Species seen during our trip to Corbett National Park - primarily to see Tigers. 5 seen during a total of 13 game drives.
We stayed at Tiger Camp 5 nights then Dhikala Forest Lodge 2 nights. Then 3 days relaxing in Nainital not birding !
Weather was dry and sunny every day with early mist. very cold but no snow in Nainital.
Bird List
|
Francolinus francolinus |
Black Francolin |
1 or 2 birds just outside
Dhikala compound |
| Gallus gallus |
Red Junglefowl |
Pairs scratching around
in undergrowth. Good views of male at Jhirna
by river. |
| Lophura leucomelanos |
Kalij Pheasant |
Few birds crossing tracks,
especially late afternoon |
| Pavo cristatus |
Indian Peafowl |
20+ at Jhirna |
| Dendrocygna javanica |
Lesser Whistling-Duck |
Small flock at Ramnagar Dam |
| Mergus merganser |
Common Merganser |
Pair on Kosi River |
| Jynx torquilla |
Eurasian Wryneck |
One bird feeding on track
at Dhikala |
| Dendrocopos auriceps |
Brown-fronted Woodpecker |
Good views of one at
Fairhavens Hotel, Nainital |
| Celeus brachyurus |
Rufous Woodpecker |
Pair by Kosi River nr Mohan |
| Picus flavinucha |
Greater Yellownape |
Very vocal bird on treetop
near Bijrani gate |
| Picus canus |
Grey-faced Woodpecker |
One in forest near Durgadevi gate |
| Dinopium benghalense |
Black-rumped Flameback |
Odd birds seen daily |
| Mulleripicus pulverulentus |
Great Slaty Woodpecker |
Heard daily, flock of
4 seen near Bijrani gate |
| Megalaima lineata |
Lineated Barbet |
Seen and heard daily |
| Buceros bicornis |
Great Hornbill |
Pair in forest near Durgadevi gate |
| Upupa epops |
Eurasian Hoopoe |
One on track near Dhikala, 3 on wires in Rampur town centre
! |
| Alcedo atthis |
Common Kingfisher |
Seen daily by wider streams
and rivers |
| Pelargopsis capensis |
Stork-billed Kingfisher |
Heard daily on woodland
edges, odd birds seen distantly |
| Halcyon smyrnensis |
White-throated Kingfisher |
Common on wires |
| Megaceryle lugubris |
Crested Kingfisher |
Seen daily on wider rivers |
| Ceryle rudis |
Pied Kingfisher |
Few birds on Kosi river |
| Psittacula krameri |
Rose-ringed Parakeet |
Common in urban areas |
| Psittacula himalayana |
Slaty-headed Parakeet |
Small flock about 10km
in from Dhangari gate |
| Psittacula cyanocephala |
Plum-headed Parakeet |
Seen daily, nice flock
by roadside outside Ramnagar |
| Psittacula alexandri |
Red-breasted Parakeet |
1 or 2 seen daily |
| Tachymarptis melba |
Alpine Swift |
Small flock at dusk by
Dhikala compound |
| Apus affinis |
Little Swift |
Small numbers by Kosi river |
| Hemiprocne coronata |
Crested Treeswift |
Common and vocal over
woodland |
| Ketupa zeylonensis |
Brown Fish-Owl |
One roosting near Dhikala compound |
| Ketupa flavipes |
Tawny Fish-Owl |
On roosting near Gharial Point on Dhikala - Dhangari road |
| Glaucidium radiatum |
Jungle Owlet |
One perched up near Dhikala compound |
| Columba livia |
Rock Pigeon |
Feral Pigeons common
in urban areas |
| Streptopelia orientalis |
Oriental Turtle-Dove |
One seen in tree |
| Streptopelia chinensis |
Spotted Dove |
Common in gardens &
track sides |
| Streptopelia decaocto |
Eurasian Collared-Dove |
Common in urban areas |
| Tringa nebularia |
Common Greenshank |
Few birds by Kosi river |
| Tringa ochropus |
Green Sandpiper |
Fairly common near water |
| Tringa hypoleucos |
Common Sandpiper |
One or two by Kosi river |
| Himantopus himantopus |
Black-winged Stilt |
Few birds in paddy fields
on Delhi road |
| Amauronis akool |
Brown Crake |
One in reeds near Dhikala |
| Vanellus duvaucelii |
River Lapwing |
One or two by Kosi river |
| Vanellus indicus |
Red-wattled Lapwing |
Fairly common in cultivated
fields |
