Location                     : Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
Covered Area             : 3162 sq. kms.
Main Attractions         : Rich in Reptiles.
Best Time To Visit      : November to March. 

Arrival Information : 

     -- By Rail               : The nearest railway station is Jaisalmer. 

-- By Air                 : The nearest airport is Jodhpur.

-- By  Road            : Nearby Excursions : Jaisalmer fort, Sam sand duns, Lodurva.
-- Nearby Cities     : Jaisalmer

The Desert National Park is an excellent example of the ecosystem of the Thar desert and its diverse fauna. Sand dunes form around 20% of the Park. The major landform consists of craggy rocks and compact salt lake bottoms, intermedial areas and fixed dunes which are quite suitable for the chinkara to move at high speed. The blackbuck is another common antelope of this region. Its other notable inhabitants are the desert fox, Bengal fox, wolf and desert cat.

Sudashri forest post is the ideal place for observing the wildlife of Desert National Park and is the most suitable in the entire 3162 sq. kms. of this park for watching and photographing the activities of the animals from behind cover.

Birdlife in this sandy habitat is vivid and spectacular. Birds such as the sandgrouse, partridges, bee-eaters, larks and shrikes are commonly seen. Demoiselle crane and houbara arrive in the winter. The birds of prey seen here are tawny and steppe eagles, long legged and honey buzzards, falcons and kestrels. But the most outstanding of the avifauna is the great Indian bustard. This tall, heavy bird is an epitome of confidence and grace. It is good to see five or six bustards near Sudashri water hole.

This park is also very rich in reptiles. Spiny tail lizard, monitor lizard, saw sealed viper, Russel's viper, Sind krait, toad agama and sandfish are found in large numbers.

18 kms. from jaisalmer is the Akal Wood Fossils Park which is about 180 million years of age. Sea shells and massive fossilised tree trunks in this park record the geological history of the desert.

Birds :

[* * * Scientific Name of The Indian Birds* * *]

Family:[Phasianidae]

Black Francolin (Black Partridge) Francolinus francolinus
Grey Francolin (Grey Partridge) Francolinus pondicerianus
Common Quail Coturnix coturnix
Rain Quail (Black-breasted Quail) Coturnix coromandelica
Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus
(Common Peafowl , Blue Peafowl )

Family: Picidae

Eurasian Wryneck(Wryneck) Jynx torquilla
Yellow-crowned Woodpecker Dendrocopos mahrattensis
(Yellow-fronted Pied Woodpecker, Yellow-fronted Woodpecker)
Black-rumped Flameback Dinopium benghalense
(Lesser Golden-backed Woodpecker, Black-rumped Goldenback ,Golden-backed Woodpecker)

ORDER: UPUPIFORMES

Family: Upupidae

Common Hoopoe(Hoopoe) Upupa epops

ORDER: CORACIIFORMES

Family: Coraciidae

European Roller Coracias garrulus
Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis
Family: Halcyonidae
White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis
(White-breasted Kingfisher)

Family: Meropidae

Blue-bearded Bee-eater Nyctyornis athertoni
Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis
(Little Green Bee-eater)
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops persicus

ORDER: STRIGIFORMES

Family: Strigidae

Eurasian Eagle Owl Bubo bubo hemachalana
(Great Horned Owl)
Spotted Owlet Athene brama
Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus

Family: Caprimulgidae

Eurasian Nightjar (European) Caprimulgus europaeus

ORDER:COLUMBIFORMES

Family:Columbidae

Rock pigeon (Blue Rock Pigeon) Columba livia
Laughing Dove (Little Brown) Streptopelia senegalensis
Red Collared Dove (Red Turtle) Streptopelia tranquebarica
Eurasian Collared Dove (Indian Ring) Streptopelia decaocto

ORDER: GRUIFORMES

Family: Otididae

Indian Bustard (Great Indian) Ardeotis nigriceps
McQueen’s Bustard (Houbara) Chlamydotis macqueeni

ORDER: CICONIIFORMES

Family: Pteroclidae

Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles exustus
(Indian Sandgrouse)
Spotted Sandgrouse Pterocles senegallus
Black-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles orientalis
(Imperial Sandgrouse)
Painted Sandgrouse (Close-barred) Pterocles indicus
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropus
Recurvirostrini

Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus

Charadriinae

Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius
(Little Plover, Little Ring Plover)
Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus

Family: Glareolidae

Glareolinae

Cream-colored Courser Cursorius cursor

Indian Courser
Cursorius coromandelicus

Family: Accipitridae

Accipitrinae

Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus
(Black-winged Kite)
Black Kite Milvus migrans
(Pariah Kite, Dark Kite, Black-eared Kite)
Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus
(Small White, Scavenger)
White-rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis
(Indian White-backed Vulture)
Indian Vulture Gyps indicus
(Indian Long-billed, Indian Griffon)
Eurasian Griffon Gyps fulvus
(Griffon Vulture, Eurasian Griffon Vulture)
Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus
(Black Vulture)
Red-headed Vulture Sarcogyps calvus
(King Vulture, Black Vulture)
Short-toed Snake Eagle Circaetus gallicus
(Short-toed Eagle)
Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus
(Pale Harrier)
Pied Harrier Circus melanoleucos
White-eyed Buzzard Butastur teesa
(White-eyed Buzzard Eagle, White-eyed Hawk)
Common Buzzard Buteo buteo
(Buzzard, Eurasian Buteo)
Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus
(Long-legged Buteo)
Tawny Eagle Aquila rapax
(Eurasian Tawny Eagle)
Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis
Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca

