2027
Bird-Photo-Tours Asia Bangladesh expedition is a special photographic quest for the Masked Finfoot with close encounters also possible with other speciality mangrove birds like Buffy Fish Owl, Brown-winged Kingfisher and Mangrove Pitta. The Masked Finfoot used to be a fairly widespread species in the eastern Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, but endless human destruction of its mangrove and riverine habitats has driven the species close to extinction. None of the world’s places where one used to see Masked Finfoot are no longer reliable and the Sundarbans National Forest in Bangladesh is the last remaining stronghold of this species, a bird which is now ranked as Critically Endangered. In order to access the remote, forested waterways of the Sundarbans, where tigers and many other mammals and birds still roam, by far the best solution is to charter a riverboat with sleeping cabins. This is a comfortable option to photograph birds in the Sundarbans. From our riverboat, and by using a smaller boat in the narrow channels, we will patrol the waterways looking for photographic opportunities of the Masked Finfoot as well other mangrove speciality species.
Critically Endangered Birds: Masked Finfoot
Eagles: White-bellied Sea Eagle / Grey-headed Fish Eagle / Crested Serpent Eagle
Kingfishers: Brown-winged Kingfisher / Collared Kingfisher / Ruddy Kingfisher / Blue-eared Kingfisher / Black-capped Kingfisher / Stork-billed Kingfisher
Owls: Brown Boobook / Buffy Fish Owl / Brown Fish Owl / Collared Scops Owl
Waterbirds: Gull-billed Tern / Whiskered Tern / Whimbrel / Greater Sand Plover / Lesser Sand Plover / Marsh Sandpiper
Woodpeckers: Streak-throated Woodpecker / Streak-breasted Woodpecker / Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker
Others: Common Iora / Bar-winged Flycatcher Shrike / Large Cuckooshrike
Pittas: Mangrove Pitta
Guiding Fees / Ground Transportation / Accommodation / Meals / Entrance Fees / Tipping for Drivers, Boatsmen, Hotel and Restaurant Staff.
International Flights / VISA Fees / Travel Insurance / Tips for Local Guide / Alcohol / Laundry / Items of a Personal Nature
Day 1 (0N / 0D / 1S). Arrive Jessore, 2.5-hour drive to Sundarbans [Overnight: Houseboat]
Days 1-8 (7N / 6D / 12S). 6 Full Days of bird photography in The Sundarbans [Overnight: Houseboat]. Photographic Targets: Masked Finfoot / Streak-breasted Woodpecker / Streak-throated Woodpecker / Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker / Brown-winged Kingfisher / Ruddy Kingfisher / Blue-eared Kingfisher / Collared Kingfisher / Black-capped Kingfisher / Stork-billed Kingfisher / Mangrove Pitta / White-bellied Sea Eagle / Grey-headed Fish Eagle / Crested Serpent Eagle / Ruby-cheeked Sunbird / Purple-rumped Sunbird / Purple Sunbird / Shorebirds
Day 8 (0N / 0D / 4S). Sundarbans – Jessore – International Departures [END]
[Key: N=Night, D=Full Day, S = Session / Half-Day]
Nick Ludovic Green has been living in Asia for over 15-years and in this time has conducted over 125 bird photography trips across the whole of the Asian continent ranging from Kazakhstan in the west, through India and China to Japan in the east, and from the Kamchatka coastline in the north to as far south as Indonesia. In China alone Nick has photographed to portrait-quality standard over 1,200 of China's bird species taking him to all of China's provinces as well as most of those nations bordering China. These bird photography trips have ranged in length from a few days to many months, including a three-month bird photography expedition to China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region, becoming quite possibly the most travelled foreigner in this region over the past decade. Nick has also conducted a four-month bird photography trek across the Himalayas, ranging from the Indian States of Ladakh and Kashmir in the west, into the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, then onto the Indian States of West Bengal and Sikkim, ending in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in the eastern Himalayas. Nick has had his images published across numerous media channels including the BBC and Chinese state-owned media outlets, various bird magazines and journals including the Oriental Bird Club's BirdingASIA. He has his own website on the Birds of China and his book 'Portraits of the Birds of China' is due for publication in 2026. Furthermore, Nick has presented films on photographing birds both in Asia and Europe, has his bird images published across many social media platforms within and outside Asia, and has led a number of bird photography lectures and walks, particularly targeted at children. Consequently, Nick has accumulated significant experience of photographing birds within the Asian continent and this expertise has formed the backdrop to setting up Bird-Photo-Tours Asia, trips designed by bird photographers for bird photographers.
(i) The accommodation on this tour is a houseboat, with each guest having their own room and own bathroom (ii) Walking is at a light pace (iii) There is no requirement to hike nor climb. (iv) None of the locations are at altitude (v) There is no camping (vi) Bengal Tigers are present in the Sundarbans but whenever we come ashore there will be two armed guides accompanying the group in case there is an encounter with a tiger. Summary: because of the presence of tigers this trip has been graded as 'Medium'.
