Desert National Park is a national park in the north-western area of Rajasthan, near the town of Jaisalmer and close to the Pakistani border. It is one of the largest national parks in India, covering an area of 3,162 km2 (1,221 sq mi) in the Thar Desert. Sand dunes form around 44% of the park. It was protected in 1980.
Despite a fragile ecosystem, the Desert National Park harbors an abundance of birdlife, both migratory and resident birds, including Short-toed Eagle, Spotted Eagle, Laggar Falcon, Kestrel, and Sand Grouse. It is also home to the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard. This large, ground-dwelling bird is considered a symbol of the desert ecosystem and is the state bird of Rajasthan. Among the world’s heaviest flying birds, it is about 1 meter tall and can weigh as much as 18 kg. It once had a prolific presence in the country and was found in at least 11 states, but today, its population is mainly confined to Rajasthan, with fewer than 200 individuals remaining in the wild worldwide. The majority are found in Rajasthan’s Desert National Park near Jaisalmer, making the state the species’ final refuge in India.
As one of the main target species, we set out on the first safari trying to find the Great Indian Bustard. And sure enough, we found two individuals and got some documentation photos of this extremely rare bird. Later we came across more individuals, and in total we observed around 12 individuals, a substantial part of the remaining wild population. Otherwise, this park was good for larks, pipits, various raptors, and vultures. It was certainly one of the highlights of the trip.
Great Indian Bustard, Desert National Park
Laggar Falcon (Falco jugger)
Laggar Falcon
Long-legged Buzzard / Ørnvåk (Buteo rufinus)
Long-legged Buzzard
Short-toed Snake Eagle (Circaetus gallicus)
Short-toed Snake Eagle
Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis)
Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus)
Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca)
Greater Spotted Eagle (Clanga clanga)
Vultures at a carcass in Desert National Park, Rajasthan, India
Vultures in Desert National Park, Rajasthan, India
Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus)
Cinereous Vulture
Eurasian Griffon (Gyps fulvus) left and Himalayan Griffon (Gyps himalayensis)
Eurasian Griffon
Eurasian Griffon
Himalayan Griffon
Indian Vulture (Gyps indicus)
Indian Vulture (right), with a larger Himalayan Vulture
Montagu's Harrier / Enghauk (Circus pygargus)
Montagu's Harrier
Montagu's Harrier
Montagu's Harrier
Pallid Harrier / Steppehauk (Circus macrourus), not many male harriers to be seen
Desert National Park
Common Kestrel / Tårnfalk (Falco tinnunculus)
Merlin / Dvergfalk (Falco columbarius)
Desert National Park
Desert National Park
Chinkara (Gazella bennettii), the only true gazelle species native to India
Grey Francolin (Francolinus pondicerianus)
Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse (Pterocles exustus)
Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse
Cream-colored Courser (Cursorius cursor)
Cream-colored Courser
Desert National Park, Rajasthan
Desert National Park, Rajasthan
A far-away Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps)
Great Indian Bustard in the early morning in Desert National Park
Windmills are threathening the Great Indian Bustard in the Desert National Park
Great Indian Bustard in Desert National Park
Isabelline Shrike (Lanius isabellinus)
Isabelline Shrike
Asian Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis)
Yellow-eyed Dove (Columba eversmanni)
Rosy Starling (Pastor roseus)
Rosy Starling
Punjab Raven (Corvus corax laurencei)
Desert National Park
Greater Hoopoe-lark (Alaemon alaudipes)
Greater Hoopoe-lark
p
Crested Lark (Galerida cristata)
Crested Lark
Desert Lark (Ammomanes deserti)
Desert Lark (Ammomanes deserti)
Bimaculated Lark (Melanocorypha bimaculata.)
Bimaculated Lark
Greater Short-toed Lark / Dverglerke (Calandrella brachydactyla) in front of a Water Pipit ( Anthus spinoletta)
Greater Short-toed Lark
Black-crowned Sparrow Lark - male (Eremopterix nigriceps)
Black-crowned Sparrow Lark - female
Desert National Park, black-faced sheep
Siberian Stonechat (Saxicola maurus)
White-browed Bushchat (Saxicola macrorhynchus)
White-browed Bushchat (Saxicola macrorhynchus)
Desert Wheatear - female (Oenanthe deserti)
Desert Wheatear - male
Isabelline Wheatear (Oenanthe isabellina)
Isabelline Wheatear
Persian Wheatear, also known as Red-tailed Wheatear (Oenanthe chrysopygia)
Persian Wheatear
Variable Wheatear - male white-crowned phase (Oenanthe picata capistrata)
Variable Wheatear - maybe female white-crowned phase (Oenanthe picata capistrata)
Variable Wheatear - male white-bellied phase (Oenanthe picata picata)
Variable Wheatear - maybe female white-bellied phase (Oenanthe picata picata)
Variable Wheatear - male black-bellied phase (Oenanthe picata opistholeuca)
Variable Wheatear - maybe female white-bellied phase (Oenanthe picata picata) (I lack photo of female opistholeuca)
Asian Desert Warbler (Sylvia nana)
Asian Desert Warbler
Desert Whitethroat (Curruca curruca minula)
Desert Whitethroat, a subspecies of Lesser Whitethroat / Møller
Plain Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus neglectus)
Plain Leaf Warbler, one of the more rarer species seen in DNP
Sykes's Warbler (Iduna rama)
Sykes's Warbler
White-browed Fantail (Rhipidura aureola)
Desert National Park
Long-billed Pipit (Anthus similis)
Long-billed Pipit
Water Pipit (Anthus spinoletta)
Water Pipit
Tawny Pipit (Anthus campestris)
Perhaps Indian Desert Jird (Meriones hurrianae)
Indian Silverbill (Euodice malabarica)
Cattle pond
Trumpeter Finch (Bucanetes githagineus)
Trumpeter Finch