INDIA: KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK EXTENSION FEBRUARY 22–27, 2019 The true star of this extension was the Indian One-horned Rhinoceros (Photo M. Valkenburg) LEADER: MACHIEL VALKENBURG LIST COMPILED BY: MACHIEL VALKENBURG VICTOR EMANUEL NATURE TOURS, INC. 2525 WALLINGWOOD DRIVE, SUITE 1003 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78746 WWW.VENTBIRD.COM INDIA: KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK EXTENSION February 22–27, 2019 By Machiel Valkenburg This wonderful Kaziranga extension was part of our amazing Maharajas’ Express train trip, starting in Mumbai and finishing in Delhi. We flew from Delhi to Guwahati, located in the far northeast of India. A long drive later through the hectic traffic of this enjoyable country, we arrived at our lodge in the evening. (Photo by tour participant Robert Warren) We enjoyed three full days of the wildlife and avifauna spectacles of the famous Kaziranga National Park. This park is one of the last easily accessible places to find the endangered Indian One-horned Rhinoceros together with a healthy population of Asian Elephant and Asiatic Wild Buffalo. We saw plenty individuals of all species; the rhino especially made an impression on all of us. It is such an impressive piece of evolution, a serious armored “tank”! On two mornings we loved the elephant rides provided by the park; on the back of these attractive animals we came very close to the rhinos. The fertile flood plains of the park consist of alluvial silts, exposed sandbars, and riverine flood-formed lakes called Beels. This open habitat is not only good for mammals but definitely a true gem for some great birds. Interesting but common birds included Bar-headed Goose, Red Junglefowl, Woolly-necked Stork, and Lesser Adjutant, while the endangered Greater Adjutant and Black-necked Stork were good hits in the stork section. A fly-by male Pied Harrier raised the adrenaline levels of the lucky few who were at the right spot at the right time. In the tall reeds we had superb views of a party of Swamp Francolins, a regional specialty of the park, while a pair of the dark morph Kalij Pheasant was spotted on the last drive of the Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 2 India: Kaziranga National Park Extension, 2019 extension. Chestnut-tailed Starlings were common throughout the areas visited, but only on one occasion we found a pair of Spot-winged Starlings foraging on a fig tree. Not long after this sighting we found a pair of Great Hornbills. Every time I come across these birds my heart skips a beat—what a graceful bird! (Photo M. Valkenburg) Just outside of the park we relished the birding in some rubber and tea plantations. Here we encountered some difficult and beautiful birds like Lesser Necklaced and Rufous-necked laughingthrushes, a cute Little This female Scarlet Minivet was part of a group foraging in the hotel garden (Photo M. Valkenburg) Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 3 India: Kaziranga National Park Extension, 2019 Pied Flycatcher, a colorful Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker, and Common Hill Myna, which were all seen very well. In the hotel garden we were happy with views of the Puff-throated Babbler, Scarlet Minivet, and Golden-fronted Leafbird. The drive back to the airport of Guwahati went along the garbage dump of the city. This is a very surreal place where many people are hoping to find some glass bottles to create a small income to buy bread and a drink. We visited the dump for the available and large population of Greater Adjutants. The total population of the species is approximated to be around a maximum of 1,200 mature individuals; we were blessed with 200 birds. The species is mainly solitary, but on the dump they come together. We enjoyed close and good views of this intriguing bird. Greater Adjutants on the Guwahati dump (Photo M. Valkenburg) A single rhino during a morning elephant excursion; photo made with an iphone (Photo M. Valkenburg) Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 4 India: Kaziranga National Park Extension, 2019 I’d like to thank this very positive group for their constant drive and passion to find the best wildlife and birds throughout this extension. I hope to travel with you again soon. Final thanks go to one of the greatest wildlife guides of India, Ansar Khan; you were amazing, and I look forward to seeing you again next month for our Bhutan trip! It is definitely a ‘gorgeous in its own way’ kind of bird (Photo M. Valkenburg) Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 5 India: Kaziranga National Park Extension, 2019 BIRDS: This Checklist order, and common and scientific names are those given by James F. Clements in The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 6th Edition, Cornell University Press, with all current updates. Possible or debated species splits and alternative Common and Scientific names (particularly those of the Oriental Bird Club) are given in ( ) or included in heavily bordered boxes. (I) = introduced