Uttarakhand Birding Expedition Report – November 2025
Into the Himalayas
The Himalayas in November carry a very different rhythm. The mornings arrive slowly with crisp mountain air, drifting mist and forests that gradually come alive with calls echoing through the valleys. Our Uttarakhand birding expedition began with this exact atmosphere as we gathered at Dehradun Airport and started moving deeper into the mountains towards Mandal, our first birding base in the higher Himalayas.
The drive itself felt like the beginning of a gradual transition into another world. As the plains disappeared behind us, the roads followed the sacred river valleys of Uttarakhand through Devprayag, Rudraprayag, Karnprayag and Nandprayag. Each confluence carried its own quiet energy, and the group often paused silently to absorb the scale of the mountains, the rivers and the changing landscape around us.
By the time we approached Mandal, the air had turned colder, the forests denser and the excitement within the group noticeably stronger.
Forests of Mandal
Mandal immediately welcomed us with the calmness that makes this region so special for birders and wildlife photographers. Surrounded by mixed oak and rhododendron forests, the area felt alive even before sunrise on our first morning in the field.
The forests echoed constantly with movement, distant calls and mixed hunting flocks passing through the canopy. Scarlet Finches appeared briefly along the trail, while Yellow-billed Blue Magpies moved noisily between the trees. Warblers including Lemon-rumped, Buff-barred and Ashy-throated Warblers remained active throughout the morning, often moving rapidly with the flocks through the higher branches.
As the day unfolded, the forests around Mandal continued rewarding us with exceptional activity. Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-Babblers called from dense undergrowth while Variegated, Streaked and Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrushes emerged in small groups along quieter sections of the trail.
A peaceful session beside the river near our stay added a completely different atmosphere to the day. The sound of flowing water mixed with the sharp calls of Spotted Forktails and the constant movement of Plumbeous and White-capped Redstarts across the rocks created one of the most memorable sessions of the expedition’s opening days.
The combination of clear Himalayan weather, active forest birdlife and constantly changing light made Mandal an unforgettable beginning to the journey.
Morning Light in Chopta
The following morning took us towards Chopta, one of the most beautiful high-altitude birding regions in Uttarakhand. The drive itself was spectacular, with changing elevations slowly replacing dense forests with open Himalayan slopes and scattered rhododendron patches.
Cold mountain light covered the landscape as we reached the area shortly after sunrise, and almost immediately the excitement within the group intensified.
Just minutes into the morning session, movement along an open grassy slope caught everyone’s attention. A pair of Himalayan Monals slowly emerged from the hillside, feeding quietly in the early morning light. Their colours glowed brilliantly against the cold Himalayan backdrop, and for several moments the entire group simply stood in silence watching India’s most iconic mountain pheasant move naturally across the slope before disappearing into the terrain once again.
For some participants, this was their very first close encounter with the species, making it one of the defining moments of the expedition.
The forests and ridges around Chopta continued rewarding us throughout the day. Koklass Pheasants remained more elusive, often calling from deeper forest sections before offering brief but memorable views. Snow Pigeons circled above the ridges while Himalayan Griffons used the rising thermals across the valleys.
The forest edges were particularly active with species such as White-throated Fantail, Coal Tit, Rufous-vented Tit and Yellow-browed Tit moving rapidly through mixed flocks.
As we continued exploring different elevations around Chopta, the changing light and constantly shifting mountain weather added a dramatic atmosphere to the entire day. Blue-fronted and Blue-capped Redstarts appeared along rocky trails while Pink-browed Rosefinches fed quietly near open patches of vegetation.
Every turn in the trail seemed to reveal a different layer of Himalayan birdlife, making the experience feel immersive rather than hurried.
Silence of the Higher Slopes
The following days carried the expedition deeper into the quieter forests around Makkumath and the higher trails of Tungnath, where the atmosphere changed noticeably once again. Compared to the busier forest movement around Mandal and Chopta, these regions felt calmer, colder and far more silent, offering a completely different Himalayan experience.
The forests around Makkumath were particularly rewarding for photography. Early morning light filtered softly through the deodar and mixed temperate forests while species such as Himalayan Bluetail, Scarlet Finch and Black-headed Jay appeared intermittently along the trails.
Red-billed Blue Magpies moved noisily between the trees while Collared Owlets called persistently from deeper forest sections without revealing themselves easily.
The slower pace of these forests allowed the group to spend more time observing behaviour, listening to calls and simply absorbing the stillness of the landscape.
As we continued towards Tungnath, the terrain gradually opened into higher-altitude slopes and rocky Himalayan ridges. The trail itself felt dramatic, with cold mountain winds, changing cloud cover and expansive views stretching across the valleys below.
