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Trip Report

Corbett National Park
Trip Report
by
Bikram Grewal

Long-tailed Broadbill

This is a report on a trip made to the Corbett Tiger Reserve and its surrounding areas by Sumit Sen and Bikram Grewal from the 19^th till the 26^th of May 2004. Bittu Sahgal, Editor of Sanctuary Asia joined them in Dhikala on the 21^st and Manoj Sharma on the 20^th and 21^st.

Places stayed:
The Claridges Corbett Hideaway, Garjia: One night
Old Forest Resthouse, Dhikala: Two nights
Infinity Resorts, Garjia: Four nights

Highlights:

Birds: Spot-winged Starling, Great Slaty Woodpeckers, Drongo Cuckoo, Long-tailed Broadbill, Dollarbird, Lesser Coucal, Brown Crake, Pin-tailed Green Pigeon, Rosy Minivet. Black-chinned Yuhina, White-capped Bunting, Upland Pipit, Great Hornbill, Rufous-bellied Eagle, Pallas’s Fish Eagle, Lesser Fish Eagle, Sulphur-bellied Warbler, Black Stork and Black-necked Stork

Mammals: Tiger, Asian Elephant, Common Leopard and Hog Deer

Reptiles: Common Indian Monitor, Gharial, and Mugger

Garjia area:
We arrived late in the afternoon having driven from Delhi and checked into the charming and well-wooded Claridges Resort, which is on the banks of the Kosi River in Village Dhikuli on the Ramnagar Dhangari Road. We spent the few daylight hours left, exploring the banks of the Kosi where we saw a single Blue Rock Thrush, a River Lapwing, several Chestnut-shouldered Petronias and an obliging pair of White-capped Redstarts. Went over to "Tiger Camp" for dinner and to meet up with Manoj Sharma, local expert and old friend who, kindly, agreed to join us the next morning for a few days of birding inside the park.

Dhikuli-Dhangari-Sultan-Gairal:
We picked up Manoj at 6am from Tiger Camp, left our own car there and moved into an open Gypsy driven by expert driver and guide Ahmed. The drive to the main gate of Dhangari produced several flocks of Red Junglefowl and a few Khaleej Pheasants. While we were completing our formalities at the gate, our attention was drawn to a loud raucous call emanating from the sky. Looking up we beheld the beautiful sight of a Dollarbird circling around crying furiously, its "dollars" showing prominently. A truly auspicious start. This was quickly followed by a brief glimpse of the Spot-winged Starling, which is a forest starling and a bit of a mystery bird. A summer visitor to the lower regions of the Garwal and Kumaon ranges. Little is known of this bird other than the fact it never sits still for long and good views are few and far between. We never saw this bird again despite our keeping a sharp lookout. Another summer visitor, we were very keen to see and photograph was the Rosy Minivet. The first pair we saw caused great excitement and much film was expended. Had we known then, that this would be the dominant minivet we would encounter during the rest of our trip we might have curbed our exuberance.

We decided to take the road-less-traveled from Sultan to Gairal and this decision provided correct for we soon ran into a flock of Yellow-legged Green pigeons feeding on a fruiting ficus. Careful scrutiny soon revealed a single Pin-tailed Green Pigeon amongst them. Another bird we never saw again. At Gairal Rest-house, where we stopped for a cup of tea, produced a Drongo Cuckoo, a bird we heard all the time but never saw again. Also saw the Greater and Himalayan Flamebacks

We made the mandatory stop at "Crocodile Pool" to see the "Gharial", the strange antipodean fish- eating reptile. Having photographed three basking individuals, we re-joined the main Dhangari-Dhikala road. This produced a pair of Ashy Bulbuls and a single Black-crested Bulbul and a Changeable Hawk Eagle.

Dhikala area:
We checked into the Dhikala tourist area and waited till 4pm for the gates to open. We picked up Niranjan, a local guide, and drove into the Chaurs or Grasslands. Our "target bird" was the Hodgson’s Bushchat, a rare winter visitor, which we had hoped, had overstayed. Over the next two days we hunted high and low but obviously these birds had left by then. Seeing several Bright-headed Cisticolas, another grassbird not easily seen elsewhere, more than made up our disappointment. The Dhikala Chaurs was full of larks, pipits and stonechats that kept us all occupied and full of good cheer. Manoj then look us down to Sherburjee, his favorite place in the park. Here we saw Small Prantincoles, doing the ‘broken-wing’ display, which led us to believe that there was a nest nearby. Other highlight was a single Black-necked Stork and Eurasian Spoonbills in the far horizon. By this time of day the Elephant herds started emerging from the forests to graze the grasslands and we had several good views of these behemoths.

