Wildlifeof Nepal
Nepal in April 2019: Satyr Tragopan, Bengal Florican, a Tiger and a Sloth Bear
Trip report by Wise Birding Holidays · April 2019
NEPAL: Birds, Tiger & Sloth Bear Friday 5th - Friday 19th April 2019
8 Wise Birding Clients
Leaders: Chris Townend & Suchit Basnet / Badri Chaudhary
HIGHLIGHTS OF TRIP Bengal Tiger: A male seen well in Chitwan NP was the clear mammal of the tour! Sloth Bear: Despite the fact it was pouring with rain, a close view of an animal at dusk in Chitwan NP was a well deserved and much savoured prize for all. Satyr Tragopan: A calling male at dawn near Thumke soon gave itself up and gave great flight views. A female was also seen on another occasion at very close range on the ground. Bengal Florican: Three different males were seen very well at Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, including a displaying bird. Great Hornbill: These impressive Hornbills performed wonderfully in Chitwan NP. Nepalese Hospitality: The whole group was quite overwhelmed by the wonderful hospitality, particularly whilst staying with families in the village at Thumke.
Tour Summary Nepal is a beautiful country with fabulous scenery, incredibly welcoming people and an amazing diversity of wildlife. This tour was based in just three areas within the Eastern and Western development regions of Nepal. The mountains near Thumke close to the Indian border, the very well known birding site of Koshi Camp within the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve and the famous Chitwan National Park.
We recorded 310 species of bird including a good selection of specialities of the region that included Satyr Tragopan, Golden-breasted Fulvetta, Grey-sided Laughingthrush, Blue-bearded Bee-Eater, Great Hornbill, White-browed Piculet, Gould’s Sunbird, Fire-tailed Sunbird, Bengal Florican and many more! In addition to the birds we saw a total of 23 mammal species including some great views of Bengal Tiger and a Sloth Bear!
Friday 5 April: ARRIVE KATHMANDU After a flight delay due to very low cloud and poor visibility and some circling to the south of the impressive Himalayas, we finally landed safely in Kathmandu. We then took the short transfer to our hotel based in the tourist part of the city. After some refreshments and a light snack, we walked through the busy streets to a small park where we spent the final hour of daylight birding. A few of the commoner species such as Greater Coucal, Blue-throated Barbet, Rose-ringed Parakeet and the ubiquitous House Crow were seen. Overnight Kathmandu
Saturday 6 April: KATHMANDU - BHADRAPUR - THUMKE After breakfast and some early morning thunder and rain, we returned to the airport for our internal flight to Bhadrapur in the far east of Nepal. Sadly, the hoped for views of the Himalayas were blocked by the unusually low cloud! However, we arrived on time ready for our journey by road into the mountains.
Today was mostly a travel day and after a lunch stop in Fikkal we continued our journey up into the mountains. It was certainly an adventure as we bounced along in our Jeeps passing numerous villages and tea shops continuing our journey up into the mountains as we manoeuvred the never ending hairpin bends! After walking the final section, we finally arrived at the village of Thumke and were greeted by hot drinks and a wonderful meal. Overnight Thumke Homestay
Sunday 7 April: THUMKE VILLAGE This morning we headed out to explore our new surroundings at around 1,900M with a pre-breakfast walk. Here, we enjoyed our first views of some of the commoner species like Verditer Flycatcher, Ashy-throated Warbler & Rufous Sibia. After breakfast we explored some of the nearby trails until lunchtime and although the wet weather thwarted any birding in the afternoon, we did manage a walk around the village during the final hour of daylight once the rain finally abated. Some bird highlights today included Long-tailed Minivet, Blyth’s Leaf Warbler, White-throated Laughingthrush, Bar-throated Minla, Grey Bushchat, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Rufous-breasted Accentor, Blue-fronted Redstart and a superb Blue Whistling-thrush hopping around the village. Overnight Thumke Homestay
Monday 8 April: THUMKE VILLAGE After a good sleep we enjoyed a very full and tasty breakfast, including some very welcome porridge and honey! We then slowly headed up into the mountains following a well worn trail through fabulous forest and across more open areas before exploring the best forest for a chance of Red Panda. Despite the lack of Red Panda, it was a very successful day with some great birding. Highlights today included hearing a Satyr Tragopan calling, Grey Treepie, Maroon Oriole, Yellow- billed Blue Magpie, Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher, Yellow-browed Tit, Buff-barred Warbler, Whistler’s Warbler, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Stripe-throated Yuhina, Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush, Hoary-throated Barwing, Black-throated Thrush, a surprisingly showy Alpine Thrush, Fire-tailed Sunbird, a displaying Olive- backed Pipit, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, Ultramarine Flycatcher, two stunning Black-faced Warblers and some great views of the Chestnut-headed Tesia that was a common sound of the forest. Overnight Thumke Homestay
Tuesday 9 April: THUMKE VILLAGE After a night of more heavy rain and thunder & lightning, most of the group still met at 04.30am and luckily the rain had stopped! Clare joined us at a more civilised hour, whilst Glenn & Jane took time to relax and enjoy birding the village. The main reason for such an early start was to try and see Satyr Tragopan and we were very successful as this stunningly plumaged bird gave some close flight views on at least two separate occasions. It certainly warmed up the otherwise chilly morning and we all enjoyed a wonderful breakfast brought to us on the mountain by the local cook and villagers!
