Kaziranga Nameri Shillong

Day 1: Arrive at Dibrugarh airport and onwards to Digboi Overnight at CTA Oil Guest House Day 2: Birding at Digboi Oil Reserve (Permissions need to be arranged with security supplied from local police station) look for key species such as Chestnut-backed Laughingthrush and other woodland birds such as White-cheeked Partridge, Jerdon’s Baza (rare), Grey-bellied Tesia, etc. Also try looking for White-winged Duck in the marshes within the reserve. Other birds include Pale-headed Woodpecker, Sultan Tit, White-browed Piculet, Oriental Hobby, etc. Day 3: Digboi Oil Reserve

Day 4: Digboi to Namdapha Tiger Reserve (Deban Forest IB)

Day 5: Birding around Deban

Birds at Namdapha include: Snowy-throated Babbler, White-bellied Heron, Beautiful Nuthatch, Rufous-necked Hornbill, Rusty-bellied Shortwing, Ibisbill, Green Cochoa, several species of wren-babblers, 3 species of Tesias, Blyth’s Kingfisher, Fulvous Parrotbill, etc.

Day 6: Deban to Hornbill (camp at Hornbill)

Day 7: Hornbill

Day 8: Hornbill to Deban

Day 9: Birding around Deban

Day 10: Deban to Tinsukia Dibru-Saikhowa National Park

Day 11: Birding around Dibru-Saikhowa (walk from Guijan to Kolomy 5km – 4 hours): Black-breasted Parrotbill, Jerdon’s Bushchat, Marsh Babbler and Pale-capped Pigeon. Other birds in the reserve include Black-breasted Thrush, Hodgson’s Redstart, Grey-sided Bush Warbler, Chestnut-capped Babbler, Jerdon’s Babbler, etc.

Day 12: Birding in Dibru – Saikhowa (around Dighaltarang Area – boat needs to be arranged with help from Forest Dept.

Day 13: Tinsukia to Kaziranga

Day 14: Kaziranga National Park
AM Elephant Ride // Central Range
PM Western Range Kaziranga National Park is a highly reputed wildlife protected area. It is the largest undisturbed representative area of Brahmaputra, its flood plain, grassland and forest. Reputed to be a mini Africa in the Indian sub-continent, the Park has more than 70% of the world’s one-horned rhino population, 70% of the world population of the Eastern Swamp Deer (Cervus duvuaceli ranjitsinhii) and 75% of the world’s wild Asiatic water buffalo. It has a significant population of the Asian Elephant. The Park has more than 483 species of birds, 18 of them are globally threatened species. Because of the varied habitat-types that the Park comprises of as also of the strict protection accorded to them birding in Kaziranga is very special. The Eastern Range is good for water birds such as Falcated Teal, White-eyed Pochard and Spot-billed pelican (a colony of c 200 pairs is located in this range). For grassland birds the Western Range is ideal. The Bengal Florican can be seen during the elephant ride in the Central Range. The nearby Panbari Reserved Forest is good for primates such as Hoollock Gibbon and Capped Langur and also woodland birds such as Yellow-vented Warbler, Great Hornbill, Darknecked Tailorbird, Grey-bellied and Slaty-bellied Tesias.

Day 15: AM Tea Gardens
Eastern Range (whole day – come out of Park for lunch)

Day 16: AM Panbari // PM Central Range

Day 17: Kaziranga – according to choice // leisure

Day 18: Kaziranga to Nameri National Park

The habitat is diverse more close to Manas National Park (which is now closed). Sighting of wild animals is difficult but the place has over 350 species of birds. Known to be a good place to sight the White-winged Wood Duck, pax can view Ibisbill (uncommon), Ruddy Kingfisher, Wreathed hornbill, Long-billed Ringed Plover, Sultan Tit, and Yellow-bellied and White-throated Fantails

Day 19: Nameri National Park

Day 20: Nameri to Shillong

Day 21: Birding at Shillong Peak – look for Tawny-breasted Wren Babbler and other northeast Indian hills state species such as Crested Finchbill, Rustycapped Fulvetta, Striated Bulbul, etc.

Day 22: AM Birding at Mawphlang
Leave for Cherrapunjee at about 11hrs00 in order to look for Dark-rumped Swift

Day 23: Shillong to Guwahati (AM birding along Old Shillong – Guwahati Road // Visit Ulubari Market to see Greater Adjutant Stork)

Day 24: Fly out