Jim Corbett National Park and Kosi River - 2023
   
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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)