In Ranthambore National Park one is not allowed to use private cars. We had therefore booked three safaris with 4WD jeep which came with a driver and a local guide, two morning and one afternoon drives each lasting about 3 hours. After the first morning drive, I discovered that we had booked three jeep safaris into the most remote areas of the park (Zone 7, 8 and 10). In these sections of the park, added recently to spread out the tourist, chances of seeing the tiger are slim. This was a great disappointment, and birding was also poor in these rim and arid parts of the park.
To visit the central areas of the park, often shown in tiger documentaries, one must book at least six months ahead I was later told. My guide had not informed me about this aforehand. Still, on the last morning safari in Zone 10, we got a glimpse of a male tiger. It was partly hidden in the bushes along a river, possibly with a kill. Of other mammals, we saw Sambar Deer, Spotted Deer, Bushpig, and the Black-tailed Mongoose. We managed to find the Painted Sandgrouse and got a glimpse of the Painted Spurfowl (but no photos of the latter species). A bird thought to be the Red-breasted Flycatcher turned out to be a Taiga Flycatcher when studying the photos, a lifer for me and a good find. Just before we arrived at the park, we stopped a two locations, a dry field and a wetland, that offered good birding. Overall, however, I would say Ranthambore was a letdown, both in terms of the pre-booked safaris, local guides and overall birding outcome.
Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus)
Ranthambore National Park, Zone 10
Bushpig (Sus scrofa cristatus), tiger snack
Painted Sandgrouse - female (Pterocles indicus)
Painted Sandgrouse - male
First morning in Ranthambore National Park. It was very cold in the early hours
Poor habitat for tiger. Zone 8 in Ranthambore NP was was almost void of wildlife
Indian Vulture (Gyps indicus)
Cinereous Vulture / Munkegribb (Aegypius monachus)
Ranthambore National Park, Zone 10
Eurasian Griffon / Gåsegribb (Gyps fulvus)
Shikra (Accipiter badius)
The main target species in Ranthambore NP, the Tiger (Panthera tigris), well hidden in the bushes
Sambar Deer (Rusa unicolor)
Spotted Deer (Axis axis)
Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus)
Ruddy Mongoose (Urva smithii)
Northern Plains Gray Langur (Semnopithecus entellus)
Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta)
Northern Palm Squirrel (Funambulus pennantii)
Ranthambore NP
Roosing bats
Indian Flying Fox (Pteropus giganteus). This is one of the largest bats in the world, and can weigh up to 1.6 kg and have a wingspan of 1.5 meter
Great White Egret (Ardea alba)
Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), wetland outside the park
Greater Flamingo
Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus), wetland outside the park
Garganey / Knekkand (Spatula querquedula), wetland outside the park
Ruddy Shelduck / Rustand (Tadorna ferruginea), wetland outside the park
Yellow-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus malabaricus)
Red-wattled Lapwing, with Brahminy Starling and a Red-vented Bulbul
Black-tailed Godwit / Svarthalespove (Limosa limosa), wetland outside the park
River Tern (Sterna aurantia)
Plum-headed Parakeet (Psittacula cyanocephala)
Plum-headed Parakeet
Spotted Dove (Spilopelia chinensis)
Asian Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis)
Rufous Treepie (Dendrocitta vagabunda)
Long-tailed Shrike (Lanius schach), dry area east of the park
Brahminy Starling (Sturnia pagodarum)
Indian Pied Starling (Gracupica contra)
Brown Rock Chat (Cercomela fusca)
Indian Robin (Saxicoloides fulicatus)
Large Grey Babbler (Turdoides malcolmi)
Jungle Babbler (Turdoides striata)
Common Babbler (Argya caudata)
White-bellied Drongo (Dicrurus caerulescens)
Purple Sunbird (Cinnyris asiaticus)
White-browed Fantail (Rhipidura aureola)
Taiga Flycatcher (Ficedula albicilla)
Taiga Flycatcher
Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)
Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis)
Paddyfield Pipit (Anthus rufulus), wetland outside the park
Tawny Pipit (Anthus campestris)
Indian Bushlark (Mirafra erythroptera), dry area east of the park
Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer)
Jungle Prinia (Prinia sylvatica), dry area east of the park
Rufous-fronted Prinia (Prinia buchanani), dry area east of the park
Delicate Prinia (Prinia lepida), wetland outside the park
Graceful Prinia (Prinia gracilis), wetland outside the park
White-capped Bunting (Emberiza stewarti)
Perhaps Graceful Prinia