Himalayan Monals appeared once again along the slopes, though far more cautiously than before, often disappearing into the terrain moments after being sighted. Species such as Gray-crested Tit, Bar-tailed Treecreeper, Alpine Accentor and Blue Whistling-Thrush added to the high-altitude atmosphere of the day.
Tungnath also delivered some of the expedition’s most memorable mammal encounters. Yellow-throated Martens moved rapidly through the forested sections while Himalayan Tahr and Mountain Goats were observed navigating steep rocky slopes with remarkable ease. Small Himalayan Pikas appeared briefly among boulders near the trails, adding another layer of excitement to the day.
However, the most unexpected moment came during our return journey towards Mandal. As the light slowly faded across the mountains, a Himalayan Black Bear appeared briefly near the roadside before disappearing back into the forest.
The sighting lasted only a short while, but it left the entire group silent with excitement. Moments like these are impossible to predict in the Himalayas, and they often become the memories that stay with everyone long after the expedition ends.
Towards the Foothills
As the journey gradually shifted from the higher Himalayas towards the forests and lakes of Sattal, the landscape once again transformed dramatically. The colder alpine forests slowly gave way to warmer foothill habitats, broadleaf forests and riverine patches rich with bird activity.
Even during the long drive, the mountains continued surprising us. Near one of the quieter forest stretches, a Leopard Cat briefly crossed the road before vanishing into the vegetation almost instantly, another rare and unforgettable encounter during the expedition.
By evening we reached Sattal, our next birding base in the foothills of Uttarakhand.
Streams, Owls and Forest Trails
Sattal brought a completely different rhythm to the journey. Compared to the silence and open landscapes of Chopta and Tungnath, the forests here felt denser, greener and constantly alive with movement.
The bird observatory sessions produced excellent sightings including Greater and Lesser Yellownapes, Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch, Red-billed Leiothrix and Rufous-chinned Laughingthrushes moving actively through the forest edges.
One of the most memorable sessions in Sattal came near the Chanfi stream, where the quieter forest and flowing water created ideal conditions for both birding and photography.
Brown Fish Owl and Tawny Fish Owl remained major highlights, while Wallcreeper, Crested Kingfisher and multiple redstart species added constant activity along the streamside habitat.
The softer foothill light and rich forest surroundings made these sessions especially rewarding for photographers in the group.
Our sessions around Ranikhet and Sattal Studio Point further added species such as Himalayan Griffon, Steppe Eagle, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Scaly-breasted Cupwing and Small Niltava to the growing expedition list.
Final Morning in the Forest
Our final morning in Sattal delivered a perfect conclusion to the expedition. As the forests slowly became active after sunrise, a Common Green Magpie suddenly flashed through the undergrowth, its vivid colours standing out brilliantly against the darker forest background.
It was one of the last major sightings of the journey and felt like a fitting farewell from the forests of Uttarakhand.
The morning continued with excellent activity from laughingthrushes, barbets, pheasants and nuthatches moving across the forest edges while the group spent its final hours quietly absorbing the atmosphere of the Himalayan foothills.
Over nine days, the expedition moved through an extraordinary range of Himalayan habitats including oak and rhododendron forests, alpine slopes, mixed temperate forests, riverine patches and foothill broadleaf ecosystems. Together, these landscapes produced an exceptional diversity of birdlife and mammal encounters, with the group recording 104 bird species across the journey.
More importantly, however, the expedition offered something beyond species numbers alone. The constantly changing elevations, unpredictable wildlife moments, quiet Himalayan mornings and long hours spent inside forests created a deeper connection with the landscapes we travelled through.
From the first forests of Mandal to the final birding session in Sattal, the journey unfolded not simply as a checklist of sightings, but as a gradual immersion into the rhythm and silence of the Himalayas.
Expedition Summary
Tour Dates
14 – 22 November 2025
Route Followed
Dehradun → Devprayag → Rudraprayag → Karnprayag → Nandprayag → Gopeshwar → Mandal → Chopta → Tungnath → Makkumath → Gairsain → Ranikhet → Sattal → Pantnagar
Habitats Covered
Oak and rhododendron forests, alpine slopes, mixed temperate forests, foothill broadleaf forests, streams and riverine habitats.
Key Highlights
Himalayan Monal, Brown Fish Owl, Tawny Fish Owl, Common Green Magpie, Leopard Cat, Himalayan Black Bear, Himalayan Tahr and Yellow-throated Marten.
Total Bird Species Recorded
104 Species
Expedition Led By
Manmohan Uniyal
If you would like to explore these Himalayan birding regions in greater detail, you can also read about our dedicated Sattal Birding Tour and Chopta and Mandal Birding Tour programs. Both journeys are carefully designed for birdwatchers, wildlife photographers and nature lovers seeking immersive experiences across Uttarakhand’s forests, mountain trails and rich Himalayan bird habitats.
