Soar Excursions

27/09/2024

30/03/2024

A beautiful suset in Kaziranga National Park
We were returning from the evening safari drive when we passed by this beautiful silk cotton tree in full bloom being used as roost by Himalayan Griffon and Slender-billed vultures..

29/03/2024

Nature is a delicate balance and flow of resources. Everything is recycled and put back to system. Scavenger play a crucial role in this cycling of resources. But human interference has caused severe disruptions in this perfectly balanced cycle, leading to catastrophic declines of lifeforms on earth. A photograph taken in our recent trip to Kaziranga, Slender-billed Vulture, Adjutant Stork and Himalayan Griffons feeding on a wild buffalo carcass. Every species in this image is a globally threatened or near threatened species as per the IUCN redlist. We must act fast and hard to preserve such pristine wildernesses like kaziranga before it's too late..

28/03/2024

Slender-billed Vulture (Gyps tenuirostris) is classified as Critically Endangered because it has suffered an extremely rapid population decline, particularly across the Indian subcontinent, largely as a result of feeding on carcasses of animals treated with the veterinary drug diclofenac, perhaps in combination with other causes. The total global population is is thought to be c.1,100-1,300 individuals, roughly equating to 730-870 mature individuals.

Sharing a beautiful image of this rarity from our recent trip to Kaziranga National Park, one of the last best refuge for these masters of sky.

20/03/2024

Coexistence is most important thing we humans must learn from mother nature. Sharing a photograph taken using phone and binocular during today's safari in blackbuck national park , Velavadar. The Apex predator of park Grey wolf and one if its prey (nilgai) share a shade under salvadora bush on a hot summer afternoon.

15/03/2024

And a lovely evening with the striped hyenas...

15/03/2024

A morning well spent photographing 150,000 flamingos

20/01/2024

Today was a foggy morning in Kanha and we travelled through the beautiful Sari zone. Kanha is not just all about tigers.. if you are open to exploring these majestic forest it can give you really rewarding moments. This dead tree full of critically endangered White-rumped Vultures was highlight of the safari along with many mammals and birds like Barasingha, Gaur, Barking deer, Crested serpent eagle, changeable hawk eagle, booted eagle and many more .. looking forward to three more exiting safaris in the land of jungle book..

08/01/2024

Black-eared Kite (Milvus migrans lineatus) is a sub species of Black kite that comes to western India as a winter migrant.

07/01/2024

Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus) is a near threatened large raptor in the family Accipitridae and distributed through much of temperate Eurasia. It migrates to northern and western during winters. Sharing a glimpse of this majestic bird from our ongoing bird photography tour of western Rajasthan.

03/01/2024

Many species of Aquila eagles migrate to the western India during winters. During the migration they mainly feed as scavengers. Some of the carcass dumping sites in Rajasthan and Gujarat can be extremely rewarding for birders and bird photographers looking to see these magnificent masters of sky.

31/12/2023

Wishing you all a very very happy healthy and adventurous 2024. #2024

30/12/2023

The yellow-eyed pigeon, pale-backed pigeon, yellow-eyed dove or yellow-eyed stock dove (Columba eversmanni) is a member of the family Columbidae (doves and pigeons). It breeds in southern Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, north-east Iran and extreme north-west China. It winters in north-east Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir and parts of Rajasthan (including Tal Chhapar Sanctuary and Jorbeer, Bikaner). The bird has declined in numbers over the years, chiefly because of hunting, and it is listed as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Nondescript brownish-gray pigeon with a bright yellow eye-ring. Wing pattern noticeably weaker than that of larger Hill Pigeons and wild-type Rock Doves. Favors open arid areas and mountain valleys, usually near a water source. Sharing this magnificent species photographed at Jorbeer today, from our ongoing birding tour of Talchappar, jorbeer and DNP.

27/12/2023

Common woodshrike: A medium-sized woodshrike with grayish-brown upperparts, black facial mask, white rump, and gray tail with white outer tail feathers. Bill strongly hooked, dark grayish-brown in color. Underparts white. Usually found in dry forested areas and shrublands.

05/12/2023

It is our great pleasure to share with you all that Soar Excursions was shortlisted for the ToFTigers Wildlife Tourism awards under the category of best wildlife promotion company and we have received first prize in the category. We are honored to receive this prestigious recognition. We are extremely thankful to Team ToFTigers and all the judges for putting faith in our efforts.

05/12/2023

Wishing you all a very meaningful World Soild Day. Our planet’s survival depends on the precious link between soil and water. Over 95 percent of our food originates from these two fundamental resources. Soil water, vital for nutrient absorption by plants, binds our ecosystems together. This symbiotic relationship is the foundation of our agricultural systems.
However, in the face of climate change and human activity, our soils are being degraded, putting excessive pressure on our water resources. Erosion disrupts the natural balance, reducing water infiltration and availability for all forms of life.

