Birds, Rhinos and Gibbon Tour
Highlight Species
- White Winged Duck
- Greater Adjutant
- Swamp Francolin
- Rosy Minivet
- Great Indian Hornbill
- Wreathed Hornbill
- Blue Bearded Bee Eater
- Pallas’s Fish Eagle
- Chestnut-capped Babbler
- Pied Harrier
Tour Overview - Birds, Rhinos and Gibbon Tour
Assam is tucked in north-eastern India, a state with immense ecological significance. We then journey to Kaziranga National Park, which is one of the most enthralling wildlife hotspots in all of Asia.
This area gains plenty of traction as it is the last place on earth where the vulnerable Indian Rhinoceros can be readily found.
In fact, life here flourishes in the watery glades that make this park so remarkably appealing – There isn’t a place in the Asian continent that can match the herds of animals observed here!
Here we will attempt to seek Swamp Francolins, Blue Bearded Bee-eaters, and the Wreathed Hornbill along with a plethora of other extravagant birds and mammals that occur abundantly in this biologically diverse part of our natural world.
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Detailed Itinerary - Birding in East Assam and Mishmi Hills
On arrival, you will meet our representative. After which, you will transfer to the hotel for a day of rest.
On Arrival from New Delhi via flight, we begin our journey from Guhawati and travel towards Nameri. On our way, we stop by a local dump yard where the greater Adjutants can be seen. This village is a refuge for these magnificent birds, with almost two-thirds of the world’s population residing here. The locals have done a tremendous job to protect these birds with the help of conservationists. Amongst the 5-foot-tall birds, you even see their close relative the Lesser Adjutants and variety of other birds such as Citrine wagtails, Yellow-Bellied Prinias and Striated Grassbirds. After reaching Nameri, you will check in to the lodge and after lunch head out for a cruise along the Jia-Bhoroli River. Navigating the waterways of this spectacular landscape, you will have the opportunity to see Small Pratincoles, Crested Kingfisher, Great Thicknee, River Lapwings and Terns. From winter to spring, you even have a good chance of seeing the industrious Ibisbill. After a day of productive birding, you head back to the lodge and post-dinner, if you’re up for it, step out for a brief excursion to relish the possibility of seeing and listening to the nocturnals such as the Brown Hawk Owl, Large-tailed Nightjars, Savannah Nightjars, and the Asian Barred Owlet.
This day is meant for an excursion in the forest with our focus on the elusive White-Winged Duck. A good place to look is in the dotted pools within these jungles and our chances here are good. While we keep a close watch to sight this bird, there are many others that you will stumble across. Birds such as the Common Green Magpie, chestnut bellied and velvet fronted nuthatches, the enormous Blue Bearded Bee-eater, Maroon Orioles, the white Rumped Shama, and the extremely shy Green Cochoa are some of the many that inhabit this ecological haven. You also have the pleasure of witnessing Hornbills like the Wreathed and the Great. Post lunch, we can try our luck again to add more to the checklist. After a productive day, We return to the lodge for dinner and rest.
We make our way to Kaziranga National park. The day ensues with some final birding in Nameri after which you depart for Kaziranga. On the way, there are a few birding spots to continue your celebration of Assam’s incredible diversity. On reaching Kaziranga, post an appetizing lunch, we venture into the park in open jeeps to experience the vast expanse of Rhino country. After our drive, we head back to the lodge for dinner and some good night’s rest.
