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India - Small Mammal Expedition

© Gharial by Adam Riley
India - Small Mammal Expedition 2028

13 Jan 2028 - 25 Jan 2028 (13 days)

USD9,995 SPACES AVAILABLE

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Tour Leader: Local Leader

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Tour Leader: Robert Williams

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Tour Price (Per person): USD9,995 (GBP7,613 * ZAR163,901 * CAD14,191)

Single Supplement: USD1,895 (GBP1,443 * ZAR31,075 * CAD2,690)

Flight costs: USD138 (GBP105 * ZAR2,263 * CAD196)

India supports an extraordinary variety of mammals across a remarkable range of habitats, from the wooded Aravalli hills and the ravines of the Chambal to Rajasthan's dry scrub, granite outcrops and sweeping desert landscapes. This specialist itinerary has been designed around active searching at the times when elusive carnivores, small cats, civets, bats and nocturnal mammals are most likely to be encountered.

The journey begins around New Delhi with mammal and bat watching before continuing to the Chambal River, where boat safaris offer opportunities for Ganges River Dolphin, Gharial and several scarce turtles. Several nights around Kailadevi provide our best sustained chance of finding Asiatic Wolf, Striped Hyena, Jungle Cat, Rusty-spotted Cat and other secretive mammals. We then travel to Jawai for Leopard before concluding in the Thar Desert near Jaisalmer, where desert cats, foxes, hedgehogs, rodents and bats become the focus.

 

Top Birds

Great Indian Bustard; Indian Skimmer; Black-bellied & River Terns; River Lapwing; Great Thick-knee; Indian & Cream-colored Coursers; Painted & Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse; Rock Bush Quail; Black-crowned & Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Larks; Bimaculated & Desert Larks; White-browed Bush Chat; Greater & Lesser Flamingos; Sarus & Demoiselle Cranes; Black & Painted Storks; Indian, Dusky, & Brown Fish Owls; Indian Scops Owl; Laggar & Red-headed Falcons; Bonelli’s, Eastern Imperial, & Steppe Eagles; Egyptian, Cinereous, & White-rumped Vultures.

Top Mammals

Jungle, Rusty-spotted, & Leopard Cats; Asiatic Wildcat; Caracal; Leopard; Asiatic Wolf; Striped Hyena; Golden Jackal; Bengal Fox; Indian Desert Fox; Ganges River Dolphin; Sloth Bear; Common Palm Civet; Small Indian Civet; Indian Crested Porcupine; Indian Long-eared Hedgehog; Indian Hedgehog; Indian Gazelle; Nilgai; Indian Hare; Indian Grey Mongoose; Wild Boar; Northern Plains Langur; Indian Flying Fox; Fulvous Fruit Bat; Naked-rumped Tomb Bat; Greater & Lesser Mouse-tailed Bats; Blyth’s Horseshoe Bat.

Habitats Covered

Urban wetlands and wooded parks; semi-arid and thorn scrub; Aravalli rocky ridges and plateaux; Acacia and dry deciduous woodland; open and dry grassland; dry streambeds, rocky gullies, and eroded ravines; seasonal water bodies and caves; the Chambal River, sandy banks, and exposed islands; agricultural fields and pasture; granite hills, caves, and boulder fields; seasonal river courses; reservoirs and freshwater wetlands; Thar Desert dunes; stony and gravel plains; salt-lake depressions; xerophytic scrub; fallow cultivation.

Expected Climate

January is generally cool and dry, with very cold early-morning jeep and boat excursions—especially in Rajasthan—and warmer daytime conditions. Warm layers, gloves, a scarf or buff, and a beanie are recommended.

Max Group Size

8 with 1 Rockjumper Tour leader and 1 Indian tour leader

Tour Pace & Walking

MODERATE TO CHALLENGING: This tour requires a good level of fitness, stamina, and overall health. It’s best suited for experienced birders who are comfortable with a more active itinerary. Please note that it may not be ideal for avid photographers, new birders, or those with mobility or health concerns.

Moderate

Accommodation

Comfortable

Ease of Birding

Moderate

Number of Species Expected

250-300

Other Attractions

Chambal River; Desert National Park.

Photographic Opportunities

Good

What our clients say about us

Nigel Redman
MC, India 2023

This was the first group birding tour Ive ever taken (meaning, more than myself and either one or two other persons). Rockjumper and Nigel Redman made it a very pleasurable experience, with wonderful birds, beautiful landscapes, and good flexibility and adaptability to the various challenges and obstacles thrown our way on the trip. I heartily recommend both this tour and Nigel Redman as a tour leader! I would happily go on any tour for which Nigel was the leader; his knowledge of ornithology, history, and birding folklore is encycylopedic, and his easy humor and casual nature made for happy hours in our vehicles or over dinner tables (this, in contrast to the group next to us in some of the dining halls, where hardly a word was spoken by any tour member when the trip leader was going through the days list; that was a dictatorship; Nigels tour was a democracy in many ways.)

David Hoddinott
CH, India 2018

David Hoddinott is simply outstanding: Calm, focused, truly excellent knowledge of the birds, their calls and habits. He has a wonderful sense of humour, too.

Glen Valentine
MW, India - Northern: Birds & Tigers (Small Group) 2026

Another excellent tour with Glen. He is amazing. The local guides and ground support were also excellent. The accommodations were quite luxurious although quite cold. Warm layers are definitely a must for this trip. One suggestions for the tour information: Under annoyances add a comment about the poor air quality around Delhi and the dust during afternoon game drives. Suggest that participants bring N95 masks and dust protection for optics. Looking forward to our next Rockjumper trip.

Quinton Paul Josop
GS, India - Southern: Endemics of the Western Ghats (Small Group) 2026

An excellent tour! Paul Josop lived up to our expectations for a Rockjumper guide - excellent knowledge of the birds; conscientious about getting everyone on the birds; on top of all the arrangements for meals, lodging and transportation; worked well with the local guide; and shared his excitement and good humor throughout the trip. The WhatsApp group that he set up was brilliant. He shared photos with us, as did other participants, and it was an easy way for us all to keep in touch. We would love to travel with Paul again.

Dušan Brinkhuizen
MW, India - Western: Desert Specials 2026

Feedback for India – Western Deserts 2026 Overall, this was quite a trip. I had gone on the India – Northern Birds & Tigers just prior to this trip, so the number of new birds for us was low. However, we got most of the birds we were hoping for, a testament to Dušan and the highly-skilled local guides. We were well taken care of during the trip and all the accommodations were first class. The group were all serious birders, and we all got along together well and were able to contribute to the very respectful tally of the birds. The travel was a lot more than I anticipated. Several days were essentially all driving, with a brief stop or two to stretch and check for birds. I strongly recommend adding a day at Mt. Abu. We had only a few hours of birding there, sandwiched between very long drives. Adding a day there will be a great relief from spending so much time in the bus and allow us to catch up a bit on our sleep. I did a survey among our group and all greed that adding a day would be a great relief and would not keep any of us from choosing the trip. The birds were nearby, which helped a lot as we didn’t have a long drive to get to the birds. One location in particular, Desert National Park, was almost two hours. A closer accommodation needs to be scouted out. Dušan did a great job, and his enthusiasm kept us going when sleep depravation was hitting us. The guy never wanted to quit. We got all three mega birds, the Hypocolius, the Indian Spotted Creeper, and the Forest Owlet, quite well. All three were a great experience, especially the Hypocolius, as most of the group were family listers. We even had one of our group finish off the families during the trip! Thanks for offering and recommending this trip.

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