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Tigers and Birds of INDIA

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Tigers and Birds of INDIA India is a country rich in vibrant and colourful culture, history, beautiful scenery and indeed fascinating fauna and flora. Our tour has been carefully planned to give you an introduction to all these alluring aspects of the country. You will be taken to the Northern India, the region that offers some of the finest birding and mammal-watching in the world reinforcing your experience with superb scenery. The local avifauna is extremely rich, but most importantly, birds are tame and approachable, providing rewarding viewing and great photographic opportunities. What’s more, during the winter months when we are there, Tigers resident avifauna is hugely reinforced by the influx of over 300 species of migrant birds from as far as Siberia! You should expect to see on this tour around 350 bird species. Mammals are an integral part of this tour and our and priority will be the majestic Bengal Tiger, the largest of all the big cats, sighting of which surely ranks as one of the world’s best wildlife experiences. This region is also home Birds to other mammals, and encounters with a Sloth Bear, Leopard, Caracal, Asian Elephant, Jungle Cat, Nilgai (the largest Asian antelope), Sambar, and a rare and endangered of Ganges River Dolphin, are all likely. Reptiles, such as the long-snouted Gharial, one of the most localized and critically endangered crocodilian on the planet, as well the Mugger INDIA Crocodile and Indian Monitor, will also be seen. We will explore some of the most famous wildlife national parks, starting from the Ranthambhore National Park. This scenic reserve supports one of the healthiest populations of Bengal Tiger anywhere on Earth. Keoladeo Ghana National Park is one of the finest bird sanctuaries in the world, supporting more than 300 species of birds, including thousands of geese, ducks, storks, herons and waders. Amongst those are the most sought-after species, including the world's tallest flying bird, the Sarus Crane, the Bar-headed Goose with its incredible ability to fly over the Himalayas on their annual migration, the beautiful Indian Courser and the precious Siberian Rubythroat, to name just a few. The neighboring National Chambal Sanctuary is a birdwatcher's paradise, boasting over 300 species birds, including Indian Skimmer, Greater Thick-knee and Small Pratincole. From here, we will travel north, to the beautiful Himalayan foothills at Pangot and the Corbett National Park. Both areas combined, are the richest place for birds and mammals in northern India, hosting over 500 species of birds, 60 mammals and 30 reptiles. No visit to India will be complete without seeing the truly breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Fatehpur Sikri and the Taj Mahal. As on all our tours, the group size is limited to six to ensure a great wildlife experience. In the national parks, we will use an open-safari jeep, but outside the parks, we will travel in our personal coach, which differs from most of other companies who use a train to cut the cost. An experienced birdwatching guide will accompany us throughout the tour, but we will also have additional local guides at the national parks. All in all, a combination of superb localities, the abundance of wildlife, beautiful ©ScotNature scenery, plenty of cultural highlights, good standard at carefully chosen accommodation and genuine local cuisine will make this tour a rewarding Indian adventure. Itinerary depart for Bharatpur, with birdwatching along the way, as the opportunity arise. Day 1 You will arrival at India’s bustling capital city of New Delhi and will be transferred to nearby Our lodge is strategically situated in the vicinity of accommodation. Activities for the evening, including Keoladeo National Park, also known as Bharatpur your dinner, will be planned according to your arrival Bird Sanctuary, where we will stay for the next two time. nights. In the afternoon, we will continue birdwatching and have an introduction to this Day 2 After breakfast we will make a long transfer by amazing park and its inhabitants. road to the Ranthambhore National Park, for a 3-night stay. We will break our journey for lunch and Day 6 some birding if opportunity arise. We will arrive to our We will spend the entire day exploring the lodge in the vicinity of the park, in later afternoon, in Keoladeo Ghana National Park, a stunning time for some rest and birdwatching. birdwatching locality that ranks alongside the best in the world. The extensive series of shallow ponds, Days 3-4 We will spend two full artificially created as duck- days exploring the shooting preserve by a former Ranthambhore National Park, an Maharaja of Bharatpur, is now area of rocky hills, clothed in dry, a wetland sanctuary attracting deciduous forest, grassland and thousands of resident and scrub and dotted with several small wintering