Birding Bonanza on the Chambal

Photo Story Published : Mar 21, 2025 Updated : Mar 21, 2025

The Chambal’s ravines, scrublands, sandbanks, and clean waters harbour over 340 species of resident and migratory birds. I was lucky to spot a plethora of these riverine birds during my week-long birding expedition by boat through the National Chambal Sanctuary

Every time the boatman Shobharam neared our dinghy to the jetty, I hoped our river safari wasn’t about to end. Two hours in the morning and two in the afternoon, with tea and lunch breaks in between, seemed inadequate to uncover what the Chambal had in store. Every bend, every turn, had an avian or reptilian surprise in store.

In November 2024, I spent three days on the Chambal River near Bah in Uttar Pradesh (accompanied by my guide, Dushyant Singh) and another three days near Palighat in Rajasthan (with my guide, Morarilal Berwa). Our birdwatching was frequently interrupted by sightings of marsh crocodiles, gharials, and turtles basking along the banks of the river or swimming past our boat. But Dushyant, a former guide at Rajasthan’s Keoladeo National Park (Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary), and Morarilal, a resident of Palighat, ensured that I didn’t overlook the birds of the Chambal in my eagerness to spot crocodiles, gharials, and turtles.

The National Chambal Sanctuary is a 610-km protected stretch of the Chambal River straddling the boundaries of three states: Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. It was established in 1979 to replenish populations of the critically endangered gharial. The Chambal’s ravines, scrublands, sandbanks, and clean waters harbour over 340 species of resident and migratory birds. Eminent ornithologists and authors Caroll and Tim Inskipp, Pamela Rasmussen, and Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne, among others, helped in the discovery of several birds from the region during the Uttar Pradesh Bird Festival held at the Sanctuary in December 2015 and 2016.

The National Chambal Sanctuary is one of few places in the country that hosts significant breeding populations of the endangered Indian skimmer (Rynchops albicollis) (cover photo). These migratory birds start arriving in late winter (December-January) and nest by peak summer (April to early June). I had arrived a bit too early to see the nesting skimmers, but other feathered residents and visitors more than made up for it. Here are a few of them.

The black-bellied tern’s (*Sterna acuticauda*) slender orange bill is somewhat like that of the Indian skimmer. So much so that whenever I saw terns on the riverbank or flying over our boat, I wondered if the rumours we had heard about the skimmers’ early arrival were true. But my guides immediately pointed to the tern’s dark belly — a key feature distinguishing the two species. The black-bellied tern forages in a range of wetland habitats in India, and breeds on sand spits and islands in rivers and lakes. It mainly feeds on insects and small fish. Photo: Shreeram MV
Cover photo: Indian skimmer. Photo: Dhritiman Mukherjee

The river tern (*Sterna aurantia*) is larger, heavier, and more common than the black-bellied tern. It is mainly found near freshwater bodies, mostly feeding on fish, crustaceans, and insects. I saw these birds numerous times, with one even flying over our boat with its prized catch firmly in its beak. The global estimated river tern population of 50,000-100,000 individuals is primarily concentrated in India. Its numbers have especially increased in South India, where the birds have likely benefitted from the development of reservoirs. They nest on small islands and islets that come up in the reservoirs in summer when the water is used for irrigation. Photos: Shivang Mehta

The (1) white-browed wagtail (Motacilla maderaspatensis) and (2) pied kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) blessed me with their ubiquitous presence throughout my week-long visit to the National Chambal Sanctuary. Perched on an island in the middle of the river, they were the first birds I saw on safari.

The term “pied” is usually used to describe birds with two or more colours, especially black and white. But that rule doesn’t seem to apply to the wagtail, whose white eyebrows stood out more than its black-and-white plumage to those who named it. The white-browed wagtail is one among six species of wagtails found in India. It prefers to live along smooth-flowing rivers where it feeds on small insects, dragonflies, and snails. This individual nonchalantly posed for me from the bow of our boat before flying away.

