MONSOON TOUR REPORT

22nd July to 5th August 2019

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS Either for rarity value, excellent views or simply a group favourite.

• Tibetan Snowcock • Singing Bushlark • Black Francolin • Hume’s Short-toed Lark • Painted Francolin • Lemon-rumped Warbler • Rain Quail • • Rock Bush Quail • Rufous-fronted Prinia • Lammergeier • Variegated Laughingthrush • Indian Spotted Eagle • Hume’s Whitethroat • White-eyed Buzzard • Kashmir Nuthatch • Upland Buzzard • White-cheeked Nuthatch • Watercock • Chestnut Thrush • Black-necked Crane • Himalayan Rubythroat • Ibisbill • Rusty-tailed Flycatcher • Oriental Pratincole • Kashmir Flycatcher • Tibetan • White-winged Redstart • Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse • Blue-capped Rock-Thrush • • Brown Dipper

• Grey-bellied Cuckoo •

• Indian Eagle Owl • Black-winged Snowfinch

• Jungle Nightjar • Blanford’s Snowfinch

• Himalayan Woodpecker • Alpine Accentor • Scaly-bellied Woodpecker • Robin Accentor • Red-necked Falcon • Brown Accentor • Slaty-headed Parakeet • Black-and-yellow Grosbeak

• Indian Pitta • Brandt’s Mountain-Finch • Marshall’s Iora • Great Rosefinch • White-bellied Minivet • Pink-browed Rosefinch • Black-headed Cuckooshrike • Red-fronted Serin • Yellow-billed Blue Magpie • White-capped Bunting • Kashmir Nutcracker • Crested Bunting • Rufous-naped Tit • Grey Wolf • White-naped Tit • Leopard

Day 1 ARRIVAL IN – SURAJPUR WETLANDS After our morning arrival in Delhi, a quick transfer to a nearby hotel was followed by lunch. At 2pm we headed to Surajpur Wetlands in search of Bristled Grassbird, a that breeds during the monsoon and should be relatively easy to find at this time of year. But, as luck would have it, the rains haven’t arrived and are a month and a half late = no bristlebird. However, everyone had seen this bird before so it wasn’t a problem and instead we simply enjoyed the other great on offer in this cracking little area. We began with a Common Hawk-Cuckoo, followed by Bronze-winged and Pheasant-tailed Jacanas, many Indian Spot-billed Ducks, Knob-billed Duck, Indian Peafowl, showy Asian Koel, a perched Shikra and best of all a pair of Black-breasted Weavers were seen with the male displaying with his wings outstretched and ‘shaking all over’. A pair of stately Black-necked Storks were patrolling the water’s edge, whilst several Grey-headed Swamphens and White-breasted Waterhens fed unconcerned amongst the vegetation. We checked a few other spots for the grassbird without any joy, whilst overhead Black-headed Ibis and some Red-naped Ibis flew over, along with a few Streak-throated Swallows. Across the water was a very active rookery with numerous Asian Openbills and Black-headed Ibis nesting, along with many Purple Herons, some Black-crowned Night-Herons and Indian Pond-herons. Possibly the highlight for me was a flock of 50+ Oriental Pratincoles flying high overhead – an Indian tick no less!

Walking back to our waiting vehicle we saw a pair of Indian Silverbills, an Indian Grey Hornbill flew over, a drake Cotton Pygmy-Goose was seen, a male Watercock showed well, a pair of Indian Golden Orioles fed high overhead and a flock of Alexandrine Parakeets were seen perched in some nearby trees.

Other birds seen this afternoon included Lesser Whistling-Duck, Indian Roller, Green and Blue-tailed Bee-eaters, Indian Bushlark, Large Grey Babbler and other common . Leaving here it took quite some time to negotiate the notorious Delhi traffic but we eventually arrived back at the hotel and managed to get to the restaurant at 9pm for dinner and a few well deserved cold beers!

Day 2 SULTANPUR – JHALANA SAFARI PARK We began the day watching a colony of Black-breasted Weavers near Sultanpur and enjoyed really nice views, along with , Grey-throated Martin, Long-tailed Shrike, Graceful Prinia, Striated Babbler, Yellow- bellied Prinia, Brown Rock-Chat and a pair of Red Avadavats. Shyam took us to an isolated tree where a male Sind Sparrow was singing and we enjoyed fine looks at this localised bird. So we left here and set out on the long drive to Jaipur, arriving much earlier than expected and we had to kick our heels and wait a couple of hours at Jhalana Reserve for our 4.30pm jeep safari, so we crashed out in the air-conditioned waiting room and enjoyed looking around the visitor centre. Eventually it was time to set off. Our reason for coming is that Jhalana has built a reputation of providing Leopard sightings: this 20km square reserve hosts up to 28 Leopards so there’s a very good chance of seeing one. We were also interested in seeing what birds were about and a very pleasant 2.5 hours began with a superb male Indian Paradise-Flycatcher sat on a nest over the track and it looked simply stunning with its bright yellow mouth and extravagantly long tail streamers floating high above his head. A little further on there was an Indian Golden Orioles nest with 3 young being attended by both parents and we thoroughly enjoyed watching them.

