Birding in Highlands of Central India
Highlight Species
- Indian Skimmer
- Malabar Pied Hornbill
- Indian Paradise Flycatcher
- Grey Junglefow
- Indian Scimitar Babbler
- Emerald Dove
- Racquet-tailed Drongo
- Scarlet Minivet
- Rosy Minivet
- Rufous Woodpecker
- White-naped Woodpecker
- Velvet-fronted Nuthatch
Tour Overview - Birding in the Highlands of Central India
Tropical, Deciduous forests of the Satpura Mountain Range encapsulate this beautiful wildlife landscape of Satpura, Pench and Kanha National Park. At altitudes of close to 600m, these highlands are home to around 40 mammal species, 350 bird species, and numerous other wildlife. Amongst the big Mammals: the Royal Bengal Tiger, Indian Wild Dog, Leopard, Gaur, Sloth Bear and the critically endangered Hard Ground Swamp Deer or Barasingha are the highlights.
Sal Trees, Teak Trees and Mixed Forest with Scrub and large Grasslands are an ancient ground for wildlife, and is considered the origin for all life on land on Earth.
Get a free quote!
Feel free to get in touch with our team of wildlife experts and receive a free quote for your next safari holiday! You could also use this channel to request for a custom wildlife holiday package in India!
Detailed Itinerary - Birding in Highlands of Central India
Meet and greet on arrival at New Delhi airport by our representative. He will transfer you to the hotel, assist you in check-in at the hotel, handover and explain all the travel-related documents. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Early morning transfer to the airport to board a flight to Bhopal at 0640 hrs. Met at Bhopal airport at 0800hrs, and transfer to your lodge at Satpura which is approximately 03 hours away.
Go for an Afternoon Jeep Safari after Lunch at the lodge. Dinner and Overnight Stay at the lodge.
Morning walking safari to the National Park. Afternoon take another jeep safari to the National Park. Lunch, Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge.
Walking is a great way to see the forest birds such as White-eyed Buzzard, Spotted and Jungle Owlets, Indian Paradise Flycatcher, Lesser Goldenback Woodpecker, Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, Grey Hornbill and Indian Golden Oriole.
Satpura National Park is very rich in bio-diversity. Its fauna comprises of Spotted Dear, Indian Bison(Gaur), Tigers, Leopards, Wild boar, Wild dog (locally called Dholes), Sloth bear, Blackbuck (unique attraction), Porcupine, Sambhar, four Horned antelopes (Chowsingha), Smooth otter, Pangolin, Marsh crocodile, Langurs etc. Indian Giant squirrel is the special feature of Satpura National Park as it is rare in India now. Sighting of Leopards, Gaurs, Wild Dog, Sloth Bear is good in comparison to other national parks of Central India. Bird-watching in Satpura National Park is great. Here very frequently we can see variety of birds during stay and safari. Tiger sighting of this national park is not so impressive as compared to nearby Bandhavgarh, Kanha or Pench national parks. So it is required when we go for jungle safari in national park, we should not go with single mindset of tiger-sighting but enjoy sighting all members of the national park as they equally share the jungle with tigers and are extremely beautiful creatures of nature.
Meals and overnight at Jungle Lodge.
Morning visit the National Park for a Jungle Walk. Afternoon go for a Canoe Ride on the Denwa River. Overnight stay at the Lodge.
Chances to see the Indian Skimmer, Terns, Eurasian Spoonbill, Kingfishers, Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Herons, Lesser Adjutant Stork, Woolly Necked Stork and some migratory ducks(winter).
Breakfast at the lodge early morning, then check-out and drive to Pench National Park which is about a 6.5hour drive. On arrival check into the Lodge and sit for Lunch.
Afternoon Jeep Safari at Pench National Park.
In Pench, Cheetal, Sambar, are commonly seen grazing on the open sites on roadsides and banks of river & reservoir. Jackals can be seen in search of food anywhere in the Park. Packs of upto 15 or more wild dog can be seen near Chhedia, Jamtara, Bodhanala and Pyorthadi areas of the Reserve. Herds of Gaur can be spotted near streams and bamboo patches commonly in summer months. Sloth bears occupy the rocky areas and favour the mahul bel(infested forest. Blue bulls are present in very small numbers and is found in open areas around Turia, Telia and Dudhgaon villages.
Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge.
Morning and afternoon Jeep safaris to the National park. Lunch, Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge.
A total of 758 Sq. km of this Southern Indian tropical moist deciduous forest has its extent mingling with the tropical dry deciduous teak. The area is crisscrossed by a number of streams and ‘nallahs’ most of which are seasonal. Though the Pench River dries up in April end, a number of water pools locally known as ‘dohs’ are found which serve as water holes for the wild animals. The Pench Reservoir at the center of the park is the only major water source during the pinch period.
Pench is a great place for raptors: White-eyed Buzzard, Shikra, Jungle Owlet, Spotted Owlet, Indian Scops Owl, Mottled Wood Owl, Crested Hawk Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle, Bonelli’s Eagle(winter), Steppe Eagle(winter), Indian Vulture, Egyptian Vulture and White-rumped Vulture.
Depart for Morning Safari at Pench National Park. After an early lunch, checkout by 1200hrs and leave for Kanha National Park – drive to Kanha national park is 210 km/ 4-5 hour drive. On arrival check into the Lodge.
Go for an Evening Birding Walk around the lodge. Dinner and overnight at the lodge in Kanha.
Wake up at 0500hrs, tea coffee with biscuits, and proceed for the morning safari to the National park.
Bird Activity is amazing in the early morning as is the movement of the Big Cat. Look out for mixed hunting flocks of Racquet-tailed Drongo, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Golden-fronted Leafbird, Orange-headed Thrush, Scarlet Minivet and the ever-alert Jungle Babbler.
Kanha’s sal and bamboo forests, rolling grasslands and meandering streams stretch over 940 sq km in dramatic natural splendor which forms the core of the Kanha Tiger Reserve created in 1974 under Project Tiger. The park is the only habitat of the rare hardground Barasingha (Cervus Duvaceli Branderi).
This is the original Kipling country of which he wrote so vividly in his Jungle Book. Packed breakfast which comes from the Lodge is served at a designated spot and spread on the bonnet of the Safari vehicle. Enjoy your breakfast in the wilderness of Kanha.
Continue your search for the elusive Tiger if you have not yet seen the same, and soak in the fresh, and energizing environment. Return from Safari around 1130hrs. Freshen up, and Lunch is served.
Depart for afternoon jeep safari Kanha National Park. Return at 6pm from safari. Dinner and overnight at the Lodge.
This morning, go for a beautiful Nature Trail in an area adjoining the National Park, alongside the Banjaar River.
Epic birds await: Rosy Minivet, Crimson Sunbird, Ultramarine Flycatcher, and Verditer Flycatcher await in this beautiful trail. You will come across lots of tracks and signs of mammals as well as learn about the flora of the area – big cat presence is all around…
The forests of the Banjar valley and Halon valley, respectively forming Kanha’s western and eastern halves. By a special statute in 1955, Kanha National Park came into being. Since then, a string of stringent conservation programmes have been launched, for the overall protection of the park’s fauna and flora. Kanha boasts of about 38 species of mammals. Some of the inhabitants of this park are the gaur, the largest of the world’s cattle; the sambar, the largest Indian deer; and the chausingha, the only four-horned antelope in the world. Other frequent visitors include the Nilgai antelope, the sloth bear, the dhole, or Indian wild dog, and an occasional Leopard. Some 300 species of birds inhabit the park, that includes the storks, egrets, black ibis, raptors, owls, and the Red-wattled lapwings.
Depart for afternoon jeep safari Kanha National Park. Return at 6 pm from safari. Dinner and overnight at the Lodge.
Morning Jeep safari in the park. After lunch drive to Raipur airport, 200 km /4hrs drive to board a flight to New Delhi.
Transfer to the airport the next day, to catch the onward flight to your next destination or home. Hopefully, the wilderness of India has influenced you in some way.
