India is undoubtedly one of the world’s best birding destinations, with more than 1300 species for birdwatchers to seek out. In April 2025, Birdwatching Asia was privileged to have been invited for a North India birding trip, in order to see for ourselves this incredible diversity. From the dry deserts of Rajasthan, to the high Himalayas in Uttarakhand, we saw an astounding number of bird species. Needless to say, we came back from this trip with memories to last a lifetime. Incredible India indeed!

North India Birding Trip April 2025

This article is a summary of our experiences from our birding trip around North India. Further details of our adventures at the various locations will be explored in upcoming trip report articles. The aim of this article series is to showcase just a small sample of the mind-boggling avian diversity that can be found within this truly incredible region.

Background information

Our trip was organized by Asian Adventures, one of India’s top birdwatching and nature tour companies. Throughout our trip, we were expertly guided by their highly experienced in-house bird guide, Mr Deepak Kumar. Our driver for the duration was the affable Mr Jaipal Singh.

Last, but certainly not least, this trip wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of our friend and CEO/founder of Asian Adventures, Mr Mohit Aggarwal. We first met Mr Aggarwal during the Asian Bird Fair 2023 held in Kota Kinabalu, and have kept in touch since then.

Locations visited

Our North India birding trip spanned 10 days, during which we visited the following locations. Click on the links below to access the detailed trip reports.

1. Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan. Well-known the world over for its Bengal Tigers, but a good birding destination as well.
2. Keoladeo Ghana National Park in Rajasthan. Located near the city of Bharatpur, this park was formerly known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary.
3. Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand. Nestled at the foothills of the Himalayas, this world-famous national park is also India’s oldest, established in 1936.
4. Pangot in Uttarakhand. A small village sited 2000 metres above sea level along the Naina Range, part of the southern reaches of the Himalayas.

In addition to the primary locations listed above, we also went birding at various locations outside the aforementioned national parks. 

Standout birds from our North India birding trip

There’s too many amazing birds to list, really. Nevertheless, the following species deserve special mention.

1. One of the highest flying birds in the world, the incomparable Bar-headed Goose.
2. The white-crested form of the Kalij Pheasant
3. The oddly-named Koklass Pheasant
4. Three vulture species, including the critically endangered Indian Vulture
5. Indian Spotted Eagle
6. The tallest flying bird in the world, the Sarus Crane
7. Asian Wooly-necked and Black-necked Storks
8. Crested Kingfisher, a species that was high on my most-wanted list.
9. The Black-headed Jay, endemic to the Himalayas
10. Long-billed Thrush.  Unusually for a thrush, this bird has a relatively long and robust bill.

Apparently, we visited during the ‘down’ season for birding. Outside of the monsoon months, April is probably the ‘worst’ time to visit for a North India birding trip. This is because most of the winter visitors have already departed for their northerly breeding grounds, or went higher up the Himalayas. But ‘worst’ here is relative, really, as we still saw an astonishing number of birds!

According to our guide, the best time to come for birding around North India is definitely the winter months (November until early March).

Birding-related stats from our 10-day North India birding trip:

1. Number of species: 288 (and barely missed out on a few more)
2. Lifer count: 162 
3. eBird checklists uploaded: 39
4. Highest tally for a single checklist: 108 species (8 hour session at Keoladeo NP).
5. Favourite bird of the trip: Black-headed Jay (the Crested Kingfisher was a close second)
6. Favourite location: Pangot (the Himalayas are just spellbinding!)
7. Highest elevation: ~2500m, at ‘cheer point’ near Pangot. Didn’t get the eponymous Cheer Pheasant, unfortunately.
8. Weirdest spot for a lifer: Next to a drain/dumpsite near Nainital, for the Hill Partridge.
9. Supposedly common birds that we barely saw: Eurasian Hoopoe and Indian Roller (I only saw one of each).

Miscellaneous stats

1. Total distance travelled: >1500 km
2. Longest journey time in car: >8 hours, from Pangot to Delhi International Airport
3. Number of photos taken: Nearly 20,000
4. Number of SD cards required: 3x 64 GB, 1x 32 GB
5. Amount of ‘Chai’ we had: At least twice a day
6. Best food: Everywhere! (Although special mention to the chef at Jungle Lore, Pangot. He made the best fries I’ve ever had – seasoned with Himalayan salts, maybe!)

Other wildlife

In addition to birds, we also saw many other animals, including:

1. Bengal Tiger
2. Yellow-throated Marten
3. Chital (Spotted Deer)
4. Sambar Deer
5. Nilgai (a type of antelope)
6. Chinkara (Indian Gazelle)
7. Asian Golden Jackal
8. Mugger Crocodile
9. Indian Rock Python

Conclusion

Despite visiting during the ‘wrong’ time of the year, our North India birding trip exceeded even our already lofty expectations. From skulking pheasants to raucous laughingthrushes, North India has it all. And we’ve only barely scratched the surface, as many more species may be seen during other times of the year.

In addition to the birds, North India offers so much more. Historical landmarks, picturesque scenery, delightful cuisine and friendly people makes any birding trip here exceptionally rewarding. We look forward to a North India birding trip again, hopefully in the not-too-distant future!