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birding...
India Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh is bordered on the north side by Nepal and Tibet and in India, by Himachal Pradesh on the northwest, Haryana and the union territory of Delhi on the west, Rajasthan on the southwest, Madhya Pradesh state on the south, and Bihar on the east. Its capital is Lucknow. In the Vedic period, Uttar Pradesh formed part of the ancient country of Madhyadesha. From the 16th -18th c., it was the Mughals who remained rulers. The British gradually extended their power west from Bengal in the 19th century, and, in 1857, Uttar Pradesh became the main scene of the Mutiny against the British. The entire state has a tropical monsoon climate. In the plains, January temperatures range from 12.5º-17.5º C and May records 27.5º-32.5º C, with a maximum of 45º C. Rainfall varies from 1,000-2,000 mm in the east to 600-1,000 mm in the west. Uttar Pradesh has a population of 167 million. Taj Mahal is the most famous landmark of Uttar Pradesh. Other memorable places to visit are the historic cities of Agra and Jhansi; the pilgrim towns of Varanasi, Allahabad, Mathura-Vrindavan; Buddhist centres like Sarnath. Uttar Pradesh (before its division that created the new state of Uttranchal) lay between latitudes 23º 45` and 31º 30` North and longitudes 77º 0` and 85º0` East and has a geographic area of about 294 lac hectare. Bounded by ranges of Himalayas in North and Vindhyas in South with the Gangetic Plains lying in between in an elongated shape in west-east direction. Physio-graphically it is divided into two regions. |
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Dudhwa National Park
The park comprises of sal forests, marshes and grasslands which harbour a wide variety of wildlife. The park is famous for the swamp deer (barasingha) & reintroduced one-horned rhino. Dudhwa has the distinction of having the largest surviving population of this endangered species, their presence rendered more spectacular by the propensity for segregation of the antlered males. Dudhwa also has an abundance of birds. Its marshes are home to a range of water birds both local and migratory. There are spectacular Painted Storks, Black and White-necked Storks, Sarus Cranes and varied night birds of prey, ranging from the great Indian Horned Owl to the Jungle Owlet. It is an ideal paradise for birders to see the Lesser Bengal Florican and Swamp Francolin both on the red alert list. Woodpeckers, barbets, kingfishers, minivets, bee-eaters, and bulbuls flit through the forest canopy.Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary
This little known sanctuary near the Nepal border sprawls over an area of 400 sq. kms and was established in 1976. Tiger, leopard, swamp deer, blackbuck, chital, barking deer, sambar, nilgai, sloth bear and wild boar are some of the inhabitants of the sanctuary. Gharial and magar can be found in the Girwa River and its tributaries.National Chambal Sanctuary
The large area of National Chambal park is shared by the three states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. The sanctuary houses many endangered inhabitants like Gangetic dolphin, Mugger crocodiles, gharial, chinkara, samber, nilgai wolf and wild boar. The nearest airport is situated at Agra, which is 90 km away from the sanctuary and nearest railhead is also at Agra. It is one of the best places to see the Indian Skimmer. The sanctuary hosts more than 200 species of birds.Patna Pakshi Vihar
...coming soon...contributor |
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Mohit Aggarwal
Owner Operator Indian Wildlife & Asian Adventures
(Delhi)
wildindiatours@vsnl.com
http://www.indianwildlife.com/
useful reading |
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* Field Guides & Bird Song
For a comprehensive list of recommended titles covering India as a whole - please see the main India page of FatbirderBirds of Northern India
by Richard Grimmett and Tim Inskipp Helm Field Guides 2003 RRP ?19.99pSee Fatbirder Review
ISBN: 0713651679
Buy this book from NHBS.com
useful information |
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State Bird
Sarus Crane
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Chambal
http://www.indianwildlife.com/wildlife-sanctuaries/chambal-wildlife-sanctuary.htmThe large area of National Chambal park is shared by the three states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. This sanctuary is famous for the rare gangetic dolphin.
Corbett National Park
http://www.indianwildlife.com/national-parks/corbett-national-park.htmNestling in the foothils of the Himalayas, the tiger reserve extends over an area of 1200 sq. km. The Ramganga River flows through the park and little forest streams tumble through the ravines. While dense stands of sal cloak the higher ridges, mixed deciduous forests are found throughout the park.
Corbett Park
http://www.corbetthideaway.com/Corbett Park is a birdwatcher1s dream come true. The park, with its rich biogeographic diversity, is home to more than 600 species of birds - about half of the total species found in the entire Indian subcontinent! You can see parakeets, owls, orioles, drongos, thrushes, babblers, bulbuls, cuckoos, doves, bee eaters, rollers, flycatchers, warblers, robins, chats, finches, forktails, hornbills, kingfishers and many many more. It is also possibly one of the best places in the world for observing birds of prey. About 50 species out of the total 70 odd species found in South East Asia live in the park. The numerous water bodies provide an ideal habitat for ducks and waders.
