There are two excellent field guides for India: Grimmett, Inskipp & Inskipp, a field guide-sized set of plates from their 1998 Birds of the Indian Subcontinent tome with facing page id. text and range maps for all species, and Kazmierczak with paintings by my countryman Ber van Perlo, facing page id. text, and range maps for all species. Quite a lot of artists did the plates in Grimmett et al.; most of them have more artistic talent to van Perlo who did all the plates in Kazmierczak.

We tended to use both guides in the beginning. This changed over time. We found that Kazmierczak's text was consistently better and more focused on the key state-of-the-art id. characters, and it included vocalisations (missing from the field guide version of Grimmett; one must refer to their weighty volume for those details). And although the artistic talent in Grimmett et al. was more pleasing to the eye, time and again the van Perlo painting was more accurate. Finally, from a usage standpoint, the Kazmierczak was far superior with its English index as the last page, its shortcut to the groupings on each plate inside the front cover, the placement of range maps adjacent to the plates, and its normal Old World taxonomic arrangement. Thus, in the end, the Kazmierczak turned out to be the better field guide for India although one surely needs both guides for any visit. In many respects both guides are absolute necessities. Time and again it took the use of the combination of books to come up with the identification and I still have two mystery birds on my list, although Eric managed to film both birds.
Krys Kazmierczak's "A Birdwatcher's Guide to India" is very useful at the planning stage.

REPORTS AND ARTICLES

Seb Buckton and Pete Morris. India and Nepal, December 1989 - June 1990.
Raf Drijvers. India & Nepal, February 1992, December 1993 - May 1994 & January 1995 - May 1995.
Iwein Mauro. India & Nepal, 14th January - 01 June 1996.
Jon Hornbuckle. Report on a birding trip to Northeast India, 17 February - 21 March 1998.
Henk Hendriks. Northeast India, March 7 - April 20 1998.
Prasad Anand. Lava, Darjeeling, North Bengal India Birding Trip, April - May 1999.
Oriental Bird Club. Indian Birding Itineraries - Darjeeling.

SOFTWARE

BIRDBASE & BIRDAREA
I use this software to keep track of the birds I have seen and to make lists of any country, labelling endemics and birds previously seen in that country, outside it, or both. BirdArea can produce checklists of the birds of any country of Clements' world birds.

USEFUL ADDRESS

Gurudongma Tours & Treks
Gurudongma House
Hilltop
Kalimpong 734301
India
Phone/fax: 91-3552-255204
E-mail: gurutt@sancharnet.in
Website: www.birdingindiatours.com

I cannot praise Gurudongma Tours & Treks enough - it was an absolutely fabulous trip without any significant
difficulty - pulled off in a difficult and extremely bureaucratic country. Having Gurudongma Tours & Treks arrange our trip was by far the best decision we could have made.

ITINERARY

March 29 Chaam * Amsterdam * Delhi
March 30 Delhi * Bagdogra * Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary * Kalimpong

WEST BENGAL

March 31 Kalimpong * Algarah * Lava *Algarah * Kalimpong
April 1 Kalimpong * Algarah * Lava (Rachet Forest) * Algarah * Kalimpong
April 2 Kalimpong * Algarah * Lava (Neora Valley NP) * Algarah * Kalimpong
April 3 Kalimpong * Algarah * Lava (Jeep Track - Neora Valley NP) * Algarah * Kalimpong

SIKKIM

April 4 Kalimpong * Melli * Namchi * Damthang Forest * Singtam * Dikchu * Mangan
April 5 Mangan * Lower Tholung Valley * Tsana Wilderness Lodge Camp
April 6 Lower Tholung Valley area
April 7 Tsana Wilderness Lodge Camp * Tholung Gompa * Tholung House Wilderness Lodge
April 8 Tholung House Wilderness Lodge* Upper Tholung Valley * Temrong Camp
April 9 Temrong Camp * Upper Tholung Valley * Tholung House Wilderness Lodge
April 10 Tholung Gompa area * Hot Springs
April 11 Tholung Gompa * Lower Tholung Valley * Tsana Wilderness Lodge Camp
April 12 Tsana Wilderness Lodge Camp * Mangan * Dikchu * Singtam * Kalimpong

WEST BENGAL

April 13 Kalimpong * Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary * Bagdogra * Guwahati * Delhi
April 14 Delhi * Amsterdam * Chaam

NOTES ON SITES

The notes about Lava are only information supplementary to Krys Kazmierczak's excellent "A Birdwatcher's Guide to India", the essential guide to the bird sites of India.