After the success of “Operation Tragopan” we continued our walk up to the Red Panda area and did some leisurely birding en route where we met Clare. The sun even appeared for lunch, but then the clouds rolled in and heavy rain, once again scuppered our plans! However, Colin and the locals organised a great bonfire and some singing and dancing to raise our spirits! The rain finally abated and the mist rolled in, but we had seen some great birds and enjoyed the atmospheric scenery. Clear bird highlight of the day was the wonderful male Satyr Tragopan. Other highlights included a Steppe Eagle, Black-throated Tit, Rufous-winged Fulvetta, White-collared Blackbird, Black-throated Thrush, Himalayan Bush-robin, Chestnut- bellied Rock-thrush, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher and Gould’s Sunbird. Overnight Thumke Homestay
Wednesday 10 April: THUMKE VILLAGE / TRAVEL TO KOSHI CAMP Today the group split with some wishing to give it one more day at Thumke in the hope of finding Red Panda, whilst the rest of the group travelled to Koshi Camp. After a heart warming farewell ceremony from the local village, we waved goodbye temporarily to those that travelled to Koshi and then continued back up into the mountains for one last time. We managed to get far into the forest this time and even saw some Red Panda faeces on a tree where it had been sleeping! It was only a matter of hours before we arrived, but we sadly never managed to find the animal! Despite the lack of Red Panda sightings, we had another excellent day birding and we even enjoyed lunch whilst peering across into India at the border point!
Some of the birding highlights today included very close views of a female Satyr Tragopan and hearing a male Tragopan calling, a Darjeeling Woodpecker feeding on the ground, Broad-billed Warbler, Streak-breasted Scimitar-babbler, Striated Laughingthrush, Scaly Laughingthrush, Alpine Thrush, great views of a pair of Gould’s Sunbird and hearing the wonderful song of a Spotted Laughingthrush. Overnight Thumke Homestay/ Koshi Camp
Thursday 11 April: THUMKE VILLAGE - KOSHI CAMP Today was a long travel day as we headed to Koshi Camp and a shock to the system as we left low temperatures in the mountains of around 8 degrees celsius and arrived in temperatures of around 30 degrees celsius! Despite the long journey we still managed some birding as we headed down through the mountains. Highlights included Red-billed Blue Magpie, Golden-breasted Fulvetta, Slaty-backed Forktail, White-capped Water Redstart & Plumbeous Water Redstart. We finally reached the warmth of the lowlands and enjoyed watching an Indian Flying Fox colony before arriving at Koshi Camp at dusk and to be re-united with the whole group. Overnight Koshi Camp
Friday 12 April: KOSHI TAPPU RESERVE SOUTH - KOSHI BARRAGE This morning we all met in the gardens of the very comfortable Koshi Camp and where we were to be spoiled with the birding skills of Suchit and Badri; the dream team! We enjoyed a full day exploring the southern part of Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve. We had lunch at the camp and some time to relax and explore the camp grounds before heading out for an evening visit to the Koshi Barrage.
There were many highlights today, including both birds and mammals. Some of the bird highlights included a Black Bittern in flight, some great views of three Swamp Francolins, a small group of Cotton Pygmy Geese, wonderful views of Orange-breasted Green Pigeons, Sirkeer Malkoha, Red-naped Ibis, a wonderful flock of 100+ Little Pratincoles feeding at dusk, White-naped Vultures, White-eyed Buzzard, Blue-tailed Bee-eaters and Chestnut-headed Bee-Eaters, Eurasian Wryneck, Plum-headed Parakeet, Black-headed Oriole and Indian Golden Oriole, Blue-throated Blue-flycatcher and a male Siberian Rubythroat. Mammal highlights included three Asiatic Jackals, Indian Grey Mongoose and a rare sighting of nine fabulous Nilgai, including two bulls. The grand mammal finale was the sighting of at least two River Dolphins seen at Koshi Barrage. Overnight Koshi Camp
Saturday 13 April: JABDI - KOSHI TAPPU RESERVE NORTH / SOUTH After early morning coffee we headed out with packed breakfasts to explore the northern section of the Koshi Tappu Reserve. We then returned to camp and explored the southern section during the afternoon.
The clear bird highlight of the day were the three male Bengal Floricans that showed first thing in the morning and included a bird displaying! Other bird highlights included Black Francolin, Indian Thick-knee, Yellow-wattled Lapwing, Pallas’s Gull, Greater Painted-snipe from the hide at Koshi Camp, great views of two Brown Fish Owls at their day roost, Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker, Ashy- crowned Sparrow-larks, Sand Lark and two fabulous Bay-backed Shrikes.
