Jim_Corbett

Jim Corbett National Park and Kosi River - 2023

After a stopover in Agra and a mandatory visit to the Taj Mahal (which was more impressive than I imagined), we headed north on day 6. I stayed at mid-level hotels or lodges during the trip, but the transit night at the plush Radissons Hotel in Noida was a fine break in the routine.

Jim Corbett National Park was maybe the only small disappointing destination during the trip. In this park you must rent your own 4-wheel vehicle with your own local guide. I went into the park three times, two morning and one afternoon safaris. The park was very quiet in comparison to parks I have visited in Africa. Both the extra guides and drivers seemed indifferent to wildlife, and I relied on Dalveer to find any new bird species. We saw the Spotted Deer and the Sambar Deer in the early morning. But apart from this, and a few woodpeckers (see below), this park did not produce a lot of new bird species or any other wildlife. And of course, no tigers. Asian Adventure said I had a 50% chance of seeing a tiger with 3 trips into the park. My guess is that it is more like a 5% chance. Still, I am not very disappointed. I kind of did not expect to see the tiger, and since the aim of this trip was bird photography, I considered any big-cat sightings as a bonus. After numerous safaris in Africa, I know how difficult it can be to see some of the more elusive cats (like the leopard). But also, in terms of birds, Jim Corbett did not produce the number of new species I expected.

In fact, the areas we visited outside the park, like along the Kosi River, were much better for birding, and the best with the stay at this location. Photos from Kosi River are marked specifically.

Changeable Hawk-eagle (Nisaetus cirrhatus)

Changeable Hawk-eagle

The ancestor to the domestic chicken, the Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus)

Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus), Kosi River

Crested Kingfisher (Megaceryle lugubris)

Crested Kingfisher, Kosi River

Plum-headed Parakeet (Psittacula cyanocephala)

Red-breasted Parakeet (Psittacula alexandri), Kosi River

Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker (Dendrocopos nanus)

Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker

Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos macei)

Grey-headed Woodpecker / Gråspett (Picus canus),)

Tree Pipit / Trepiplerke (Anthus trivialis)

Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher (Culicicapa ceylonensis)

Female Himalayan Rubythroat (Calliope pectoralis), Kosi River

Golden-fronted Leafbird (Chloropsis aurifrons)

Black-hooded Oriole (Oriolus xanthornus)

Cinereous Tit (Parus cinereus)

White-browed Wagtail (Motacilla maderaspatensis), Kosi River

Hair-crested Drongo (Dicrurus hottentottus)

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus)

White-crested Laughingthrush (Garrulax leucolophus)

Black-throated Thrush (Turdus atrogularis)

Staff Sergeant (Athyma selenophora)