Driving on we encountered the first of 5 roosting Jungle Nightjars beside the track, as well as Grey Francolin, Indian Peafowl, Red Turtle Dove, Spotted Owlet, Bay-backed Shrike, White-browed Fantail and other common species. There are several man-made waterholes here attracting lots of birds with species such as Green and Blue-tailed Bee-eaters, Yellow-crowned Woodpecker, Black-rumped Flameback, Red-rumped Swallow, White- breasted Kingfisher, Common Woodshrike, Indian Robin, Brahminy Starling and Jacobin Cuckoo, coming down for a drink and a bathe. The biggest highlight was seeing 2 different Indian Pittas calling away from up in the trees beside the track, with the second bird then flying onto the ground near us to begin feeding right out in the open. Wow! With time pressing we completed our route and then headed onto another route where with minutes remaining before the park closed we caught sight of a large Leopard stalking through the brush and grass. What a day. There followed a 3 hour drive to our next hotel where we arrived at 10;30pm.

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019 Day 3 SONKHALIYA This was the big day as we went in search of a number of key target species in the fields near Sonkhaliya. After leaving the hotel at 5am it took over an hour to reach the first site, where we drove slowly along a dirt road that traversed a wide open plain of fields, crops and scattered trees. Within the first 15 minutes along here an awesome male Lesser Florican was located displaying in a field about 150 m away. We observed him from the car as he sprang high into the air, flapped his wings before stretching them right out, throwing his head back and puffing his body up into a ball before dropping back down to earth like a stone. A quite dramatic display accompanied by a strange clicking sound and which lasts just a matter of a few seconds. As luck would have it, after around ten minutes of watching him he decided to change his display site and came around 50m closer towards us. We just sat and admired this bizarre courtship display, and took a few photos too. Once satisfied with the views of this most wanted bird we explored the nearby area, finding a further two displaying males but all at quite some distance. We then checked a number of other locations, all in seemingly similar habitat hearing Painted Francolin and Rain Quail without being able to locate them due to the tall crops they were in, but a Singing Bushlark, many Rufous-fronted Prinias and Yellow-eyed Babbler were found along the way. We ended our morning’s birding amidst a more arid area with scattered bushes and this site proved to be a little goldmine as we found a covey of Rock Bush-Quails feeding quietly underneath a bush that defied all attempts at a decent photo and a calling Rain Quail within just a couple of minutes of each other. The Rain Quail in particular was a little stunner as he called from the top of a small mound and after a bit of manoeuvring with the car we enjoyed fantastic looks. There were also several flocks of Rose-coloured Starlings, including some incredibly pink adults, as well as Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark and a flyby White-eyed Buzzard. We then made a couple of abortive attempts at finding Indian Eagle-Owl but did see Streak-throated Swallow, Little Swift, and a bunch of common species.

We spent the mega-hot midday period in an air-conditioned restaurant that had wifi, served good food and more importantly, cold drinks before heading out again at 3pm. This time we located an Indian Eagle Owl perched in a tree and not where we were expecting or had been looking! A couple of minutes later and a cracking Red-headed Falcon was seen perched on top of a dead tree, followed by the huge bonus of a confiding Painted Francolin that flew in right next to us, before flying over our car never to be seen again. What a bird and it’s one of those species that the field guides just don’t do justice to. So by now it was 5pm and we made the decision to try a different area about an hour away for sandgrouse. Along the way we had the first rain of the tour but fortunately it had stopped by the time we reached the site where we quickly scored with 5 Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse and a bonus find with a pair of Indian Thick-knees to round off a truly great day.

Day 4 AJMER After a later than usual start we headed to an area of acacia forest and rolling hills, which turned out to be particularly productive. The habitat was excellent and we found several pairs of Marshall’s Iora showing very well. I love this bird and seeing the male in breeding was very nice indeed, having only seen them in winter before today and we had numerous sightings as well as hearing them sing. Our other major find of the morning was watching a pair of White-naped Tits at their nest hole, which we found just by chance. Again, this is a very special bird and one we were keen to find, so to see them nest-building was a huge bonus. We followed this at a different site with yet another great bird and more good views of the simply stunning White-bellied Minivet. We saw two males and a female, with another male later on during our walk.

Other good birds this morning included a pair of Black-headed Cuckooshrikes, Crested Bunting, Grey- breasted Prinia, several Common Hawk-Cuckoos, White-bellied Drongo, Plum-headed Parakeet, Small Minivet, Coppersmith Barbet and a hepatic female Grey-bellied Cuckoo.

After a long rest over midday we headed to a lake not really knowing what to expect and were thrilled to discover it was full of birds. We added over 20 species to our list here with a flock of nearly 190+ Lesser and 3 Greater Flamingo’s, 6 Great White Pelicans, Painted Storks, Indian & Great Cormorants, Oriental Darter,

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019 79 Eurasian Spoonbill, many River Terns, 2 Little Terns, 13+ Ruff, Green Sandpiper, Pied Avocet, Little Stint, White-browed Wagtail and others. Another section of the lake produced Little Stint and a whacky record of Sykes’s Warbler watched for quite some time in a small marshy area. We were left wondering if these shorebirds had left their breeding grounds early, were failed breeders or hadn’t gone north at all?