Of course, the mammals were equally impressive as we enjoyed more views of Asiatic Jackals, Rhesus Macaques and two wonderful Bengal Foxes. However, it was the very close views of two Asian Elephants, spotted by Clare, that really stole the show and a species that is often tricky to find. Some of the group spent much of the night in the hide at the camp hoping to see a Fishing Cat. Sadly, there were no sightings, but the lightning displays were impressive! Overnight Koshi Camp
Sunday 14 April: KOSHI CAMP - CHITWAN This morning we enjoyed breakfast at 06.30hrs and then departed for our long road journey to Chitwan National Park. Despite being a travel day, we still managed to see a few species en route, the best of which were three Grey-headed Lapwings that we were lucky to find before their imminent migration to their breeding grounds in Asia. Overnight Tigerland Safari Lodge
Monday 15 April: CHITWAN - RAPTI RIVER Today all our birding was spent alongside the nearby Rapti River where we saw a good selection of new birds for the tour. The afternoon session was somewhat badly timed as the heavens opened and everyone became soaked! Later, some of the group did some spotlighting around the gardens after dinner.
Highlights today were many and included our first Indian Peafowls, Brown Crake, Asian Woollyneck, Crested Serpent-eagle and Grey-headed Fish-eagle, Oriental Dollarbird, Lineated Barbet, Greater Flameback, Grey-capped Woodpecker, Ashy Woodswallow, Black-winged Cuckooshrike, Golden-headed Cisticola, Yellow-bellied Prinia, Spotted Grasshopper-warbler, Smoky Warbler, Yellow-eyed Babbler, Chestnut-capped Babbler, Indian Grass-babbler, Pied Bushchat, White-tailed Stonechat and Jungle Owlet. During the night walk in the gardens we enjoyed great views of an Indian Scops. Overnight Tigerland Safari Lodge
Tuesday and Wednesday 16 & 17 April: WEST CHITWAN - TIGER TOPS - RAIU RIVER - BANKATA FOREST During the next two days we spent our time exploring Chitwan National Park with a focus on trying to see Tiger, as well as the numerous other birds and mammals that Chitwan has to offer. Chitwan National Park was Nepal’s first national park established in 1973 and the numbers of Tigers in the park are estimated to be just under 100 animals. Two full days from dawn until dusk travelling in open top jeeps gave us our best chance of success and on our second day in the park at around 09.20hrs we hit the jackpot! Everyone enjoyed views of a male on the main track ahead of us for around a minute. We then travelled slowly closer and enjoyed more exceptionally close views as this seemingly inquisitive animal watched us from the tall grasses and then slinked off never to be seen again!
Of course Chitwan is not all about Tigers and we had many wonderful sightings of birds and other mammals too! Just some of the highlights over the two days included Silver-backed Needletail and White-rumped Needletail hawking above the forest, wonderful views of the beautiful River Lapwing on the Raiu River, Changeable Hawk-eagle on both days, superb views of a perched Grey-headed Fish-eagle, the hugely impressive Great Hornbill on both days and the tiny Collared Falconet on both days, a single Blue-bearded Bee-Eater, a single Indian Pitta, Rosy Minivet, Pin-striped Tit-babbler, excellent views of two White-browed Piculets, Lesser Yellownape, Greater Necklaced Laughingthrushes, the simply
stunning Orange-headed Thrush, Red-headed Trogon and a fabulous Cinnamon Bittern at dusk on Tiger day! Tigers aside, mammals were simply spectacular too! The Sloth Bear at dusk in the pouring rain was a very special sighting as it slowly crossed the trail in front of us and everyone raised a cheer once it had departed! Other highlights included impressive numbers and encounters with Indian Rhinos, Sambar Deer, Hog Deer and an impressive group of 18 Gaur.
Thursday 18 April: CHITWAN - KURINTAR - KATHMANDU Some of the group enjoyed sunrise alongside the Rapti River where a number of birds and mammals were seen, including our last views of Indian Rhino. Then it was time for another long journey back to Kathmandu.
A couple of very pleasant stops en route allowed for some more birding with the best of the pick being Nepal’s only true endemic, the Spiny Babbler. Perseverance was essential for a good view, but we finally came away with everyone getting a view and a total of five birds were seen. Other bird highlights today included Black-lored Tit, Crimson Sunbird and Green-billed Malkoha all from our lunch stop! Overnight Kathmandu
Friday 19 April: PHULCHOWKI - KATHMANDU Today, half of the group opted to spend some time exploring Kathmandu whilst the other half spent the morning at the well known birding site of Phulchowki. The summit of Phulchowki is around 2,700M, but birding is good all the way from the Botanical Gardens at around 1,500M to the summit.