20/11/2023

Painted Sandgrouse is a beautifully patterned species of sandgrouse endemic to indian subcontinent. It is a species of inland plains, plateaus, and other open areas. Male is warm sandy-brown with bold brown, black, and white stripes. Female is much more densely and intricately striped all over her body. Photographed in Great Rann of kutch during our recent birding tour.

19/11/2023

During an early morning drive through the thorny scrub forests in the Great Rann of Kutch, we could catch the essence of these fragile ecosystems through our lens. Existence of thee Species like White-naped Tit and Marshall’s Iora depends on existence of these scrublands, which are fast vanishing due to development and invasive plants like Prosopis juliflora. As a responsible and sustainable travel company we are committed to support plantation of native flora in several parts of Gujarat.

18/11/2023

Trumpeter Finch (Bucanetes githagineus) is a small finch with a big, chunky bill, long wings, and a short tail. In the breeding season, males have a pinked tinged bill, forehead, rump, vent, wings, and tail. In winter sexes look alike and equally nondescript. Normally sings on the ground uttering short nasal notes. Found in desert and semi-desert areas. In India it winters in very small regions of western Rajasthan and Rann of Kutch. It was a great pleasure to watch these little beauties in our recent birding trip in Desert National Park, Rajasthan.

16/11/2023

The Eurasian Eagle owl is very large and powerful owl with obvious ear tufts, deep orange eyes, and finely streaked pale buffy underparts. Active mainly at night, but can be seen perched up on prominent lookouts at dusk, searching for prey. Can be found roosting during the day in shady canopy or caves. Pairs often duet, with the male giving a deep, resounding hoot and the female giving a hoarser, higher-pitched one. Inhabits a wide range of habitats, from forests to rocky canyons, but generally abundant nowhere. After splitting Indian Eagle owl from Eurasian, the later is only found in trans Himalayas in India. Ladakh is one of the best place to see this beautiful owl in India.

12/11/2023

May your heart glow as bright as the diyas that light this Diwali 🪔

02/11/2023

Apart from the amazing sightings of critically endangered Great Indian bustards, the Desert National Park birding tour rewarded us with many great sightings. Sharing a glimpse of some of the birds we saw: Laggar Falcon, Bimaculated lark, black crowed sparrow lark, desert lark, Mongolian Short toed lark, Trumpeter Finch

01/11/2023

A picture is worth thousand words…this picture of critically endangered Sociable Lapwing sums up what we have done to this planet.. we hope that those who understand it and those who care for this beautiful planet would do whatever small contribution they can to save the biodiversity that forms base for our very existence

01/11/2023

Afro-Asian Sand Snake (Psammophis schokari) is a mildly venomous snake seen in the thar desert of India. It grows up to 128cm. Its body is slender, covered with smooth scales and ends with a thin long tail. It is a polymorphic species, the morph which is most common in the Indian Subcontinent is as follows: Dorsal body is covered with four broad dark brown or chocolate brown stripes which are separated by three light brown or cream stripes, one on top and two on the side body. Light coloured stripe on the vertebra is the finest and it fades away on the tail. Additionally, the first dorsal row is also white or off-white. Its underbody is yellowish with black outer margins and sometimes with dark brown or blackish in middle. Its head is elongated, broader than its neck and bears a pointed snout. Its eyes are large with a rounded pupil.

31/10/2023

The Asiatic Wildcat Felis lybica ornata occurs from the eastern Caspian region, north to Kazakhstan, into Pakistan and western India, western China and Mongolia. They are also known as Asian steppe cats or Indian desert cats.

The background colour of these cats is pale sandy gray in Pakistan and India, while the cats of Central Asia are more greyish-yellow or reddish.

Their spot pattern is variable and markings can be large, small, distinct, blurred, black, brown or greyish. Spots are sometimes fused to form unbroken lines, and one or two dark bands circle the upper fore and hind legs. The long, thin tail is spotted near the base but ringed towards the black tipped end. Underparts are whitish and unspotted. The ears have a yellowish-buff band on the back and a characteristic tuft of dark hair on the tip. Paler forms live in drier areas while more heavily spotted and striped forms occur in more humid, wooded areas. Asiatic Wildcats face considerable threat from habitat loss and poaching. Reclaiming wastelands in the name of development has resulted in the destruction of much of their habitat in India.

These cats can be found near cultivated areas and human settlements, which increases cross-breeding with feral domestic cats. Hybridization with feral domestic cats has been reported from Pakistan, India and Central Asia.

In the past, Asiatic Wildcats were heavily trapped for their fur, although at present there is little international trade in their pelts. In 1979, traders declared stocks of 41,845 pelts for an export amnesty. Asiatic Wildcat pelts also formed a major portion of the small cats’ skin seizures in India from 1982-1999.

No detailed ecological studies exist on Asiatic Wildcats and the available information on their ecology and distribution seems to be based on random, opportunistic observations.