India birding trip - December 2024

It is said that once in a lifetime one should attend an Indian wedding. When I was invited to an Indian wedding in December 2024, I decided this was my opportunity. Especially, if I could combine it with a birding trip. I therefore started planning a trip on short notice. Discussing with the guide I used on my previous 2023 trip to India; I asked him to propose an itinerary. As he knew I was interested in vultures and raptors, he suggested a trip to the dry western part of Rajasthan. I also wanted one more chance to see the tiger and asked him to book a two-day stay in the Ranthambore National Park. All in all, it would be a 14-day trip focusing on seeing birds of prey and vultures in the Thar Desert region in Western Rajasthan.

After a magnificent wedding, we started the trip the next day focusing on two eBird hotspots in the Hathras region. The second day we drove to Ranthambore NP, a full day of driving, with two short stops to look at wetlands next to the road. After a couple of days in Ranthambore, where we got a glimpse of a tiger, we headed west toward Jaisalmer and Desert National Park. Here we stayed for four days, before heading back towards Delhi with stops at Akal Wood Fossil Park, Jorbeer Conservation Reserve, and the Tal Chhapar Blackbuck Sanctuary.

I had a bird guide and a driver with me for 15 days. All in all, it was a good trip, and we ended with a tally of 225 bird species. I managed to get photos of most of the species, although many were skulky and elusive. Unfortunately, on this Indian trip I got infected with bacteria and suffered twice from diarrhea (the infamous Delhi belly), often experienced by western tourists visiting this vast country.