We drove up to around 2,000M and then birded our way downhill. Here we managed to get some good views of a number of new species as well as more views of birds seen previously on the tour. A great way to spend the final morning. New species for the tour included a heard only Rufous-throated Partridge, superb views of Asian Barred Owlet, Black Eagle, Lesser Racquet-tailed Drongo, Plain- crowned Jay, Grey-hooded Warbler, Blue-winged Minla, Sikkim Treecreeper, Small Niltava, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker, Brown Bullfinch, Striated Bulbul and excellent views of the often difficult to see Grey-sided Laughingthrush!
We returned to our hotel in Kathmandu and re-united as a group where we enjoyed lunch and a final wander around the tourist area. It was then time to say goodbye to our wonderful hosts Badri P, Badri C and Suchit as we headed to the airport for our flight back to the UK.
Conservation Donation – Following this tour to Nepal £300 was transferred to the Wise Birding Holiday’s central conservation fund. For the last three years Wise Birding Holidays has been supporting a number of small conservation projects. However, we now believe that to try and make a bigger difference to conservation it seems best to pool the donations from most of our tours into one central fund. Once a target amount has been reached this money will be used to support one single project in the hope of achieving more for species conservation. Currently this amounts to £6,500. Some tours will continue to donate money to help some of the smaller projects that we feel will still benefit from smaller donations. Please visit our www.wisebirding.co.uk to find out more about the project we support.
Website: www.wisebirding.co.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/wisebirdingholidays Email: chris@wisebirding.co.uk Telephone: 07973 483227
WISE BIRDING HOLIDAYS: Bird and Mammal Checklist for NEPAL 5th - 19th April 2019 The bird checklist follows the nomenclature and classification from HBW Alive, del Hoyo, J, Elliott, A et al The Mammals & Reptiles checklist follows IUCN taxonomy
| # | Common Name | Scientific Name | # | Notes |
| 1 | Hill Partridge | Arborophila torqueola | 1 | Heard only on four days. |
| 2 | Rufous-throated Partridge | Arborophila rufogularis | 2 | Heard on the final morning at Phulchowki. |
| 3 | Indian Peafowl | Pavo cristatus | 3 | Seen very well in Chitwan NP. |
| 4 | Black Francolin | Francolinus francolinus | 4 | Two birds seen very well on the northern side of Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve and heard on another four days. |
| 5 | Swamp Francolin | Francolinus gularis | 5 | Seen well on three days whilst exploring Koshi Tappu. |
| 6 | Red Junglefowl | Gallus gallus | 6 | Recorded on four days whilst in Chitwan NP including a family party with chicks. |
| 7 | Satyr Tragopan | Tragopan satyra | 7 | A male was heard calling on the 8th above Thumke. Early morning on the 9th, a male gave wonderful flight views and a brief sighting on the ground. A female gave prolonged close views on the ground on the 10th and a male was heard calling again in the same area as the bird seen on the 9th. |
| 8 | Kalij Pheasant | Lophura leucomelanos | 8 | Males were seen on two days, in Chitwan NP and at Pulchowki. |
| 9 | Lesser Whistling-duck | Dendrocygna javanica | 9 | A group of 40+ birds present at a wetland site en route to Koshi Barrage on the 12th. |
| 10 | Ruddy Shelduck | Tadorna ferruginea | 10 | Counts of up to 30+ birds recorded on four days. |
| 11 | Cotton Pygmy-goose | Nettapus coromandelianus | 11 | Five birds seen well on the 12th near Koshi Tappu. |
| 12 | Tufted Duck | Aythya fuligula | 12 | A single bird on the 12th on pools around Koshi Tappu was the only record. |
| 13 | Little Grebe | Tachybaptus ruficollis | 13 | A single bird on the 12th on pools around Koshi Tappu was the only record. |
| 14 | Rock Dove | Columba livia | 14 | Recorded on 10 days. |
| 15 | Oriental Turtle-dove | Streptopelia orientalis | 15 | Small numbers recorded in the highland areas on sis days. |
| 16 | Eurasian Collared-dove | Streptopelia decaocto | 16 | A commonly encountered species from the lowlands to the highlands and recorded on nine days. |
| 17 | Red Turtle-dove | Streptopelia tranquebarica | 17 | Also known as Red Collared Dove, this species was recorded on six days from the lowlands to the highlands. |
| 18 | Western Spotted Dove | Spilopelia suratensis | 18 | This attractive dove was seen on nine days. |