waterfowl, waders, lakes. This scenic area is one of the cranes and raptors. We will very best places on Earth to see the explore the reserve on foot and endangered Bengal Tiger and we in the cycle-rickshaw with an will make concentrate our efforts to expert birding guide see these cats. The park is also accompanying us throughout. home to plethora of other superb With his experienced eye, we mammals that we will hope to should be able to see an encounter: Sloth Bear, Caracal, interesting array of birds, Leopard, Sambar, Spotted Deer, including the tallest bird in the Southern Plains Grey Langur, world, the elegant Sarus Ruddy Mongoose and Jungle Cat. Crane, iridescent Bronze- The rich woods and meadows offer winged and graceful Pheasant- excellent birdwatching and we will tailed Jacanas, Bar-headed keep our eyes open for Painted Goose, Indian Spot-billed Spurfowl, Jungle and Rock Bush Duck, and more challenging Quails, White-naped Woodpecker, species such as Black and Indian Scops Owl, Alexandrine, Cinnamon Bitterns, Greater Rose-ringed and Plum-headed Painted-snipe and Siberian Parakeets, Rufous Treepie, Indian Rubythroat. The woodland, Silverbill, Stork-billed Kingfisher, thorny acacia scrub and Sirkeer Malkoha, Painted grassland surrounding the Sandgrouse, Tickell’s Blue wetland also support rich Flycatcher, White-browed Fantail, population of birds and we and Rufous-fronted Prinia, to name will be on the look-out for just a few. Birds of prey might White-eared Bulbul, Yellow- footed Green Pigeon, Black- include Indian Vulture, Pallid rumped Flameback, Grey- Harrier, Bonelli’s Eagle and Crested headed Canary-Flycatcher, Serpent Eagle. Purple Sunbird, Baya Weaver, Our daily trips to the park will be Yellow-crowned Woodpecker, conducted in the open-safari jeep Indian Grey Hornbill, Hume’s and will commence in the morning Leaf Warbler, Tree-Pie, Indian and continue in the afternoon, with Robin, and localized a break in the middle of the day at Marshall's Lora. Various our lodge. migrant flycatchers, warblers and thrushes will also be After breakfast we will Day 5 present. The park is excellent for raptors, and as the night, we might spot some temperature rises in the morning, nocturnal visitors, such as an seeing five species Indian Hare and a Collared of Aquila eagles souring high in Hedgehog. the sky, is not uncommon. These might include Indian Spotted, Day 8 In the morning, we Eastern Imperial, Bonelli’s, will drive to the Steppe and White-browed Chambal River, where we will Fantail. We will also search for undertake a boat cruise. The the nocturnal residents at their Chambal River forms part of the day roosts, including the Dusky National Chambal Sanctuary and Eagle-Owl, Spotted Owlet, is one of the country's most Indian Scops Owl and Large- beautiful and least polluted. Our tailed Nightjar. The sanctuary is ride on the calm waters, also home to excellent variety of combined with the dramatic mammals, and we will look for landscape and close-up views of the largest Asian antelope, the the amazing wildlife, will be a Nilgai, as well as the largest unique experience. We should Indian deer, the Sambar, as well be rewarded here with sightings as Spotted Deer, Golden Jackal, of several interesting birds, the attractive Northern Palm including Red-naped Ibis, Small Squirrel and Smooth Indian Pratincole, River Lapwing, Great Otter. The sanctuary is also one Stone-curlew, Great Thick-knee of the few places in India to see and the endangered Indian the rare Fishing Cat. Reptiles Skimmer, which often roosts on such as the huge Flap-shelled the sand-bars accompanied by Turtle and Asian Monitors are River Terns and Black-bellied often seen sunbathing on the dry Terns, not to mention the land, and if we are lucky, we Bonelli’s Eagle, which breeds on may even come across an Indian the cliffs alongside the river. In Rock Python. this pristine river ecosystem, we have a great chance to see the Day 7 After breakfast, we will endangered and rare Ganges head for the Chambal River Dolphin, whereas, on the sanctuary. En route, we will river banks, the critically make a few stops in the arid endangered Gharial, together countryside to pick up on some with Mugger Crocodile and farmland birds, particularly larks Flap-shelled Turtle, will be an (e.g. Greater Short-toed Lark, attraction. If we are lucky, we Bimaculated Lark, Indian Bush might even encounter River Lark, Ashy-crowned Sparrow- Otters, which finds their home lark and Oriental), as well as here too. Indian Courser, Yellow-wattled In the afternoon, we will visit the Lapwing and Desert Wheatear. beautiful white marble We will also stop at Fatehpur monument of the most iconic Sikri (the City of Victory), a UNESCO World Heritage Sites, magnificent fortified ancient city the Taj Mahal. This epic and the World Heritage Site, monument to love and one of the built during the second half of finest examples of Islamic the 16th century by the Emperor Akbar.
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