This short tour is intended as a pre tour extension to our Snow Leopard Special in Ladakh, and what better way to prepare for this by seeing a different species of Leopard first?! We will visit Jhalana Safari Park in Jaipur, a small park on the edge of the city which is one of the best places to see Asiatic Leopards in the wild.
Before that, we will spend two days targeting some special birds associated with the Indian monsoon. The key bird to search for is the rare endemic Lesser Florican, seldom seen due to its very secretive behaviour. Monsoon is when it does its spectacular jumping display, which we will look for mainly in agricultural fields near Sonkhaliya. In the same area of Rajasthan, the similarly secretive Rain Quails will be calling and obvious, and this is the best time of year also for seeing Rock Bush Quail, Painted Francolin, Singing Bushlark and Bristled Grassbird.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Delhi, drive to Ajmer
After your arrival in the morning in Delhi we will drive to our base in Ajmer in Rajasthan, with some exploratory birding en-route.
Days 2 -3: Sonkhaliya from Ajmer
The arable farmland of Sonkhaliya is the stronghold of the severely declining Lesser Florican. Seldom seen at other times of year because of their secretive nature, from July through to September they perform a remarkable jumping display. Our two full days in the area gives us a very good chance of finding them, as well as other monsoon specialities including Rain Quail, Rock Bush Quail, Painted Francolin, Indian Eagle Owl and Singing Bushlark. Autumn passage migration has started by now also and we may find Rosy Starlings, European Rollers, Sykes’s Warblers and even a Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin.
Day 4: Sonkhaliya to Jhalana Safari Park, Jaipur
After some final birding at Sonkhaliya , we will drive to Jaipur, arriving in time for an afternoon jeep safari in Jhalana Safari Park. This small park on the edge of the city is remarkable for its relatively large numbers of Asian Leopard, and with our safari today, and another tomorrow morning, we have a good chance of seeing one.
Day 5: Jhalana Safari Park to Delhi
After another jeep safari at Jhalana we will return to the hotel for a late breakfast, and then have time for a quick look at some of Jaipur’s famous monuments before our drive back to Delhi. We will arrive in the evening where we will spend the night at a comfortable hotel near the airport, before we set off on the main tour to Ladakh tomorrow – hopefully for our second Leopard!
Checklist
View species bar chart on eBird.
Important information
As with all Bubo Birding tours, your booking is handled by Asian Adventures.
This tour is guided by Mike Prince, plus local birding guides.
- Prices quoted are per person, assuming an exclusive 2 person tour. Larger group sizes attract a discounted per person price, which we will confirm to you on enquiry.
- International flights are excluded.
- We may change the itinerary described due to various reasons such as latest birding information, availability of accommodation, state of the roads, and other unexpected factors that, this being India, do pop up from time to time!
- The final price and itinerary will be confirmed before booking and depending on your expected arrival and departure plans.
See Asian Adventures for full tour details, including accommodation, what's included, other exclusions, prices for larger groups, single room supplements, and booking details.