| 19 | Grey-capped Emerald Dove | Chalcophaps indica | 19 | A stunning dove seen well in the forests of Chitwan NP on two days. |
| 20 | Orange-breasted Green-pigeon | Treron bicinctus | 20 | First seen well around Koshi Tappu on the 12th and later in Chitwan NP on two days. |
| 21 | Yellow-footed Green-pigeon | Treron phoenicopterus | 21 | A stunning pigeon recorded on five days. First recorded whilst travelling to Thumke on the 6th and then commonly encountered around Koshi Camp. |
| 22 | Large-tailed Nightjar | Caprimulgus macrurus | 22 | A bird was heard calling from our accommodation near Chitwan NP on the evening of the 15th but was too far to show any interest in playback. |
| 23 | Crested Treeswift | Hemiprocne coronata | 23 | Colin had a bird on the 6th and was the only sighting of the trip. |
| 24 | White-rumped Spinetail | Zoonavena sylvatica | 24 | Recorded in Chitwan NP on the morning of the 16th only. |
| 25 | Silver-backed Needletail | Hirundapus cochinchinensis | 25 | At least 2-3 birds seen on two days whilst in Chitwan NP. |
| 26 | Asian Palm-swift | Cypsiurus balasiensis | 26 | Recorded on only two days on the 6th and the 17th. |
| 27 | Pacific Swift | Apus pacificus | 27 | Three birds during lunch above Thumke on the 9th were the only birds recorded. |
| 28 | House Swift | Apus nipalensis | 28 | Counts of 2-5 birds recorded on three days around habitation. |
| 29 | Greater Coucal | Centropus sinensis | 29 | Recorded on eight days whilst in the lowlands. |
| 30 | Lesser Coucal | Centropus bengalensis | 30 | Single birds recorded on four days whilst in Koshi Tappu and Chitwan. |
| 31 | Green-billed Malkoha | Phaenicophaeus tristis | 31 | The only sighting was of a bird that gave great views at our lunch stop on the 18th whilst travelling to Kathmandu. |
| # | Common Name | Scientific Name | # | Notes |
| 32 | Western Koel | Eudynamys scolopaceus | 32 | Its distinctive call was heard around Koshi Camp and our accommodation at Chitwan and was seen on at least four days. |
| 33 | Large Hawk-cuckoo | Hierococcyx sparverioides | 33 | Also known as the “brain fever” bird for its incessant calling day and night, this species was commonly heard in the highlands and eventually seen very well on the 8th near Thumke. |
| 34 | Common Hawk-cuckoo | Hierococcyx varius | 34 | The distinctive “one more bottle” call was heard daily whilst in the lowlands and seen well on at least three out of the eight days recorded. |
| 35 | Indian Cuckoo | Cuculus micropterus | 35 | The familiar sound of “one more bottle” was heard on seven days and birds were seen well on two of these days. |
| 36 | Common Cuckoo | Cuculus canorus | 36 | Heard calling on five days and finally seen on the 9th. |
| 37 | Oriental Cuckoo | Cuculus saturatus | 37 | Subspecies Himalayan Cuckoo (C. s. saturatus ). Heard calling on four days. |
| 38 | Brown Crake | Zapornia akool | 38 | Birds were seen well on two days in Chitwan NPwith a max. count of 2 birds on the 16th. |
| 39 | White-breasted Waterhen | Amaurornis phoenicurus | 39 | Small numbers recorded on six days in suitable wetland habitat. |
| 40 | Purple Swamphen | Porphyrio porphyrio | 40 | Recorded on two days whilst in the Koshi Tappu area. |
| 41 | Common Moorhen | Gallinula chloropus | 41 | Recorded on six days. |
| 42 | Common Coot | Fulica atra | 42 | Recorded on three days. |
| 43 | Bengal Florican | Houbaropsis bengalensis | 43 | A wonderful sighting of 3 males giving some display and also seen in flight on the morning of the 13th at Koshi Tappu. |
| 44 | Lesser Adjutant | Leptoptilos javanicus | 44 | A single bird whilst travelling on the 6th and then small numbers seen daily between the 11th to the 18th. |
| 45 | Asian Openbill | Anastomus oscitans | 45 | Small numbers on eight days whilst exploring Koshi Tappu and Chitwan. |
| 46 | Black Stork | Ciconia nigra | 46 | Recorded on two days with 4 birds at Koshi Tappu and 5 birds at Chitwan. |
| 47 | Asian Woollyneck | Ciconia episcopus | 47 | The only sighting was of 2 birds on the 15th whilst in Chitwan. |
| 48 | Red-naped Ibis | Pseudibis papillosa | 48 | This very distinctive ibis was enjoyed on four days around Koshi Tappu and Chitwan with a max. count of 8 on the 17th. |
| 49 | Cinnamon Bittern | Ixobrychus cinnamomeus | 49 | A single bird in flight at sunset over the Rapti River and also seen in the vegetation on the evening of the 17th. |
| 50 | Black Bittern | Ixobrychus flavicollis | 50 | A single bird seen well in flight at Koshi Tappu on the morning of the 12th. |
