Velavadar National Park protects a large remaining area of grassland, a habitat very much threatened elsewhere, and is set attractively between two rivers. In winter one of the most spectacular sights is the evening harrier roost. Whilst numbers have reduced considerably from the thousands recorded there in the early 2000s and earlier, it is still an amazing experience to watch harriers coming in from far afield and silently dropping into the grass to roost. Velavadar is famous for its Blackbucks but is good for mammals generally, and there is a reasonable chance of seeing Wolf and Striped Hyena here. Birds include Common Crane, Dalmatian Pelican, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Painted Francolin, many larks including Ashy-crowned, Rufous-tailed and huge flocks of Greater Short-toed and Bimaculated, as well as the rare Stoliczka’s Bushchat.
Read more about the Blackbucks and other wildlife of Velavadar.
Target Species
- Painted Francolin
- Rain Quail
- Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse
- Sarus Crane
- Common Crane
- Greater Flamingo
- Indian Stone-curlew
- Indian Courser
- Great White Pelican
- Dalmatian Pelican
- Black-winged Kite
- Short-toed Snake Eagle
- Greater Spotted Eagle
- Eastern Imperial Eagle
- Hen Harrier
- Pallid Harrier
- Montagu’s Harrier
- White-eyed Buzzard
- Isabelline Shrike
- Bay-backed Shrike
- Rufous-tailed Lark
- Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark
- Sykes’s Lark
- Greater Short-toed Lark
- Bimaculated Lark
- White-eared Bulbul
- White-browed Bush Chat
- Isabelline Wheatear
- Desert Wheatear
- Long-billed Pipit
- Endemic
- Near Endemic
Itinerary
Day 1: Ahmedabad to Velavadar
Pick-up from Ahmedabad and drive to Bhavnagar near Velavadar (c4 hrs), where you will stay at the Blackbuck Lodge, and spend some late afternoon time birding around here.
Days 2-3: Velavadar National Park
Most of the two days will be spent birding in Velavadar National Park, with morning and afternoon safaris. Whilst not a large area, it is a fascinating and rich grassland ecosystem. Wolf and Golden Jackal are the main predators in the park, with other mammals including Indian or Bengal Fox, Indian Hare, Indian Desert Jird or Gerbil, Jungle Cat, and Nilgai. Raptors are plentiful, with the evening harrier roost being an obvious highlight. Other birds of prey are regularly seen, such as Black-winged Kite, Eastern Imperial, Greater Spotted and Short-toed Snake Eagles, and Red-necked Falcon. Smaller birds include Stoliczka’s Bushchat, Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark, Rufous-tailed and Crested Larks, Desert, Isabelline and Variable Wheatears, and Great Grey and Rufous–tailed Shrikes. Common Cranes, Great White Pelicans and other wetland birds are likely on the Alang River.
Day 4: Velavadar to Ahmedabad
After breakfast, check out and return to Ahmedabad
Checklist
For all our bookings we provide the most accurate and useful printable checklists available, specific to the actual areas you are likely to visit. In the meantime, use our interactive state checklists, or view the species bar chart for this area on eBird:
Important information
As with all Bubo Birding tours, your booking is handled by Asian Adventures.
- 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!
- We would be happy to make any additional travel bookings, e.g. domestic flights, car and driver, that you require.
- 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, meal plans, what's included, other exclusions, prices for different group sizes, single room supplements, cancellation policy, and booking process.
Interested in Velavadar National Park, Gujarat?
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