Upcoming Tours

This special tour experiences one of the birding wonders of the entire world. For just a few weeks at the end of October and early November in Nagaland, in India’s Northeast, phenomenal numbers of the beautiful Amur Falcons gather together to feed and roost during their remarkable migration from eastern Russia and China to southern Africa. To stand at dusk with hundreds of thousands of Amur Falcons swirling around above our heads, and in total silence except for their calls, is truly awe-inspiring.

We start the trip though at Kaziranga National Park in Assam. With two-thirds of the world’s population of Great One-horned, or Indian, Rhinoceros, a high density of Tigers, and large populations of Asian Elephants, Wild Water Buffalo and Swamp Deer, Kaziranga is a World Heritage Site. On the edge of the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot, it is a fantastic place for birdwatching, and recognised as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.

The Mishmi Hills of northeastern Arunachal Pradesh has become popular in recent years as travel restrictions in the state have eased. The area covers a large altitudinal range over a relatively short ground distance which means bird diversity is excellent. The highlight species is the localised Mishmi, or Rusty-throated, Wren-babbler which, after being described from one specimen collected in 1947, was not seen again until 2004. Other superb birds include Blyth’s Tragopan, Sclater’s Monal (this being the prime time of year to see them), Himalayan Owl, Chevron-breasted Babbler (Cachar Wedge-billed Babbler), Gould’s Shortwing, and Purple and Green Cochoas. One highlight will be a stay at the bizarre Mayodia Coffee House where we can guarantee that you certainly won’t get good coffee!

Northeast India is one of the most bird-rich regions in the world. The dense forests are home to various species of skulking babblers and similarly plumaged warblers, but also beautiful pheasants and other stunners including the recently discovered Bugun Liocichla.

We start this tour with a visit to lowland Nameri National Park on the Jia Bhoreli river, which has a wide variety of species including Pied Falconet, Oriental Hobby and White-winged Duck. Dirang is our next stop, the base for exploring the Sangti Valley, Mandala Road and, weather-permitting, the high-altitude Sela Pass. At 4,200m, there are birds here that are extremely difficult to find elsewhere in Arunachal and we will hope to connect with Himalayan Monal, Blood Pheasant, Solitary Snipe and Grandala.

Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary needs little introduction to birdwatchers. Unusually for Arunachal Pradesh, this montane forest has the advantage of easy access to a wide altitudinal range thanks to a jeep track which cuts through its heart from Eaglenest Pass at 2800 m down to the flood plains of Assam at 100 m. Eaglenest gained fame when Bugun Liocichla was described, new to science, in 2006. As well as that, we will hope to see many other excellent birds, including Blyth’s and Temminck’s Tragopans, Rufous-necked Hornbill, Ward’s Trogon, Blackish-breasted Babbler (Sikkim Wedge-billed Babbler), Long-billed Wren-babbler, Beautiful Nuthatch, and many more.

Kaziranga National Park is our final stop, with its Indian Rhinoceros, Wild Water Buffalo, Asian Elephant, and a chance of Tiger. Several localised and endangered birds such as Bengal Florican and Greater Adjutant will be amongst our many targets.

The Mishmi Hills is the main focus of this tour, but the lowland wet forest at Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuaryhas some fantastic birding as well, including the rare Brown Hornbill and White-winged Duck, and we will also visit Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, a patchwork of seasonally flooded forests, beels (shallow ponds), and grassy pockets between the arms of the rivers Dibru and the Brahmaputra. Excellent grassland supports a range of rare and specialised birds including the threatened Marsh Babbler, Jerdon’s Babbler, Black-breasted Parrotbill, Swamp Grass-Babbler, and this is the best place in India to see Jerdon’s Bushchat .

The Mishmi Hills of northeastern Arunachal Pradesh has become popular in recent years as travel restrictions in the state have eased. The area covers a large altitudinal range over a relatively short ground distance which means bird diversity is excellent. The highlight species is the localised Mishmi, or Rusty-throated, Wren-babbler which, after being described from one specimen collected in 1947, was not seen again until 2004. Other superb birds include Blyth’s Tragopan, Sclater’s Monal, Himalayan Owl, Chevron-breasted Babbler (Cachar Wedge-billed Babbler), Gould’s Shortwing, and Purple and Green Cochoas. One highlight will be a stay at the bizarre Mayodia Coffee House where we can guarantee that you certainly won’t get good coffee!