| 51 | Black-crowned Night-heron | Nycticorax nycticorax | 51 | Small counts recorded on six days in suitable habitat. |
| 52 | Green-backed Heron | Butorides striata | 52 | The only sighting was of a single bird on the 16th in Chitwan. |
| 53 | Indian Pond-heron | Ardeola grayii | 53 | Commonly encountered whilst travelling through paddy fields and other wetland sites and recorded on nine days. |
| 54 | Cattle Egret | Bubulcus ibis | 54 | Commonly encountered whilst travelling and recorded on at least eight days. |
| 55 | Grey Heron | Ardea cinerea | 55 | Recorded on on the 11th only by some of the group. |
| 56 | Purple Heron | Ardea purpurea | 56 | Counts of up to 3 birds recorded on four days in suitable wetland habitat. |
| 57 | Great White Egret | Ardea alba | 57 | Small numbers recorded on six days in wetland areas. |
| 58 | Intermediate Egret | Ardea intermedia | 58 | Small numbers recorded on three days in wetland areas. |
| 59 | Little Egret | Egretta garzetta | 59 | Commonly encountered on nine days. |
| 60 | Little Cormorant | Microcarbo niger | 60 | A common species in wetland areas recorded on seven days. |
| 61 | Great Cormorant | Phalacrocorax carbo | 61 | Recorded on the 12th only. |
| 62 | Oriental Darter | Anhinga melanogaster | 62 | Counts of 2-3 birds recorded on four days whilst exploring Chitwan NP. |
| 63 | Indian Thick-knee | Burhinus indicus | 63 | Two birds seen very well by the roadside at Koshi Tappu on the 13th. |
| # | Common Name | Scientific Name | # | Notes |
| 64 | Little Ringed Plover | Charadrius dubius | 64 | Recorded on six days around Koshi Tappu and Chitwan with breeding alarm calls heard at Chitwan. |
| 65 | River Lapwing | Vanellus duvaucelii | 65 | This very attractive wader was seen well on four days with the best views whilst in Chitwan NP. |
| 66 | Yellow-wattled Lapwing | Vanellus malabaricus | 66 | The only sighting was on the 13th whilst exploring the northern part of Koshi Tappu. |
| 67 | Grey-headed Lapwing | Vanellus cinereus | 67 | Three birds on the 14th was a real bonus whilst travelling en route to Chitwan. |
| 68 | Red-wattled Lapwing | Vanellus indicus | 68 | This common but nonetheless attractive wader was recorded on nine days. |
| 69 | Greater Painted-snipe | Rostratula benghalensis | 69 | Great views of up to 2 birds from the hide at Koshi Camp on three days. |
| 70 | Bronze-winged Jacana | Metopidius indicus | 70 | This impressive Jacana was enjoyed on five days, particularly from the hide at Koshi Camp. |
| 71 | Temminck's Stint | Calidris temminckii | 71 | Small numbers recorded on five days whilst exploring Koshi Tappu. |
| 72 | Little Stint | Calidris minuta | 72 | At least 2 birds in with Temminck’s Stints on the 13th. |
| 73 | Common Sandpiper | Actitis hypoleucos | 73 | Counts of 1-2 birds on three days. |
| 74 | Green Sandpiper | Tringa ochropus | 74 | Recorded on five days. |
| 75 | Spotted Redshank | Tringa erythropus | 75 | A single bird whilst in Chitwan on the 15th was the only sighting. |
| 76 | Common Greenshank | Tringa nebularia | 76 | Counts of 1-2 birds on two days. |
| 77 | Wood Sandpiper | Tringa glareola | 77 | Recorded by some of the group on the 11th at Koshi Tappu. |
| 78 | Little Pratincole | Glareola lactea | 78 | This fabulous species was seen well on three days with a memorable sighting of 100+ birds hawking at dusk on the 12th. |
| 79 | Pallas's Gull | Larus ichthyaetus | 79 | A 3rd Calendar Year bird was seen well on the river whilst having breakfast on the north side of Koshi Tappu on the 13th. |
| 80 | Brown Boobook | Ninox scutulata | 80 | Also known as Brown Hawk Owl, this species was seen on three days at Koshi Camp both at day roost and hunting at night. Also heard at night. |
| 81 | Collared Owlet | Glaucidium brodiei | 81 | Frustratingly only heard whilst at Thumke on three days and at our accommodation at Chitwan on one evening. |
| 82 | Asian Barred Owlet | Glaucidium cuculoides | 82 | Great views at the start of the track to Phulchowki on the final morning. |
| 83 | Jungle Owlet | Glaucidium radiatum | 83 | Heard on the 12th and then seen well on the 15th by some after having been soaked by a heavy shower! |
| 84 | Spotted Owlet | Athene brama | 84 | Seen well on a number of occasions during the daytime and recorded on five days. |
| 85 | Indian Scops-owl | Otus bakkamoena | 85 | Heard on the 13th at Koshi Camp and then seen well by torchlight in the garden of our accommodation at Chitwan on the 15th. |
