India | Uttarakhand

Pangot (Nainital), Saatal Mukteshwar & Corbett National Park
Birding Tour Kumaon in Uttarakhand

Birds of Mukteshwar & Around

Bird sightings depend greatly on season, timing, and patience.
Sightings mentioned in the itinerary are only a guide and cannot be guaranteed.
Accommodation on twin sharing basis.

Meals as per the itinerary
Birding with a guide at all places
Jungle visits in Corbett National Park in a jeep, elephant back and on foot, as per the itinerary
Park entrance fees in Corbett National Park
All surface transfers

Above cost does not include

Optional tours/excursions Personal & incidental expenses
Tips, laundry, phone calls, bottled water, alcohol, camera fee etc.
Meals unless specified and meals in transit.

8 nights & 9 days Best season: October to June
2 nights in Pangot	Jungle Lore Birding Lodge
3 nights at Mukteshwar	Mountain Trail Boutique Resort.
3 nights in Corbett	2 nights in a cottage at Tiger Camp and a night in Dhikala Forest Lodge


Day 01	Delhi-Pangot Meals: lunch & dinner	Drive in the morning to Pangot (8 hours), a journey that takes you on one of the world's more spectacular mountain roads as we climb up into the Kumaon Hills on our way to this delightful "lake city". Afternoon birding with a guide near the lodge. One can stop along the way to look for birds that may include blue whistling thrush, red-billed blue magpie, blue-capped redstart, rusty-tailed flycatcher, grey-backed shrike, yellow-breasted green finch etc. Overnight stay at Jungle Lore Birding Lodge.
Day 02	Pangot Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner	Birding at Pangot, Baggar, Timla Pani, Cheena Peak & Nainital. One can see slaty-headed & red-breasted parakeet, grey bushchat, long-tailed & grey-backed shrike, common kestrel, besra, chestnut-bellied rock thrush etc. Streaked laughing thrush is a common garden bird here.
Day 03	Saatal day excursion Meals: breakfast, packed lunch & dinner	Drive in the morning to Saatal (2 hours). The habitat offers species such as white-crested laughingthrush, rufous-gorgeted flycatcher, red-billed leothrix, Siberian rubythroat, rock bunting etc. This scattered and deliberately undeveloped area is one of the most pleasant destinations. Look for rufous-chinned & white crested laughing thrush, rufous-breasted accentor, greater yellow-naped flameback, speckled piculet etc. Proceed to Mukteshwar. . Enroute witness the glorious sun set behind the mountains as you approach 7500 ft. ASL Overnight stay at Mukteshwar - Mountain Trail Resort (45 KMs , 1.5 Hours ).
Day 04	Mukteshwar – Mountain Trail Boutique Resort Meals : Dinner	Arrive Mukteshwar , atop a ridge 7500 ft. ASL exudes a charm unrivalled by another place in the Kumaon hills . A Tranquil Hamlet providing one of the widest , most panoramic views of the Great Himalayan Ranges which fills the entire horizon from West to East . Eve .at leisure Enjoy the Bon – Fire over a Intra Birding Update .
Day 05	Mukteshwar – Mountain Trail Boutique Resort Meals : Bed Tea , Breakfast , Packed Lunch & Dinner	Birding in the Mukteshwar Forests , Fiest your eyes with the Lammergeier , Himalayan Griffon , Crested Serpent Eagle , Common Buzard , Steppe Eagle , Mountain Hawk Eagle , Common Kestrel , Kalij Pheasant , Oriental Turtle Dove , Slaty Headed Parakeet , Asian Barred Owlet , Himalayan Swiftlet , White Rumped Needletail , Common Hoopoe , Grey Headed woodpecker , White Throated Fantail , Eurasian Jay , Green Treepie , Long Taled Minivet , Chestnut bellied Rockthrush , Grey Winged Black Bird , Little Pied Flycatcher , Golden Bush Robbin , Blue-capped Redstart , Black-backed Forktail , Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler , Black-throated Tit , Common Stonechat , Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch, Spotted Creeper , Plain Martin , Himalayan Bulbul etc.
Day 06	Pangot-Corbett National Park Meals: breakfast & dinner	Drive to Corbett National Park in the morning stopping en route for birding at Mongoli Valley. Corbett Tiger reserve has a spectacular avifauna diversity. Great hornbill, Pallas's fish eagle, grey-headed & lesser fish eagle, red-collared falconet etc. are some of the rare birds that are found in Corbett. More birds include jungle owlet, scaly-bellied woodpecker, red-breasted parakeet, Himalayan swiftlet, stork-billed & crested kingfisher and white-tailed & Siberian rubythroat. Tiger Camp makes an ideal base for birding.
Day 07	Dhikala Forest Lodge (Corbett National Park) Meals: breakfast & dinner	Drive early morning to Dhikala tourism zone. Arrive at the main tourist complex in the afternoon. Afternoon visit to the grasslands for birding. Overnight stay at Dhikala Forest Lodge. Birding in the lower jungle track along the Ramganga river is very rewarding for water birds such as river lapwings, waders, mergansers and other waterfowl. While relaxing at the lodge or visiting the grasslands one can see long-tailed nightjar, jungle owlet, spot-bellied owl, common stonechat, black francolin, purple and crimson sunbird, golden-fronted & orange-bellied leafbird, black-shouldered kite, hen harrier, changeable hawk-eagle, chestnut-tailed starling etc.
Day 08	Corbett National Park Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner	Morning elephant safari through the grasslands and dense forests. This is the best mode of transport for tiger-tracking. Return for breakfast and then spend time till lunch on a watchtower overlooking a water hole. Drive to Tiger Camp stopping en route for birding. Some of the best birding areas of Dhikala are Sambhar Road and Khinanauli. One can expect to see great slaty woodpecker, great hornbill, puff-throated babbler, white-rumped shama, pallas's fish eagle etc. Arrive Tiger Camp for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 09	Corbett National Park-Delhi Meals: breakfast	You will explore the river edge at Kumeria for tawny & brown fish owl, Asian barred owlet, plumbeous redstart, brown dipper and the three species of forktails. Other species that are possible in the forest are crested tree swift, spangled drongo, blue bearded bee-eater etc. Drive back to Delhi at noon. Arrive Delhi in the evening (6-hour drive).