8th - 23rd Feb 2026 16 Days
Maximum Group Size 5
Activity Level Easy
Pricing US$5,785
Tour Leader Nick Ludovic Green

Introduction

This is a specially-designed wetland Bird-Photo-Tour focussed around two outstanding wintering Indian locations for waterbirds (i) Jalpaiguri District in West Bengal State is home to thousands of wintering wildfowl and via individual boats, one client per boat, each driven by a skilled local boatsman, photographers can obtain point-blank views of its waterbirds (ii) The Indian State of Gujarat has wintering Pelicans, Flamingos, Indian Skimmers and Crab Plovers amongst many other wetland birds including other specialities such as Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse. These species can be enjoyed at close range offering a superb opportunity for portrait-quality images.

Photographic Highlights

Cranes and Flamingoes: Demoiselle Crane / Sarus Crane / Lesser Flamingo / Greater Flamingo

Pelicans and Wildfowl: Great White Pelican / Dalmatian Pelican / Falcated Duck / Baer’s Pochard / Small Pratincole

Sandgrouse and Other Waterbirds: Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse / Indian Skimmer / Crab Plover

Pricing

Price US$5,785
Single Supplement US$500
Deposit US$1,736
Bird-Photo-Tour Asia Inclusions:

Guiding Fees / Ground Transportation / Accommodation / Meals / Entrance Fees / Tipping for Drivers, Boatsmen, Hotel and Restaurant Staff.

Bird-Photo-Tour Asia Exclusions:

International Flights / VISA Fees / Travel Insurance / Tips for Local Guide / Alcohol / Laundry / Items of a Personal Nature

Itinerary

Days 1-5 Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal State (4N / 3D / 6S): Arrival Bogdogra Airport in West Bengal State, transfer to Jalpaiguri District. Photographic Targets via Chartered Boats: Baer’s Pochard / Cotton Pygmy Goose / Falcated Duck / Small Pratincole / Red-crested Pochard / River Lapwing / Smew / Common Goldeneye.

Day 5-8 Mahesana District, Gujarat State (3N / 2D / 4S): Fly to Sardar Vallabhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, Gujarat State, transfer to Mahesana District. Photographic Targets via Chartered Boat: Painted Stork / Sarus Crane / Demoiselle Crane / Sociable Lapwings / Lesser Flamingo / Greater Flamingo / Dalmatian Pelican / Great White Pelican / Black-necked Grebe / Bar-headed Goose.

Day 8-12 Kutch District, Gujarat State (4N / 3D / 6S): Afternoon drive 2-hours to Kutch District. Photographic Targets: Lesser Flamingo / Greater Flamingo / Great White Pelican / Dalmatian Pelicans / Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse / Greater Spotted Eagle / Imperial Eagle / Steppe Eagle / Peregrine Falcon / Rufous-tailed Lark / Ashy-crowned Sparrow Lark / Crested Lark.

Day 12-16 Jamnagar District, Gujarat State (4N / 4D / 8S): Drive 4-hours to Jamnagar District. Photographic Targets: Lesser Flamingo / Greater Flamingo / Indian Skimmer / Crab Plover / Great White Pelican / Dalmatian Pelican / Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse / Pallas’s Gull / Heuglin’s Gull / Slender-billed Gull / Eurasian Oystercatcher / Gull-billed Tern.

Day 16 Bagdogra Airport (0N / 0D / 0S): Drive 4-hours to Fly to Sardar Vallabhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad for international departures.

[Key: N=Night, D=Full Day, S = Session / Half-Day].

   
Nick Ludovic Green

Nick, a UK National, has been living in Asia for over 15-years and in this time has conducted over 125 bird photography trips across the whole of the Asian continent ranging from Kazakhstan in the west, through India and China to Japan in the east, and from the Kamchatka coastline in the north to as far south as Indonesia. In China alone Nick has photographed to portrait-quality standard over 1,200 of China's bird species taking him to all of China's provinces as well as most of those nations bordering China. These bird photography trips have ranged in length from a few days to many months, including a three-month bird photography expedition to China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region, becoming quite possibly the most travelled foreigner in this region over the past decade. Nick has also conducted a four-month bird photography trek across the Himalayas, ranging from the Indian States of Ladakh and Kashmir in the west, into the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, then onto the Indian States of West Bengal and Sikkim, ending in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in the eastern Himalayas. Nick has had his images published across numerous media channels including the BBC and Chinese state-owned media outlets, various bird magazines and journals including the Oriental Bird Club's BirdingASIA. He has his own website on the Birds of China at www.BirdingInChina.com and his book 'Portraits of the Birds of China' is due for publication in 2026. Furthermore, Nick has presented films on photographing birds both in Asia and Europe, has his bird images published across many social media platforms within and outside Asia, and has led a number of bird photography lectures and walks, particularly targeted at children. Consequently, Nick has accumulated significant experience of photographing birds within the Asian continent and this expertise has formed the backdrop to setting up Bird-Photo-Tours Asia, trips designed by bird photographers for bird photographers.

Easy Activity Level

(i) The guesthouses are all in close proximity to the bird photography locations (ii) Walking is at a light pace (iii) There is no requirement to hike nor climb. (iv) None of the locations are at altitude (v) There is no camping. Summary: for these five reasons this trip has been graded as 'Easy'.