Nepal is one of the best place for bird watching in the world. Over 850 species of birds are recorded in Nepal. The places where you can do bird watching in Nepal is from Terai region which is lowland and to Himalayan region which is mountain range.
1. Inside Kathmandu Valley
Inside Kathmandu Valley alone, over 500 species of birds have been recorded so far. The nearby hills offers varied ecology ranging from rhododendron to pine forests. In addition, the marsh lands and open fields inside the valley make up a diverse habitat for many species of birds.
Phulchoki Dhanda is one of the most sighted place for bird watching, the highest peak on the Valley rim situated 20 km South East of Kathmandu, with about 265 species recorded till now. The birds seen here included babblers, warblers, tits, thrushes, minivets, woodpeckers, eagles and many migrant birds. Godavari, at the foot of Phulchoki Dhanda where the Royal Botanical Garden is situated, records over 100 species of birds including the lesser racket-tailed drongo, Tibetan siskin and the spotted forktail.
2. The Shivapuri Watershed and Wildlife Reserve
The shivpuri watershed and wildlife reserve is situated 11km to the North of Kathmandu, which is another very good location for bird watching in Nepal. Nagarjun Royal Forest on Jamacho hill is situated 5 km from Kathmandu on the way to Kakani from Balaju. It is a renowned sight for bird watchers with blue magpies, kalij pheasants, Bonelli’s eagles, great Himalayan barbets.
3. Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve
Besides different species of fauna, the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve is renowned for being one of the best locations for birding. The Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve is a protected area in the Terai of eastern Nepal covering 175 km² of wetlands in the Sunsari, Saptari and Udayapur Districts. This place is perfect for bird watching and over 280 species of birds are recorded so far. It has better sightings of an incredible variety of both resident and migratory birds that come from as far away as Siberia.
4. Chitwan National Park
This place is about 159 km far away from Kathmandu and takes approximately five and half hours to reach from Kathmandu. It is renowned for its collection of birds, with over 255 species recorded to the date. There are many species of parakeets. Other birds include Blue-Throat (thrush), Long-tailed Nightjar, Indian Peafowl, Great Barbet, red-billed blue magpie and Tickell’s red-breasted blue flycatcher. The two nights and three days package and staying at a lodge within the boundary of park is an ideal way to combine bird watching with other pursuits like discovering flora and fauna.
5. Bardia National Park
Bardia is a popular destination for bird watching situated in the far West of Nepal which is an area of large jungle which is covered by sal forest riverine and grass lands. A boat ride on the slow moving expanse of the Karnali River provides many opportunities to view a vast variety of birds including Ruddy Shelduck, darters, brahmini kites, brown headed gulls, cormorants, oriental pied hornbills, night heron & purple heron, cinnaon bitterns, orioles and majestic peacocks.
6. The Annapurna Conservation Area
The Annapurna Conservation Area is the largest and most protected region in the World (ACA), covering around 2600 sq km towards the north central region of Nepal. The Kali Gandaki river runs North to South through this region, through the world’s deepest gorge, some 6000m below the high Annapurna and Dhaulagiri massifs, seven of these peaks are over 7000m, the highest (Annapurna I) at 8091m.
In such big place, up to date over 441 recorded species of birds, including the only endemic species of Nepal, the spiny babbler (Turdoides Nepalensis). The bird habitat ranges from the sub-tropical lowlands towards Pokhara in the south of ACA to dry sub-alpine conditions above the tree-line towards the North.
The Kali Gandaki valley is also a major migration pathway in the autumn, 40 species, including demoiselle cranes (Anthropoides Virgo), can be seen around Jomsom and Tukche. Happily this coincides with one of the two trekking seasons (Spring and Autumn).
Migrating West about this time further South around Kaare and Dhampus are about 20 identified species of eagle and other birds of prey. The most commonly observed are:lammergeier gypaetus barbatus (Bearded Vulture), known as the giddha in Nepal, it frequently occurs at 4100m.and the golden eagle Aquila Cryaetos, known as baaj in Nepal.
There are six Himalayan pheasants to be found in ACA: Himalayan The Monal Lophophorus impejanus satyra Tragopan Tragopan satyra (Crimson Horned Pheasant) Blood Pheasant Ithaginis cruentus Koklass Pheasant Pucrasia macrolopha Cheer Pheasant Catreus wallichiiKalij Pheasant Lophura leucomelana, are the most commonly occurring of Nepali pheasants. |
Hope you will have a good time in Bird Watching. Good Luck !!!
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