Jim Corbett National Park and Kosi River - 2023
		Home
After a stopover in Agra and a mandatory visit to the Taj Mahal (which was more impressive than I imagined), we headed north on day 6. I stayed at mid-level hotels or lodges during the trip, but the transit night at the plush Radissons Hotel in Noida was a fine break in the routine. Jim Corbett National Park was maybe the only small disappointing destination during the trip. In this park you must rent your own 4-wheel vehicle with your own local guide. I went into the park three times, two morning and one afternoon safaris. The park was very quiet in comparison to parks I have visited in Africa. Both the extra guides and drivers seemed indifferent to wildlife, and I relied on Dalveer to find any new bird species. We saw the Spotted Deer and the Sambar Deer in the early morning. But apart from this, and a few woodpeckers (see below), this park did not produce a lot of new bird species or any other wildlife. And of course, no tigers. Asian Adventure said I had a 50% chance of seeing a tiger with 3 trips into the park. My guess is that it is more like a 5% chance. Still, I am not very disappointed. I kind of did not expect to see the tiger, and since the aim of this trip was bird photography, I considered any big-cat sightings as a bonus. After numerous safaris in Africa, I know how difficult it can be to see some of the more elusive cats (like the leopard). But also, in terms of birds, Jim Corbett did not produce the number of new species I expected. In fact, the areas we visited outside the park, like along the Kosi River, were much better for birding, and the best with the stay at this location. Photos from Kosi River are marked specifically.		Showing off in Jim Corbett National Park
Changeable Hawk-eagle (Nisaetus cirrhatus)		Changeable Hawk-eagle
Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela)		Crested Serpent Eagle
Oriental Honey-buzzard (Pernis ptilorhynchus)		Oriental Honey-buzzard
Pallas's Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus leucoryphus), Kosi River		Pallas's Fish Eagle, Kosi River
Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis)		Steppe Eagle
Himalayan Vulture (Gyps himalayensis)		Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus)
Golden Jackal / Gullsjakal (Canis aureus)		Golden Jackal. This species has now also been found in Norway
Little Ringed Plover / Dverglo (Charadrius dubius), Kosi River		River Lapwing (Vanellus duvaucelii), Kosi River
Ibisbill (Ibidorhyncha struthersii), Kosi River		Kosi River near the Garjiya Devi Temple, location for Ibisbill and Wallcreeper
Little Egret (Egretta garzetta), Kosi River		Common Sandpiper / Strandsnipe (Actitis hypoleucos), Kosi River
The ancestor to the domestic chicken, the Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus)		Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus), Kosi River
Kalij Pheasant (Lophura leucomelanos)		Kalij Pheasant female
Oriental Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris)		Oriental Pied Hornbill
Great Hornbill (Buceros bicornis)		Jim Corbett National Park
Crested Kingfisher (Megaceryle lugubris)		Crested Kingfisher, Kosi River
Stork-billed Kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis)		Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)
Plum-headed Parakeet (Psittacula cyanocephala)		Red-breasted Parakeet (Psittacula alexandri), Kosi River
Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker (Dendrocopos nanus)		Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker
Streak-throated Woodpecker (Picus xanthopygaeus.)		Streak-throated Woodpecker
Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos macei)		Grey-headed Woodpecker / Gråspett (Picus canus),)
Himalayan Flameback (Dinopium shorii)		Himalayan Flameback
Lesser Yellownape (Picus chlorolophus)		Greater Yellownape (Chrysophlegma flavinucha), Kosi River
Eurasian Wryneck / Vendehals (Jynx torquilla)		Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria), Kosi River
Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike (Hemipus picatus)		Long-tailed Shrike (Lanius schach)
Bengal Bush Lark (Mirafra assamica)		Poor image of a Common Rosefinch / Rosenfink (Carpodacus erythrinus)
Lineated Barbet (Psilopogon lineatus)		Little Forktail (Enicurus scouleri), Kosi River
Tree Pipit / Trepiplerke (Anthus trivialis)		Crested Treeswift (Hemiprocne coronata)
Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher (Culicicapa ceylonensis)		Female Himalayan Rubythroat (Calliope pectoralis), Kosi River
Lemon-rumped Leaf Warbler (Chloropsis aurifrons), Kosi River		Whistler's Warbler (Phylloscopus whistleri), Kosi River
Siberian Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita ssp. tristis), Kosi River		Purple Sunbird (Cinnyris asiaticus), Kosi River
Plumbeous Water Redstart (Phoenicurus fuliginosus), Kosi River		White-capped Redstart (Phoenicurus leucocephalus), Kosi River
Brown Dipper (Cinclus pallasii) in the shaddows		Juvebile Brown Dipper
Kosi River, Brown Dipper location		Tributary to Kosi River, Little Forktail location
Crimson Sunbird (Aethopyga siparaja)		Pale-billed Flowerpecker (Dicaeum erythrorhynchos)
Golden-fronted Leafbird (Chloropsis aurifrons)		Black-hooded Oriole (Oriolus xanthornus)
Cinereous Tit (Parus cinereus)		White-browed Wagtail (Motacilla maderaspatensis), Kosi River
Velvet-fronted Nuthatch (Sitta frontalis)		Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch (Sitta cinnamoventris), Kosi River
White-throated Fantail (Rhipidura albicollis)		Yellow-bellied Fantail (Chelidorhynx hypoxanthus), Kosi River
Indian White-eye (Zosterops palpebrosus)		Grey-breasted Prinia (Prinia hodgsonii), Kosi River
Indian Robin (Copsychus fulicatus)		Common Babbler (Argya caudata)
Grey Bush Chat (Saxicola ferreus)		Grey Bush Chat (Saxicola ferreus)
Siberian Stonechat / Asiasvartstupe (Saxicola maurus)		Siberian Stonechat
Brown Rock Chat (Oenanthe fusca)		Brown Rock Chat
Yellow-eyed Babbler (Chrysomma sinense)		Yellow-eyed Babbler
Red-whiskered bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus)		Himalayan Bulbul (Pycnonotus leucogenys)
Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer)		Rufous Treepie (Dendrocitta vagabunda)
Hair-crested Drongo (Dicrurus hottentottus)		Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus)
White-crested Laughingthrush (Garrulax leucolophus)		Black-throated Thrush (Turdus atrogularis)
Blue Rock Thrush (Monticola solitarius), Kosi River		Blue Whistling Thrush (Myophonus caeruleus), Kosi River
Dalveer searching for wildlife in Jim Corbett National Park		Very quiet in the park. No tigers in sight ...
Bengal Monitor (Varanus bengalensis)		Food for the tigers? Wild Boar (Sus scrofa)
Spotted Deer (Axis axis)		Sambar (Rusa unicolor)
Impressive sound made by the Southern Red Muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak)		Tarai Gray Langur (Semnopithecus hector)
Fulvous Forest Skimmer (Neurothemis fulvia)		Lemon Pansy (Junonia lemonias)
Common Crow (Euploea core)		Staff Sergeant (Athyma selenophora)