Birding in the Little Rann of Kutch

Just back from a really rich nature watching experience in (and at the edge of) the Little Rann of Kutch (LRK)!

In some ways this trip was also a personal journey back in time. 

- Flashback - 

It was in a very similar landscape (in the Greater Rann) that I first got interested in the idea of watching birds. That was my first college trip outside of the city I lived in (some 15 years back) ..  I still vividly remember my amusement of seeing lots of birds preached on electrical wires running parallel to most of the roads in that rural landscape. From what I remember I was able to identify that there were possibly 10 different types of birds I was seeing but I was clueless as to their identities, it was another couple of years before I got my first Salim Ali bird book from a second-hand store in Kerala. Today I know I had seen more species on that trip but alas back in those days of the analogue camera I couldn't afford taking fleeting photos of birds on wires! 

-Cut back to the present - 

Unfortunately, the bird densities were no were close to those I (or everyone else on our trip) was expecting and neither were the species count very exciting but the amusement of seeing birds that have migrated from faraway lands in this amazing habitat is nonetheless as great as that of 15 years ago!! :-)

The Little Rann of Kutch is a unique salt marsh habitat that feels almost like a desert. But this bleak looking landscape is extremely rich in  biodiversity and is an ecologically important area for wildlife and many local and migratory birds. It is also famous as the world's last refuge of the Indian Wild Ass (Khur) and the area we were birding in is within the limits of a Sanctuary demarcated for its conservation - the Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary.

Here’s a few photos of some of the bird highlights of our trip: 

Besides the innumerable bird species that have made this unique habitat their wintering home you can also see various mammals apart from Wild Ass (see some other mammal photos in the slideshow below)

This trip was organized by Nature India Tours and like all the trips I have attend organized by this group this one too was immaculately planned [ with extensive research going into the birding sites of the Little Rann and great logistics planning – with some amazing stay arrangements and awesome food J ]. Both Mandar and Adesh know this habitat and it’s birds very well and are constantly sharing amazing insights into the habits and lives of these feathered beauties, I would highly recommend this trip for all those who are interested in watching birds effortlessly! Check out more details of this trip and all the Dos and Don’ts in this habitat on Nature India’s blog @

http://natureindiatour.blogspot.in/2012/09/little-rann-of-kutch-birding-in-both.html

Here's a complete list of birds we saw on the trip:

1 Shikra Accipiter badius

2 Bank Myna Acridotheres ginginianus

3 Common Myna Acridotheres tristis

4 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

5 Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis

6 Rufous-tailed Lark Ammomanes phoenicura

7 Northern Pintail Anas acuta

8 Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata

9 Common Teal Anas crecca

10 Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope

11 Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha

12 Gadwall Anas strepera

13 Greylag Goose Anser anser

14 Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris

15 Paddyfield Pipit Anthus rufulus

16 Long-billed Pipit Anthus similis

17 Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga

18 Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca

19 Booted Eagle * Aquila pennata

20 Large Egret Ardea alba

21 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

22 Purple Heron Ardea purpurea

23 Pond Heron Ardeola grayii

24 Short-eared Owl * Asio flammeus

25 Common Pochard Aythya ferina

26 Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula

27 Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis

28 Eurasian Thick-knee Burhinus oedicnemus

29 White-eyed Buzzard Butastur teesa

30 Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus

31 Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla

32 Temminck's Stint Calidris temminckii

33 Nightjar sp. (in flight) Caprimulgus sp.

34 Greater coucal Centropus sinensis

35 Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis

36 Little Ringed Plover * Charadrius dubius

37 Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybridus

38 Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus

39 Purple Sunbird Cinnyris asiaticus

40 Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus

41 Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus

42 Blue Rock Pigeon Columba livia

43 Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis

44 House Crow Corvus splendens

45 Indian Courser Cursorius coromandelicus

46 Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus

47 Little Egret Egretta garzetta

48 Black-shouldered Kite Elanus axillaris

49 Grey-necked Bunting Emberiza buchanani

50 Black-headed Bunting Emberiza melanocephala

51 Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark Eremopterix griseus

52 Red-headed Merlin Falco chicquera

53 Merlin Falco columbarius

54 Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus

55 Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus

56 Grey Francolin Francolinus pondicerianus

57 Common Coot Fulica atra

58 Crested Lark Galerida cristata

59 Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago

60 Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus

61 Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica

62 Common Crane Grus grus

63 White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis

64 Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus

65 Syke's Warbler Hippolais rama

66 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

67 Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii

68 Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia

69 Pallas' gull Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus

70 Isabelline Shrike Lanius isabellinus

71 Southern grey shrike Lanius meridionalis

72 Bay-backed Shrike Lanius vittatus

73 Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa

74 Indian Silverbill Lonchura malabarica

75 Coppersmith Barbet Megalaima haemacephala

76 Small green bee eater Merops orientalis

77 Intermediate egret Mesophoyx intermedia

78 Little Cormorant Microcarbo niger

79 Black Kite Milvus migrans

80 White Wagtail Motacilla alba

81 Citrine Wagtail (or Yellow-headed Wagtail) Motacilla citreola

82 Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava

83 Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala

84 Desert wheatear Oenanthe deserti

85 Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina

86 Variable Wheatear Oenanthe picata

87 House Sparrow Passer domesticus

88 Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus

89 Dalmatian pelican Pelecanus crispus

90 Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus

91 Sirkeer Malkoha Phaenicophaeus leschenaultii

92 Indian Cormorant Phalacrocorax fuscicollis

93 Ruff Philomachus pugnax

94 Lesser Flamingo Phoenicopterus minor

95 Greater flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus

96 Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia

97 Baya Weaver Ploceus philippinus

98 Purple Moorhen Porphyrio porphyrio

99 Rufous-fronted Prinia Prinia buchanani

100 Plain Prinia Prinia inornata

101 Black (or Red-naped) Ibis Pseudibis papillosa

102 Rose ringed parakeet Psittacula krameri

103 Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles exustus

104 Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer

105 White-Eared Bulbul Pycnonotus leucotis

106 Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta

107 Pied Bushchat Saxicola caprata

108 Siberian Stonechat Saxicola maurus

109 Indian Robin Saxicoloides fulicatus

110 Little Brown Dove Spilopelia senegalensis

111 River Tern Sterna aurantia

112 Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto

113 Red Collared Dove * Streptopelia tranquebarica

114 Brahminy Starling Sturnia pagodarum

115 Rosy starling Sturnus roseus

116 Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca

117 Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis

118 Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea

119 Oriental Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus

120 Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus

121 Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola

122 Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia

123 Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus

124 Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis

125 Common Redshank Tringa totanus

126 Common Babbler Turdoides caudata

127 Jungle Babbler Turdoides striata

128 Common Hoopoe Upupa epops

129 Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus

130 Yellow-wattled Lapwing Vanellus malabaricus

* - Birds seen by birders in other jeeps.

 Below is a slideshow of a larger selection of photos from this trip