We visited the Chaur several time and one evening, we saw a lone male elephant standing near a water pool, and even at a distance we knew that something was wrong. We drove quite close to it and saw that it was injured with blood oozing out of his temple and similar wounds on his body. It hardly moved and we photographed this poor animal, whose tusks had been broken. It was evident that he had been in a fight with a male. Next morning we got the terrible news that he had been killed later that night and that indeed the battle had been waged for over a week, which our friend had finally lost.

Criss-crossing the Chaurs is an exciting event, as one quite doesn’t know what to expect. On one trip we turned the corner to find a flock of over 40 Blue-tailed Bee-eaters feeding on the road. On our approach they flew off and sat on a bare tree allowing us glimpses of that famous tail that gives this beautiful bird its name.

Sambhar Road:
On the first evening, at about 6pm we decided, on a whim, to leave the Chaur and drive along the Sambhar road, a small side road that connects Dhikala to Khinnanauli and runs parallel to one stream of the Ramganga. Having driven a few kilometers we heard the alarm call of a rhesus monkey, which we soon discovered next to the road perched high on a branch of a tree. It continued to call excitedly, disturbing the amorous advances of a Sambhar deer to a doe in heat. He obviously was in two minds, his instinct for survival over-coming his desire to propagate his lineage. We were, in hushed tones, discussing his situation when out stepped a pregnant Tigress and leisurely crossed the stream and stepped into the bushes. Our local guide Niranjan obviously knew his tigers, for he soon maneuvered our jeep next to a nullah and asked us to wait. Within a few minutes our tigress stepped on to the road, only fifteen feet away, looked at us disdainfully for a split second and calmly and slowly walked across without a care in the world. Our joy knew no bounds, for to see a tiger so close is rare and so early in trip as well. We were humbled by the majesty of this animal and did not speak for several minutes.

The Sambhar Road has always been a favourite place and this time it did not disappoint either. On an early morning trip, just as we turned the corner from the watch-tower, we saw a huge owl fly across the tree. It had fluffed it self up in some sort of offensive or defensive posture, which we couldn’t satisfactorily decipher. It was a Brown Fish Owl and it kept flying from tree to tree in an agitated manner.

The scrub on the right side of the road is always a good place to see birds and this is where we had good views of The Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler and a little further down the road a Black-naped Monarch made Manoj Sharma salivate. Asian Paradise-flycatchers and Orange Headed Thrush were very common on this road

Khinnanauli-Ghetiarao-Fulai Chaur-Kanda Road-Ringora:
Just as we crossed the first wooden bridge near Ghetiarao (close to where the birdwatcher David Hunt was killed by a tigress with cubs some years back), we saw a dumpy bird feeding in shallow water. Closer scrutiny revealed it to be a Brown Crake. It fed nonchalantly allowing us to observe it from a distance. Rarely does one get such prolonged views of a member of a family notorious for it’s skulking. A Great Thick-knee too was seen here

Just as we had crossed the second bridge, we saw a Lesser Coucal. Corbett is a good place to observe this bird, so rarely seen in northern India. Further down the road we saw two more.

Fulai Chaur is well known for its raptors and we had Pallas’s Fish Eagle, Lesser Fish Eagle, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle, Red-headed Vulture, Himalayan Griffon and a single Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Shikra and Peregrine.

We wanted to go up to Kanda, but realized that we just couldn’t do so, if we had to return to Dhikala before the gates closed at 11am, so we just drove a few miles and this produced several White-rumped Shama’s who responded to our whistling with alarm.

Ringora, like the rest of Corbett has suffered very heavily from forest fires this year and all the area was badly burnt. Other than a small herd of resting elephants, the only other object of note was a single Cinereous Vulture.