We ended up beside a small pond amidst dense thorn forest where a pair of Painted Sandgrouse flew over and an Indian Nightjar flew past us to round of a surprisingly good day.

Day 5 TRAVEL DAY TO DELHI What a day of travelling this was as the monsoon rains really hit hard. We reached Jaipur without a hitch but the rain become heavier and the road we were on had turned into a river. With water above the wheels I was wondering if we were going to have to swim and when the car stalled I thought this is it! But luckily some villagers waded out to us and pushed us onto higher ground on a side road where after a short while we got the cars engine started and we were off. It was a bit iffy getting out of Jaipur but we had no other mishaps and dropped Shyam off so he could get his bus home to Bharatpur. He’d been a great guide and someone whom I look forward to birding with again. Well, we finally reached the sanctuary of our Delhi hotel around 4pm and looked forward to some cold beers!

Day 6 DELHI – SRINIGAR, KASHMIR After an uneventful flight from Delhi to Srinigar in Kashmir we were met by our local guide Deepak and drove to our base for the next 4 nights. This was a houseboat moored at the edge of Nigeen Lake and a very different experience from the normal hotel. After lunch we headed to the hills just outside of Srinigar and spent a very enjoyable few hours notching up a pair of Kashmir Flycatchers that proved tricky to get a decent view of, but after persevering for a while everyone managed decent looks at what can be a tricky species! We were amazed at the number of Rusty-tailed Flycatchers here and saw many, as well as Western Crowned Warbler, Blue-capped Rock-Thrush, Oriental Turtle Dove, Slaty-blue Flycatcher, Black Bulbul and a cracking Himalayan Woodpecker. Not a bad start to our Kashmir adventure.

Day 7 GULMARG We spent the day amidst the conifer forests of the hills around Gulmarg. At the base of the hills we encountered a huge party of Coal (Spot-winged) Tits and a few of the extremely localised Rufous-naped Tits, with Brown-fronted and Himalayan Woodpeckers, Rock Bunting, Western Crowned Warblers, Yellow-billed Blue Magpie, and a Dark-sided Flycatcher.

Driving up we began birding several kilometres higher along a trail through some excellent forest, where we hit a purple patch with a Chestnut Thrush, followed by a superb pair of Variegated Laughingthrushes that spent over an hour around us, followed by a cracking pair of Black-and-yellow Grosbeaks. We ate our picnic breakfast here and scanned the clearing below us and were rewarded with Slaty-headed Parakeets, Scaly- bellied Woodpecker, Ultramarine Flycatcher, numerous Streaked Laughingthrushes, a Tytler’s Leaf Warbler skulking in the undergrowth, a Buff-barred Warbler, and several Lemon-rumped Warblers. Walking on we saw Bar-tailed Treecreeper, a very brief Indian Blue Robin and another Blue-capped Rock Thrush. A major highlight was seeing both of our target nuthatches this morning, with decent looks at Kashmir and White-cheeked Nuthatches – although we’d getter much better views in a day or so.

We continued our walk into the afternoon but were beset with low cloud and rain that came in waves so we headed to a chai stall and took shelter, spotting several Russet Sparrows along the way. Another attempt at birding the same productive area proved to be futile, apart from our first Kashmir Nutcracker perched in the mist and gloom and where we heard its harsh rasping/grating call, so we headed to a great restaurant for lunch and whiled away a couple of hours as the rain continued unabated, still seeing a few Citrine Wagtails as we drove along. Eventually we had to leave the restaurant after a fine meal and headed again to the same area as this morning, where this time we nailed much better views of several Kashmir Nutcrackers in the scope. A few more Black-and-yellow Grosbeaks were also seen, along with some

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019 commoner birds and by now we had pretty much cleaned up all the available targets for Kashmir. The drive back to the hotel was enlivened with views of a few Jackdaws – an Indian tick for yours truly! Also seen on the drive into the city were Spotted Forktail, Himalayan Bulbul and Common Starling. What a day!

Day 8 SONAMARG Spent the day amidst the spectacular scenery of alpine meadows and forests of Sonamarg, whose lofty snow-capped peaks dominated the skyline all around. Our first stop was low down where we crossed a fast- flowing river into a nice forest seeing several Slaty-blue Flycatchers, a Brown Dipper showed well along a side stream, and we saw a few other commoner species including Hume’s Warbler. Driving higher up we arrived at an area of wide-open flower-filled alpine meadows where Yellow-breasted Greenfinch, Citrine Wagtails of the black-backed Tibetan race calcaracta were common, Eurasian Hoopoes were numerous, Eastern Goldfinch was present and a collection of really wacky-looking shrikes looked a lot like Heinz 47 hybrids..!!