The pied kingfisher is one of twelve species of kingfishers in India. Its varied vocalisations are often heard across the length and breadth of rivers. I saw four of them perched together on a river island and learnt from my guides that these birds live in pairs or small family groups. Observing a pied kingfisher hovering over the water’s surface was an exciting moment filled with anticipation. Would the bird catch the fish or miss it, I wondered. I was lucky to witness a successful hunt after many failed attempts by the suave bird. Photos: Anirudh Nair

Another bird that frequently appeared during my birding foray was the great thick-knee (*Esacus recurvirostris*). Though it is mainly active after dusk, I saw many during the day, sometimes alone, other times in pairs. On one occasion, I saw a flock of 8-10 birds, each adopting a different posture; some stood still on one leg or two, others had plonked themselves in the sand. Standing on one leg is a technique thick-knees and other birds use to conserve energy. These shy, odd-looking waders gave a series of sweet-sounding whistles as our boat passed them.
The great thick-knee mainly feeds on crabs and other crustaceans found along the banks of flowing rivers. Identifiable by their staring pale eyes and slow walk, they can upturn stones with their massive upcurved bills to look for prey. Photo: Shreeram MV

Ibises are wading birds recognisable by their spindly legs, long necks, and curved, slender bills. Found primarily around wetlands, the gregarious birds use their bills to probe into shallow water, mud, or grass when foraging. These quiet birds belong to an ancient lineage with fossil records dating back 60 million years. Out of the three species of ibises found in the National Chambal Sanctuary, I sighted two — (1) the red-naped ibis (Pseudibis papillosa) and (2) the black-headed ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus).

Once, on our way back after a safari, we were treated to the silhouettes of 15-20 red-naped ibises flying in a V-formation against the evening sky. Ibises form diagonal lines in flight to reduce wind resistance for trailing birds. When the leader tires, it falls to the back, and another ibis takes its place.

The black-headed ibis is a large bird with a white body and bare black head and neck. It often submerges its whole head and neck when wading in shallow water. The bird’s diet comprises frogs, tadpoles, snails, insects, worms, fish, and crustaceans. In some stretches, the banks of the Chambal River are lined by agricultural fields where these ibises forage. Photos: Shivang Mehta

The grey heron (*Ardea cinerea*) is a common bird in wetland habitats where it mainly consumes fish. It frequently stands quietly in water or at the water’s edge, alone or in small groups. The grey heron, like other herons and egrets, flies with its neck pulled in and forming a bulge. One individual we observed on the riverbank allowed our boat to come quite close before flying away. Another one we spotted stood still in the shallow water in Palighat (probably fishing), with a marsh crocodile sunbathing a few metres away. Photo: Shivang Mehta

Raptors that use the Chambal landscape’s steep and inaccessible mud cliffs include the Egyptian vulture (*Neophron percnopterus*) (above) and Bonelli’s eagle (*Aquila fasciata*) (video below).
In a scene straight out of many Hindi films based in the infamous badlands of Chambal, where a raptor ominously circles over the valleys, we spot an Egyptian vulture riding thermals high up in the sky. On another day, we saw one, its yellow face unmistakable, walking around 100 m from the bank, oblivious to our presence. Photo: Shivang Mehta

We were privy to a pair of Bonelli’s eagles bathing. Despite the best attempts of a pair of red-wattled lapwings (Vanellus indicus) to mob them, the eagles stayed put, enjoying their morning dip. After a while, they emerged from the water, shook the water off, spread their wings and flew to a nearby sand mound. Eagles are known to bathe frequently to keep their feathers clean and functional. Video: Anirudh Nair

(1) The lesser whistling duck (Dendrocygna javanica) (in the foreground) and (2) ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) are local migrants (the closest region where ruddy shelducks nest and may migrate from is Ladakh). Local migratory birds, unlike long-distance migrants, travel across relatively shorter distances to find food and better habitats. We saw large flocks of these gregarious ducks on the riverbank as well as in flight. The lesser whistling duck is a pale brown bird with a dark crown and nape. It flies with rapid wingbeats on broad, dark wings.

As its name suggests, the ruddy shelduck is ruddy overall with a contrasting pale creamy head and neck. The monogamous bird is a symbol of marital fidelity throughout its range in Asia. Photos: Shreeram MV

The Chambal landscape would feel incomplete without the calls of two quintessential wetland birds — (1) the river lapwing (Vanellus duvaucelii) and (2) the red-wattled lapwing. A large part of my time on safari was spent watching their antics. The river lapwing, as its name suggests, is found near rivers, where it forages in pairs on the banks or exposed islands. It calls shrilly when alarmed. The red-wattled lapwing’s loud alarm heard across waterbodies in India is often compared to the words “did you do it?”. Though the pair of red-wattled lapwings I saw didn’t hesitate to mob a pair of Bonnelli’s eagles, (2) this pair maintained a respectable distance from a marsh crocodile. Photos: Shreeram MV (1) and Anirudh Nair (2)