Family: Falconidae

Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
(Kestrel, Eurasian Kestrel)
Merlin Falco columbarius
Laggar Falcon Falco jugger

Family: Laniidae

Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio
Rufous-tailed Shrike (Isabelline) Lanius isabellinus
Bay-backed Shrike Lanius vittatus
Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach
(Rufous-backed, Rufous-rumped, Black-headed,Rufous-backed Shrike)
Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor
Family: Corvidae

Corvini

House Crow Corvus splendens
Large-billed Crow (Jungle/Black Crow) Corvus macrorhynchos
Common Raven(Raven) Corvus corax

Dicrurini

Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus

Family: Muscicapidae

Muscicapini

Red-throated Flycatcher Ficedula parva
(Red-breasted Flycatcher)

Saxicolini

Bluethroat Luscinia svecica
Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin Cercotrichas galactotes
(Rufous Chat, Rufous-tailed Bush Chat, Rufous Bush Robin)
Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis
(Magpie Robin, Asian Magpie Robin, Robin Dayal)
Indian Robin Saxicoloides fulicata
(Black Robin, Indian Chat)
Stoliczka’s Bushchat Saxicola macrorhyncha
(White-browed Bushchat, Stoliczka’s Whin-chat)
Common Stonechat Saxicola torquata
(Collared Bushchat,Siberian Stonechat, Stonechat)
Pied Bushchat Saxicola caprata
(Pied Stone-chat)
Variable Wheatear Oenanthe picata pictata
(Pied Chat, Pied Wheatear)
Rufous-tailed Wheatear Oenanthe xanthoprymna
(Red-tailed Chat, Red-tailed Wheatear)
Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti
Isabelline Wheatear (Chat) Oenanthe isabellina
Brown Rock-chat Cercomela fusca
(Indian Chat)

Family: Sturnidae

Brahminy Starling Sturnus pagodarum
(Black-headed /Brahminy Myna)
Rosy Starling Sturnus roseus
(Rosy Pastor, Rose-coloured Starling)
Common Myna(Mynah) Acridotheres tristis

Family: Hirundinidae

Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
(Swallow, Common Swallow)
Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii
Red-rumped Swallow(Striated) Hirundo daurica
Family: Pycnonotidae

White-eared Bulbul Pycnonotus leucotis
(White-cheeked Bulbul)
Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer

Family: Cisticolidae

Rufous-fronted Prinia (Wren Warbler) Prinia buchanani
Graceful Prinia Prinia gracilis
(Streaked Wren Warbler, Graceful Stripe-backed Prinia, Fulvous-streaked Prinia)

Family: Sylviidae

Plain Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus neglectus
Sulphur-bellied Warbler Phylloscopus griseolus
(Olivaceous Leaf Warbler)

Sylviinae

Common Babbler Turdoides caudatus

Sylviini

Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca
Desert Warbler Sylvia nana

Family: Alaudidae

Black-crowned Sparrow Lark Eremopterix nigriceps
(Black-crowned Finch Lark)
Ashy-crowned Sparrow Lark Eremopterix grisea
(Ashy-crowned Finch Lark)
Rufous-tailed Lark Ammomanes phoenicurus
(Rufous-tailed Finch Lark)
Desert Lark (Finch Lark) Ammomanes deserti
Greater Hoopoe Lark Alaemon alaudipes
(Bisfasciated Lark, Hoopoe Lark)
Bimaculated lark Melanocorypha bimaculata
(Eastern Calandra Lark)
Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla
(Short-toed lark)
Lesser Short-toed Lark Calandrella rufescens
Crested Lark Galerida cristata X
Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula
(Eastern Skylark, Oriental Lark, Indian Lark, Little Skylark)

Family: Nectariniidae

Nectariniini

Purple Sunbird Nectarinia asiatica

Family:Passeridae

Passerinae

House Sparrow Passer domesticus
Chestnut-shouldered Petronia Petronia xanthocollis
(Yellow-throated Sparrow, Chestnut-souldered Rock Sparrow)

Motacillinae

White Wagtail (Pied Wagtail) Motacilla alba personata
Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava
Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris
Blyth’s Pipit Anthus godlewskii
Long-billed Pipit Anthus similis
(Brown Rock pipit)

Estrildinae

Indian Silverbill Lonchura malabarica
(White-throated Munia/Silverbill, Common Silverbill)

Family: Fringillidae

Carduelini

Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githagineus
(Trumpeter Bullfinch)

Emberizinae

House Bunting Emberiza striolata
(Striolated Bunting)
Black-headed Bunting Emberiza melanocephala