Somewhere up here Spectacled Finch resides and it is still a mystery to me some weeks later! We explored side valleys, villages, meadows in all the places this species has previously been reported but the bird remained invisible and it was beginning to become our obsession to find this bird. We saw plenty of other species such as Eurasian Hobby, Himalayan Buzzard, 11 Himalayan Vultures soaring in the clear blue skies, Alpine Chough, Plumbeous and White-capped Redstarts, Common Rosefinch and others. We ended the day after an abortive attempt to reach the high-altitude pass, at a little village hoping for finches to come into feed. All we saw were Common Cuckoo, numerous Russet Sparrows, another Himalayan Woodpecker and several groups of Yellow-breasted Greenfinches.

Day 9 GULMARG We returned to Gulmarg this morning in our quest for Spectacled Finch but neither heard nor saw this invisible species! We patrolled the same area of forest where we had heard it on our previous visit without any joy and had to content ourselves with some perched Himalayan Vultures, even better views of Kashmir and White-cheeked Nuthatches, Black-and-yellow Grosbeak, Yellow-billed Blue Magpie and other common species. We checked out an area of fields covered in flowers and some crop fields to see if the finches were coming down to feed and saw some Yellow-breasted Greenfinches but no other finches. At the edge of the forest here we thoroughly enjoyed another pair of stunning Variegated Laughingthrushes feeding quietly.

It was already 9.40am and we were at a loss where else to try for the pesky elusive finch, so a bit of inspiration came to me and we headed to the cable car. Fighting with throngs of people we eventually got into a gondola/cable car and headed up the mountain, which entailed a 2-stage journey but in pretty quick time we were at the top reaching an altitude of 3945m. I had no idea what to expect and with mist covering the landscape to begin with we began walking away from the cable car station just as the mist began to slowly lift. The boulder field seemed devoid of birds initially until we heard something singing, which turned out to be a cracking male Himalayan Rubythroat. Over the next hour we saw 3 males and at least 1 female, all collecting food for their hidden young. Sat amongst the rocks we enjoyed watching them flying around and collecting food, with one male very bold perching on a rock right in front of us. What a bird! Our exploration of this area also produced Blue-fronted Redstart, Rosy Pipit, Plain Mountain-Finch, Alpine Accentor and Northern Raven. We then took the cable car down one stop and had some lunch before checking out the bushes where Keith spotted a male Pink-browed Rosefinch singing. We then walked the 4kms back down the mountain through beautiful forest, seeing Rufous-breasted Accentor, a few Tytler’s Leaf-Warblers, Eurasian Wren and plenty of other previously seen species. We returned to the houseboat in time to watch the sunset behind the lake whilst enjoying a cup of chai.

Day 10 SRINIGAR - LEH We said our goodbyes to the houseboat crew and headed to Srinigar airport, where David was flying back to Delhi and the rest of us were heading for the next leg of our adventure to Leh in Ladakh. We arrived around

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019 11.10am and reached our delightful hotel some half an hour later. We enjoyed a nice rest and some of the best food of the tour before heading out to the River Indus to search for Ibisbill. The water level was very high due to snow melt and we searched various areas seeing Hume’s Whitethroat, Mountain Chiffchaff, Bluethroat and numerous Citrine and a few White (alboides) Wagtails. At the last spot we could try we struck gold with great scope views of a pair of Ibisbills feeding on a shingle bank on the far side of the river where we watched them for quite some time in the early evening sunshine before returning to the hotel.

Day 11 LEH - TANGLANGLA – TSO KAR This was a day that exceeded all of our expectations as we set out on the drive to Tso Kar and the main purpose of this leg of the tour – to see . Our route took us east along the valley and then through numerous steep-sided valleys as we climbed ever upwards. Along the way we saw plenty of Chukar, and at one area we encountered the first of many Great Rosefinches we were to see today. There was also a group of Red-fronted Serins present, Eurasian Crag-Martin, Blue Rock Thrush and Common Cuckoo before we got slightly further up the road where Black-winged Snowfinch seemed to be rather common. As the road zig-zagged up to Tanglangla Pass, Guldenstadt’s Redstart appeared with at least 4 males and 2 females, with one male along the road being particularly cooperative, and there was also a superb Robin Accentor. What a simply stunning bird! There was also Golden Eagle, Brandt’s Mountain-Finch, and many more Black-winged Snowfinches as well. The pass was a whopping 17,582 feet and my altimeter read 5336m and this is apparently the second highest drivable pass in the world. We searched for Tibetan Snowcock here without any success and were two days late according to the roadworkers here! But a soaring Saker Falcon was a bit special!

So we dropped down towards Tso Kar and the first birds we saw here were a pair of Ruddy Shelducks and a Hume’s Short-toed Lark, followed by yet more Black-winged Snowfinches and Desert Wheatears. Driving into Tso Kar we were extremely fortunate to come across a pair of Tibetan Sandgrouse with 2 chicks right beside the road! They slowly walked away but from the car we had amazing views of this most-prized bird and the reason for coming here in the first place – and we had only been here 10 minutes! We watched as the chicks tried to shelter in the shadow of the parents bodies from the harsh midday sun and totally lapped up this amazing scene. How lucky were we?