Dudhwa National Park
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dudhwa_National_ParkDue to the topography, swamplands and location of the park, it is a haven for all kinds of bird species. An amazing 400 species and more have been recorded within it`s boundaries. The park is also famous for it`s variety of resident owl species. It is home to the Great Horned Owl, the Forest Eagle Owl, the Brown Fish Owl, the Tawny Fish Owl, the Dusky Horned Owl, the Brown Wood Owl, the Scops Owl and Jungle Owlets.
Katarniaghat Sanctuary
http://www.travel-uttarpradesh.com/katrni.htmSpread over an area of 400 sq. kms near the Nepal border, this little known sanctuary was established in 1976. Tiger, leopard, swamp deer, blackbuck, chital, barking deer, sambar, nilgai, sloth bear and wild boar are some of the inhabitants of the sanctuary. Gharial and magar can be found in the Girwa river and its tributaries.
Nanda Devi National Park
http://www.wildlifeindiatours.com/travel/nandadevi.htmlSankaran, n.d. recorded a total of 114 bird species belonging to 30 families during the 1993 Nanda Devi Scientific and Ecological Expedition. Some 67 of these species were not recorded during earlier surveys. Abundant species recorded during May-June include crested black tit Parus melanolophus, Yellow-bellied fantail flycatcher Rhipidura hypoxantha, Orange flanked bush robin Erithacus cyanurus, Bluefronted redstart Phoenicurus frontalis, Indian tree pipit Anthus hodgsoni, Vinaceous breasted pipit A. roseatus, Common rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus, and nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes. Species richness was found to be highest in temperate forests, with a significant decline in richness as elevation increased.
Patna Bird Sanctuary
http://www.harrivainolaphoto.com/patna.htmlThe sanctuary is situated near the town of Agra (of Taj Mahal fame); from the hotel district, one should head towards the River Yamuna, and take a left turn after crossing the river. The road to Patna turns right just before a building with a painted Pepsi ad...
Patna Bird Sanctuary
http://etah.nic.in/patna.htmPatna situated in the Jalesar tehsil of Etah district in U.P. was declared a full fledged sanctuary in 1990. The average year round temperature varies from 47o C in peak summers to 4o C in winters. After the abundant Indian monsoons fills the lake to its brim comes the best season to visit Patna, winter. Close to 200 different species of birds can be sighted during this time of the year. Though on paper it's the smallest bird sanctuary in U.P. covering a wetland area of a mere 1 sq. km., Patna vies with the best when it comes to its avifauna over 2,00,000 birds transform the lake into a riot of colours, sounds and forms. Each morning Patna reverberates with the songs of close to fifty thousand Pied Mynas who have made the adjoining areas of the lake their home glorifying the dawn of another beautiful day...
trip reports |
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Travelling Birder
http://www.travellingbirder.com
The Travellingbirder.com birding trip report search engine guides you to 7,000+ birding trip reports on the Internet. You can search for trip reports from a specific country and time of year. Not all these reports are in English. So, if you can’t find the trip report you want on this Fatbirder page… give them a try!
1996 [June] - Ameen Ahmed - Nainital
http://www.princeton.edu/~vivekt/trips/Nainital96.htmlIt was early June (2nd June 1996) and I was back at Ramnagar, the Gateway of Corbet Tiger Reserve. This was just 4 months after my maiden birding visit to this beautiful part of India. But my determination tosurvive the merciless summer overwhelmed my desire to bird inside the park.
1997 [May] - Yogesh Wadadekar - Corbett Tiger Reserve
http://userpages.umbc.edu/~sjoshi1/mirror/corbrep97.shtmlReport of my visit to parts of Corbett Tiger Reserve in May 1997 is enclosed. This document is in the Public Domain. You are not only permitted but also encouraged to distribute this document freely in any form - print, electronic media, or broadcasting to anyone who may be interested...
1998 [January] - Tom & Margot Southerland - Jim Corbett National Park
http://www.camacdonald.com/birding/tripreports/JimCorbett98.htmlFor a birder it is a trip well worth the effort. The wooded park is beautiful, India`s first (1936) national park, and sizable in that it covers 201 square miles. And for birds it is strategically located in the foothills of the Himalayans. Nearby are locations for the Ibisbill but we were several weeks too late since human disturbances push them further away after they made an initial appearance for the winter, and time prevented us from devoting the effort needed to search for just one species.
2000 [April] - Christopher Salt - Kaladhungi, Naini Tal
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/india/india4/kaladhungi.htmI have been visiting this fascinating part of the Himalayan foothills for 14 years. It`s about 25 km east of Corbett Tiger Reserve, in the same belt of dense forest (Terai and Bhabar tracts); but is not part of any wildlife reserve, although the forests here are designated Government Reserve Forest. There is a blanket ban on felling in the sub-Himalayan region, to protect the watershed, which means that the forest changes little from year to year. In fact, the birding has got better over the years that I have been going there!