| Sterna aurantia |
River Tern |
Few birds over lake -
Dhikala |
| Pandion haliaetus |
Osprey |
One bird over Dhikala |
| Elanus caeruleus |
Black-winged Kite |
Fairly common at Dhikala |
| Milvus migrans |
Black Kite |
Hundreds of birds at
power station east of Delhi |
| Haliaeetus leucoryphus |
Pallas's Sea-Eagle |
One or two at Dhikala |
| Ichthyophaga humilis |
Lesser Fish-Eagle |
Pair at Gharial Point on Dhikala - Dhangari road |
| Neophron percnopterus |
Egyptian Vulture |
Fairly common at Ramnagar rubbish tip |
| Gyps himalayensis |
Himalayan Griffon |
Seen daily overhead |
| Sarcogyps calvus |
Red-headed Vulture |
Seen daily overhead |
| Spilornis cheela |
Crested Serpent-Eagle |
Seen daily overhead and
perched in trees |
| Circus macrourus |
Pallid Harrier |
Female at Dhikala grassland, Corbett |
| Accipiter nisus |
Eurasian Sparrowhawk |
One near Dhikala |
| Aquila nipalensis |
Steppe Eagle |
Seen daily overhead |
| Spizaetus cirrhatus |
Changeable Hawk-Eagle |
Seen daily overhead and
perched in trees |
| Falco peregrinus |
Peregrine Falcon |
One of peregrinator race
seen eating a Parakeet at Jhirna gate |
| Podiceps cristatus |
Great Crested Grebe |
Pair at Ramnagar dam |
| Phalacrocorax niger |
Little Cormorant |
Small flocks at Dhikala lake |
| Phalacrocorax carbo |
Great Cormorant |
Flock of 100+ at Dhikala lake |
| Egretta garzetta |
Little Egret |
Common in paddy fields |
| Ardea cinerea |
Grey Heron |
One or two near wider
rivers |
| Ardea alba |
Great Egret |
One or two at Dhikala |
| Egretta intermedia |
Intermediate Egret |
A few in paddy fields |
| Bubulcus ibis |
Cattle Egret |
Common near villages |
| Ardeola grayii |
Indian Pond-Heron |
A few birds seen near
villages |
| Ciconia episcopus |
Woolly-necked Stork |
Pair at Dhikala |
| Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus |
Black-necked Stork |
Pair at Dhikala |
| Chloropsis aurifrons |
Golden-fronted Leafbird |
One near Bijrani gate |
| Lanius schach |
Long-tailed Shrike |
Seen daily |
| Dendrocitta vagabunda |
Rufous Treepie |
Seen daily in thick woodland |
| Garrulus glandarius bispecularis |
Eurasian Jay |
Nainital cable car station |
| Corvus splendens |
House Crow |
Hundreds in Delhi |
| Corvus macrorhynchos |
Large-billed Crow |
Seen daily in and over
woodland |
| Oriolus traillii |
Maroon Oriole |
One or two birds seen
- often on dead trees |
| Coracina macei |
Large Cuckooshrike |
Vocal bird around rangers
compound near Dhikala |
| Pericrocotus ethologus |
Long-tailed Minivet |
Small groups seen most
days |
| Pericrocotus cinnamomeus |
Small Minivet |
pair near Bijrani gate |
| Rhipidura hypoxantha |
Yellow-bellied Fantail |
One up riverbed near
Mohan |
| Rhipidura aureola |
White-browed Fantail |
One or two seen daily |
| Dicrurus macrocercus |
Black Drongo |
Common on wires |
| Dicrurus caerulescens |
White-bellied Drongo |
One or two seen daily |
| Dicrurus aeneus |
Bronzed Drongo |
One or two seen daily |
| Aegithina tiphia |
Common Iora |
Pair near Jhirna gate |
| Cinclus pallasii |
Brown Dipper |
One on Kosi River near Mohan |
| Monticola solitarius |
Blue Rock-Thrush |
Pair by Kosi River at Tiger camp hotel |
| Myiophonus caeruleus |
Blue Whistling-Thrush |
Seen daily |
| Zoothera monticola |
Long-billed Thrush |
One feeding on river
bed near Durgadevi gate |
| Ficedula parva |
Red-breasted Flycatcher |
One in gardens - Tiger
Camp hotel |
| Ficedula tricolor |
Slaty-blue Flycatcher |
One in gardens - Tiger
Camp hotel |
| Niltava macgrigoriae |
Small Niltava |
Female by roadside near
Mohan |
| Luscinia pectoralis |
White-tailed Rubythroat |
Pair feeding on track
at Dhikala |
