indian Wild Boar 12 Funambulus pennantii Five-striped Palm Squirrel 13 Axis axis Spotted Deer 14 Rusa unicolor Sambar Deer 15 Gazella bennettii Indian Gazelle 16 Antilope cervicapra Blackbuck 17 Rattus sp. Rattus 18 Elephas maximus indicus Asian Elephant 19 Camelus dromedarius Camel 20 Macaca radiata Bonnet Macaque 21 Pteropus medius Indian Flying Fox 22 Viverricula indica Small Indian Civet 23 Felis chaus Jungle Cat 24 Anathana ellioti Madras Tree Shrew 25 Canis aureus Golden Jackal 26 Hystrix indica Indian Crested Porcupine 27 Macaca mulatta Rhesus Macaque 28 Petaurista philippensis Giant Flying Squirrel 29 Ratufa indica Malabar Giant Squirrel 30 Moschiola indica Mouse Deer 31 Loris lydekkerianus Slender Loris 32 Platanista gangetica Ganges River Dolphin TOTAL: 32

REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS:

Calotes calotes Forest Lizard Calotes brooksii Forest Lizard Crocodylus palustris Mugger Crocodile Varanus flavescens Yellow Monitor Gavialis gangeticus Gharial Hemidactylus flavoviridis Yellow-belly Gecko Hemidactylus frenatus House Gecko Python Molurus Indian Python Naja naja Spectacled Cobra Fowlea piscator Checkered Keelback Cyrtopodion scabrum Keeled Rock Gecko Nilssonia gangetica Indian Softshell Turtle

Pangshura tentoria India Tent Turtle Boiga trigonata Cat Snake Ahaetulla nasuta Green Vine Snake Lycodon aulicus Wolf Snake Lygosoma lineata Writhing Skink Micrixalus sp. Dancing Frog Raorchestes luteolus Blue-eyed Bush Frog Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis Skittering Frog Polypedates leucomystax Indian Treefrog Hydrophylax malabaricus Fungoid Frog