At the Tso Kar Eco-Resort we were pleasantly surprised to see our rooms were en-suite and even more delighted to see a couple of male Great Rosefinches perched on the roof beside some colourful Tibetan prayer flags! We had a nice lunch of fried rice before heading out into the plains where we found a family of Ground-Tits, flocks of Twite, many Blanford’s Snowfinches, an Upland Buzzard and what appeared to be a Long-legged Buzzard. A further search for sandgrouse wasn’t successful so we returned to the eco-lodge for an early finish to an extraordinary day.

Day 12 TSO KAR Early doors we headed across to the far side of Tso Kar to a fresh water lake that was teeming with birds. On the way we scanned the salt water lake that held countless shorebirds around the edges with the most numerous being Common Redshank, followed by Lesser Sand Plovers and Little Stints, with a small group of Pied Avocets seen as well. A pair of Black-necked Cranes were also feeding at the water’s edge with 2 young. At the freshwater lake there were flocks of Bar-headed Goose and Ruddy Shelduck, with numerous common species such as Northern Pintail, Eurasian Wigeon, Red-crested Pochard, a few Black-necked Grebes, loads of Brown-headed Gulls and other species.

We left here to return to the lodge for a late breakfast seeing a close Little Owl en-route. Afterwards we walked along the road through the village where many Black-winged Snowfinches were the most prominent species, and we also saw a few Great Rosefinches, lots of Twite, a flyover Saker with an immature perched on a cliff overlooking the road and a couple of Upland Buzzards.

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019 After a siesta we headed out at 3pm and drove across Tso Kar in search of Tibetan Sandgrouse, and at a large stony plateau hit the jackpot with several groups numbering over 80 individuals. Wow! We managed to get great views as these groups fed either side of us and watched them for a long time. What a bird and with snow-capped peaks and the vast open spaces of Tso Kar all around us this was the most perfect and unbelievably breath-taking setting to observe our main purpose for coming to this magnificent place. Driving back to the lodge we heard a snowcock calling but couldn’t locate it high up in the mountains, so returned to the lodge for another great meal.

Day 13 TSO KAR We headed across Tso Kar to the place where we had heard the snowcock calling yesterday evening, assuming it was going to be Himalayan. After a lengthy wait Keith spotted one perched against the sky and it proved to be a Tibetan Snowcock (!) and as we watched through the scope he was joined by another adult and two youngsters. We then found another pair calling further to our right and they flew across the hillside in front of us and began calling as well. It was a great moment. I’ve not seen any other trip reports saying they’ve seen Tibetan Snowcock here. Satisfied with the views we began walking along the road and checked out some bushes, where we found a Brown Accentor that quickly flew away and had a Golden Eagle fly over us.

After breakfast back at the lodge we drove up through a valley at the far end of Tso Kar and checked out some more bushes, finding another Brown Accentor but little else. Higher up at 4900m around a small Tibetan settlement we saw Guldenstadt’s Redstart, Great Rosefinch, Robin Accentor and all the usual suspects. By now it was 2pm so we decided to head back to the lodge as it was so hot and the sun was very strong, but as we neared the lodge our driver spotted a black Tibetan Wolf loping across the hill to our right and we stopped to get decent views of this amazing .

Day 14 TSO KAR - LEH We left early doors and headed out of Tso Kar a different way, although we’d already spotted a Carrion (Oriental) Crow near the restaurant at breakfast. New birds were thin on the ground with Goosander (Common Merganser) being the only new bird for the trip, although Brown Accentor and Great Rosefinch were also seen. We drove back to Leh through a dramatic landscape of huge, towering peaks extremely satisfied with our sightings.

Day 15 LEH – DELHI - SURAJPUR Flew back to Delhi early doors and headed straight to Surajpur wetlands again. This time we well and truly nailed Bristled Grassbird straight away, which made up for the first day dip! And that was a wrap and conclusion of a really enjoyable and successful tour.

Nick Bray

All photos in this report are copyright Nick Bray/Zoothera Birding

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019 SYSTEMATIC LIST – MONSOON INDIA JULY/AUGUST 2019

ANSERIFORMES: Anatidae

Lesser Whistling Duck Dendrocygna javanica

Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus

Knob-billed Duck Sarkidiornis melanotos

Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea

Cotton Pygmy Goose Nettapus coromandelianus

Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata Northern Pintail Anas acuta Eurasian Wigeon Mareca penelope

Indian Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca

Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina

Common Merganser Mergus merganser

GALLIFORMES: Phasianidae Tibetan Snowcock Tetraogallus tibetanus Chukar Alectoris chukar Black Francolin Francolinus f. asiae Painted Francolin Francolinus pictus pallidus

Grey Francolin Francolinus pondicerianus

Rain Quail Coturnix coromandelica

Rock Bush Quail Perdicula argoondah Endemic

Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus

PODICIPEDIFORMES: Podicipedidae

Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis

Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus

PHOENICOPTERIFORMES: Phoenicopteridae

Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus Lesser Flamingo Phoenicopterus minor

CICONIIFORMES: Ciconiidae

Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala Near -threatened

Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans

Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus Near-threatened

PELECANIFORMES: Threskiornithidae

Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus Near -threatened

Red-naped Ibis Pseudibis papillosa Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019 PELECANIFORMES: Ardeidae

Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis

Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax

Striated Heron Butorides striata

Indian Pond Heron Ardeola grayii

Eastern Cattle Egret Bubulcus coromandus

Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

Purple Heron Ardea purpurea Eastern Great Egret Ardea alba modestus Intermediate Egret Ardea i. intermedia

Little Egret Egretta garzetta

PELECANIFORMES: Pelecanidae

Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus

SULIFORMES: Phalacrocoracidae

Little Cormorant Microcarbo niger

Indian Cormorant Phalacrocorax fuscicollis

Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo

SULIFORMES: Anhingidae

Oriental Darter Anhinga melanogaster Near -threatened

ACCIPITRIFORMES: Accipitridae

Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus

Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus Near-threatened

Himalayan Vulture Gyps himalayensis Near-threatened

Indian Spotted Eagle Clanga hastata Vulnerable

Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos

Shikra Accipiter badius

Besra Accipiter virgatus Black Kite Milvus migrans govinda Black-eared Kite Milvus migrans lineatus White-eyed Buzzard Butastur teesa

Upland Buzzard Buteo hemilasius Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus

Himalayan Buzzard Buteo burmanicus

OTIDIFORMES: Otididae

Lesser Florican Sypheotides indicus Endangered

GRUIFORMES: Rallidae

White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus

Watercock Gallicrex cinerea

Grey-headed Swamphen Porphyrio poliocephalus

Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus

Eurasian Coot Fulica atra

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019

GRUIFORMES: Gruidae

Black-necked Crane Grus nigricollis Vulnerable

CHARADRIIFORMES: Burhinidae

Indian Stone-curlew Burhinus indicus

CHARADRIIFORMES: Recurvirostridae

Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta

CHARADRIIFORMES: Charadriidae

Yellow-wattled Lapwing Vanellus malabaricus

Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula

Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus

CHARADRIIFORMES: Jacanidae

Pheasant-tailed Jacana Hydrophasianus chirurgus

Bronze-winged Jacana Metopidius indicus

CHARADRIIFORMES: Scolopacidae

Ruff Calidris pugnax

Little Stint Calidris minuta

Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus

Common Redshank Tringa totanus

Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia

CHARADRIIFORMES: Glareolidae

Oriental Pratincole Glareola maldivarum

CHARADRIIFORMES: Laridae

Brown-headed Gull Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus

River Tern Sterna aurantia Near-threatened Common Tern Sterna hirundo Endangered

Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida Little Tern Sternula albifrons

PTEROCLIFORMES: Pteroclidae

Tibetan Sandgrouse tibetanus

Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse exustus

Painted Sandgrouse Pterocles indicus

COLUMBIFORMES: Rock Dove Columba livia intermedia

Hill Pigeon Columba rupestris Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis meena

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019 Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto

Red Turtle Dove Streptopelia tranquebarica

Spotted Dove Spilopelia chinensis

Laughing Dove Spilopelia senegalensis Yellow-footed Green Pigeon Treron phoenicopterus chlorigaster

CUCULIFORMES: Cuculidae

Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis

Jacobin Cuckoo Clamator jacobinus

Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopaceus

Common Hawk-Cuckoo Hierococcyx varius Grey-bellied Cuckoo Cacomantis passerinus

Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus

STRIGIFORMES: Strigidae

Indian Eagle-Owl Bubo bengalensis

Little Owl Athene noctua

Spotted Owlet Athene brama

CAPRIMULGIFORMES: Caprimulgidae

Jungle Nightjar Caprimulgus indicus

Indian Nightjar Caprimulgus asiaticus

APODIFORMES: Apodidae

Little Swift Apus affinis

CORACIIFORMES: Coraciidae

Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis

CORACIIFORMES: Alcedinidae

White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis

Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis

Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis

CORACIIFORMES: Meropidae

Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis

Blue-tailed Bee-eater Merops philippinus

BUCEROTIFORMES: Upupidae

Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops

BUCEROTIFORMES: Bucerotidae

Indian Grey Hornbill Ocyceros birostris

PICIFORMES: Megalaimidae

Great Barbet Psilopogon virens

Coppersmith Barbet Psilopogon haemacephalus

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019

PICIFORMES: Picidae

Brown-fronted Woodpecker Dendrocoptes auriceps

Yellow-crowned Woodpecker Leiopicus mahrattensis

Himalayan Woodpecker Dendrocopos himalayensis

Scaly-bellied Woodpecker Picus squamatus

Black-rumped Flameback Dinopium benghalense

FALCONIFORMES: Falconidae

Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus

Red-necked Falcon Falco chicquera

Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo

Saker Falcon Falco cherrug Endangered

PSITTACIFORMES: Psittaculidae

Slaty-headed Parakeet Psittacula himalayana

Plum-headed Parakeet Psittacula cyanocephala

Alexandrine Parakeet Psittacula eupatria Near-threatened

Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri

PASSERIFORMES: Pittidae

Indian Pitta Pitta brachyura

PASSERIFORMES: Vangidae

Common Woodshrike Tephrodornis pondicerianus

PASSERIFORMES: Aegithinidae

Common Iora Aegithina tiphia Marshall’s Iora Aegithina nigrolutea

PASSERIFORMES: Campephagidae

White-bellied Minivet Pericrocotus erythropygius Endemic

Small Minivet Pericrocotus cinnamomeus

Black-headed Cuckooshrike Lalage melanoptera

PASSERIFORMES: Laniidae

Bay-backed Shrike Lanius vittatus Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach erythronotus Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach caniceps

