Jungle Book Birds and Tigers of Central India

Delhi is the starting point, with airport reception and a transfer to the overnight hotel. An arrival leaving enough daylight may allow a visit to Okhla Bird Sanctuary on the Yamuna. Striated Babbler and Striated Grassbird are resident possibilities there, with a chance of White-tailed Stonechat.

An early departure first visits Sultanpur National Park, a compact wetland where a morning may produce around 100 species. Difficult possibilities include Sind Sparrow and Brooks’s Leaf-Warbler, together with White-tailed Lapwing. The journey then continues to Bharatpur for a three-night stay.

Days 3–4 are centered on Keoladeo National Park at Bharatpur. Once used for large-scale hunting, the reserve became a World Heritage Site in 1985. Monsoon-filled shallow lakes attract wildfowl, storks, herons, cranes, waders, owls and raptors, and a full day may produce about 150 bird species. Birding is likely to continue through lunch, with a hot meal delivered inside the park, and cycle-rickshaw birding forms part of the experience. Depending on first-day results, the second day may include nearby sites such as an Indian Vulture colony with a chance of the resident Shaheen form of Peregrine. A supplementary Chambal River boat trip south of Bharatpur may be considered for Indian Skimmer and Black-bellied Tern, alongside Mugger, Gharial and a possible Ganges River Dolphin.

After breakfast, the route reaches Chambal Safari Lodge near the National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary. Brown Hawk-Owl and Indian Scops-Owl are likely possibilities at daytime roosts around the lodge, with Verditer and Red-breasted Flycatchers and Brooks’s Leaf-Warbler also possible. The afternoon may visit wetlands near Etawah, an area known for large numbers of Sarus Cranes and still relatively little explored by birding groups.

An early boat trip explores the Chambal River. Mugger and Gharial may be seen at close range, while the highly endangered Ganges River Dolphin can surface only briefly. Indian Skimmer and Black-bellied Tern are principal bird targets; River Lapwing, Great Thick-knee and Pale, Sand or Grey-throated Martins may also occur. After checkout, the group drives to Agra for a late lunch and a visit to the Taj Mahal. The evening boards an air-conditioned sleeper train for the overnight journey to Katni, the main rail access point for Bandhavgarh.

After the early arrival at Katni, the group transfers to its lodge near Bandhavgarh. Lunch is followed by the first afternoon safari in the national park.

Days 8–10 provide three full days of morning and afternoon safaris in different parts of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. The Vindhyan landscape combines hills, plains, mixed forest and grassland and is noted for a high Tiger density. Leopard also occurs, supported by prey including Nilgai, Barking Deer, Sambar and Chital. Four-horned Antelope and Striped Hyena require more luck, as do Wild Dog and Sloth Bear, while Caracal is rarer still. Gaur were reintroduced from Kanha after the native population died from disease transmitted by domestic cattle. If the stay includes a Wednesday, the park’s afternoon closure replaces that safari with local sightseeing, birding or leisure.

After an early breakfast, the route drives from Bandhavgarh to Kanha. Arrival is planned for a late lunch at the lodge, followed by the first safari in Kanha Tiger Reserve.

Days 12–13 include morning and afternoon safaris in Kanha, the largest and best-known of Central India’s national parks. Its wildlife is similar to Bandhavgarh, with the addition of herds of hard-ground Barasingha. This southern subspecies occurs only here and has recovered after once approaching extinction. As at Bandhavgarh, Wednesday afternoons are closed to safaris.

After breakfast, the group checks out and drives to Jabalpur. A late-afternoon flight returns to Delhi, followed by a transfer to the hotel.

The tour ends with departure from Delhi. If the onward flight is scheduled for the afternoon or evening, local birding around the city can be arranged beforehand.