Rajaji Tiger Reserve, Uttrakhand

Date of Visit – 7 January 2026

Date of Entry – 22 January

Sikandar –

Rajaji is a wonderful reserve with several species of birds and lots of animals. It is approximately 4 hours away from Delhi by car and 45 minutes via plane then 2 more hours in a car from the airport. Rajaji is a wonderful reserve to visit with 6 huge gates. We came across Rajaji because our parents’ friend told us about it who are also into birdwatching. Also we only went to Mohand gate because it is widely known for birding and leopard spotting. We stayed at a small hotel called Aalia which has private jeeps which can take you to the reserve. The safaris are 4 hours long, one starting at 5 am and one starting at 12 pm from the hotel. The park is 30 minutes away and the craziest part is that you have to cross a highway in an open jeep which is very fun. Rajaji has 450 bird species and several animals. We like Rajaji not just because of wildlife but because there are only 12 to 14 jeeps allowed in one gate, which makes it less crowded like Jhalana or Corbett. Also Rajaji does not have radios in the jeep so it is more quiet when you spot something and not crowded.

Our father’s friend Sonali was also deep into birding and so was her whole family and her son Neel told us about Rajaji Tiger Reserve and all the birds and leopards there. We took this in and in January me, my brother and mother went to Rajaji. We took a flight from Delhi to Dehradun and then drove 2 hours to our hotel in Rajaji called Aalia. The next day we had a safari at 5 in the morning so that meant we woke up at 4:30. When we entered the jeep we directly came to a very bumpy road and then to a 4 lane highway and our jeep was roofless so the moment we entered the highway we all felt like we were in Antarctica. Finally we were about to approach the park and Atish spotted 2 Oriental Pied Hornbills on a dead tree next to the park. Now we were actually in the park and we saw lots of birders. Some new birds for us were the pygmy woodpecker, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Red-headed Vulture and Changeable Hawk-Eagle in both morphs – dark and pale – dark morph is when the Changeable Hawk-Eagle does not shed its feathers but is born like that and it is like a Black Panther. They are the rarer species of the jaguar and the dark morph is the rarer species of the Changeable Hawk-Eagle and the pale morph is not rare, it is the common species.

The next day we had a twelve o’clock safari so me and Atish were doing archery in the hotel after eating one of the best butter chicken. That’s when I saw some feet from behind the bushes and then I thought that I had seen the shoes somewhere and then I remembered it was my father’s so me and Atish dashed upstairs and saw our father. Our mother then said it was a surprise and he got his camera so that also meant our pictures would be better. Then in the evening we went for our next safari and our guide was telling us about how the female hornbill nests but it can also die on very rare occasions. First she seals herself in a hollow tree to keep the eggs warm then she makes the hole smaller by using mud and fruit pulp but she is totally reliant on the male for food. After the eggs are hatched she teaches them basic skills and on the fifth week they are ready to come out of the nest.

Then we reached the park and saw at least twenty emerald doves. Then we saw a pack of jeeps staring at something and that’s when we saw 2 leopards in the distance. The male was Andheri male and the female was Hira and then our guide said that the female is a bit weak and unwell as she was limping and could not hunt which could be a big problem for her. Then another jeep got bored of the leopards and found the cub of Hira on a tree stretching so then the crowd shifted to the cub stretching. Then it ran off somewhere so we chased it. Then it just slipped away.

On the next and last day we did not see anything very special but we stopped at a watch tower and had chai or hot chocolate. Many sanctuaries have watch towers like this. And one of our favourite things was that Rajaji had no radios like Corbett so when you see something rare there is no massive crowd and only 15 jeeps are allowed at a time.

Atish –

Timeline of events and how the trip unfolded –

We arrived late at night at Aalia Jungle Retreat, a 30 minute drive away from the park’s entry.
The 2nd day morning we wake up and get to our morning safari, return for lunch and leave aain for our evening safari. We follow the same routine for the 3rd day.
Departure to Jolly Grant Airport in the morning as we take our return flight to Delhi.

Weather and surroundings & Data –

Cold nights and mornings however the temperature warms up a little around noon to 3:30pm.
Rajaji is located in Uttarakhand near Haridwar
Its widely known for its frequent Leopard sightings and variety of Raptors (Birds of prey)
The geography of Rajaji consists of rocky riverbeds, deciduous forests, shrubs and grasslands
The leopard density is about 16.9 leopards per 100 km², one of the highest ever recorded in India

Why We Decided to Go to Rajaji –

At first, someone had recommended this place to us, claiming it had great birding and especially good sightings of scarcely found birds like the Red-headed Vulture. We didn’t pay much attention to this until a small two-day school break came around. We were looking for a wildlife holiday where we wouldn’t have to travel much. We called them up for advice on where to stay, which areas were good for sightings, and which guides we should use.

We had received all the information we required in great detail, as the person telling us about the place was a frequent visitor and knew the area well. He told us that the park was home to a variety of raptors, hornbills, leopards, minivets, and a few other birds we had personal goals to see.

We only did safaris at Mohand Gate as it had the highest raptor sightings and leopard density. Since I also love the state of Uttarakhand, I was extremely excited to visit the park.

Leopard Chase –

Out of our four safaris, at first we heard a lot of distress calls and patiently waited for any sign of movement in our direction. However, although we stopped many times for a chance of a sighting, we went unrewarded. We later thought we should also use our four hours to prioritize birds and tried finding areas in the park that weren’t crowded with gypsies.

We spotted a Changeable Hawk-Eagle in both pale and dark morphs, many Crested Serpent-Eagles, and a Red-headed Vulture. On our first safari, we did, however, get a brief glimpse of a leopard called Mowgli, but the gate was closing, so we had to leave.

On the third safari, we were looking at a Black Redstart and a Small Minivet when a gypsy far away waved at us, signalling towards something. Our guide said that a leopard had been spotted, and our driver took an immediate turn, almost throwing us to one side.

We raced towards the scene, the wind whistling in our ears. With our face covers and glasses on, we arrived at the riverbed. They signalled silently far out towards the edge of the rocks and trees. There was an old, seemingly hurt female crossing the river with a slight limp in her step.

I immediately started filming until an Oriental Pied Hornbill perched itself directly behind us in perfect afternoon sunlight. My attention diverted, I changed my position and started photographing the hornbill, later passing the camera to my brother.

Then our driver had a quiet conversation with the guide in the other vehicle, who looked at his phone and said to him that a cub had been spotted in a tree in Beenjiro, an area in the park. We again zipped down the rocky road to arrive at the second scene.

Fuelled by excitement due to our proximity to the leopard, I almost forgot about the camera in my hands. We filmed it for a while until it decided to leave, and then we moved on, only to get charged by a female elephant.

After the excitement subsided, we had about an hour left in the park, and we stopped in the dense undergrowth to get a look at a huge variety of birds, from Crimson Sunbirds to Black-hooded Orioles.

After our eventful safari, which completely contradicted our general luck with sightings—from raptors to wild cats—we returned to our hotel with even bigger smiles.

Personal Experience and Insight –

This trip had been amazing, as I could learn the functions of our newly bought Nikon Coolpix P950, got my first taste of handling a camera, experienced my first proper leopard sighting, and saw a few favourites like the Changeable Hawk-Eagle and the Red-headed Vulture.

Our hotel stay was also fabulous, as the people were kind and welcoming, and the hospitality was great.

Overall, I loved the experience.

Bird sighting list –