Grey-backed Shrike Lanius tephronotus Great (Southern) Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor lahtora

PASSERIFORMES: Oriolidae

Indian Golden Oriole Oriolus kundoo

PASSERIFORMES: Dicruridae

Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus longicaudatus

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019 White-bellied Drongo Dicrurus caerulescens

PASSERIFORMES: Rhipiduridae

White-browed Fantail Rhipidura aureola

PASSERIFORMES: Monarchidae

Indian Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone p. paradisi

PASSERIFORMES: Corvidae

Yellow-billed Blue Magpie Urocissa flavirostris

Rufous Treepie Dendrocitta vagabunda Eurasian Magpie Pica pica bactriana

Kashmir Nutcracker Nucifraga multipunctata

Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax

Alpine Chough Pyrrhocorax graculus

House Crow Corvus splendens Carrion Crow Corvus corone orientalis

Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos

Indian Jungle Crow Corvus culminatus Western Jackdaw Coloeus monedula

Northern Raven Corvus corax

PASSERIFORMES: Paridae

Rufous-naped Tit Periparus rufonuchalis Coal (Spot-winged) Tit Periparus ater melanolophus

Ground Tit Pseudopodoces humilis

Cinereous Tit Parus cinereus

Green-backed Tit Parus monticolus

White-naped Tit Machlolophus nuchalis

PASSERIFORMES: Alaudidae

Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark Eremopterix griseus

Singing Bush Lark Mirafra cantillans

Indian Bush Lark Mirafra erythroptera

Rufous-tailed Lark Ammomanes phoenicura Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris elwesi

Hume's Short-toed Lark Calandrella acutirostris

PASSERIFORMES: Pycnonotidae

Himalayan Bulbul Pycnonotus leucogenys

Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer

Black Bulbul Hypsipetes leucocephalus

PASSERIFORMES: Hirundinidae

Grey-throated Martin Riparia chinensis Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica gutturalis

Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii

Eurasian Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne rupestris

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019 Dusky Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne concolor

Asian House Martin Delichon dasypus Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica erythropygia

Streak-throated Swallow Petrochelidon fluvicola

PASSERIFORMES: Cettiidae

Brown-flanked Bush Warbler (H) Horornis fortipes

PASSERIFORMES: Phylloscopidae

Buff-barred Warbler Phylloscopus pulcher Hume's Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus humei humei

Lemon-rumped Warbler Phylloscopus chloronotus

Tytler's Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus tytleri Breeding endemic Near-threatened

Mountain (Kashmir) Chiffchaff Phylloscopus s. sindianus

Large-billed Leaf Warbler (H) Phylloscopus magnirostris

Western Crowned Warbler Phylloscopus occipitalis

PASSERIFORMES: Acrocephalidae Clamorous Reed Warbler (H) Acrocephalus stentoreus brunnescens

Sykes's Warbler Iduna rama

PASSERIFORMES:

Bristled Grassbird striatus Vulnerab le

PASSERIFORMES: Cisticolidae Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis cursitans

Rufous-fronted Prinia Prinia buchanani

Grey-breasted Prinia Prinia h. hodgsonii

Graceful Prinia Prinia gracilis

Yellow-bellied Prinia Prinia flaviventris Ashy Prinia Prinia socialis socialis

Plain Prinia Prinia i. inornata Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius guzuratus

PASSERIFORMES: Leiothrichidae

Streaked Laughingthrush Trochalopteron lineatum

Variegated Laughingthrush Trochalopteron variegatum

Large Grey Babbler Argya malcolmi

Striated Babbler Argya earlei Argya caudata caudata Jungle Babbler Argya striata orientalis

PASSERIFORMES:

Hume's Whitethroat Sylvia althaea

Yellow-eyed Babbler Chrysomma sinense

PASSERIFORMES: Zosteropidae

Indian White-eye Zosterops p. palpebrosus

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019

PASSERIFORMES: Troglodytidae Eurasian Wren Troglodytes troglodytes neglectus

PASSERIFORMES: Sittidae

Kashmir Nuthatch Sitta cashmirensis

White-cheeked Nuthatch Sitta leucopsis

PASSERIFORMES: Certhiidae

Bar-tailed Treecreeper Certhia himalayana

PASSERIFORMES: Sturnidae

Jungle Myna Acridotheres fuscus

Bank Myna Acridotheres ginginianus

Common Myna Acridotheres tristis

Pied Myna Gracupica contra

Brahminy Starling Sturnia pagodarum

Rosy Starling Pastor roseus

Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris

PASSERIFORMES: Turdidae

Chestnut Thrush Turdus rubrocanus

PASSERIFORMES: Muscicapidae

Indian Robin Copsychus fulicatus

Oriental Magpie-Robin Copsychus saularis Dark-sided Flycatcher Muscicapa sibirica gulmergi