Infinity Resorts, Garjia:
After two glorious full days, we had to reluctantly move out of the main park and shift into Infinity Resorts where its owner Mr. Dilip Khatau, who runs the Corbett Foundation, had invited us to attend the tenth anniversary celebrations. We drove out via Gairal and by late evening reached the resort. Dilip has very cleverly created a pool where the legendary Indian fish, the Mahaseer, breeds. The sight of several hundred Mahaseer in a feeding frenzy is a sight to behold. This pool is probably the only breeding place in the entire Kosi River and is guarded throughout the clock by a team of local villagers supported by the Corbett Foundation.

The main verandah of the resort overlooks the Kosi River and from here we could observe a pair of Little Herons fish calmly on the river while Little Cormorants flew across. Their local nature guide Yogambar Singh Bist (popularly known as Yogi) is a good birder and we never let him leave our side for the remainder of the trip. The mango groves in the resort were a haven for the Asian Paradise Flycatchers while Golden Orioles darted from tree to tree. The Indian Cuckoo cried incessantly. Yogi told us that this bird is locally known "Ka Phal Pa-ko" bird as its four-syllable note announces the wild "Ka" fruit is ready.

Bijrani-Malani:
This area is the only one where day visits are allowed. We made several trips to the area and saw some large herds of elephants. Birding was good too, for we saw a single flock of over forty Oriental Pied Hornbills feeding in a fruiting tree but they flew off on our approach. Other bird of note was a Darter in a small pool, deep in the forest. Wooly-necked storks were present as were the Common Kingfisher and Spangled Drongos. This area is very crowded and dusty with several jeeps traversing the extensive road system. The presence of jeeps, noisy tourists and a canteen with attendant souvenir shops does distract from the charm of old Bijrani Forest rest-house. This experiment of allowing day visitors only to this region is a good one and takes the pressure of the rest of the park. It is also good for tiger sightings, though we did not see any. A Jungle Owlet, (one of the two species of owls we saw on the entire trip) was seen in this area.

Mohan-Kumeria:
One afternoon, along with Shabir Malik, (who runs the "The Desert Courser Resort" in Zainabad in the Little Rann of Kutch) decided to drive along the eastern boundary of the park. Yogi stopped the jeep a little beyond the Dhangari Gate and we walked along a " Nullah" where we showed Shabir his first Khaleej Pheasant. When a Green Magpie turned up he turned ecstatic. Birding along the road we turned right towards Kumeria and reached the Kosi River. One of the firsts birds we saw was a large Fish Owl sitting quietly on a bare branch across the river. We took some digital photographs, which confirmed that it was a Brown Fish Owl and not the Tawny, we had first suspected it to be. One of the greatest assets for birdwatching now is the invention of digital cameras that allows you to do an instant playback and thus allows you correctly identify birds. Other birds of note were Plumbeous Redstarts and River Lapwings.

On the return journey we heard a loud call (now we know why the Hornbill got its name!) from the side of the road and soon a Great Hornbill flew across. A little further down we came across a Grey Hornbill as well an Oriental Pied sitting on the same tree, which gave us endless photographic opportunities.

Dhikuli-Machure-Chimtakhal:
One morning we left at the crack of dawn to drive to the higher elevations and try and see some hill birds. We drove up to Machure, seeing Slaty-headed Parakeets, Himalayan Griffons and Black-lored Tits on the way. While having breakfast at the "Dana-Pani Restaurant" at about 5000 feet we saw a raptor sitting on a pine tree. It was a Black-shouldered Kite, which surprised us by being at this elevation. Just short of Machure we turned left toward Chimtakhal and soon saw a pair of Black-headed Jays. A little further down we had a Black-chinned Yuhina and soon thereafter a pair of Spotted Forktails surprised us by flitting by the side of the road, far away from any ostensible water. We drove back via the Durga Devi Gate and spent some delightful moments observing a pair of Crested Serpent Eagles giving a rough time to a juvenile Rufous-bellied Hawk Eagle.

