Indian Roller

The Rann of Kutch is a unique eco-system in Gujarat State. There are two : Little Rann of Kutch and Greater Rann of Kutch. They are low-lying areas where the monsoon water assumes the shape of shallow lakes and swamp. They dry up in winter, yet several water bodies remain active. The islands within them, known as "bets" possess lot of grass cover, hence ideal for avian species to stay. Though some what inaccessible due to either severe mash conditions or dense grass-groups, the entire region is rich in wild life; loads of birds can be spotted during winter -- waterfowl in the water bodies and desert species in the arid and semi arid terrain.

Little Rann : We approach the Little Rann from Ahmedabad. The drive can be for an hour and a half to reach Zainabad or Dasada where the lodges are located. Open jeep is used for the Rann safaris, can be during morning and afternoon, to cover bit long distance to reach the exact location of birds. We can stay for two nights though one night and two half days can also meet the objective.

The Little Rann of Kutch has another name -- Wild Ass Sanctuary. It is home to the endangered Wild Ass, not found anywhere else in the world. Other mammals found here include Bluebull, Chinkara, Hedgehog, Wolf, Jackal, Fox, Jungle and Desert Cats, Lizards. Nearly 300 species of birds have been recorded in this Rann.

Raptors : Buzzards (Long-legged, Common, and White-eyed), Eagles (Bonelli's, Imperial, Tawny, Steppe, Greater Spotted, Lesser Spotted, Booted, and Short toed), Harriers (Pallid and Montagu's), Red-necked Falcon. Merlin is also reported. Six species of vultures are easily observed, the White-backed Vulture, which declined all over the subcontinent, can be spotted here.
 

Sociable Plover	Yellow-wattled Lapwing

Cranes & Waders : The Rann is haven for Cranes - Common Cranes and Demoiselle Cranes winter in thousands in this vast expanse. Large congregation of waders is impressive at each water spread : Shanks, Sandpipers, Godwits, Pratincoles (Small, Oriental and Collared), Lapwings (Yellow-wattled, White-tailed and often Sociable, which is very rare). A thorough search can yield rarities -- waders which confine to the sea shores. The brackish water spread hosts Pelicans (3 species), Flamingos (both Lesser and Greater), Storks (Painted, Open-bill, Woolly-necked, White, Black and Black-necked). Ducks: Lesser-whistling, Spot- Billed, Comb, Marble Teal, and most other common wintering ducks.

Coursers : The scrub habitat hosts the migratory Houbara, once quarry of the Arab Sheikhs in India. Chesnut-belied and Spotted Sandgrouse, Cream-coloured, and Indian Coursers, Jungle Bush and Rock Bush Quails, and Yellow-legged and Barred Button Quails, Larks (Singing and Indian Bush, Ashy-crowned, Black-crowned Sparrow Larks, Rufous-tailed , Greater Hoopoe, Greater short-toed, Sand, Bimaculated, Crested, Syke's Larks and Oriental Lark) are common sights here.

Martins, Pied Cuckoo, Sirkeer Malkoha, Wryneck, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, European Roller, Rosy Starling, Large Grey Babbler, Red-breasted and Asian Paradise Flycatchers, Prinias (Jungle, Graceful, Ashy, Rufous-fronted, Grey-fronted), Wire-tailed Swallow, Shrikes (Rufous-tailed, Bay-backed), Warblers (Grey-backed, Blyth's Reed, Booted, Orphean, Desert and Sulphur-belied), Pied-Bushchat, Wheatears (Isabeline, Variable and Desert), Blue-headed Rock Thrush, Greater and Lesser Whitethroat, Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin, Tawny and Long-billed Pipit, Chesnut-shouldered Petronia, Baya and Streaked Weavers, Black-headed, Grey-necked, and House Buntings. The nocturnal species are : Dusky Eagle and Short-eared owl, and four species of Nightjars (Savanna, Syke's, Indian and Grey).

Birding safaris pass through tiny village settlements where we can observe local culture, and craftsmen-women engaged in handloom, embroidery, and pottery.

Great Rann : There are two ways of covering the Great Rann of Kutch. One is to go through Jamnagar - we drive (4 hrs) from the Little Rann to reach Jamnagar for over night stay in a private hotel, to observe birds at its lakes - Khijadia and Bhujia pond. The Marine National Park is located nearby; better we observe birds the Jamnagar shore -- littoral and swampy edges dominated with mangrove forest.

Then we drive to Bhuj. Or we drive (5 hrs from the Little Rann) to reach Bhuj to encounter the avifauna of the Greater Rann of Kutch, some rarities here are : White-naped Tit, Grey Hypocolis, Stoliczka's Chat, hundred of raptors (Harriers and Steppe Eagles significantly) besides Great Indian Bustard (another 2 hrs drive). It needs minimum two night halt here : worth doing.