This tour has come off the back of our highly successful custom tour in December 2023 ndsheduled tour in November 2024. The tour centres around the Critically Endangered White-bellied Heron, a bird so many birders want to see, but due to the best timing of the year for the bird, haven't got many options. This tour is designed around seeing just this stately bird, but also a number of others likely not seen on your previous visit to the Eastern Himalaya in the spring. Namely, Snowy-throated Babbler, Tawny-breasted Wren Babbler and a very real opportunity to see Sclater's Monal.
On top of that, a post-tour extension has been set-up to see the 'Lisu Wren Babbler', a bird currently undescribed but once it is, will be a nice way to reflect on the tour from the comfort of your armchair!
Day 1: Arrival into Guwahati Airport (GAU). Night in Guwahati.
Day 2: Early start as we head south into Meghalaya, in time for mid-morning birding. Our primary reason for being here is the near-state endemic, Tawny-breasted Wren Babbler. In addition, chance of Spot-breasted Scimitar Babbler, Assam Laughingthrush, Dark-rumped Swift and Rufous-crowned Prinia. Returning to Guwahati in the evening. Night in Guwahati.
Day 3: With early morning available for birding, depending on the height of the Brahmaputra we decide what we do exactly. If accessible, we search for Swamp Grass-babbler, otherwise a visit to the dump to see Greater Adjutants, or if any Spot-winged Starlings have been seen in the area recently, we’ll search for them.
A short flight from Guwahati Airport (GAU) east across Assam on Indigo 6E 6457 (1020/1115) will take us to Dibrugarh Airport (DIB) in easternmost Assam. From here, we’ll drive across the Brahmaputra and into Arunachal Pradesh (150km / 3 hours), with some birding possible before or after the drive.
Days 4-5: Two days at Mishmi Hills. For those that have visited Mishmi Hills before, there will no doubt be new species still possible, particularly here in the winter, when many wintering migrants are present. However, we’re here with a primary target, Sclater’s Monal. During a 10-day period every year, in mid-November, the species becomes semi-regular in the area, and this will be our priority as we wait at the designated area and hope for views of a regal male. Away from the monal, typical Mishmi species are also possible, including Mishmi and Bar-winged Wren Babblers, Cachar Wedge-billed Babbler, and all the classic Eastern Himalaya species. Nights in Roing.
Day 6: Depending on our previous days’ successes will dictate our morning, hopefully not needing to return to the pass again for the monal, or grasslands for Black-breasted Parrotbill. The day is flexible however, so we either have extra birding here, or get ahead of ourselves and bird at Namdapha. We head south, into Assam and back into Arunachal Pradesh (150km / 3 hours). As we drive along, it is worth keeping an eye out for flowering trees where the difficult, highly nomadic Spot-winged Starling might be hiding, a bird that winters in small numbers in rural Assam.
Namdapha National Park is a huge area of forest, covering 1,985 km2, straddling the Myanmar border. We will only be nibbling away at the edges, but this is where the majority of our targets lie. If time, we’ll have our first foray along the river in search of Blyth’s Kingfisher and the Critically Endangered White-bellied Heron. Night at Namdapha.
Days 7-9: We have three full days in-and-around Namdapha National Park. What we do will be dictated by the current whereabouts of the White-bellied Herons. We might get lucky, and bird from the guesthouse most days, or, more likely, walk and camp inside the park. The Critically Endangered White-bellied Heron – that occurs from Bhutan to Myanmar, is our primary focus. Its numbers have plummeted due to hunting (first and foremost) and more recently by habitat alteration (primarily the construction of dams along forested tributaries).
While searching for this holy grail of Eastern Himalayan birds, we have chances of Blyth’s Kingfisher, Austen’s Brown Hornbill, White-cheeked Partridge, and a bird only realistically possible at Namdapha – Snowy-throated Babbler. Obviously, there is a whole array of other species possible, especially wintering migrants from the higher elevations.
Day 10: Another day that is flexible depending on our needs. We can have a morning in-and-around Namdapha again if required, then head out, to least part of the afternoon at Dehing Paktai (95km / 2-3 hours). Dehing Paktai is an area of lowland forest that is still home to a number of rare and highly-sought after species, including White-winged Duck, White-cheeked Partridge, Pied Falconet, Austen’s Brown Hornbill, Pale-capped Pigeon, Chestnut-backed Laughingthrush and Grey Peacock Pheasant. After birding head to the hotel (35km / 1 hour). Night at Tinsukia.
Day 11: We have a couple choices today. Depending on previous day and also what participants need will decide today. Returning to Dehing Paktai for the morning, or all day even. Maguri Grasslands is also a possibility, a site we intend to visit the following morning. Night at Tinsukia.
Day 12: Morning birding at nearby Maguri Grasslands in search of Swamp Grass-babbler, a species that went largely missing between 2009 and 2019, so for those that visited Northeast India during those years, a new bird is likely! In addition, Jerdon’s and Marsh Babbler could be possible, along with Black-breasted Parrotbill and wintering species here including a variety of buntings, Chinese Rubythroat, Spotted, Baikal, and even West Himalayan Grasshopper Warbler, though these wintering skulkers are obviously very difficult at this season.
After birding, drive to Dibrugarh Airport (DIB) for flights between 1200 and 1600.
Post-tour extension Day 12: From Deban we drive into a remote area of Namdapha National Park, and hike up for half a day to our camp site.
Day 13: Morning in search of the ‘Lisu Wren Babbler’. Named after the local tribe of the area, the Lisu, this Spelarornis appears to be an undescribed species. Having first been noted in 1988, it is only recently that photographs and sound recordings have been widely analysed and its true status realised, Shashank found the species in 2009 in a remote area of Namdapha (part of a 50-day expedition into the interior of the park). After a morning with the species, we head back down to the village.
Day 14: Drive back to Deban, and Dibrugarh. Night in Dibrugarh.
Day 15: Flights out of Dibrugarh Airport.
Deposit: £ 600 or $ 800
Single room supplement:
£ TBC / $ 260
Maximum group size: 8
Tour cost includes: all accommodation, main meals, internal flights, overland transport, entrance fees, drinking water, tips to local drivers and guides, and guide fees.
Tour cost excludes: international flights, internal flights to/from start/end of tour, visa, travel insurance, drinks, tips to tour guides, and other items of a personal nature.
Accommodation: comfortable twin, and single, rooms with private facilities when in towns.
In Namdapha, possibility of camping depending on current conditions and location of White-bellied Heron.
Walking difficulty: easy to moderate throughout, mainly on wide tracks and roads, with few forest trails.
Depending on the location of White-bellied Heron, using recent information, long walk with camping might be required.
Maximum elevation on the tour is 3,500m.
Lisu Wren Babbler extension: half day hike, with elevational gain of 800m.
Expected number of species: under 250 species.
Number of endemics and range-restricted species: a whole host of sought-after Eastern Himalayan jewels, and regional endemics sprinkled throughout the tour, especially targeting those unlikely or not possible on our spring Northeast India tours.
Our latest tour reports from the region
Photos of species from the country, and during the tour
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