Indian Blue Robin Larvivora brunnea Bluethroat Luscinia svecica abbotti

Himalayan Rubythroat Calliope pectoralis

Himalayan Bluetail (H) Tarsiger rufilatus

Spotted Forktail Enicurus maculatus

Blue Whistling Thrush Myophonus caeruleus

Rusty-tailed Flycatcher Ficedula ruficauda

Kashmir Flycatcher Ficedula subrubra Breeding endemic Vulnerable

Ultramarine Flycatcher Ficedula superciliaris

Slaty-blue Flycatcher Ficedula tricolor Blue-fronted Redstart Phoenicurus frontalis Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros phoenicuroides

Güldenstädt's Redstart Phoenicurus erythrogastrus

Plumbeous Water Redstart Phoenicurus fuliginosus

White-capped Redstart Phoenicurus leucocephalus Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius longirostris

Blue-capped Rock Thrush Monticola cinclorhyncha Siberian Stonechat Saxicola maurus indicus

Pied Bush Chat Saxicola caprata

Grey Bush Chat Saxicola ferreus

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019 Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti

Brown Rock Chat Oenanthe fusca

PASSERIFORMES: Cinclidae Brown Dipper Cinclus pallasii tenuirostris

PASSERIFORMES: Nectariniidae

Purple Sunbird Cinnyris asiaticus

PASSERIFORMES: Passeridae

House Sparrow domesticus

Sind Sparrow Passer pyrrhonotus

Russet Sparrow Passer cinnamomeus

Yellow-throated Sparrow xanthocollis

Black-winged Snowfinch adamsi

Blanford's Snowfinch blanfordi

PASSERIFORMES: Ploceidae

Black-breasted Weaver Ploceus benghalensis Baya Weaver Ploceus p. philippinus

PASSERIFORMES: Estrildidae

Red Avadavat Amandava amandava

Indian Silverbill Euodice malabarica

Scaly-breasted Munia Lonchura punctulata

Tricolored Munia Lonchura malacca

PASSERIFORMES: Prunellidae

Alpine Accentor Prunella collaris

Robin Accentor Prunella rubeculoides

Rufous-breasted Accentor Prunella strophiata

Brown Accentor Prunella fulvescens

PASSERIFORMES: Motacillidae Citrine (Tibetan) Wagtail Motacilla citreola calcarata

Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea White Wagtail Motacilla alba alboides Masked Wagtail Motacilla personata

White-browed Wagtail Motacilla maderaspatensis

Rosy Pipit Anthus roseatus

PASSERIFORMES: Fringillidae

Black-and-yellow Grosbeak Mycerobas icterioides

Spectacled Finch (H) Callacanthis burtoni

Plain Mountain Finch Leucosticte nemoricola

Brandt's Mountain Finch Leucosticte brandti

Common Rosefinch Carpodacus e. erythrinus

Great Rosefinch Carpodacus rubicilla

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019 Pink-browed Rosefinch Carpodacus rodochroa

Yellow-breasted Greenfinch Chloris spinoides

Twite Linaria flavirostris European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis caniceps

Red-fronted Serin Serinus pusillus

PASSERIFORMES: Emberizidae

Crested Bunting Emberiza lathami

Rock Bunting Emberiza cia

White-capped Bunting Emberiza stewarti

MAMMALS and OTHER Leopard Panthera pardus Rhesus Macaque Macaca mulatta Northern Plains Grey Langur Semnopithecus entellus Kiang Equus kiang Sambar Rusa unicolor Nilgai Boselaphus tragocamelus Chital Axis axis Greater Blue Sheep Pseudois nayaur Indian Grey Mongoose Herpestes edwardsi Grey Wolf Canis lupis Red Fox Vulpes vulpes Indian Hare Lepus nigricollis Woolly Hare Lepus oiotolus Ruddy Mongoose Herpestes mithii Plateau Pika Ochotona curzoniae Ladakh Pika Ochotona ladacensis Himalayan Marmot Marmota himalayana Northern Palm Squirrel Funambulus palmarum Monitor Lizard Varanus salvator Yellow-green House Gecko Hemidctylus flaviviridis Common Keelback Tropidonophis mairii

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019

Lesser Florican displaying

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019

Painted Francolin

Rain Quail

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019

Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse

Indian Eagle Owl

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019

Indian Paradise Flycatcher

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019

Bristled Grassbird

Indian Golden Oriole

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019

Indian Pitta

Marshall's Iora

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019

Rock Bush Quail

Rusty-tailed Flycatcher

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019

White-naped Tit

White-bellied Minivet

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019

Black-and-yellow Grosbeak

White-cheeked Nuthatch

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019

Variegated Laughingthrush

Himalayan Rubythroat

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019

Robin Accentor

White-winged (Guldenstadt's) Redstart

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019

Tibetan Sandgrouse

Great Rosefinch

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019

Blanford's Snowfinch

Black-winged Snowfinch

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019

Tso Kar

Tso Kar Eco-Resort

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019

The Vale of Kashmir

Tso Kar

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019

email: [email protected] web: www.zootherabirding.com Tel: (+44) 01782 929482

ZOOTHERA BIRDING - MONSOON INDIA TOUR REPORT 2019