Author & Naturalist: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) A brief, mammal watching oriented guided tour to the salt pans of the Little Rann of Kutch and the tropical grasslands of Velavadar produced carnivores galore – including Striped Hyaena, Indian Wolf, both foxes and Jungle Cat, most with pups/cubs, among the easier to see ungulates. In Velavadar, itContinue reading “Striped Hyaena, Indian Wolf, Indian Fox and other wildlife of Gujarat, March 2020: Trip Report”
Tag Archives: Birdwatching
Blue-throated Blue Flycatcher in the backyard: A Record
Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) Peeking out of the window this morning, on the usual reflex to check the fruiting Peepal tree in the vicinity, found this welcome addition to the mix of activity – a Blue-throated Blue Flycatcher, a winter visitor from the Himalayas/passage migrant through the Chennai area. This obliging individual (typical of itsContinue reading “Blue-throated Blue Flycatcher in the backyard: A Record”
Stump-tailed Macaque, Golden Langur and other wildlife of Assam, Feb 2020: Trip Report
Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) A report based on a mammal-watching oriented guided trip (with a focus on Primates) to the lowland forests and floodplains of the Bramhaputra in Assam, northeast India. Mammal Highlights included superb species like Gee’s Golden Langur, Stump-tailed Macaque and Western Hoolock Gibbon among six species of primates, One-Horned Rhinoceros (aplenty) among largeContinue reading “Stump-tailed Macaque, Golden Langur and other wildlife of Assam, Feb 2020: Trip Report”
Great Indian Bustard and more at Desert National Park, winter 2019: Trip Report
Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) Travelling to the extremities of a country as large as India always produces birds (and other wildlife) that are regional specialists – either as an extreme of their global range or local endemics. The Thar Desert, in the extreme northwest of India, is one such location, with a handful birds thatContinue reading “Great Indian Bustard and more at Desert National Park, winter 2019: Trip Report”
Report: Birds and wildlife of Maguri Beel, Dihing Patkai and Namdapha, March 2019
Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) A birding tour to the famed wetland/Terai grassland of Maguri Beel (Dibru-Saikhowa NP), Dihing Patkai WS (among the last remaining lowland evergreen forest in NE India) and the biodiverse, but troubled Namdapha NP in the foothills of Eastern Himalayas revealed some fantastic species including, Red-headed Trogon, White-crowned Forktail, Sapphire Flycatcher, PaleContinue reading “Report: Birds and wildlife of Maguri Beel, Dihing Patkai and Namdapha, March 2019”
Report: Caracal! and other wildlife from Kutch, April 2019
Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) A report from a mammal watching oriented tour, with a specific goal to see/identify potential sites for the rarely seen, locally endangered (within India) Caracal, to Kutch (Western India) in April 2019. Highlights included a sighting of Caracal (!), Leopard (a rarity in these parts), Jungle Cat, Indian Long-eared and Indian Hedgehogs and Indian Porcupine, among 17 species of mammals in 5Continue reading “Report: Caracal! and other wildlife from Kutch, April 2019”
Report: Birding in Mishmi Hills, Arunachal Pradesh, March 2018
Author: Ravi Kailas This is brief note from a bird-watching oriented trip to Roing Grasslands and Mishmi Hills (Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary), in the Eastern Himalayas of Arunachal Pradesh Please follow link for a complete picture gallery from this trip Dates: 17th to 23rd March 2018 Locations: Roing Grasslands – Sally Lake – Mishmi Foothills – Tiwari Gaon – CoffeeContinue reading “Report: Birding in Mishmi Hills, Arunachal Pradesh, March 2018”
Report: Wildlife of Lonar and Nagzira-Navegaon Tiger Reserve, November 2018
Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) This report is based on a natural history oriented tour to the meteor-impact formed Lonar Lake and the Nagzira/Navegaon/Koka wildlife landscape – both lesser visited locations in the vast, central Indian state of Maharashtra. Follow links for map of tour locations and complete picture gallery Dates: 11th to 17th November 2018 Highlights at Nagzira-Navegaon-KokaContinue reading “Report: Wildlife of Lonar and Nagzira-Navegaon Tiger Reserve, November 2018”
Report: Western Ghats endemic mammals, birds (and more), Spring 2018
Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) This is a report based on a guided mammal/birdwatching oriented trip to various locations in the Western Ghats of south India this spring Dates: 25th March to 7th April 2018 (guided portion from 29th March onwards) Tour Locations: Kabini, Bandipur, Sethumadai/Top Slip, Parambikulam, Valparai, Chinnar, Munnar, Thattekad. Map of tour locations The trip wasContinue reading “Report: Western Ghats endemic mammals, birds (and more), Spring 2018”
Report: Mammals and Birds of Chopta, Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, November 2017
Pictures from a natural history oriented trip to the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary and surroundings in the Garwhal Himalayas of Uttarakhand. An useful attribute of this location is relatively easy access to a broad elevational range and associated habitats (and its denizens) – cultivated valleys, montane forest and alpine meadows in this case – within short distances.Continue reading “Report: Mammals and Birds of Chopta, Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, November 2017”
Ficus Wildlife and Natural History Tours 