Durga Devi-Lohachaur:
It was our last afternoon and after much debating, decided to drive down to Lohachaur. This was an excellent choice as birding was very good along the way with several Orange-headed Ground thrushes seen. A Pied Crested Cuckoo made a brief appearance, as did a Common Hawk Cuckoo. We stopped on the way at Domunda bridge where the Mandal and Ramganga rivers meet hoping to see Otters, who proved to be elusive, but a little further down our attention was drawn to loud and raucous noises emanating from deep in the forest and to our joy, we discovered that we had chanced upon a school of eleven Great Slaty Woodpeckers. These forest woodpeckers are seldom seen, despite their huge size and noisy demeanor. They are restless and flit from tree to tree in follow-the-leader style. They crossed the road, like miniature jet bombers, leaving us open-mouthed by their speed and agility. We did not have a chance to photograph them and they slowly moved deeper into the forest leaving us speechless by their sheer beauty. Just as we were discussing the missed opportunity of photographing these seldom seen birds, when a pair of Long-tailed Broadbills, dropped on a branch above our very noses. Cameras clicked incessantly and we had fantastic views of these utterly beautiful birds. Reluctantly time constraints made us move on. We had hardly traveled a few kilometers and were just short of the Lohachaur Rest-house when a huge Tusker blocked our way. Prudence overtook bravado and we reversed our way out of a potentially difficult situation. This was to prove fortuitous for we soon ran into the same flock of the Great Slaty Woodpeckers. This time they gave us a few chances of photographing them. Chances that we grabbed and spent a full fifteen minutes marveling at these great creatures.

Just as we were about to reach the exit gate, Yogi announced "there is a leopard behind the Sal Tree" A brief glimpse of the Leopard was had, with its head and tail being visible but his body obscured by the thick trunk of the Sal. A Langur sitting on the same tree, oblivious of what was happening below, suddenly realized that he might become dinner, let out a loud alarm call and the leopard bounded out and ran into the lantana.

A perfect end to a perfect trip.

Acknowledgements:
This success of this trip was the result of several people’s help: We would like to thank Mohit Agarwal for providing the open Gypsy jeep and its driver, the brilliant Ahmed. Yogi and Niranjan for being such good bird guides. Manoj Sharma for sharing his local knowledge and taking time off his busy schedule to be with us for a few days. Meenakshi Pande for giving us a delicious lunch and showing us around her "Forktail Creek". Dilip Khatau for being the most generous of hosts and for not giving us a torrid time for playing truant during his seminars. Brijendra Singh, the true Prince of Corbett for sharing his experiences. Nirmal Ghosh for driving the car back to Delhi, while we slept. And lastly our special thanks to Shri Digvijay Singh Khati, Field Director of the Corbett Tiger Reserve for joining us for a part of the trip and making all the facilities available to us.

 

A systematic and annotated list of birds seen

Black Francolin Francolinus francolinus
Seen and heard In Dhikala and Fulai Chaur. Seen on every trip to the area

Common Quail Coturnix coturnix
Three birds seen on different days in Dhikala Chaur. One flew off under our feet.

Red Junglefowl Gallus gallus
Common thought the park as well as in the buffer area. Several broods seen daily

Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus
Several seen both within and without the park. A few dancing.

Barred Buttonquail Turnix suscitator
One seen by Manoj Sharma in Sherbhurjee area

Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla
Two seen

Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker Dendrocopos canicapillus
Several seen over the period.

Brown-fronted Woodpecker Dendrocopos auriceps
One seen outside the park at an elevation of about 5000 feet.

Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker Dendrocopos macei
The commonest of the pied woodpeckers. Several seen.

Rufous Woodpecker Celeus brachyurus
Several seen in various parts of the park

Lesser Yellownape Picus chlorolophus
Few seen. The Greater was however not seen.

Streak-throated Woodpecker Picus xanthopygaeus
Not uncommon. Seen on most days

Grey-headed Woodpecker Picus canus
The commonest woodpecker in the area. Several seen daily

Himalayan Flameback Dinopium shorii
One seen

Black-rumped Flameback Dinopium benghalense
Not as common as one would expect. Only one seen

Greater Flameback Chrysocolaptes lucidus
Pair on the way to Dhikala

Great Slaty Woodpecker Mulleripicus pulverulentus
One heard outside the park near Kumeria. A flock of 11 seen short of the Lohachaur Forest Rest-house in the Sal Forest

Great Barbet Megalaima virens
One heard on the road to Kanda. One seen near Machure outside the park

Brown-headed Barbet Megalaima zeylanica
Several seen and heard

Lineated Barbet Megalaima lineata
Commoner than the above. Several seen and heard

Blue-throated Barbet Megalaima asiatica
Several seen and heard

Coppersmith Barbet Megalaima haemacephala
Two seen and several heard

Indian Grey Hornbill Ocyceros birostris
Singles seen at Claridges Resort, Kumeria road and Dhikala Tourist area.

