Corbett National Park
29/12/98 - 1/1/99
by
Clive Harris
This was a family visit with in-laws, wife and two small children.
Approximately one days driving each way, with two days to explore
the park.
Birding was either from our vehicle (a 4WD) going through the park,
or seen on short walks around our base at the Quality Inn, Kumeria.
It is surprising what birds you can see from a vehicle, if you can
get the drive to stop in time. You seem to be able to get
relatively close to game birds, and in the forest entered through
the Amdanda gate I saw several flycatchers and other passerines.
I only did one extensive walk of about 2 hours in the forest around
Kumeria. I suspect repeating this would bring in quite a few
different species each time. Mixed feeding flocks seemed to have
a number of regular species - e.g. Grey-hooded Warbler,
Velvet-fronted Nuthatch and Lemon-rumped Warbler and the two
fantails, but there would also be others attached.
The Jhirna gate provides more open and scrubby areas and some
different birds from those seen entering through the Amdanda gate.
We didn't try for the public bus through Dhikala, so didn't get to
the lake, and I made only a brief trip to the Kosi River near
Ramnagar.
Birds Seen
1 Jungle Bush Quail* Perdicula asiatica
Jhirna. Flock of approx. 10 on dirt road.
2 Kalij Pheasant* Lophura leucomelanos
Jhirna.
3 Red Junglefowl* Gallus gallus
Jhirna. Single male.
4 Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus
5 Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker* Dendrocopos macei
Jhirna
6 Greater Yellownape* Picus flavinucha
Kumeria. Pair outside Quality Inn.
7 Scaly-bellied Woodpecker* P. squamatus
Amdanda
8 Grey-headed Woodpecker* P. canus
Kumeria. Single in grounds of Quality Inn.
9 Black-rumped Flameback Dinopium benghalense
10 Lineated Barbet* Megalaima lineata
Jhirna
11 Great Hornbill* Buceros bicornis
Jhirna. Single distant bird in flight.
12 Common Hoopoe Upupa epops
13 Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis
14 Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
15 White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrensis
16 Crested Kingfisher Megaceryle lugubris
Kumeria, Jhirna
17 Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis
18 Blue-bearded Bee-eater* Nyctyornis athertoni
Kumeria
19 Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri
20 Plum-headed Parakeet P. cyanocephala
21 Red-breasted Parakeet* P. alexandri
Kumeria. Single bird in grounds of Quality Inn.
22 Crested Treeswift* Hemiprocne coronata
Amdanda, Ramnagar.
23 Rock Pigeon Columba livia
24 Pin-tailed Green Pigeon* Treron apicauda
Amdanda. Two birds in flight.
25 Common Greenshank Tringa totanus
Ramnagar
26 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucus
Kumeria
27 River Lapwing Vanellus duvaucelli
28 Red-wattled Lapwing V. indicus
29 Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus
30 Black Kite Milvus migrans
31 White-rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis
32 Long-billed Vulture G. indicus
33 Eurasian Griffon* G. fulvus
Ramnagar
34 Crested Serpent-eagle* Spilornis cheela
Kumeria, Amdanda
35 Accipiter spp
36 Bonelli's Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus
Ramnagar
37 Booted Eagle H. pennatus
Ramnagar
38 Rufous-bellied Eagle* H. kienerii
Kumeria. Single bird soaring over Quality Inn grounds.
39 Changeable Hawk-eagle Spizaetus cirrhatus
Amdanda. Two perched birds seen separately.
40 Mountain Hawk-eagle* S. nipalensis
Road to Kumeria. Single bird soaring.
41 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
42 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
43 Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
44 Great Egret Casmerodius alba
45 Indian Pond-heron Ardeola grayii
46 Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach
47 Rufous Treepie Dendrocitta vagabunda
Jhirna
48 Grey Treepie D. formosae
Kumeria. Quite common.
