Bird Tour - Gujarat
Highlight: Tour to major birding destinations in the Western state of Gujarat in India.
Gujarat exhibits affinity with Ethiopian zoo geographical region. Hence unique flora and fauna and birdlife. Gujarat is rich in bird life of which much remains to be explored. The state with saline desert, wetlands, coastal lagoons, scrub, dry mixed forests and savanna grasslands is host to many key birding spots in India. The Little Rann of Kutch is the nesting ground for Flamingos. Rare Bustards can easily be sighted in this state of India.
Duration: 14 nights 15 days
Birding Destinations:
Little Rann of Kutch -
Coast of Jamnagar
Gir Wildlife Sanctuary – Lion Safari + Birding
Velavadar National Park – Birds & Black Buck Preserve
Best Season: November to March
Tour Leader: Uday patel
Day 1 |
Arrive Mumbai,assistance upon arrival later transfer to Hotel.
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Day 2 |
AHMEDABAD to DASADA (110 KM 2 hrs)
Reach Ahmadabad airport or rail head in morning from New Delhi or Mumbai City. Take two hour drive to the Little Rann of Kutch.
Dasada highway is a cattle graveyard ideal for White-rumped Vultures, Egyptian vulture and Griffons. The accommodation is at eco-friendly lodge surrounded by water-bodies, garden, plantation and fields. The Red-necked Falcon, Shikra, Blue-throat, Rosy Starlings, Black Ibis, Great White Pelican, Herons, Kingfishers are easily sighted here.
Post lunch follows with a jeep safari in the Little Rann of Kutch which is a wild ass preserve as well. The Rann is a pre historic seabed turned into amazing saline desert with passage of time. The plains of Rann have grassy patches which are an ideal bird habitats. Go birding for Larks, and Greater hoopoe lark. Find Wheatears, Shrikes, Desert warbler and other migratory warblers. Spot Sand Grouse, Indian Courser, quails, buttonquails, francolins, wryneck, Chats, Rufous-tailed scrub robin, Blue headed rock thrush, Black redstart and Buntings in the scrub.
Sight interesting raptors Marsh harrier, Montagu and Pallid harrier, Large eagles, falcons and buzzards. During the safari see the mammals of the Rann - Wild ass, Nilgai, Gazelle, Desert and Indian fox, Indian wolf, wild cats’ hedgehogs and hare.
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Day 3/4 |
DASADA
Morning jeep safari in Bets, elevated patches of scrub and grasses ideal for Macqueen's Bustard, Buzzards and Eagles.
Visit Nawa Talao afternoon to see Demoiselle and Common crane, Greater and Lesser flamingo Pelicans. Other sightings include Storks, Ibis, and wintering Ducks. Sight Pratincole, Lapwing, Sandpipers and Ruff as well.
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Day 5 |
DASADA-JAMNAGAR (300 KM 5 hrs)
Meals: breakfast
Morning walk to Dasada village for birding. See Yellow-legged Green Pigeon, Flycatchers, Fantails, White-eyes, Prinias and visiting Warblers. Post Breakfast six hour drive to Jamnagar with roadside birding. Reach Hotel President at lunch. Visit Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary for some exciting birding and to see the Indian skimmer. Have a good time watching Grebes, Storks, Terns and variety of other birds. Night stay at Hotel President.
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Day 6/7 |
JAMNAGAR
Along the coastline of Gulf of Kutch see coastal birds as Plovers, Oystercatchers, Turnstones, Sandpipers, Dunlin, Gulls, Sanderling, Egrets and other bird species.
If time is available we will visit Lakhota Lake to watch gulls and plethora of migratory ducks.
Night Stay at Hotel President.
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Day 8/9 |
JAMNAGAR-GIR NATIONAL PARK (280 KM 5 hrs)
Picnic lunch at Porbandar and watching and photographing birds in this coastal region – Flamingos, Gulls, Terns and Cranes. Post lunch we drive down Gir National Park and stay at Gir Birding Lodge.
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Day 10-12 |
GIR BIRDING LODGE
Gir the abode of Asiatic Lions is a mix flora of scrub, dry deciduous forest, acacia and grasslands. Apart from exciting birding the safari offers sightings of leopards, spotted deer, sambars, blue bulls, gazelles and wild boar. Gir is a habitat of Hawk eagles, Serpent eagle, and species of Falcons among the raptors. Sightings offers Sand grouses, quail, Orioles, Flycatchers, Woodpeckers, Drongos, Treepies, Bee-eaters, Barbet, Kingfishers, Parakeets, Cuckoo shrikes, Bulbuls, Minivets, Babblers, Cisticola, Prinias, Reed-warblers, Acrocephalus warblers and phylloscopes warblers.
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Day 13 |
GIR-BHAVNAGAR (260 KM 5 hrs)
Travel to Bhavnagar for a stay at Narayani Heritage. Go birding in Victoria Park and Gauri Shankar Lake.
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Day 14 |
BHAVNAGAR-VELAVADAR-AHMEDABAD (200 KM 4 hrs)
Leave for Velavadar National Park in the wee hours with packed breakfast & lunch. Apart from birds the little park is a habitat of Indian blackbuck antelopes and Indian wolf. Other animals seen are Jungle cat, Jackal, Hares and Fox. Bird sighting offers a chance to see the Sirkeer malkoha, Painted francolin, Spotted and Chestnut bellied sandgrouse, Swallows, Larks, Eagles, Falcons, Kestrels, Buzzards, Oriental and Eurasian Hobby, Kite, Northern goshawk. Stoilczka's bush chat can be seen here. Visit roosting sites if of Harriers in the evening. Four hours drive back to Ahmadabad to connect a direct flight to Mumbai.Overnight Mumbai.
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Day 15 |
Transfer to international airport
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Note: Tour can be taken from Mumbai or Delhi
Highlights
14 Nights in Hotels/lodges
Includes all meals
dedicated Birding guide
Airport pick up & drop
Internal flights
All entrances
Transport
Dedicated air conditioned car with driver
Group Size
Approx. 1 to 12
Tour Staff
India Footprints Local guides.
Dedicated tour escort in groups (dedicated guide available for Independent travellers too on request)
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