GRAND NE INDIA TOUR
Kaziranga and the NE Himalayas
24 days

This is a dream trip come true, the combination of the extraordinarily rich wetlands and forests of the Brahmaputra River Valley and the richest montane forests in all of Asia, the Northeast Himalayas. We’ll spend 10 days in the Mishmi Hills in extreme NE Arunachal Pradesh birding up to 2,700 m. (9,000 ft.) right in the core of mountain bird diversity in Asia. We’ll visit two national parks, Kaziranga and Dibru-Saikhowa, in the Brahmaputra River Valley, for some superb wetland birding. A two-day visit to the Khasi Hills of Meghalaya and a day in the Digboi oilfields will round out our adventure.  Some of the more exciting birds we’ve seen in these areas are: Spot-billed Pelican, Greater Adjutant, Pallas’s Fish-Eagle, Slender-billed Vulture, Indian Spotted Eagle, Oriental Hobby, Swamp Francolin, Blyth’s Tragopan, Bengal Florican, Pale-capped Pigeon, Dark-rumped Swift, Ward’s Trogon, Crested Finchbill, Jerdon’s Bushchat, Marsh and Spot-throated Babblers, Red-billed, Coral-billed and Slender-billed Scimitar-Babblers, Rusty-throated, Spotted, and Tawny-breasted Wren-Babblers, Cachar Wedge-billed Babbler, Jerdon’s and Slender-billed Babblers, Chestnut-backed and Rufous-vented Laughingthrushes, Red-faced Liocichla, Red-billed Leiothrix, Black-headed Shrike-Babbler, White-hooded Babbler, Streak-throated Barwing, Golden-breasted, Yellow-throated, Streak-throated, Brown-headed and Rusty-capped Fulvettas, Grey and Beautiful Sibias, Black-breasted, Pale-billed and White-breasted Parrotbills, Chestnut-crowned and Spotted Bush-Warblers, Rufous-rumped Grassbird, Swamp Prinia, Smoky Warbler, Pale-chinned and Pygmy Blue Flycatchers, Gold-naped Finch, Spot-winged Starling, and Collared Treepie. We could see: Sclater’s Monal, Gould’s or Rusty-bellied Shortwing, Purple or Green Cochoa, Beautiful Nuthatch, Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker, or Scarlet Finch. We are likely to see Indian Rhinoceros, Indian Elephant, and Swamp Deer. There is a remote chance of seeing a tiger. Leader: Ben King.