Oriental Pied Hornbill Anthracoceros albirostris
Seen almost daily. One flock of over forty birds was observed in the Bijrani area. Also seen outside the park on the Kumeria road.

Great Hornbill Buceros bicornis
Heard and seen on three different occasions, including outside the park on the Mohan Road

Common Hoopoe Upupa epops
Seen at Dhikala

Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis
Not as common as expected. Seen once in Sherbhurjee and once at Dhikala

Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis
Summer visitor. Seen daily flying in pairs and calling loudly

Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
Seen on the Ramganga and Kosi rivers. Uncommon

White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis
Seen on the Ramganga and Kosi rivers. Commonest Kingfisher

Crested Kingfisher Megaceryle lugubris
Seen on the Ramganga and Kosi rivers daily.

Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis
Seen on the Ramganga and Kosi rivers. Not uncommon

Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis
Common throughout the area. Seen daily.

Blue-tailed Bee-eater Merops philippinus
A flock of around forty seen on two occasions near Mota Sal

Chestnut-headed Bee-eater Merops leschenaulti
Seen on three occasions in Mota Sal area as well as on the Sambhar Road near Khinnanauli

Pied Cuckoo Clamator jacobinus
Only one seen on road to Lohachaur

Common Hawk Cuckoo Hierococcyx varius
Heard daily. One good sighting on Road to Lohachaur.

Indian Cuckoo Cuculus micropterus
Heard daily. One seen flying outside the park and calling

Eurasian Cuckoo Cuculus canorus
Heard daily

Drongo Cuckoo Surniculus lugubris
Heard daily but seen once at Gairal Forest-resthouse.

Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopacea
Heard and seen at Dhikala

Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis
Seen on the Kosi near Infinity Resorts

Lesser Coucal Centropus bengalensis
Seen in Fulai Chaur as well as in Dhikala Chaur

Alexandrine Parakeet Psittacula eupatria
Least common of the parakeets seen

Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri
Seen in flocks daily

Slaty-headed Parakeet Psittacula himalayana
A few seen in the park but most sightings were on the road to Machure outside the park and at an elevation over 4000 feet.

Plum-headed Parakeet Psittacula cyanocephala
Common both in and outside the park

Red-breasted Parakeet Psittacula alexandri
One or two seen daily.

White-rumped Needletail Zoonavena sylvatica
A few seen flying high over Bijrani

Alpine Swift Tachymarptis melba
A few seen flying high over Dhikala

Asian Palm Swift Cypsiurus balasiensis
A few seen flying

House Swift Apus affinis
A few seen flying over Ramnagar

Crested Treeswift Hemiprocne coronata
Several seen on a daily basis

Brown Fish Owl Ketupa zeylonensis
One seen, looking very agitated, early in the morning on Sambhar Road. One bird was observed high on a branch on the Kosi River near Quality Inn in Kumeria.

Jungle Owlet Glaucidium radiatum
A single bird seen near Mota Sal

Large-tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus macrurus
Seen and heard near the tourist complex in Dhikala

Savanna Nightjar Caprimulgus affinis
Seen and heard near the tourist complex in Dhikala and in Bijrani

Rock Pigeon Columba livia

Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis
Seen on Sultan-Gairal Road. Also outside the park

Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis
Seen at Dhikala and near Dhangari and Bijrani Gates

Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis
Common throughout the area

Red Collared Dove Streptopelia tranquebarica
Seen at Dhikala

Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
Seen outside the park as well as in Dhikala.

Emerald Dove Chalcophaps indica
Several seen flying low in the forest

Yellow-footed Green Pigeon Treron phoenicoptera
Very common in the forest

Pin-tailed Green Pigeon Treron apicauda
A single bird was observed in a flock of Yellow-footed on the Sultan-Gairal Road

Brown Crake Amaurornis akool
A single bird was observed left of the first wooden bridge on the Khinanauli-Ghetiararao sector

Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
Seen at Sherbhurji and reservoir area

Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
Seen at Sherbhurjee and reservoir area

Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
Seen at Sherbhurjee and reservoir area. Also on the Ramganga and Kosi River.