49 Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchus
50 Minivet spp Pericrocotus
Female, Kumeria
51 Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike* Hemipus picatus
Kumeria. Common
52 Yellow-bellied Fantail Rhipidura hypoxantha
Kumeria. Common
53 White-throated Fantail R. albicollis
Kumeria. Common
54 Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus
55 White-bellied Drongo* D. caerulescens
Ramnagar
56 Greater Racquet-tailed Drongo* D. paradiseus
Jhirna. Single bird.
57 Common Woodshrike Tephrodornus pondicerianus
58 Blue Whistling-Thrush Myophonus caeruleus
59 Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher* Ficedula strophiata
Amdanda. Male, seen from jeep.
60 Red-throated Flycatcher F. parva
61 Little Pied Flycatcher* F. westermanni
62 Slaty-Blue Flycatcher* F. tricolor
Kumeria. Female.
63 Rufous-bellied Niltava* Niltava sundara
Kumeria. Male, in grounds of Quality Inn.
64 Grey-headed Flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis
65 Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis
66 White-rumped Shama C. malabaricus
Amdanda
67 Indian Robin Saxicoloides fulicata
68 Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros
69 White-capped Water-Redstart* Chaimarrornis leucocephalus
Common on Kosi River.
70 Plumbeous Water-Redstart* Rhyacornis fuliginosus
Common on Kosi River.
71 Common Stonechat Saxicola torquata
72 Variable Wheatear* Oenanthe picata
Amdanda (rest-house area). Female opistholeuca.
73 Common Myna Acridotheres tristis
74 Jungle Myna A. fuscus
Ramnagar.
75 Asian Pied Starling Sturnus contra
76 Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch Sitta castanea
Kumeria.
77 Velvet-fronted Nuthatch S. frontalis
Kumeria. Common member of mixed feeding flocks.
78 Great Tit Parus major
Kumeria
79 Black-lored Tit* P. xanthogenys
Kumeria
80 Plain Martin Riparia paludicola
81 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
82 Red-rumped Swallow H. daurica
83 Streak-throated Swallow H. fluvicola
Jhirna. Large flock over dried up river bed.
84 Black-crested Bulbul* Pycnonotus melanicterus
Kumeria
85 Red-whiskered Bulbul P. jocosus
86 Himalayan Bulbul* P. leucogenys
87 Red-vented Bulbul P. cafer
88 Grey-breasted Prinia Prinia hodgsonii
89 Ashy Prinia P. socialis
90 Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus tristis
91 Lemon-rumped Warbler* P. chloronotus
Kumeria. Common member of mixed feeding flocks.
92 Hume's Warbler P. humeii
Kumeria
93 Grey-hooded Warbler* Seicerus xanthochistos
Kumeria. Common member of mixed feeding flocks.
94 Jungle Babbler Turdoides striatus
95 Crimson Sunbird* Aethopyga siparaja
Kumeria. Single bird in grounds of Quality Inn.
96 House Sparrow Passer domesticus
97 White Wagtail Motacilla alba
98 White-browed Wagtail M. maderaspatensis
Kumeria
99 Grey Wagtail M. cinerea
Kumeria
100 Paddyfield Pipit Anthus rufulus
Amdanda
101 Richard's Pipit A. richardi
Amdanda
102 Long-billed Pipit A. similis
Amdanda
103 Olive-backed Pipit A. hodgsoni
104 Baya Weaver Ploceus philippinensis
105 Indian Silverbill Lonchura malabarica
Jhirna
106 White-rumped Munia L. striata
Jhirna
107 Carduelis spp Carduelis??
Kumeria - heard
108 Crested Bunting* Melophus lathami
Amdanda
A * means this was a life bird.
Additional birds seen en route to Corbett from the car:
109 Indian Grey Hornbill Ocyeros birostris
110 Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis
111 Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis
112 Collared Dove S. decaocto
113 White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus
114 River Tern Sterna aurantia
115 Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus
116 Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
117 House Crow Corvus splendens
118 Bank Myna Acridotheres ginginianus
119 Large Grey Babbler Turdoides malcolmi
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