For a detailed report of species and numbers please refer to the systematic list at the end of this report.

WEST BENGAL

LAVA & SURROUNDINGS
Lava has been on the birding map for many years and the mid altitude forest (1600 - 2400m) near the village supports a number of eastern Himalayan specialities. However birding was restricted to areas close to the main road.

Lava, at an altitude of 2200 metres, 32 km from Kalimpong, is a large forest village, growing into a small town.
It is an eco-tourism destination. The West Bengal Forest Development Corporation operates a tourist complex and a Nature Interpretation Centre. Accommodation is available by prior booking. The village also has some private lodges and the surrounding areas are covered with large tracts of reserved forests. The Neora Valley National Park and Rachet Reserve Forest are close by and are wildlife reserves. Entry is restricted and permits have to be obtained from the Wildlife Wing.

The forests have rough roads and walking trails. Birding is feasible from the main roads, however for deeper entry it is advisable to obtain permission and a guide.

Birds seen here during our trip:
Bar headed Goose, Crested Serpent Eagle, Crested Goshawk, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Eurasian Buzzard, Black Eagle, Mountain Hawk Eagle, Kalij Pheasant, Oriental Turtle Dove, Spotted Dove, Barred Cuckoo Dove, Large Hawk Cuckoo, Common Cuckoo, Oriental Cuckoo, Green billed Malkoha (Kalimpong), Greater Coucal, Brown Wood Owl (Kalimpong), Asian Barred Owlet, Himalayan Swiftlet, Great Barbet, Golden throated Barbet, Grey capped Woodpecker, Greater Yellownape, Barn Swallow, Grey Wagtail, Olive backed Pipit, Black winged Cuckoo Shrike, Short billed Minivet, Striated Bulbul, White cheeked Bulbul, Red vented Bulbul, Black Bulbul, Maroon backed Accentor, Chestnut bellied Rock Thrush, Blue Whistling Thrush, Plain backed Thrush, Grey winged Blackbird, Grey sided Thrush, Dark throated Thrush, Grey bellied Tesia, Brownish flanked Bush Warbler, Aberrant Bush Warbler, Tickell's Leaf Warbler, Buff barred Warbler, Ashy throated Warbler, Greenish Warbler, Blyth's Leaf Warbler, Golden spectacled Warbler, Grey hooded Warbler, Grey cheeked Warbler, Chestnut crowned Warbler, Black faced Warbler, Broad billed Warbler, Siberian Flycatcher, Rufous gorgeted Flycatcher, Snowy browed Flycatcher, White gorgeted Flycatcher, Little Pied Flycatcher, Slaty blue Flycatcher, Sapphire Flycatcher, Verditer Flycatcher, Large Niltava, Rufous bellied Niltava, Grey headed Canary Flycatcher, Red flanked Bluetail, Rufous breasted Bush Robin, Blue fronted Redstart, White capped Redstart, Plumbeous Redstart, Little Forktail, Spotted Forktail, Common Stonechat, Grey Bushchat, Yellow bellied Fantail, White throated Fantail, White throated Laughingthrush, Striated Laughingthrush, Grey sided Laughing Thrush, Scaly Laughingthrush, Blue winged Laughingthrush, Chestnut crowned Laughingthrush, Red faced Liocichla, Spot breasted Scimitar Babbler, Rusty cheeked Scimitar Babbler, White browed Scimitar Babbler, Long billed Wren Babbler, Rufous throated Scimitar Babbler, Spotted Wren Babbler, Rufous capped Babbler, Golden Babbler, Grey throated Babbler, Silver eared Mesia, Red billed Leiothrix, Black headed Shrike Babbler, White browed Shrike Babbler, Black eared Shrike Babbler, Rusty fronted Barwing, Hoary throated Barwing, Blue winged Minla, Chestnut tailed Minla, Red tailed Minla, Yellow throated Fulvetta, Rufous winged Fulvetta, White browed Fulvetta, Nepal Fulvetta, Rufous Sibia, White naped Yuhina, Whiskered Yuhina, Stripe throated Yuhina, Rufous vented Yuhina, Black throated Tit, Black browed Tit, Coal Tit, Green backed Tit, Yellow cheeked Tit, Yellow browed Tit, White tailed Nuthatch, Eurasian Treecreeper, Rusty flanked Treecreeper, Brown throated Treecreeper, Green tailed Sunbird, Fire tailed Sunbird, Little Spiderhunter, Bay backed Shrike, Long tailed Shrike, Ashy Drongo, Hair crested Drongo (Kalimpong), Green Magpie, Grey Treepie, House Crow, Large billed Crow, Common Myna, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, White rumped Munia, Plain Mountain Finch, Crimson browed Finch, Dark breasted Rosefinch, Dark rumped Rosefinch, Tibetan Serin, Brown Bullfinch, Red headed Bullfinch, Gold naped Finch, Little Bunting.