Little Stint Calidris minuta
Seen at Sherbhurjee and reservoir area

Temminck’s Stint Calidris temminckii
Seen at Sherbhurjee and reservoir area

Great Thick-knee Esacus recurvirostris
A single bird seen at Sherbhurjee

Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
Seen at Sherbhurjee and reservoir area. Common outside the park.

Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius
Seen at Sherbhurjee and reservoir area

River Lapwing Vanellus duvaucelii
Seen at Sherbhurjee and reservoir area. Common on the Ramganga, Mandal and Kosi riverbanks.

Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus
Very common. Breeding at the moment.

Small Pratincole Glareola lacteal
Seen at Sherbhurjee and reservoir area. We found the nest and observed a bird mobbing an Indian Roller.

Pallas’s Gull Larus ichthyaetus
A single bird seen at reservoir area

River Tern Sterna aurantia
Several seen at reservoir area

Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybridus
Several seen at Sherbhurjee and reservoir area

Oriental Honey-buzzard Pernis ptilorhyncus
Commonest raptor in the park seen daily.

Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus
A single bird seen outside the park at Machure

Black Kite Milvus migrans
Common outside the park

Pallas’s Fish Eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus
Common in the Dhikala and Ringora area.

Lesser Fish Eagle Ichthyophaga humilis
Common in the Dhikala and Ringora. Several seen

Grey-headed Fish Eagle Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus
One bird seen at Ringora

Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus
A single bird seen outside the park

White-rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis
Three birds were seen next to a nest with one young near Ringora Village,
near the Amdanda Gate

Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis
Several seen flying in and around the park

Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus
Two birds seen near Ringora

Red-headed Vulture Sarcogyps calvus
At least six birds were seen on different days flying over the Dhikala and Fulai Chaurs

Short-toed Snake Eagle Circaetus gallicus
A single bird seen near Mohan

Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela
Common. Several birds seen.

Shikra Accipiter badius
Several birds observed, including one diving and dropping about 500 feet like a Peregrine

Bonelli’s Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus
One bird seen

Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus
One bird observed

Rufous-bellied Eagle Hieraaetus kienerii
Two birds including a juvenile seen

Changeable Hawk Eagle Spizaetus cirrhatus
Common. Several seen in different parts of the Park and the buffer area.

Mountain Hawk Eagle Spizaetus nipalensis
Seen on the road to Machure and over Dhikala

Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
Seen over the Dhikala Chaur as well as on the way to Machure

Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
One bird seen in Dhikala Chaur

Darter Anhinga melanogaster
A single bird was seen in the Bijrani area.

Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger
Common on the Ramganga and Kosi rivers

Little Egret Egretta garzetta

Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

Great Egret Casmerodius albus

Intermediate Egret Mesophoyx intermedia

Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis

Indian Pond Heron Ardeola grayii

All of the above were observed several times on the riverbanks

Little Heron Butorides striatus
Two birds were seen from the Infinity Resort verandah on the Kosi river

Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
Several seen flying over the Dhikala Tourist complex

Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucocordia
A single bird was seen on the reservoir

Black Stork Ciconia nigra
Three birds were seen flying on the Fulai Chaur. Rather late for these birds

Woolly-necked Stork Ciconia episcopus
About four seen in the Fulai Chaur area. Also a single bird in Bijrani

Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus
Two birds seen at Sherbhurjee

Indian Pitta Pitta brachyura
Heard every single day but seldom seen

Long-tailed Broadbill Psarisomus dalhousiae
Two pairs seen and photographed in Lohachaur area

Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach
Strangely the only shrike seen on the trip.

Black-headed Jay Garrulus lanceolatus
Seen on the Machure-Chimtakhal Road

Red-billed Blue Magpie Urocissa erythrorhyncha
Several parties seen on the Road to Machure

Common Green Magpie Cissa chinensis
One bird seen in a "nullah" beyond Dhangari gate

Rufous Treepie Dendrocitta vagabunda
Lowland areas of the park.

Grey Treepie Dendrocitta formosae
Several seen on the road to Machure

House Crow Corvus splendens

Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos
Common. Several seen daily

Eurasian Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus
Summer visitor. Several seen and heard.

