Rare Birds of the White Desert- The great Rann of Kutch

Discover stunning birding spots of India with #Literoma senior birder Tarun.

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It’s a desert, an endless land of whiteness at the western end of our country. The Gulf of Rann of Kutch in Arabian Sea is at one end and the Indus River at the other end, about 7500 sq. km. of open land in the state of Gujarat is the White Desert.

At The White Desert

Taking a car from outside Ahmedabad Airport, (pre-arranged) , we reached our stay point at Epicentre Homestay , owned and managed by none other than famous birding guide Mr. Bharat Kapdi, located at Lodai Village by the side of Kaswati Dam.

Our Homestay in the White Desert

Next day at early morning, after a quick freshen up, our car started and in the driver seat, Mr Bharat Kapdi was at 90 kmph in the highway. A distance of about 55 km we covered just in less than an hour and immediately the car stopped, a Common Snipe at our right side waiting for the breakfast. At the same place on the opposite side a Ruff in its breeding plumage, sitting still.

Common Snipe and Ruff

After moving a small distance, on the thorny perch, a solitary Steppe Shrike was busy in feeding. The bird arrives there from Pakistan during winter and moves back as the temperature rises.

Steppe Shrike

Bharatji’s eyes were in search of something else, and it’s there. The car stopped, engine off and from inside the car we could locate the Short-eared Owl at a distance of 100 ft app. sitting on the ground but absolutely camouflaged with the dry thorny bushes. The owl flew away within minutes and on our way inside Banni Grass land saw few desert birds on the small bushes.

Short-eared Owl

Stoliczka’s Bushchat, Isabeline Wheatear, and on the ground Crested Lark and Sand Larks were moving very fast.

Stoliczka’s Bushchat, Isabeline Wheatear, Crested Lark and Sand Lark

As soon as we moved less than 500 mts on our right side some yellow round spots were moving on the ground, highly camouflaged.. Bharat ji confirmed those were the Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse. A specialty of the birds he told, they travel hundreds of miles during summer to reach a water hole. They soak their under body feathers heavily in the water and carry that for their babies at the nest. They move in groups always to save themselves from the predators everywhere in the desert.

Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse

To our dismay, Bharatji took us another few kilometres and showed some coastal birds on the hot desert itself. The birds were sitting on their belly on ground in hundreds, were basking in the sun. It was impossible to locate there birds on the ground as long as somebody indicate and minute observation on the ground. Those were Lesser Sand Plovers.

Lesser Sand Plovers and Cream coloured Courser

On the opposite side of the field some bigger size (22-25) cm birds were running on the ground, in a peculiar pattern, due to our presence. They were standing erect, running...standing for some time, looking back, again run and repeat till reaching a comfortable distance. Those were Cream coloured Courser. They too were very hard to find on the sandy surface.

Greater Hoopoe Lark, Siberian Stonechat and Citrine Wagtail

We moved and travelled another few hundred meters and saw the Greater Hoopoe Lark, an originally resident bird of the Rann of Kutch, foraging on the ground and searching g for prey from under the surface by its big size bill. A few Siberian Stonechats and Citrine Wagtails were also there sporadically.

By this time we reached at a very deeper point inside the Rann and looking at all sides it was appearing same. Persons with clear idea and expertise only could be able to come out of the vast open land and we started our return journey.