Kaziranga is endowed with habits such as marshes, woodlands, grassland, and dense forest. It’s this incredible versatility of landscapes that encourages the diversity in the birds you seek. Situated on the floodplain of the Brahmaputra river, Kaziranga enjoys sightings of the near-threatened Rhinos, the Asiatic Elephant and the Wild Water Buffalo. Apart from these magnificent mammals, the park exhibits winged wonders such as swamp francolins, Baya, Streaked and even the rare Finn’s weaver. There’s a rendezvous with the great and lesser adjutants in the wetter areas. At times, you will also encounter Pallas’s Fish Eagle, Marsh and Pied Harriers swooping down to try their luck at prey. Black-Necked storks are also plenty in this region alongside Bar Headed Goose, Indian Spotbill Ducks, Cotton Pygmy Goose, Bronze, and Pheasant Tailed Jacanas and Stork Billed Kingfishers. The Woodland areas are ideal for a number of specials. Here, you can witness Chestnut Headed Bee Eaters, Large Woodshrike, Black Winged Cuckooshrike, Blue Throated, and Coppersmith Barbets, and various Woodpecker species. Further in our quest, we will experience the trails within evergreen patches. Here, we will be at the centre of colours and calls of the Asian Fairy Bluebirds, Maroon Orioles, Black Crested Bulbuls, Oriental Pied Hornbills, Emerald Doves, Golden Fronted Leafbirds, Greater Racket Tailed Drongos apart from many others. Once the sunsets for the day, we will return to the lodge for some hot supper and a night of blissful sleep, while listening to the nocturnal calls of the night.
As we depart from Kaziranga, the journey is now half complete. Our travels take us to Gibbon Sanctuary. Which has not only birds to see but also India’s only ape, the Hoolock Gibbon. As we transverse the forest and listen to the howls of the Hoolock, we continue our search for many of Northeast India’s exquisite species. The Sanctuary has more than 230 species including the Collard Treepie, Red-Headed Trogon, Sultan Tit, Speckled Piculet and Rosy Minvets to name a few.
At Hoollongapar, we will spend a day at Gibbon Sanctuary in search of the Hoolock Gibbons and other Wildlife. The park is also well known for its primates like the Stump Tailed Macaque, Pig-Tailed Macaque, Eastern Assamese Macaque, and the capped langur. While watching for birds in the canopy, you might even see the Malayan Giant Squirrel jumping from one branch to another.
Immerse yourself in Gibbon Sanctuary for one last time. And later transfer to Wathai Heritage Tea Bungalow near Tinsukia. Your afternoon visit would be in the park to search for more endemics.
Today, we have a full day to explore Dibbru Soikhowa National Park on a motorized boat and also tread on foot. Dibru Saikhowa Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the least known, but potentially one of the most rewarding of Assam’s national parks. The area of the park is 640 square Kilometres of marshes, grasslands, and riverine forests. The few remaining pockets are in the Endemic Bird Area where the sanctuary is home to globally threatened species such as White-winged Wood Duck, Lesser Adjutant, Pallas’s Fish Eagle, Swamp Francolin, and White-bellied Heron, Black-breasted Parrotbill, Striated Grassbird, and the Jerdon’s Babbler. It is also home to some restricted-range species, such as the Swamp Prinia, Yellow Weaver, and the Marsh Babbler. The park is home to Asiatic Wild Water Buffalo and Feral Horses as well.
On this day, we lookout for mammals and birds in Dihing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary. It is the only forest in the world that has seven different species of wild cat with the Clouded Leopard, Leopard Cat, Golden Cat, Jungle Cat and Marbled Cat, to name a few. Another very special fact about the forest is that it is a safe haven for primates. Out of fifteen species of non-human primates found in India, seven inhabit in this rainforest. These are the Rhesus macaque, Assamese macaque, the Bengal Slow Loris, Capped Langur, Pigtailed Macaque, Stump Tailed Macaque and the Hoolock Gibbon. All but the Assamese Macaque are declared as endangered in the Red Data Book of the Zoological Survey of India and also in IUCN red list. The Dehing-Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary is also identified as an Elephant reserve by the Indian Government. Other rarely seen mammals include the Chinese pangolin, Flying Fox, Wild Pig, Sambar, Barking deer, Gaur, Malayan Giant Squirrels, Porcupine, etc. Return to the accommodation for dinner and rest.
Morning visit to the sanctuary and later we shall depart for Dibrugarh airport 70 km / 2 hrs drive to board a flight to New at 1405 hrs to arrive in New Delhi at 1820 hrs. Meet our representative at the airport and transfer to the hotel. Overnight stay at the hotel in New Delhi.
Morning free for leisure activities and later transfer to International airport to board a flight back home or onward destination.
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