Black-hooded Oriole Oriolus xanthornus
Several seen in various parts of the park

Black-winged Cuckooshrike Coracina melaschistos
One seen at Chimtakhal

Rosy Minivet Pericrocotus roseus
Summer visitor but strangely the most common of the minivets seen.

Small Minivet Pericrocotus cinnamomeus
A pair seen near Lohachaur

Long-tailed Minivet Pericrocotus ethologus
Common. Several seen.

Scarlet Minivet Pericrocotus flammeus
Common. Several seen

Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike Hemipus picatus
A group was seen in Lohachaur and a pair near Sarapduli.

White-throated Fantail Rhipidura albicollis
Common.

Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus
Common, seen everywhere and every day.

Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus
Several seen

Bronzed Drongo Dicrurus aeneus
Seen mostly in the Lohachaur area.

Spangled Drongo Dicrurus hottentottus
Seen mostly in the Bijrani area.

Black-naped Monarch Hypothymis azurea
A single bird was seen near the Amla Sot on Sambhar road. Another bird was observed in the buffer area near Infinity resort.

Asian Paradise-flycatcher Terpsiphone paradisi
This summer visitor has invaded the park and up to twenty pairs were seen every day

Common Iora Aegithina tiphia
A single bird was seen on the main road between Ramnagar and Dhangari Gate, several heard.

Common Woodshrike Tephrodornis pondicerianus
A single bird was observed in Lohachaur

Blue-capped Rock Thrush Monticola cinclorhynchus
Very common both inside and outside the pair.

Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius
Seen across the Kosi river from the Claridges Resort and one at Dhikala Complex.

Blue Whistling Thrush Myophonus caeruleus
Common. Several seen in a day

Orange-headed Thrush Zoothera citrina
Another common summer visitor. Several seen daily

Tickell’s Thrush Turdus unicolor
A single bird seen on the edge of the forest near Dhikala

Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa dauurica
A single bird seen in a "nullah" beyond Dhangari gate

Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva
Not common. Only two were seen in the entire stay

Ultramarine Flycatcher Ficedula superciliaris
A single bird was seen in the forest

Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias thalassina
Common on the road to Machure. A few were seen inside the park

Small Niltava Niltava macgrigoriae
Seen in low scrub outside the park

Rufous-bellied Niltava Niltava sundara
Seen once in the Machure trip

Blue-throated Flycatcher Cyornis rubeculoides
Seen several times in the highlands

Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher Cyornis tickelliae
Three specimens seen in the forested areas of the park

Bluethroat Luscinia svecica
Very common in the grasslands. Several seen on each trip to the Dhikala Chaur.

Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis
Possibly the most common bird in the park

White-rumped Shama Copsychus malabaricus
Four seen on the road to Kanda. Several seen in the Bijrani area.

Indian Robin Saxicoloides fulicata
Seen at Bijrani

Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros
Three birds seen in Dhikala and Bijrani

White-capped Water Redstart Chaimarrornis leucocephalus
Seen on both the Ramganga and the Kosi rivers

Plumbeous Water Redstart Rhyacornis fuliginosus
One pair seen on the way to Machure

Spotted Forktail Enicurus maculates
A pair was seen on the Machure- Chimtakhal Road far away from any water.

Common Stonechat Saxicola torquata
Very common in the grasslands

Pied Bushchat Saxicola caprata
Common. Several seen

Grey Bushchat Saxicola ferrea
A pair seen on the road to Machure

Spot-winged Starling Saroglossa spiloptera
A single bird was seen briefly near the Dhangari Gate

Chestnut-tailed Starling Sturnus malabaricus
Seen in hundreds everyday.

Brahminy Starling Sturnus pagodarum
Seen in Dhikala and out side the park

Asian Pied Starling Sturnus contra
Seen at the Amdanda gate

Common Myna Acridotheres tristis

Bank Myna Acridotheres ginginianus
Seen en-route to the area

Jungle Myna Acridotheres fuscus
Not uncommon. Seen at several times.

Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch Sitta castanea

White-tailed Nuthatch Sitta himalayensis

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch Sitta frontalis

All three nuthatches were seen within the park and in different places.

Great Tit Parus major
Another common bird. Seen several times each day

Green-backed Tit Parus monticolus
Seen on the Machure-Chimtakhal road.

