10/02/2026
Stretching from the forested foothills of Kumaon to the high Himalayan valleys of eastern Uttarakhand, this carefully curated birding journey explores some of North India’s most celebrated and ecologically significant landscapes. The route traverses ancient oak–rhododendron forests, conifer-dominated temple groves, alpine valleys shaped by glaciers, and river basins that act as natural corridors for rare and evolutionarily old bird lineages. Munsiyari, often called Little Kashmir, lies in the Gori River basin of Pithoragarh district and is renowned for both trekking and birdwatching. The region supports a remarkable diversity of Himalayan and trans-Himalayan birds, including several rare, endemic, globally threatened, and ancient evolutionary species of the Indian subcontinent. Pangot, perched above Nainital, is one of India’s finest birding villages, with over 250 recorded species concentrated within oak, pine, and rhododendron forests. Jageshwar adds a unique cultural and ecological dimension, with its serene complex of ancient temples surrounded by deodar, chir pine, oak, and mixed Himalayan forests. The journey concludes in the sal forests and grasslands of Jim Corbett National Park, offering a contrast of lowland avifauna and the possibility of larger wildlife encounters. Designed as a slow, immersive expedition, this program maximises habitat diversity, altitudinal variation, and quality birding time.
