After Eaglenest, Sela and Madala, Mishmi Hills, and Roing are the second most popular birding tour circuits in Arunachal Pradesh for birding. There are some birding areas in upper Assam, like Dehing Patkai and Dibru Saikhowa National Park, which could be clubbed with Roing and Mishmi Hills. There are infinite add-ons possible in any birding trip, as the sky is the limit. But since most of you have a very stringent birding plan, birding durations are limited by the leaves you have in hand.
There is a major overlap with the bird species found in the Eaglenest leg. However, some species are exclusively found here in the Mishmi Hills, which you can’t get in Eaglenest. Birds like Mishmi Wren Babbler, Sclater’s Monal, Cachar Wedge-billed Babbler, Manipur Fulvetta, etc., you see them here in this part of eastern Arunachal. Mishmi Wren Babbler is one of the high-elevation species that shares its territory with Bar-winged Wren Babbler. You get this bird above Coffee House and in and around the Maya Rice Hotel. As you drive down from Hunli, the chances of the Mishmi Wren Babbler are very less. Sclater’s Monal is another lucrative target for winter months, and you are advised to plan for Sclater’s Monal in the winter months only.
Mostly from the 1st and second week of November, sighting starts for this species. Mostly in and around Mayodia Pass, we encounter this bird. Also, Mayodia Pass is a major birding hotspot for Gould’s Shortwing, Bar-winged Wren Babbler, Manipur Fulvetta, and Brown-throated Fulvetta. In winter, however, some of these species descend to some elevation. But still prefers to stay around the pass. Otherwise, the overlapped species compared to Eaglenest are as follows: Blyth’s Tragopan, Temminck’s Tragopan, Gould’s Shortwing, Bar-winged Wren Babbler, Long-billed Wren Babbler, Cachar Wedge-billed Babbler, Collared Treepie, White-hooded Babbler, Red-billed Scimitar Babbler, Pale-billed Parrotbill, Rufous-faced Warbler, etc. In the grassland of Roing, four target birds are there: Black-breasted Parrotbill, Jerdon’s Babbler, Marsh Babbler, and Spot-breasted Scimitar Babbler. Other than these grassland specialities, Chinese Rubythroat, Baikal Bush Warbler, Chestnut-crowned Bush Warbler, Swamp Francolin, and Bengal Floricans are also sighted. It is better to avoid grassland visits from the last week of March, from when rain starts in the Mishmi hills. If the grassland tracts are waterlogged, then it becomes impossible to enter.
We will customize an itinerary for you or for your group, however, for your reference you can take a look at the sample birding itinerary for Roing Mishmi Hills as shared below. You can customize it also as per your choice or club it with some other birding tours in Arunachal Pradesh.
Day 1: After being picked up from Dibrugarh Airport by noon, we will drive to Roing Grassland and arrive here in the afternoon. Post afternoon birding session, we will drive to resort and stay there.
Day 2: In the morning and afternoon, we will spend time in Roing Grassland. When the sun is high, we will go uphill and cover wooded areas in Mehao WLS. Overnight at Roing.
Day 3: We will do the last birding session here in Roing Grassland between 5 to 8 AM. Later, we will drive to 12 kilo, where we are planning to stay for the next four nights. Between 6-Kilo to 12-Kilo there are some hill tracts through the large-girth bamboo forest, where the afternoon birding will be planned. In the daytime, we will go till Tiwari Gaon. Night stay at Dibang Valley at 12-Kilo.
Day 4: Very early in the morning, by 4 AM, we will drive uphill and arrive at Mayodia Pass, with packed breakfast. The high elevation species need to be focused and if things run as expected, we will continue here till breakfast. Post breakfast we will drive down to IHO View point for some mid-elevation targets. We will return to the resort in the evening only.
Day 5: A repetition of Day 4 and try for the missed out target birds.
Day 6: Today, we are planning to cover Sally Lake, Mehao WLS, Tiwari Gaon, Mayodia Pass, till Hunli. A thorough revision for all the birds sighted in the last three days and whatever targets left. At night an owling session would also be there.
Day 7: We will check out very early in the morning and directly drive to Roing Grassland. As the grassland always mesmerizes with some great bird sightings. Post breakfast, we are driving to Dibrugarh airport.
The best time for Mishmi Hills and Roing Grassland is February and March. Everything can’t be planned at one go. If you are clubbing this tour with Namdapha or Walong, that would also be a great idea. But to merge it with that circuit, you should plan it in the months of November to February.
From Tibetan Plateau birds to Terai foothills Hornbills; mixed montane forests coppice - this tiny state has little bit of everything squeezed in it!
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