| 86 | Brown Fish-owl | Ketupa zeylonensis | 86 | Two birds seen well at their day roost on the 13th around Koshi Tappu. |
| 87 | Himalayan Owl | Strix nivicolum | 87 | Heard from Thumke village on the evening of the 6th. |
| 88 | Osprey | Pandion haliaetus | 88 | Recorded on four days whilst exploring Koshi Tappu and Chitwan with a max. count of 3 birds on the 13th. |
| 89 | Black-winged Kite | Elanus caeruleus | 89 | Seen very well on two days in the Koshi Tappu area. |
| 90 | Oriental Honey-buzzard | Pernis ptilorhynchus | 90 | A relatively common species with counts of 2 - 4 birds on eight days. |
| 91 | Egyptian Vulture | Neophron percnopterus | 91 | A near adult seen at a tea stop near Kurintar. |
| 92 | Crested Serpent-eagle | Spilornis cheela | 92 | Great views on thee days whilst around Chitwan with a high count of 3 birds on the 17th. |
| 93 | Himalayan Griffon | Gyps himalayensis | 93 | Commonly recorded on nine days, particularly in the Thumke area, with a max. count of at least 22 birds on the 13th |
| 94 | White-rumped Vulture | Gyps bengalensis | 94 | Two birds seen by some of the group on the 11th and then by all on the 12th when at least 5 birds were seen. |
| 95 | Changeable Hawk-eagle | Nisaetus cirrhatus | 95 | A single bird on the 16th and 2 birds on the 17th whilst in Chitwan NP. |
| # | Common Name | Scientific Name | # | Notes |
| 96 | Mountain Hawk-eagle | Nisaetus nipalensis | 96 | A single bird sen at the Kurintar Babbler site by Badri and Suchit only. |
| 97 | Black Eagle | Ictinaetus malaiensis | 97 | The only sighting was of a striking adult on our last morning for those that visited Phulchowki. |
| 98 | Steppe Eagle | Aquila nipalensis | 98 | A single bird was seen whilst in Thumke on the 9th. |
| 99 | Pied Harrier | Circus melanoleucos | 99 | A female by some of the group at Koshi Camp on the 11th and then a male high over the Camp early morning on the 12th. |
| 100 | Crested Goshawk | Accipiter trivirgatus | 100 | A single bird on the 9th at Thumke and a brief view of an Accipter on the 8th was also thought to be this species. |
| 101 | Shikra | Accipiter badius | 101 | At least 1-2 birds recorded over six days during the second half of the tour. |
| 102 | Northern Goshawk | Accipiter gentilis | 102 | A male above Thumke on the 7th. |
| 103 | Grey-headed Fish-eagle | Icthyophaga ichthyaetus | 103 | Excellent perched views of single birds in Chitwan NP on the 15th and 17th. |
| 104 | Black Kite | Milvus migrans | 104 | Sporadic sightings on six days with a max. count of 60+ birds in Kathmandu on our first evening. |
| 105 | White-eyed Buzzard | Butastur teesa | 105 | Two birds at a nest at Koshi Tappu on the 12th and a single bird there the following day, plus another single bird on the 17th in Chitwan NP. |
| 106 | Himalayan Buzzard | Buteo refectus | 106 | The only sighting was of a single bird at Thumke on the 7th. |
| 107 | Red-headed Trogon | Harpactes erythrocephalus | 107 | Heard in Chitwan on the 16th and then seen very well on the 17th in the Bankata Forest, Chitwan NP. |
| 108 | Great Hornbill | Buceros bicornis | 108 | This fabulously impressive hornbill was seen on two days in Chitwan with counts of 5 and 3 birds on the 16th and 17th. |
| 109 | Indian Grey Hornbill | Ocyceros birostris | 109 | Single birds recorded on the 11th and whilst travelling on the 14th. |
| 110 | Oriental Pied Hornbill | Anthracoceros albirostris | 110 | Single birds recorded in Chitwan NP on the 16th and by the Rapti River on the 18th. |
| 111 | Common Hoopoe | Upupa epops | 111 | Counts of 1-2 birds on three days. |
| 112 | Blue-bearded Bee-eater | Nyctyornis athertoni | 112 | This highly sought after Bee-Eater was heard and seen near the old Tiger Tops Lodge in Chitwan on the 17th. |
| 113 | Asian Green Bee-eater | Merops orientalis | 113 | A commonly encountered species in the lowlands recorded on six days. |
| 114 | Chestnut-headed Bee-eater | Merops leschenaulti | 114 | This beautiful Bee-Eater was recorded on three days whilst in Chitwan NP. |
| 115 | Blue-tailed Bee-eater | Merops philippinus | 115 | Recorded on three days around the Koshi Tappu area. |
| 116 | Indian Roller | Coracias benghalensis | 116 | Some great opportunities to see this species well. Recorded on six days. |
| 117 | Indochinese Roller | Coracias affinis | 117 | Split from Indian Roller, this species was seen by a couple of the group not far from Bhadrapur airport whilst travelling to Thumke. |
