Nepal and Bhutan Bird Watching Tour (21 Days; # 114)

Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve is located in the Sapta-Kosi River plain in the south-eastern corner of Nepal, next to India. The vast expanse of water comprises of marshes, lagoons, sandbanks, mudflats. It offers the wetland habitat and the finest birdwatching sites. Nepal’s long list of waders, storks, ibises, egrets, terns and gulls occur here. The local specialities are Bengal Florican, Indian Courser, Swamp Francolin, Red-necked Falcon, Striated Grassbird and Rufous-vented Prinia, Grey Hornbill, Woodpeckers, Minivets, Drongos, Flycatchers, Jerdon’s Baza, Blue-eared Barbet, Black-naped Oriole and Siberian Blue Robin. Mammals are Wild Buffalo, Asian Elephant, Leopard, Fishing Cat, Jungle Cat, Smooth-coated Otter, Golden Jackal, Spotted Deer, Hog Deer, Nilgai, Indian Flying Fox, Black Giant Squirrel, Common Palm and Indian Palm Civet, Bengal Fox, and the endangered Ganges River Dolphin.

The major highlight of Nepal is the Chitwan National Park. It is the first National Park of Nepal. The park harbors many mammal species such as golden jackals, fishing cats, jungle cats, leopard cats, large and small Indian civets, Asian palm civets, crab-eating mongooses and yellow-throated martens. There is great diversity in the avifauna as well. The birds commonly found in the park are Bengal florican, the vulnerable lesser adjutant, Grey-crowned Prinia, swamp francolin, grass warblers, slender-billed babblers, Oriental Darter, egrets, bitterns, storks, and kingfishers.

Situated at the Eastern end of the Himalayas, and located between India and Tibet, The Kingdom of Bhutan is a landlocked country of just half a million people with an area of 47,000 square kilometers. Bhutan forms a giant staircase geographically, starting in the south, from a narrow strip of land in the plains of India at an altitude of 100 m, the elevation rises to high Himalayan peaks over 7000 m in the North on the borders with Tibet.

Some of the rare species that can be seen are Rufous-necked Hornbill, beautiful Nuthatch, White-bellied Heron, Palla’s Fishing Eagle, Satyr Tragopan, Black-necked Crane, Wood Snipe, Ward’s Trogon, Blyth’s Kingfisher, Yellow-rumped Honey Guide, Purple Cochoa, Rufous-throated Wren Babbler, Red-headed Parrotbill, Grey Crowned Prinia, and Dark- rumped swift.
You will also encounter the fabulous Ibisbill, Fire-tailed Myzornis and a plethora of other gorgeous and little known Himalayan species.