Other birds that can be seen:
Hill Partridge, Rufous throated Partridge, Satyr Tragopan, Wedge tailed Green Pigeon, Speckled Wood Pigeon, Ashy Wood Pigeon, Emerald Dove, Lesser Cuckoo, Mountain Scops Owl, Fork Tailed Swift, Ward's Trogon, Great Hornbill, White browed Piculet, Crimson breasted Woodpecker, Lesser Yellownape, Long tailed Broadbill, Mountain Bulbul, Orange bellied Leafbird, Long billed Thrush, Chestnut Thrush, Eyebrowed Thrush, Dusky Thrush, Rusty bellied Shortwing, Gould's Shortwing, Lesser Shortwing, White browed Shortwing, Chestnut headed Tesia, Slat bellied Tesia, Russet Bush Warbler, White spectacled Warbler, Pygmy Blue Flycatcher, Golden Bush Robin, White browed Bush Robin, Blue fronted Robin, Spotted Laughingthrush, Coral billed Scimitar Babbler, Scaly breasted Wren Babbler, Cutia, Golden breasted Fulvetta, Fire tailed Myzornis, Black Throated Sunbird, Streaked Spiderhunter, Fire breasted Flowerpecker, Maroon Oriole, Common Rosefinch, Red Crossbill.

MAHANANDA WILLIFE SANCTUARY
The Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary constitutes the terai and bhabar forests of the lower catchment area of the Mahananda river and covers an area of 160 km2. The main road from Bagdogra to Kalimpong passes through this sanctuary, but foreigners need written permission from the office of the Chief Wildlife Warden in Calcutta to bird anywhere other than along the road.
We had not planned to visit this area so we had to make a short stroll along the road and spent two hours at a picnic site in the park. We did not see many birds, but I am sure that given time we would have seen many more birds.

Birds seen here during our trip:
Lesser Adjutant, Red naped Ibis, Black Baza, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Black Kite, White rumped Vulture, Slender billed Vulture, Crested Serpent Eagle, Besra, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Eurasian Buzzard, Eurasian Kestrel, Oriental Turtle Dove, Red breasted Parakeet, Asian Koel, Green billed Malkoha, Greater Coucal, Chestnut headed Bee eater, Indian Roller, Eurasian Hoopoe, Indian Grey Hornbill, Great Barbet, Scarlet Minivet, Large Cuckoo Shrike, Red vented Bulbul, Jungle Babbler, Black hooded Oriole, Long tailed Shrike, Hair crested Drongo, Rufous Treepie, Large billed Crow, House Crow, Common Hill Myna, Common Myna, Asian Pied Starling, White rumped Munia.

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