Black-lored Tit Parus xanthogenys
One bird seen at the edge of the forest near Dhikala and another on the road to Kumeria

Plain Martin
A flock seen of the Dhikala Chaur

Dusky Crag Martin Hirundo concolor
Several birds seen over the river parallel to the Sambhar road

Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Several birds seen near the river at Gairal

Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica
Two birds observed on a wire near Machure

Black-crested Bulbul Pycnonotus melanicterus
Several seen. Not shy and can be seen at close quarters

Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus
Not uncommon. Several seen

Himalayan Bulbul Pycnonotus leucogenys
All over the place. Very common

Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer
Common. Several pairs seen

Ashy Bulbul Hemixos flavala
Several seen throughout the stay.

Black Bulbul Hypsipetes leucocephalus
More common in the higher reaches of the park. Seen on the way to Kanda as well as on the road to Machure

Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis
Several seen in Dhikala Chaur

Bright-headed Cisticola Cisticola exilis
Not as common as the above but easily seen in Dhikala Chaur

Striated Prinia Prinia criniger
Strangely seen low-down near Kanda

Grey-breasted Prinia Prinia hodgsonii
Very common. Seen several times

Ashy Prinia Prinia socialis
Seen at Dhikala and at Gairal

Plain Prinia Prinia inornata
Seen at Dhikala Chaur

Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpebrosus
Very common

Blyth’s Reed Warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum
Common passage migrant. Seen often

Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius
Only one seen near Infinity Resort

Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita
Few seen over the period

Tickell’s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus affinis
Several seen through the period. Common

Sulphur-bellied Warbler Phylloscopus griseolus
Two birds seen near the Dhikala Canteen. A recent addition to the checklist

Grey-hooded Warbler Seicercus xanthoschistos
Two birds seen, one in Dhikala and the other on the Sultan-Gairal Road

Striated Grassbird Megalurus palustris
Only one bird seen in the Dhikala Chaur

White-throated Laughingthrush Garrulax albogularis

White-crested Laughingthrush Garrulax leucolophus

Several flocks of the above two birds were met in the forest. Common and easily seen

Streaked Laughingthrush Garrulax lineatus
One bird on the Machure-Chimtakhal Road

Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus erythrogenys
More heard than seen. One good and prolonged sighting on Sambhar Road

Black-chinned Babbler Stachyris pyrrhops
Seen and heard every day. Common

Yellow-eyed Babbler Chrysomma sinense
One seen near Lohachaur

Large Grey Babbler Turdoides malcolmi
A pair seen near Dhangari Gate

Jungle Babbler Turdoides striatus
Common and ubiquitous

Black-chinned Yuhina Yuhina nigrimenta
A few birds seen on the Sultan-Gairal Road

Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla
Pair seen in Dhikala Chaur

Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula
Several birds were seen in Dhikala Chaur

Pale-billed Flowerpecker Dicaeum erythrorynchos
Seen at Dhikala Tourist complex

Purple Sunbird Nectarinia asiatica
Very Common. Seen everyday

Crimson Sunbird Aethopyga siparaja
Seen in the forest and at Infinity Resort

House Sparrow Passer domesticus
Seen In Dhikala and around other forest rest-houses

Russet Sparrow Passer rutilans
Seen on the road to Machure

Chestnut-shouldered Petronia Petronia xanthocollis
A big flock seen near Claridges Resort and intermittently in other places including the Bijrani area

White Wagtail Motacilla alba

White-browed Wagtail Motacilla maderaspatensi
Common

Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola 
Many on Dhikala Chaur

Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava
Many on Dhikala Chaur

Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea

Paddyfield Pipit Anthus rufulus

Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris

Long-billed Pipit Anthus similes

The Dhikala Chaur held a good number of pipits and were relatively tame and easy to see.

Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni
A few seen

Upland Pipit Anthus sylvanus
A single bird was observed near Machure

Baya Weaver Ploceus philippinus

Red Avadavat Amandava amandava

Indian Silverbill Lonchura malabarica

All the above were seen in the Dhikala Chaur

Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus
A single bird was seen in Fulai Chaur

Crested Bunting Melophus lathami
Seen the Dhikala Tourist Complex and the Machure-Chimtakhal Road.

White-capped Bunting Emberiza stewarti
A pair was seen sitting on a wire in the Dhikala Tourist complex

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