Delhi, Sultanpur, Jaipur, Jhalana, Sonkhalia, Pushkar, Mount Abu, Jodhpur, Desert National Park, Bikaner, Tal Chappar

The Great Birding Desert Safari During Monsoon in India

15 Days | #981-FTO |

0 reviews

Overview

The northwestern state of Rajasthan is rich in fascinating history and culture. The royal heritage is highly evident not only in the palaces, and monuments of the state but also in the wildlife. There is something regal about the animals and birds that call this state home. This tour gives you the opportunity to explore some of the best birdwatching destinations in Rajasthan. In the monsoon, the arid landscapes of this region are transformed into verdant grasslands and seasonal marshes. The behavior of the usually shy birds also changes, as the urge to court and mate makes them bolder and easier to spot.

The monsoon is one of the many iconic things about the Indian subcontinent. Apart from being a boon to farmers, it is also a special time for birdwatchers and photographers. The usually brown grasslands are transformed into carpets of lush green, and many trees flower during this time. This time of year also drives the breeding seasons for many grassland birds. Those that are usually shy and inconspicuous begin their courtship rituals, becoming easy to spot and a delight to photograph.

Birdwatching and photography during the monsoon is a special experience. The dry grasslands of Rajasthan turn to seas of lush green dotted with seasonal flowers. The rain not only transforms the grasslands but also changes the behavior of its denizens. Usually shy and reclusive, grassland birds suddenly become active, the weather triggering their urge to court and breed. Our monsoon birdwatching tours are specially designed to get the best look at the rare and usually shy grassland beauties, including species like Lesser Florican, Rain Quail, Bristled Grassbird, and more!

Day 01

Delhi (Surajpur visit)

Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Shanti Palace

Your adventure begins as you touch down in New Delhi. You will be met at the airport by our representative and transferred to the hotel. After checking in and leaving your luggage, we will go to the Surajpur wetlands for a bit of birding. With luck, we will be able to spot our first monsoon specialty: Bristled Grassbird.

Overnight stay.

Key species: Sarus Crane, Bristled Grassbird, Bengal Bush Lark, Red Avadavat, Indian Silverbill, Black-breasted Weaver

Day 02

Delhi to Sultanpur to Jaipur (05-06 hours)

Meals: Breakfast in Shanti Palace, Lunch on the way and Dinner in Jaipur
Accommodation: Umaid Mahal

After an early breakfast, we will check out and drive to Sultanpur National Park for a half day of birding, and then continue to Jaipur. We will arrive in Jaipur by late evening.

Overnight stay

Key species: Indian Courser, Lesser Whistling Duck, Red Collared Dove, Eurasian Collared Dove, Bengal Bush Lark, Sind Sparrow

Day 03

Jaipur

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Umaid Mahal

Today, we have morning and evening safaris in Jhalana. Not only is Jhalana home to a dense population of leopards and deer, but is also an ideal birding destination, with species like Jacobin Cuckoo, Indian Pitta, Jungle Nightjar, and more calling it home.

In between the safaris, you will have plenty of free time to explore some of Jaipur’s monuments, which speak to the royal heritage of the city. Visitor attractions include palaces like the Hawa Mahal, Jal Mahal, and City Palace, the Amer, Nahargarh, and Jaigarh Forts, Jantar Mantar, as well as various temples.

Overnight stay

Day 04

Jaipur to Ajmer (3.5 hours)

Meals: Breakfast in Jaipur, lunch on the way and dinner in Ajmer
Accommodation: Master Paradise

After an early morning safari in Jhalana, we will check out and head to Ajmer. We have two full days of birding here to look for the monsoon birds of Sonkhaliya: Lesser Florican, Rock Bush Quail, Rain Quail, Painted Francolin, and more.

Overnight stay

Day 05

Ajmer to Sonkhaliya to Ajmer

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner in Ajmer, Lunch flexible
Accommodation: Hotel Master Paradise

Start the day with a drive to Sonkhaliya. You have a full day of birding at Sonkhaliya to look for your targets, including Lesser Florican, Rock Bush Quail, Rain Quail, Painted Francolin, and more. In the evening, you will return to Ajmer for overnight stay.

Day 06

Ajmer to Sonkhaliya to Ajmer

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner in Ajmer, Lunch flexible
Accommodation: Hotel Master Paradise

You have another full day of birdwatching at Sonkhaliya. You can either look for targets that you may have missed the previous day, or just enjoy some general birdwatching in the area. In the evening, you will return to Ajmer for overnight stay.

Day 07

Ajmer to Pushkar to Mount Abu (07 hours)

Meals: Breakfast in Ajmer, Dinner in Mount Abu, Lunch flexible
Accommodation: Sunset Inn

After an early breakfast, we will check out and get ready for a long drive to Abu Road, via Pushkar. We will spend the evening birding to look for targets. The most sought-after species here is the Green Avadavat, a munia whose range has been restricted to Mount Abu after the pet trade diminished its numbers.

Overnight stay

Key species: Common Iora, Cinereous Tit, Green Avadavat, Indian Silverbill, Scaly-breasted Munia

Day 08

Mount Abu to Jodhpur (05 hours)

Meals: Breakfast in Mount Abu, Dinner in Jodhpur, Lunch flexible
Accommodation: Inn Season

After a morning session of birding at Mount Abu, we will check out and drive to Jodhpur for an overnight halt.

Day 09

Jodhpur to Desert National Park (5.5 to 06 hours)

Meals: Breakfast in Jodhpur, dinner in Jaisalmer, lunch flexible
Accommodation: Paddav Luxury Camp

In the morning, we will check out, and move on to the city of Jaisalmer, and Desert National Park, where we will arrive by evening.

