Nepal is a paradise for the bird watcher. From the lowland jungle of the Terrai and the Kosi Tappu barrage through dense rhododendron and Oak forest of the middle hills to the windswept plateaus of the high Himalaya there is always something to keep one witching.

Nepal boasts over 800 species of birds, almost 10% of the world`s recorded population.

Bird Watching In Kathmandu Valley

Kathmandu valley alone features over 500 species of birds. The surrounding hills offer a varied ecology ranging from primary and secondary forests to rhododendron, oak and pine forests. In addition, the wetlands and open fields inside the valley make up a diverse habitat for many species of birds.

The most popular bird watching spot is Phulchoki hill, the highest peak on the Valley rim situated 20 km southeast of Kathmandu, over 265 species have been recorded to date.Birds seen in the area include babblers, warblers, tits, thrushes, minivets, woodpeckers, eagles and many migrant birds.

Godavari, at the foot of Phulchoki hill where the Royal Botanical Garden is situated has recorded over 100 species of birds including the lesser Racket-tailed drongo, Tibetan siskin and the spotted forktail.

The Shivapuri Watershed and Wildlife Reserve, situated 11km to the north of Kathmandu, is another exciting location along with Nagarjun Royal Forest on Jamacho hill situated 5km from Kathmandu on the way to Kakani from Balaju.Among the birds are blue magpies, kalij pheasants, Bonelli`s eagles, Great Himalayan barbets to name but a few.

The highlights for bird sightings of the wetlands in the valley include the banks of the Manohara river on the way to Bhaktapur, and the Bagmati river, which flows into the valley from Shivapuri hill exiting through Chobhar Gorge.

Taudaha Lake Harbours over 40 species of birds mostly dependent on wetlands,situated on the to Dakshinkali it attracts flocks of migrant birds.

Good roads links lead to the vicinity of all these places.

Bird Watching Sites outside the Kathmandu Valley

Chitwan National Park

The Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve is renowned for being one of the best locations for birding. Situated within Nepal`s subtropical Terai belt, this is the smallest (175 sq km) and easternmost reserve in Nepal, it lies just to the north east of the convergence of the Sapt Koshi and Trijuga Khola rivers.

Its situation on the Sapt Koshi flood plain means that the environment of this reserve varies dramatically according to the seasons. During the monsoon (May to September) the flow becomes torrential and covers most of the floodplain, while during the dry seasons, many flat, sandy islands are exposed.The habitat is a combination of scrub grassland and deciduous riverine forest, with over 280 species of birds recorded so far, including 20 species of duck, ibises, storks, swamp partridges, herons, egrets, Bengal floricans and many other exotic and migratory waterfowl not found elsewhere in Nepal.

Royal Bardia National Park

The Royal Bardia National park is located in south west Nepal offering a remote site for bird sightings. Over 400 species of birds have been recorded. Stays can be arranged in lodge or tented accommodation inside the park.

Trekking Regions

One of the best ways of viewing birds in Nepal is a leisurely trek through the foothills of the Kingdom. There are three main trekking areas in Nepal: the Langtang region, six hours by road north of Kathmandu, the Solu Khumbu region eight hours by road east of Kathmandu and the Annapurna region, six hours by road or a 30 minute flight west of Kathmandu. Of these three regions, the Annapurna region offers the widest variety of species, it is also easily accessible.

Annapurna conservation Area (A.C.A.)

To set the scene a little, the Annapurna region is a conservation area, covering around 2600sq km towards the north-central region of Nepal. The Kali Gandaki river runs north to south through this region, the world`s deepest gorge, some 6,000m below the highest peaks of A.C.A's central Annapurna and Dhaulagiri massifs. Seven of these peaks are over 7,000m, the highest being (Annapurna I) at 8,091m.

A few facts and figures above, but as you can imagine, the A.C.A. supports a remarkable but delicate biodiversity, with 441 recorded species of birds (so far), including the only endemic species to Nepal, the Spiny Babbler. 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 and the Tibetan border.

The Kali Gandaki valley is also a major migration pathway in the autumn, when 40 species, including Demoiselle Cranes can be seen around Jomosom and Tukche. Migration coincides with the Autumn trekking season.

Migrating west about this time at this time of year further south towards Kaare and Dhampus are about 20 identified species of eagle and other birds of prey. The most commonly observed are: the Bearded Vulture, known as the Giddha in Nepal which frequently occurs at around 4,100m and the Golden Eagle known as Baaj in Nepal.

There are six Himalayan pheasants to be found in A.C.A.: they are the Himalayan Monal, Crimson Horned Pheasant, Blood Pheasant, Koklass Pheasant, Cheer Pheasant and the Wallichii Kalij Pheasant the most commonly occurring of Nepali pheasants.