species. (E) = Endemic. COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl Anatidae Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus Graylag Goose Anser anser Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea Gadwall Mareca strepera Eurasian Wigeon Mareca penelope Falcated Duck Mareca falcata Indian Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Northern Pintail Anas acuta Green-winged (Common) Teal Anas crecca Pheasants, Grouse & Allies Phasianidae Swamp Francolin Francolinus gularis Red Junglefowl Gallus gallus Kalij Pheasant Lophura leucomelanos Storks Ciconiidae Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans Woolly-necked Stork Ciconia episcopus Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus Greater Adjutant Leptoptilos dubius Cormorants & Shags Phalacrocoracidae Little Cormorant Microcarbo niger Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Anhingas Anhingidae Oriental Darter Anhinga melanogaster Pelicans Pelecanidae Spot-billed Pelican Pelecanus philippensis Herons, Egrets & Bitterns Ardeidae Gray Heron Ardea cinerea Great Egret Ardea alba Intermediate Egret Ardea intermedia Little Egret Egretta garzetta Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis (Eastern Cattle Egret) (Bubulcus ibis coromandus) Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 6 India: Kaziranga National Park Extension, 2019 Indian Pond-Heron Ardeola grayii Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Ibises & Spoonbills Threskiornithidae Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus Osprey Pandionidae Osprey Pandion haliaetus Hawks, Eagles & Kites Accipitridae Oriental Honey-buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus Slender-billed Vulture Gyps tenuirostris Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis Crested Serpent-Eagle Spilornis cheela Changeable Hawk-Eagle Nisaetus (Spizaetus) limnaeetus Greater Spotted Eagle Clanga clanga Pied Harrier Circus melanoleucos Shikra Accipiter badius Black Kite Milvus migrans Pallas's Fish-Eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus Gray-headed Fish-Eagle Haliaeetus ichthyaetus Rails, Gallinules & Coots Rallidae White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus Eurasian Coot Fulica atra Stilts & Avocets Recurvirostridae Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus Plovers & Lapwings Charadriidae Pacific Golden-Plover Pluvialis fulva Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus Gray-headed Lapwing Vanellus cinereus Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus Jacanas Jacanidae Bronze-winged Jacana Metopidius indicus Sandpipers & Allies Scolopacidae Pin-tailed Snipe Gallinago stenura Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola Common Redshank Tringa totanus Pigeons & Doves Columbidae Rock (Feral) Pigeon (I) Columba livia Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 7 India: Kaziranga National Park Extension, 2019 Oriental Turtle-Dove Streptopelia orientalis Red Collared-Dove Streptopelia tranquebarica Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis Yellow-footed (Green-)Pigeon Treron phoenicopterus Pin-tailed (Green-)Pigeon Treron apicauda Green Imperial-Pigeon Ducula aenea Cuckoos Cuculidae Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis Green-billed Malkoha Phaenicophaeus tristis Large Hawk-Cuckoo Hierococcyx sparverioides Heard only Owls Strigidae Collared Scops-Owl Otus lettia Dusky Eagle-Owl Bubo coromandus Brown Fish-Owl Ketupa zeylonensis Asian Barred Owlet Glaucidium cuculoides Jungle Owlet Glaucidium radiatum Spotted Owlet Athene brama Swifts Apodidae Asian Palm-Swift Cypsiurus balasiensis Hornbills Bucerotidae Great Hornbill Buceros bicornis Oriental Pied-Hornbill Anthracoceros albirostris Kingfishers Alcedinidae Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis Stork-billed Kingfisher Pelargopsis capensis White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis Bee -eaters Meropidae Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis Chestnut-headed Bee-eater Merops leschenaulti Rollers Coraciidae Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis Asian Barbets Megalaimidae Coppersmith Barbet Psilopogon haemacephala Blue-eared Barbet Psilopogon duvaucelii Lineated Barbet Psilopogon lineata Blue-throated Barbet Psilopogon asiatica Woodpeckers Picidae Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker Dendrocopos (Picoides) macei Black-rumped Flameback Dinopium benghalense Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 8 India: Kaziranga National Park Extension, 2019 Greater Flameback Chrysocolaptes guttacristatus Heard only Falcons & Caracaras Falconidae Collared Falconet Microhierax caerulescens Pied Falconet Microhierax melanoleucos Eurasian Kestrel Falco tinnunculus Old World Parrots Psittaculidae Alexandrine Parakeet Psittacula eupatria Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri Blossom-headed Parakeet Psittacula roseata Red-breasted Parakeet Psittacula alexandri Vernal Hanging-Parrot Loriculus vernalis Heard only Vangas, Helmetshrikes