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Sunset over the Kumaon ridges from Majkhali
Guided birding from Ranikhet, Uttarakhand

Birding the Kumaon oak forest, with someone who lives in it

Three to seven days out of Ranikhet. Never more than six of you, always guided by me, on the ridges I walk anyway. Published prices, honest odds, no agency in between.

Max 6 guests, often fewer
3–5 days, easy walking
From ₹12,000 pp, all land costs
Extensive experience, Kumaon region
Replies same day, in English
Who I am

I'm Vivasvat. I've spent years birding the Kumaon region — the ridges above Ranikhet, the Binsar sanctuary, the streams. I guide from Majkhali now.

I run these trips myself, one group at a time, which is why there are never more than six of you and why the person answering your email is the person who'll be on the trail with you. Our base is Firwood Cottage in Majkhali — early starts, straight into good habitat, no long drive before the day begins.

What I do know is the ground: which forest road is worth walking after rain, where the forktails sit on the Chaubatia stream, and which slope has held birds recently. Every photograph on this site is mine, taken on these routes, with the date and the place on it.

Vivasvat Chauhan, birding guide, in the Kumaon hills

Two tours

Ranikhet for the pheasants, Binsar for the wilderness. Run either on its own, or the two back to back.

Male Cheer Pheasant on a grass slope near Ranikhet
Cheer Pheasant
Catreus wallichii
3–4 days
Oct – Apr
Easy · 3–5km/day

Ranikhet: the pheasant ridges

Based at Firwood Cottage in Majkhali. Dawn walks on the orchard tracks, the ridge paths and the Chaubatia stream, at 1,700–2,050m. Around 80–100 species, and the best chance anywhere of Cheer Pheasant.

The draw: Cheer Pheasant · Kalij · Spotted Forktail · Black-headed Jay
From
₹12,000
final price on your itinerary
View tour →
Trishul in last light, seen from the Binsar ridge
Trishul in last light
seen from the Binsar ridge
3 days
Oct – Apr
Moderate · one climb

Binsar: inside the sanctuary

Two nights at 2,412m inside a protected sanctuary. Less about a target list than about being in it — unbroken oak and rhododendron, no traffic, no village noise, snow peaks on a clear morning.

The draw: the forest itself · Koklass at dawn · Eurasian Jay · griffons
From
₹12,000
final price on your itinerary
View tour →

Most people do both, Ranikhet first — five days total, one transfer, and the two halves could not be less alike.

Recent mornings

Dated, located, unretouched. A dated log of recent mornings on these routes.

Asian Barred Owlet on a dead pine snag
JUNE 2026 · MAJKHALI · 18:10
Asian Barred Owlet
Glaucidium cuculoides
On a dead pine snag, calling into the fog. It answered a whistled imitation three times.
Himalayan Black-lored Tit on a thin branch
03 MAR 2026 · RANIKHET CLUB · 07:25
Himalayan Black-lored Tit
Machlolophus xanthogenys
Crest up in the scrub at the edge of the orchards, working the seed heads.
Male Koklass Pheasant in grass
18 FEB 2026 · RANIKHET OBT · 06:35
Koklass Pheasant
Pucrasia macrolopha
A male out in the open grass for a full minute before it walked back into cover. Usually only a voice.
Brown-fronted Woodpecker on a pine trunk
11 FEB 2026 · RANIKHET OBT · 08:10
Brown-fronted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos auriceps
Working the lichened pines beside the track. Usually the first woodpecker of any trip here.
Rock Bunting on a bare branch
24 JAN 2026 · MAJKHALI RIDGE · 09:40
Rock Bunting
Emberiza cia
A small party on the open ground above the orchards, one bird sitting up long enough for a frame.

Photographs

All mine, all taken on these routes. The collection page explains how you can verify that, which matters more than it should when you are booking from another country.

Cheer Pheasant Asian Barred Owlet Koklass Pheasant Himalayan Black-lored Tit Brown-fronted Woodpecker

Questions worth asking before you book

Plain answers, including where the trip has limits.

Why book with you rather than a larger operator?
Because I'm based here, at a small cottage near Ranikhet, and I walk these ridges whether or not anyone has booked. You get the person who knows which slope held birds last week, not a driver and a checklist. Groups never exceed six, and everything on this site is checkable — the exact route, the lodges by name, my own photographs, and a price with nothing hidden.
How do I get to Ranikhet from outside India?
Fly into Delhi, then either a short flight to Pantnagar and a 3-hour drive, or the overnight train to Kathgodam and a 3-hour drive. I meet you at either and the transfer is included both ways.
Do I need to be fit?
3 to 5km a day on graded forest road, with one gentle climb. No camping, nothing above 2,450m. If you can walk a few kilometres on uneven ground you will be fine — and tell me at enquiry if anything worries you.
What if only one person books?
Then the trip runs with one person, at the same price. Groups are capped at six and this season most will be smaller.
What does it cost, all in?
The published price covers every land cost: rooms, all meals, vehicle, guiding, permits and transfers. On top you need flights, an India e-visa of about $25, insurance, and a single supplement if you want your own room.

Tell me your dates and I'll tell you what's realistic

Including when the answer is that you should come in a different month. I'd rather lose the booking than have you fly here in June.

Viv's Nature Scope

Small-group guided birding around Ranikhet, in the Kumaon hills.

The tour
Ranikhet, 3–4 days Binsar, 3 days Dates and prices Private trips
Practical
Getting to Ranikhet What to bring Payment and cancellation
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