2000 [March] - Tom & Margot Southerland - Chambal River
http://www.camacdonald.com/birding/tripreports/Chambal00.htmlWith an unexpected half-day in Agra, we decided to take the advice of our good friend Mohit Aggalwal, a birder and the director of Asian Adventures, to take a small boat out on the Chambal River. The recommendation was made because Mohit knew we still had never seen an Indian Skimmer, and the Chambal near the town of Bah, southeast of Agra, was one of the best places to find them in Northern India. We made the trip with Trigun Vir Singh Pathania, a friend of Mohit`s who lives near the river and had access to a boat with an outboard motor. The trip from Agra to the Chambal took a little over an hour.
2001 [January] - Bill & Doreen Stair
http://wholewideworld.tripod.com/IndiaBirding.htmBirding the Corbett area is complicated by bureaucracy, topography, and tigers. We would have done things a little differently if we`d know more in advance, so I`ll try and explain some stuff here that may hopefully make things easier for anyone planning a trip here in the future.
2003 [March] dba Northern India
http://anytimetours.co.uk/indianorth2003.htmA report on the dba trip to Northern India - details of access problems for disabled birders etc...
2006 [February] - John Kirby
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/india/india-38-nw/nw-india-feb-06.htmWe birded behind the tea stalls and then through the fields. No Golden Bush Robin seen. (When was the last one seen at this site behind the tea stalls?) Next we went along the road around the lake and into the Saatal Estate. Lastly we walked along the track through the Windrift Tented Camp...
tour operators |
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Birding in Kumaon Himalayas and Corbett National Park
http://www.junglelore.com/The tour is customised for the serious-minded birder. A spectacular variety of Himalayan birds and wildlife is spotted in some of these most exotic locales. The itinerary focuses on the Central Himalayas at Binsar, Nainital, Betalghat and Corbett National Park.
Birding Pal
http://www.birdingpal.org/India.htmLocal birders willing to show visiting birders around their area...
Camp Forktail Creek
http://www.campforktailcreek.com/...the Camp offers a Varity of birding excursions in and around the Corbett Tiger Reserve. One could choose from day walks around camp to multi day birding tours for the varied habitats in the area. These trips could involve staying at Camp, in a Forest Bungalow inside the National Park or living overnight in camping tents depending on the preference of each group or individual…
Chambal Safari
http://www.chambalsafari.com/A birdwatcher's paradise, the Sanctuary currently boasts of 264 species of resident and migratory birds including large numbers of the rare Indian Skimmer, Greater Thick-knee, Small Pratincole, and Lapwings. The Chambal is also home to Marsh Crocodiles (muggers), Gharials (gavials), eight species of Turtles, Smooth coated Otters and the rare and endangered Gangetic Dolphins...
Jungle Lore
http://www.junglelore.com/Our tours will appeal to the serious birder as well as to the beginner or intermediate bird watcher and some are suitable for the non-birding spouse. A spectacular variety of Himalayan birds and wildlife is spotted in some of these most exotic locales. The itinerary focuses on the Central Himalayas at Binsar, Nainital, Betalghat and Corbett National Park.
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Chambal Safari Lodge
http://www.chambalsafari.com/The Chambal Safari Lodge ‘Mela Kothi’ is an oasis of calm and tranquillity, nestling in the midst of a 35 acre plantation of large shady trees. The birds of course are quite noisy, especially the Parakeets and the Babblers (called ‘gossip mongers’ in the local dialect, after their habit of gathering in large groups and all babbling at the same time!). The resident Brown hawk owl and Flying foxes (fruit bats) don’t seem to mind though, and slumber on regardless...
Corbett Hideaway
http://www.corbetthideaway.com/The Corbett Hideaway is concealed in the thick of a mango grove, where in season, the mangoes hang ripe and luscious right against your door! Exotic mixed shrubbery, alive with flowers, is crossed by pebbled paths lead to charming cottages with sitouts. The wonderful stillness is broken only by the sound of the Kosi river and myriad birds.
Tiger Camp - Corbett National Park
http://indianwildlife.com/tigercamp.htmlTiger Camp is located on the eastern periphery of Corbett National Park surrounded by thick jungles on one side and river Kosi on the other. The advantage of staying here is that you get comfortable lodging and it is the base for visits to some of the best areas of the park such as Jhirna, Bijrani, Dhikala and Lohachaur. ...and very nice it is too, good food, comfortable accommodation and terrific birds... Fatbirder
other links |
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Amber Habib`s Bird Pages
http://www.geocities.com/a_habib/Birds/I became seriously interested in birds when I was sixteen (1982!). My father had just bought me a pair of binoculars (Hanimex 8x40). I had asked for this pair with visions of using them to become a master spy, but the first thing I saw when I stepped out with them was a Roseringed Parakeet, and I was hooked. A Purple Sunbird a few minutes later sealed the deal...
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