Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary

Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area in the Eastern Himalayan foothills of the West Kameng District, Arunachal Pradesh. In 2006, a new bird species, the Bugun liocichla, was described by Astrophysicist Ramana Athreya during the Eaglenest Biodiversity Project. The bird was named after the Bugun tribe who inhabit the region and are guardians of the biodiversity of the area.

Best Time: October – April

Outline Summary:
Day 01: Delhi – Guwahati – Nameri
Day 02: Nameri
Day 03: Nameri – Sangti Valley – Dirang
Day 04-05: Dirang – Lama Camp
Day 06-07: Lama camp – Sunderview
Day 08: Sunderview to Bompu
Day 09 – 10: Bompu – Seesni
Day 11: Sessni – Kaziranga Tiger Reserve
Day 12-13: Kaziranga Tiger Reserve
Day 14: Kaziranga Tiger Reserve – Guwahati – Delhi
Day 15: Sultanpur National Park, Delhi

The Destination

A birding trip to the North-east of India is an old fashioned adventure into exotic lands, mist covered mountains, and some of the most pristine natural habitats in the country. Steep ridges, meandering streams and sylvan forests are home to a mind boggling richness and diversity of avian life.

Birding in Eaglenest covers altitudes from 500m above sea level to 3000m. Eagelnest and Sessa ridges form the first major barrier to the monsoon as it moves north from the plains of Assam. These ridges get over 3000mm of rainfall on the southern slopes. The region is drained by the Tippi and Kameng rivers. The sanctuary is a part of the Kameng protected area complex, the largest contiguous closed-canopy tract of Arunachal Pradesh and is in the Conservation International Himalaya Biodiversity Hotspots. Birdlife International has designated the sanctuary as an Important Bird Area (IBAIN344) and is extremely important for species like the Blyth’s Tragopan. It also an important migration corridor for the Asiatic Elephant.

Eco tourism in the area is managed by the Bugun Tribe. Over the years 454 species of birds, 34 species of Herpetofauna, 24 species of snakes, and 15 species of mammals have been recorded here. A new species of primate, the Arunachal Macaque was discovered here in 2004 by Dr Anwaruddin Choudhary. Eaglenest is also home to at least 165 species of butterflies.

The trip continues with a visit to Kaziranga Tiger Reserve in Asaam. It is one of the oldest Protected areas in the state and covers an area of 430km2 along the Brahmaputra river and the Karbi Angolong Hills. This is a World Heritage Site and hosts two-thirds of the world’s great one-horned rhinocerous population. Kaziranga also has one of the highest densities of Tigers in the world. The Reserve was declared an Important Bird Area by Birdlife International. The Reserve has 35 mammalian species of which 15 are threatened and 478 species of birds (both migratory and resident) including 25 globally threatened species and 21 near threatened species.

Detailled Itinerary

Day 0: Arrival Delhi
You arrive Delhi International Airport. You are met and transferred to your hotel for the night.

Day 1: Delhi – Guwahati – Nameri
Take the early morning flight to Guwahati. At arrival transfer to Nameri.  Nameri is a scenic sanctuary on the border of the Assam Valley and mountainous Arunachal Pradesh. Here you can see the endangered White-winged Duck, Wreathed Hornbill, Ibisbill, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Long-tailed Broadbill and Green Cochoa to name a few species. Afternoon birding around the camp. Overnight at Camp.

Day 2: Nameri

Early morning trek into the forest to look for more species of birds. Nameri is also famous for a high density of Asiatic Elephants and Capped Langur. In the afternoon you explore the birds along the River Jai Bhoroli by raft. Overnight at Camp.

Day 3:Nameri –Sangti Valley–Diran

In the morning drive 190 km (7hrs) to Dirang (1500m), birding enroute. In Sangti Valley areas one can see Black-necked Crane (Nov-Feb inc.) and Black-tailed Crake etc. Spend the evening birding in Sangti Valley, returning to Dirang for the night.

Day 4 & 5:Dirang to Lama Camp (Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary)
Birding drive to Camp (at 2350m) where the Bugun liocichla was recently discovered. A wide range of species can be seen at and around the camp including Long-tailed Thrush, Red-headed & Grey-headed Bullfinches, and Green Shrike-Babbler. You continue birding in the area the following day. Overnights in Camp.

Day 6 & 7: Lama Camp to Sunderview
Birds found here include Ward’s Trogon, Red-tailed Minla, Yellow-throated, Golden-breasted & Brown-throated Fulvetta, Stripe- throated & Rufous vented Yuhina, and Stripe-breasted Barwing. The following morning you will go to the Eaglenest pass area where you will continue to bird around the Top Ridge. Overnight at camp

Day 8: Sunderview to Bompu
Full day birding trek to Bompu (at 1940m). Species at Bompu include Blyth’s Tragopan, Hill and Chestnut-breasted Partridges, Golden, White-browed and Rufous-breasted Bush-robins, Purple Cochoa various Wren-babblers and Parrotbills. Overnight at camp.

Day 9 & 10: Bompu to Sessni
Full day birding trek to Sessni returning to overnight at camp.

Day 11: Sessni -Kaziranga National Park
You will leave for Kaziranga after a full morning of birding. Overnight at Resort.

Day 12 & 13: Kaziranga National Park
Spend the two days birding around Kaziranga for Bengal Florican, Swamp Francolin, Spot-billed Pelican, Greater Adjutant, Pallas’ Fish-eagle and Blue-naped Pitta. A fine list of mammals also occurs, including Indian One-horned Rhino, Asian Elephant, Asiatic Water Buffalo, Swamp Deer and Hoolock Gibbon. Overnight at Resort.

Day 14: Kaziranga to Guwahati to Delhi
Enjoy a final few hours birding around Kaziranga before drivin back to Guwahati for an internal flight back to Delhi in the afternoon. Arrive Delhi and transfer to your hotel for the night.

Day 15: Delhi
Morning birding in Sultanpur National Park. Evening transfer to airport for flight back home