Bangladesh: Masked Finfoot
Short tour to search for one of the most threatened birds in Asia: the enigmatic Masked Finfoot. We also expect to see White-eared Night Heron, which is now well-known from the area, along with Brown-winged Kingfisher, Mangrove Pitta, and maybe Fishing Cat or Bengal Tiger if we are extremely lucky! Relaxing birding from a houseboat in the largest remaining mangrove ecosystem in the world, all profits will be donated to the Oriental Bird Club.
Next Dates
Accommodation:
The entire tour will be run in a simple but pleasant houseboat with excellent catering. Twin rooms are quite small, but adequate!
Walking difficulty:
No walking required.
Tour cost includes:
All accommodation, main meals, drinking water, internal flights (as stated in itinerary), overland transport, tips to local drivers and guides, travel permits, entrance fees, and guide fees.
Tour cost excludes:
Flights before and after the tour start/end, visa, travel insurance, tips to tour leaders, laundry, drinks, and other items of a personal nature.
We will be donating all profits from this tour directly to Asia’s premiere bird conservation group: Oriental Bird Club. We believe this is an appropriate gesture for such a specific tour to a highly threatened ecosystem for a highly threatened species.
Day 1: Arrivals into Dhaka International Airport (DAC) and transfer to the edge of the Sundarbans. Here, we will board our houseboat - our home for the coming nights.
Day 2-3-4-5: Four full days inside the Sundarbans, searching several areas that are known to hold pairs of the Critically Endangered and rapidly declining Masked Finfoot. There is also a good chance to see the poorly-known White-eared Night Heron, which was recently discovered in the area and is observed on most winter trips now that people are looking! The extensive mangroves here are relatively bird-poor, but we might also see Mangrove Pitta, Brown-winged Kingfisher, Indian Spotted Eagle, and Buffy Fish Owl. Mammals include Asian Small-clawed Otter, Ganges River Dolphin, Jungle Cat, Fishing Cat, and Bengal Tiger, however, we will consider ourselves very lucky to see any of these as we explore this magnificently wild and untamed ecosystem.
Day 6: Return to port and transfer back to Dhaka, where the tour ends this evening.