Overnight stay

Day 10

Desert National Park

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner in Jaisalmer, Lunch flexible
Accommodation: Paddav Luxury Camp

We have a full day of birding today to explore the very unique Desert National Park. This is one of the last remaining strongholds of the Great Indian Bustard, now sadly reduced to a population of less than 200 birds and with a real risk of extinction during our lifetimes.

Overnight stay

Key species: Great Indian Bustard, Lesser Florican, Northern Raven, Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark, Desert Lark, Sand Lark

Day 11

Desert National Park

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner in Jaisalmer, Lunch flexible
Accommodation: Paddav Luxury Camp

We have another full day of birding today in Desert National Park to look for more targets. Aside from the bustard, there are several specialities to find here, including many raptors, Spotted and Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Cream-coloured Courser, Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark, Desert Lark, and more.

Overnight stay.

Day 12

DNP to Bikaner to Tal Chapper (08 hours / long drive)

Meals: Breakfast in Jaisalmer, Dinner in Tal Chapper, Lunch flexible
Accommodation: Forest Rest House

From Jaisalmer, we head to our next destination, Tal Chapper, continuing our desert odyssey, exploring the arid habitats of Rajasthan.

Overnight stay.

Day 13

Tal Chapper

We have the full day to explore the grassland sanctuary of Tal Chapper. Once the hunting ground of the Maharaja of Bikaner, this small protected area has a large population of Blackbuck and Chinkara, and a very impressive list of birds. These include Indian Eagle-Owl, White-eyed Buzzard, Laggar Falcon, large flocks of the declining Yellow-eyed Pigeon, Indian Spotted Creeper, Long-tailed and Great Grey Shrikes, and many more.

Overnight stay.

Day 14

Tal Chapper to Delhi (7.5 hours)

Meals: Breakfast in Tal Chapper, Dinner in Delhi, Lunch flexible
Accommodation: Hotel Shanti Palace

After a morning session of birding in Tal Chapper to look for targets, we will check out from our lodge and drive back to Delhi.

Overnight stay in Delhi.

Key species: Bonelli’s Eagle, Spotted Owlet, Indian Scops Owl, Indian Spotted Creeper, Rufous-tailed Lark, Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark, Crested Lark

Day 15

Departure

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: None

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your onward flight.

Highlights

Special Monsoon Birds
Chances of Leopard and other mammals
Village Visits
Photography
Local Cuisine
Quaint Accommodation

Included

Accommodation on twin sharing basis All ground arrangements for Tour Leader
All meals from first day lunch till last day breakfast 03 Jeep safaris in Jhalana
All park entrances Services of professional birding guide
All transport services 02 Bottles of water per person per day basis (will be stored in your car) | All taxes

Video

My monsoon birdwatching sojourn

Barring the Himalayas, my birding trips are usually done in the winter, so that I can manage to get a place’s winter migrants on the list too. This time, however, I decided to put the monsoon to good use, and explore some of the best grassland habitats closer to home with a short birding trip from Delhi.

My tour started close to Delhi, in the grasslands of Surajpur. Grasslands would be somewhat of a generalization. Although the place is mostly grassland, there are also a few marshy spots, even more, watery now with the rains. I made a mental note to check this place out in the coming winter for migratory waterfowl.

My guide was extremely helpful, knowing the area like the back of his hand. Like I said earlier, the usually shy birds are boisterous this season, and it didn’t take us long to find a Bristled Grassbird, calling from a tall grass reed to all that would hear him. Wow, that was quick! I am not one for “checklist birding” as I call it, and was happy to continue exploring this place. A muddy walk got us some great sightings and photos of Red Avadavat, Bengal Bush Lark, and also a lovely Baya Weaver nesting colony. I returned to the hotel in the evening to rest and reorganize my luggage for the remainder of the trip.

The next day, I left for Jaipur. I had been sightseeing here plenty of times with family, so my plan here was restricted to the forests of Jhalana. Jhalana Leopard Reserve is the perfect quick addition to any Jaipur visit, whether you enjoy wildlife or not. With the help of expertly guided safaris, I not only got some great sightings of Leopard here, but also managed to see and photograph a great number of birds, including Indian Pitta, Spotted Owlet, and Jungle Nightjar, and more. If you are in love with India’s national bird, the Indian Peafowl, then a leopard safari in Jhalana definitely will never disappoint. A rich density of these regal birds will give you great sightings and get you some amazing images to remember your tour by.

From Jaipur, I headed to Ajmer for the other main target on my list - the Lesser Florican. Birding in Sonkhaliya has in recent years become a popular monsoon activity, and the place is the hotspot for this endangered bird. With the help of my guide, I spent two lovely days here in search of this little bustard species (which we got at the end of my first day), and a lot of other grassland beauties, including Rain Quail, Grey, and Painted Francolins, and more.

So it was that yet another birding trip of mine came to an end. Yes, the rains and mud sometimes can get on your nerves, but the beautiful sights and the transformed landscapes totally make up for it.

Location

Stories

All Stories

Ladakh

North India, the land of Ladakh, looks as though it was made for birdwatching and photography.

Gir National Park Gujarat

Sometimes it is not just the species spotted but also the amazing moments. Some of our guests had the unique opportunity to witness the mating of Asiatic Lions in the Gir Forest, truly a special moment.

Delhi

Surajpur is an amazing wetland close to the nation’s capital. Apart from being one of the monsoon homes for the Bristled Grassbird, it is also home to another sought-after species: the Bengal Bush Lark.

Rajasthan

One advantage of living near the birding hotspot of Bharatpur is that you can see some amazing birds, like the graceful Sarus Crane, in your backyard during this lockdown

Reviews

Add to favourites