Hemming the rugged lands of southern India are the impressive Western Ghats Mountains, a land of endless valleys, rolling tea estates and breathtaking highland vistas, well-known for harbouring a superb range of highly localised endemic birds and a host of special mammals. This comprehensive tour showcases many of these special creatures: the gorgeous Indian Pitta, Nilgiri Laughingthrush, Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, rare Sri Lanka Frogmouth, exquisite Malabar Trogon, Malabar Whistling Thrush, and Heart-spotted Woodpecker are just some of the incredible birds we will search for. The mammal possibilities are no less enticing, with the stunning Lion-tailed Macaque, Bengal Tiger, Chole Indian Elephant and Gaur (Indian Bison) all high on our target list. Join us for an unbeatable birding exploration to the southern part of this immense and extremely rewarding nation!

Top Birds

Painted Bush Quail; Red Spurfowl; Nilgiri Wood, Malabar Imperial & Grey-fronted Green Pigeons; Malabar Grey & Great Hornbills; Malabar & White-cheeked Barbets; Blue-winged Parakeet; Malabar Woodshrike; White-spotted Fantail; White-bellied Treepie; Indian Black-lored Tit; Malabar Lark; Grey-headed, Flame-throated & Yellow-throated Bulbuls; Broad-tailed Grassbird; Indian Scimitar Babbler; Dark-fronted & Rufous Babblers; Wayanad, Nilgiri & Palani Laughingthrushes; Malabar Starling; Nilgiri Thrush; White-bellied Blue, Black-and-orange & Nilgiri Flycatchers; Nilgiri Blue & White-bellied Blue Robins; Malabar Whistling Thrush; Nilgiri Flowerpecker; Crimson-backed Sunbird; Nilgiri Pipit; Indian Pitta; Sri Lanka Frogmouth; Malabar Trogon; Heart-spotted & White-naped Woodpeckers; Malabar Flameback; White-bellied Minivet.

Top Mammals

Bengal Tiger; Lion-tailed & Toque Macaques; Nilgiri Langur; Dhole; Gaur (Indian Bison); Nilgiri Tahr; Asian Elephant; Indian & Grizzled Giant Squirrels; Sloth Bear and Leopard.

Habitats Covered

sholas (montane forest patches), deciduous (teak-dominated) woodlands, bamboo forest, lakes, wetlands, montane grassland, savanna & thickets

Expected Climate

Very pleasant: warm during day, cool at night, rain not expected

Max Group Size

8 with 1 Rockjumper leader or 12 with 2 Rockjumper leaders

Tour Pace & Walking

moderate

Accommodation

mostly very comfortable lodges & hotels but a bit basic for a few nights

Ease of Birding

mostly unchallenging

Number of Species Expected

+-250

Other Attractions

Rolling hills & valleys that are mostly naturally forested but in some areas are dominated by tea and other spice plantations, Mysore Palace, roadside temples & shrines, Lake Periyar, Western Ghats Mountains, some of the most delicious food on Earth if you like curries

Photographic Opportunities

good

What our clients say about us

Erik Forsyth
NM, Northern India

I just have to write and tell you how much I enjoyed the N. India trip and how superb the leaders are… Erik and Rich worked so well together and both are so funny, such a great combination…. With much gratitude to RBT for bringing birds and mammals into my life.

Stephan Lorenz
LC & PD, Northern India 2017

We had a wonderful trip with Rich Lindie and Stephan Lorenz, and we would certainly be happy to travel with either of them again. They were both excellent with the birds, had a great sense of humour, and were helpful and patient when individuals required extra assistance. In addition to the birding, we enjoyed a long list of mammals sighted in the various national parks. The accommodations and meals were also very good.

David Hoddinott
TM, India 2018

This was my first Rockjumper trip. I definitely will be a repeat customer. The booking process was easy and painless. The transport and hotel logistics during the trip were flawless. David Hoddinott and Ansar Khan were excellent guides and worked diligently to make sure we saw as many birds as possible.

David Hoddinott
PJ, Andaman Islands 2018

The Andaman Islands were a first for RockJumper and a first for David Hoddinott. It was an incredible experience and also exciting to share the first of all new endemics  with David .

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.)

India - Southern: Birds & Wildlife of the Western Ghats 2025

20 Mar 2025 - 02 Apr 2025 (14 days)

USD4,695 - Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Julian Parsons

Tour price (Per person): USD4,695 * GBP3,695 * EUR4,317 * AUD7,015

Single Supplement: USD800 * GBP630 * EUR736 * AUD1,195

Can be linked with: India - Andaman Islands Endemics 2025

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Route Map

Tour Route Map

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