| Copsychus saularis |
Oriental Magpie-Robin |
One in gardens - Tiger
Camp hotel |
| Phoenicurus ochruros |
Black Redstart |
One feeding at Bijrani gate compound |
| Chaimarrornis leucocephalus |
White-capped Water-Redstart |
Common by streams |
| Rhyacornis fuliginosus |
Plumbeous Water-Redstart |
Common by streams |
| Enicurus scouleri |
Little Forktail |
One at Kosi River nr Mohan |
| Saxicola insignis |
White-throated (Hodgsons) Bushchat |
One or two at Dhikala grassland |
| Saxicola torquata |
Common Stonechat |
Seen daily perched on
reeds |
| Saxicola caprata |
Pied Bushchat |
One or two seen daily |
| Saxicola leucura |
White-tailed Stonechat |
In reeds near Bhijrani gate |
| Saxicola ferrea |
Grey Bushchat |
A few near Jhirna gate |
| Sturnus contra |
Asian Pied Starling |
A few on wires on Delhi
road |
| Acridotheres tristis |
Common Myna |
Very common in urban
areas and truck stops |
| Acridotheres fuscus |
Jungle Myna |
One or two around Dhikala compound |
| Tichodroma muraria |
Wallcreeper |
One on riverbed at Bijrani gate, also under suspension bridge Kosi River |
| Certhia himalayana |
Bar-tailed Tree-Creeper |
Fairhavens hotel garden , Nainital |
| Parus major |
Great Tit |
One or two seen in woodland |
| Parus monticolus |
Green-backed Tit |
Few pairs Nainital Zoo |
| Aegithalos concinnus |
Black-throated Tit |
Few pairs Nainital Zoo |
| Riparia paludicola |
Plain Martin |
Small groups over Kosi river |
| Hirundo rustica |
Eurasian Swallow |
Small groups over rivers |
| Regulus regulus |
Goldcrest |
Common in conifers at
Nainital |
| Pycnonotus melanicterus |
Black-crested Bulbul |
Few birds near Bijrani gate |
| Pycnonotus jocosus |
Red-whiskered Bulbul |
One or two seen daily |
| Pycnonotus cafer |
Red-vented Bulbul |
The commonest Bulbul
- seen daily |
| Pycnonotus leucogenys |
Himalayan Bulbul |
Few birds seen daily |
| Prinia hodgsonii |
Grey-breasted Prinia |
A few birds near Bijrani gate |
| Zosterops palpebrosus |
Oriental White-eye |
Common in gardens &
track sides |
| Orthotomus sutorius |
Common Tailorbird |
Pair in Tiger camp garden |
| Seicercus xanthoschistos |
Grey-hooded Warbler |
Few pairs Nainital Zoo and Fairhavens hotel |
| Garrulax lineatus |
Streaked Laughingthrush |
Two birds at Nainital Zoo |
| Chrysomma sinense |
Yellow-eyed Babbler |
One bird near Dhikala |
| Turdoides striatus |
Jungle Babbler |
Fairly common near Dhikala compound |
| Sylvia curruca |
Lesser Whitethroat |
One bird near Bijrani gate |
| Alauda gulgula |
Oriental Skylark |
Several singing at Dhikala grassland |
| Passer domesticus |
House Sparrow |
Common in urban areas |
| Motacilla alba |
White Wagtail |
Both 'white' and dark-backed
races seen on river beds |
| Motacilla madaraspatensis |
White-browed Wagtail |
Seen daily |
| Motacilla cinerea |
Grey Wagtail |
One seen near Jhirna gate |
| Anthus rufulus |
Paddyfield Pipit |
Common in open areas
at Jhirna |
| Anthus campestris |
Tawny Pipit |
Few birds near Kosi River |
| Amandava amandava |
Red Avadavat |
Common over reedbeds |
| Emberiza rutila |
Chestnut Bunting |
Odd birds seen near Dhikala |
Mammals
5 Tigers - 2 crossing river bed at Jhirna gate, 2 in forest near Dhikala, one crossing the track Dhikala - Dhangari
Golden Jackal - pair seen on grassland at Dhikala
Wild Boar - few family groups seen, including some swimming across a river.
Hog Deer - in reeds at Dhikala
Sambar Deer - seen daily
Chital (Spotted) Deer - common, seen daily
Northern Palm Squirrel - one near Bijrani gate was only one seen !
Indian Grey Mongoose - one crossing river - Jhirna gate
Hanuman Langur - Common - even in urban areas
Rhesus Macaque - seen daily