A one week tour of eastern Rajasthan and neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, combining a visit to India’s most famed bird sanctuary, Keoladeo Ghana National Park - universally known as Bharatpur, with an exploration of a protected and productive stretch of the Chambal River.

Species highlights:  Indian Courser, White-tailed Lapwing, Sarus and Common Cranes, Black-necked Stork, Indian Black, Black-headed, and Glossy Ibis, Indian Skimmer, Black-bellied Tern, and Great Thick-knee, plus Ganges River Dolphin, Gharial, and a visit to the Taj Mahal.

Best season to visit:  November to March

Tour price:  on request - please contact us for availability & prices

Day 1:  Delhi

Arrive in Delhi. Drive south to Bharatpur in the state of Rajasthan (5hrs).

Days 2-3:  Bharatpur

The artificial marshes of Bharatpur are undoubtedly India’s most famous bird sanctuary.  In recent years the successive and prolonged regional droughts that have placed the wetlands under threat for the past decade have reduced in severity and birdlife is increasingly reminiscent of its former glory.  Spend two full days exploring Bharatpur’s wetlands and the various habitats that surround them, where it is possible to see an impressive number of species, even though densities can at times appear low.  Some of the more sought after species that can be found here in the winter months include Black-necked Stork, Sarus Crane, Eurasian Spoonbill, Glossy and Black-headed Ibis, Indian Spot-billed and Comb Ducks, Greater Painted-snipe, Black Bittern, and White-tailed Lapwing, with numerous passerines in the intricate mosaic of mature woodland, sandy acacia scrub, and open grassland surrounding the wetlands.  

Day 4:  Bund Baretha – Jarar

Spend the morning scanning the expansive reservoir of nearby Bund Baretha, along with its islands and sand banks, home to a numerous waterfowl and raptors and often a few additional species to those found at Bharatpur, perhaps including Blue Rock-thrush, Brown Rock-chat, White-capped and Rock Buntings, and Eurasian Wryneck.  The journey between Bharatpur and Bund Baretha (1hr) negotiates a network of country roads, with marshy pools along the boundaries of the irrigated fields a good place to search for elusive crakes and rails.  Return to Bharatpur for lunch, before departing on the drive across the state border into neighbouring Uttar Pradesh to Jarar village (2hrs) via Agra.  Jarar lies at the heart of the agricultural region sustained by the perennial Chambal River, the latter half of the journey from Agra passing through vast fields of mustard frequented by, among others, Egyptian Vulture, Black-winged Kite, Rose-ringed and Plum-headed Parakeets, Laughing and Eurasian Collared Doves, Common and Bank Mynas, Asian Pied and Brahminy Starlings, and Bay-backed Shrike,.  Arrive in Jarar by evening to search for Brown Hawk-owl, Common Palm Civet, and rarer Jungle Cat in the surrounding open woodland.

Days 5: Chambal River

Spend the early hours birding in the fields and open woodland surrounding our lodge, where a good selection of Indian species, including Brown-headed Barbet, Indian Grey Hornbill, Orange-headed Thrush, and rarer Sirkeer Malkoha, can be found.  After breakfast depart with a packed lunch for Nandgaon Ghat on the banks of the Chambal River (1hr) for a boat safari. A 400km stretch of the Chambal River is protected, primarily to support Ganges River Dolphin and a re-introduced population of Gharial. It is also home to a diverse avifauna that includes Indian Skimmer, the primary target here, alongside Black-bellied Tern, River Lapwing, Brown Crake, Indian Black Ibis, and Great Thick-knee with Crested Bunting, Sand Lark, and Desert Wheatear along the shore in adjacent scrub and the distinctive mud ravines of the floodplain, reformed with every monsoon.  On return to dry land head on to the nearby Sarus Crane Conservation Area, an area of widespread wetland and cultivated fields extending for over 70km that provides some degree of security to the largest concentration of Sarus Cranes in the world, to spend the afternoon birding here and throughout the return drive to Jarar village. 

Day 6:  Chambal River and Patna Vihar Bird Sanctuary 

Return to Nandgaon Ghat in the morning of day 6 for a further boat safari to focus on those species not seen on day 5, and allowing time for closer views of target species and photography, returning to the lodge for an early lunch.  Spend the afternoon at nearby Patna Vihar Bird Sanctuary (1.5hrs), a wetland area comprising marshes and lake that with an area of only 1 sq km, is the smallest sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh.  In contrast to its more famous neighbour Bharatpur, Patna is seldom visited but home to over 300,000 waterbirds during the winter months, and a variety of geese, ducks, egrets, and waders can be expected here alongside Sarus Crane, Painted Stork, and Eurasian Spoonbill.  Return to Jarar by evening. 

Day 7: Taj Mahal – Delhi

Depart Jarar village after a leisurely breakfast and some last local birding for the drive back to Agra (1hr), to spend the morning at the Taj Mahal.  After lunch, depart for the return drive to Delhi (5hrs).

Day 8:  Depart

Depart Delhi on your onward journey.

ACCOMMODATION

Comfortable hotels, birding and wildlife lodges, all with private en-suite facilities. 

TRANSPORT

Jeeps, cars or a minibus to travel, depending on group size.  At Bharatpur most birding will be on foot, however cycle rickshaws will be used to cover distance within the sanctuary.

CLIMATE                                                                                                                  

Located in lowland plains, the sites included in this itinerary are expected to be warm to hot by day, with cooler nights and early mornings.  Rain is unlikely. 

For more detailed information, or to book this tour, please contact us.