Little Grebe, Falcated Teal, Red-crested Pochard (Photo: L. Gooch)

Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve (175 sq km) is is one of the finest sub tropical birding site in South Asia. This is the home to around 450 species of birds.It has 190 aquatic birds, 30 shore birds, 20 duck species, 7 storks and 2 ibises. There are 17 globally threatened species including endangered swamp partridge and Bengal florican. The Koshi is an extremely important winyereing place for 165 migratory birds.

Bird watching along the eastern embankment at dusk and dawn is one of the most exciting pleasure trips in the reserve. The Arnas with their huge horns are equally impressive to look at. Elephant ride, nature walk, driving along the embankment and strolling around the villages are interesting activities.

Black necked Stork	Black Redstart
Black-Drongo	Black-naped-Woodpecker
Black-shouldered Kite	Jungle-Myna
Pied Myna	Marsh-Sandpiper
Grey headed starling	Falcated teal
Little-Grebe	Pintail
Pond heron	Spotted Owlet
Cormorant	Serpent Eagle
Darter	White Ibis & Large Egrer
Bar headed geese	Pintails & common pochards

Birdlife in Nepal

Nepal supports over 10% of the world’s bird species diversity. To-date about 860 bird species has been recorded from Nepal in the last 150 years. The corresponding altitude and habitat in the five physiographic zones including special sites such as Mai Valley, Rara Ringmo finger and western Terai contributed to the bird species richness in Nepal. Kali Gandaki Valley lies in the cross road of bird distribution. It is the culminating point for the distribution of Eastern species such as blood pheasant and western species e.g. Cheer pheasant. Pokhara valley and the surrounding is where all the eight vulture species occurring in Nepal are found.

Lammergeier’s wing span measure over 3 meters that helps them to soar over the Himalayan valleys and peaks. The tallest includes the Sarus Crane measuring close to two meter tall. The heavier bird may include Cinereous Vulture that may weigh over 10 kg. The smallest include the Tickell’s Flowerpecker that measure just about the size of the thumb. The most colorful bird may include the national bird Danfe (Himalayan Munal) of Himalaya and Peacock of tropical forest. The specialized feeding habit of birds include the piscivorous, nectarines, bone marrow eaters, filter feeders, seed eaters and carnivores.

Spiny Babbler is the only endemic species recorded for Nepal. The Central Himalayan Endemic Bird Area as defined by Birdlife International lies entirely within Nepal. Its key habitats are moist temperate forest, dense secondary growth and scrub. Six of the 22 restricted range species in this endemic bird area are recorded in Nepal: Rufous-throated Wren Babbler, Wedge-billed Wren Babbler, Hoary-throated Barwing, White-naped Yuhina, Yellow-vented Warbler and Broad-billed Warbler.

The colorful Danfe (Lophophorus impejanus) have been declared as the national bird. Nine species have been given legal protected status that include three pheasant spp. (Danfe, Monal and Cheer), two stork species (black white stork), two florican (bengal and lesser), Sarus Crane, Giant Hornbill, and there are 29 globally threatened species occurring in Nepal. That includes Swamp Partridge, Cheer Pheasant, Bengal and Lesser Florican, Sarus Crane, Wood Snipe, White-rumped and Slender Billed Vulture, Lesser adjutant, Grey Crowned Prinia, Bristled Grassbird, Jerdon’s and Slender Billed Babbler and Finn Weaver. Baer’s Pochard, Imperial Eagle, Pallas’s Fish Eagle, Greater Spotted Eagle, and Hodgson’s bush Chat are migratory and rarely occurs in Nepal. Lesser Kestrel and Kashmir Flycatcher are uncommon passage migrants. Spot-billed Pelican occasionally visits wetlands of Koshi Tappu. Rufous necked Hornbill, White-bellied Heron and Black-breasted Parrotbill have been extirpated from Nepal and Pink Headed Duck is presumed Extinct.

There are transcontinental and altitudinal migration of birds in Nepal. The pronounced migratory species are Demoiselle Cranes above kali Gandaki, Bar-headed Geese that flies over Mt. Everest, Steppe Eagle along with other birds of prey fly over the Suinkhet valley near Pokhara, The famous wintering area for the wetland birds are Koshi Tappu, Chitwan and Karnali. Beeshazar, Jagadishpur and Ghodaghodi Lakes are the newly listed Ramsar Sites that provide wintering site for duck and other waders. There are about 150 winter migrants residing in forest and wetlands. The summer migrants (about 62) include cuckoos, crow-billed drongo, pitta, Chestnut headed bee-eater etc.
The famous bird watching sites of Nepal are Shivapuri and Phulchowki hills surrounding Kathmandu, Pokhara and Modi Valley of Annapurna Sanctuary, Langtang Valley, Arun Basin, Royal Chitwan National Park, Bardia, Shukla and the wetlands of Koshi Tappu, and Jomsom.

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