Birding Tours in Rajasthan

Rajasthan's lakes, ponds, marshlands and grasslands are a haven for bird lovers. One can find around 550 species of birds and most of these are residents. The best colony of birds in the world is Keoladeo National Park situated In Bharatpur.

It has more than 400 species of birds and more than 130 of them breed inside the park. Being a unique bird place, the UNESCO has recognised it as a world heritage site. It is truly a paradise of feathered life which provides unlimited opportunities to bird watchers. Various other lakes and ponds spread over the state offer the enthusiast an opportunity to watch the activities of the birds.

The major wetlands other than Bharatpur are Kukas, Kalah, Bund, Buchora Chandii, Chhaparwara and Ramgarh in Jaipur, Siliserh Jaisamand and Mansarover in Alwar, Ana Sagar and Fatehsagar in Ajmer, Jaisamand, Pichhola and Badi Ka Talab in Udaipur, Balsamand and Sardar Samand in Jodhpur, Bassi Dam in Chittaurgarh and Meja Dam in Bhilwara.

The best season for bird watching starts with the onset of winter when marshlands and lakes are inhabited by migratory birds as well as resident birds. In salt- water lakes, flamingos are also found, like in Pachpadra near Barmer and Sambhar near Jaipur. Bird watching g is a hobby which has minimum requirements. All you need is a binocular and a experienced wildlife guide.

Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary
Birding Tour in Rajasthan The Chambal is a perennial river bordered by many steep ravines and the vegetation is typically scrub along the river bank. Specially gazetted under the Crocodile Conservation Project, this area is home to the endemic Gharial and marsh crocodiles (muggers). A birdwatchers' paradise, Chambal is one of the best places to watch the Indian Skimmer. Some other birds you see here are Thicknee, Comb Duck, Ruddy Shelduck, Bar-headed Geese, Spoonbill and Greater Flamingo. Chambal is also an excellent place to view the highly endangered Gangetic River Dolphin.

Bharatpur
If UNESCO has acknowledged Bharatpur or Keoladeo as a World Heritage Site, it is for a good reason. Some 425 species of birds have been recorded in and around the 29 sq km park, making it an amazingly dense and diverse bird habitat. The diversity of birds is partly explained by the mixture of shallow marshy lakes, patches of mature woodland scrub and dry open grassland. It is one of those few places in the world where it is possible to see 150 species in a single morning of birding.
Bharatpur is best known as the wintering ground of the western population of the Siberian Crane, which gets here after a 6400 km marathon flight from the Arctic. The Grey-lag Geese come from Siberia while the Bar-headed Geese, from China. Bharatpur is also considered the finest Heronry in the world as well as an unrivalled breeding site for the Painted Stork, Purple Heron, White Ibis and the Eurasian Spoonbill. The Indian Cormorants, Intermediate Egrets, flocks of Great White Pelicans and Night Herons form the bulk of the resident population. More than 20 species of ducks have been seen at Bharatpur, including Northern Pintail, Gargany, Northern Shovler and rarities such as the Falcated or Marbled Duck. This superb wetland also attracts many birds of prey like the Eurasian Marsh Harrier, Greater Spotted Eagle and the Steppe Eagle, which is perhaps the most common. Warbler fans will find Lesser Smoky and Booted & Brook's Leaf Warbler. Adjoining fields, scrub vegetation and irrigation tanks will reveal Oriental Skylark and Variable Wheatear. Subcontinent endemics like the Yellow-wattled Lapwing and the Black-capped Kingfisher are found mostly outside the park.Birding Tour in Rajasthan The reservoir of Bund Baretha Sanctuary, an hour's drive away, is good for Indian Skimmers and other species like Eurasian Spoonbill, River Tern and Rufous-tailed Lark.

Ranthambhore
The habitat is mainly tropical dry deciduous with several lakes that attract water birds and species such as Black Storks, Brown Crake and Great Thicknee, usually not found in Bharatpur. Grasses should be probed for Yellow-leg Buttoned Quail and Jungle Bush Quail. The grand Ranthambhore Fort is a good place to watch out for raptors. The adjoining wetlands are visited by large flocks of Demoiselle Cranes, Spot-billed Pelicans, Greater Flamingos and various water birds.

Sambhar Salt Lake
The lake, along with the brackish water marshes around it, hosts an abundance of water birds. Some like the Lesser and Greater Flamingos, are migrants for whom Sambhar is one of the most important wintering areas.

Bird Watching Khichan
Rajasthan is a curious mix of historical grandeur and wild beauty. It has vast tracts of scrubland dotted with dunes. Small pools of water and wetlands, tucked behind undulating plains, are a lifeline for animals and birds. One such is Khichan Village, which is over three hours by road, north west of Jodhpur in Phalodi district. Khichan has a cluster of ponds (talao) that typically host a large variety of birds, especially waders, making it a birder’s paradise. You can mark the village by a shawl of grey fluttering over the amber dusk in the winters.

Khichan has a predominantly Jain population. The villagers go out of their way to welcome that the birds, like honoured guests. Khichan is unusual as it hosts a single species – the demoiselle crane. This is a migratory species that is found in large numbers. Thousands of cranes flock from North China and Mongolia to escape the harsh winters there. The first flock begins to arrive around end of monsoon and the last pair of wings takes off for the return journey as spring is almost giving way to the blistering summers.