| 118 | Oriental Dollarbird | Eurystomus orientalis | 118 | Counts of 2-4 birds and seen very well in Chitwan NP on three days. |
| 119 | Common Kingfisher | Alcedo atthis | 119 | Recorded on five days. |
| 120 | Pied Kingfisher | Ceryle rudis | 120 | Recorded on five days. |
| 121 | Stork-billed Kingfisher | Pelargopsis capensis | 121 | This impressive Kingfisher was seen very well on four days with most sightings around Koshi Tappu. |
| 122 | White-breasted Kingfisher | Halcyon smyrnensis | 122 | One of the commonest Kingfishers recorded on eight days. |
| 123 | Coppersmith Barbet | Psilopogon haemacephalus | 123 | An impressively colourful Barbet recorded on five days around the lowlands. |
| 124 | Great Barbet | Psilopogon virens | 124 | The largest of the Barbets and preferring the higher altitudes, this species was seen on three days near Fikkal on the 11th, one of our stops whilst travelling on the 18th and Phulchowki on the final day. |
| 125 | Lineated Barbet | Psilopogon lineatus | 125 | Two birds were seen very well from our accommodation near Chitwan NP on the 15th. Another was heard calling on the 17th. |
| 126 | Blue-throated Barbet | Psilopogon asiaticus | 126 | One of the commonest Barbets ranging across altitudes and recorded on eight days. |
| 127 | Eurasian Wryneck | Jynx torquilla | 127 | A single bird at Koshi Tappu on the 12th was the only sighting. |
| # | Common Name | Scientific Name | # | Notes |
| 128 | White-browed Piculet | Sasia ochracea | 128 | Fabulous views of 2 birds in the Bankata Forest, Chitwan NP of this often tricky to see species! |
| 129 | Greater Flameback | Chrysocolaptes guttacristatus | 129 | Three birds seen very well on our morning walk by the Rapti River, Chitwan on the 15th. |
| 130 | Himalayan Flameback | Dinopium shorii | 130 | Also known as the Himalayan Goldenback, this species was seen well in Chitwan NP on the 16th with a total of 3 birds seen. |
| 131 | Black-rumped Flameback | Dinopium benghalense | 131 | Previously known as the Lesser Goldenback, birds were recorded on three days around Koshi Tappu. |
| 132 | Rufous Woodpecker | Micropternus brachyurus | 132 | A single bird seen in Chitwan on the 16th. |
| 133 | Lesser Yellownape | Picus chlorolophus | 133 | At least two birds seen well in Chitwan NP on the 17th. |
| 134 | Black-naped Woodpecker | Picus guerini | 134 | Recently split from Grey-headed Woodpecker, two birds were seen well in Chitwan NP on the 16th. |
| 135 | Grey-capped Woodpecker | Picoides canicapillus | 135 | Also known as Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, we enjoyed great views on four days with some of the best views in the garden of our accommodation near Chitwan. |
| 136 | Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker | Dendrocopos macei | 136 | A common species recorded on six days whilst in the lowland areas. |
| 137 | Darjeeling Woodpecker | Dendrocopos darjellensis | 137 | Excellent views of a bird feeding on the ground in the forest near Thumke on the 10th. A high altitude species ranging from 1,800 - 3,500M. |
| 138 | Collared Falconet | Microhierax caerulescens | 138 | This wonderfully tiny charismatic raptor was seen perched on two days whilst travelling through Chitwan’s forest. |
| 139 | Common Kestrel | Falco tinnunculus | 139 | Recorded on four days from the highlands to the lowlands. |
| 140 | Plum-headed Parakeet | Psittacula cyanocephala | 140 | This aptly-named and beautiful Parakeet was recorded on four days with sightings near Koshi Tappu and Chitwan NP. |
| 141 | Red-breasted Parakeet | Psittacula alexandri | 141 | Recorded on three days whilst exploring Chitwan NP. |
| 142 | Alexandrine Parakeet | Psittacula eupatria | 142 | The largest of the Parakeets and recorded on four days whilst birding Chitwan NP. |
| 143 | Rose-ringed Parakeet | Psittacula krameri | 143 | A common species recorded on five days including the centre of Kathmandu. |
| 144 | Indian Pitta | Pitta brachyura | 144 | A single calling male was seen perched quite high in a tree whilst travelling back from our last full day in Chitwan NP on the 17th. |
| 145 | Maroon Oriole | Oriolus traillii | 145 | Great views in the forest above Thumke on the 8th and heard again there on the 10th. Plus a bird at Phulchowki on the final morning. |
| 146 | Black-hooded Oriole | Oriolus xanthornus | 146 | A common species recorded on eight days in the lowland areas. |
| 147 | Indian Golden Oriole | Oriolus kundoo | 147 | A common species recorded on eight days in the lowland areas. |
| 148 | White-browed Shrike-babbler | Pteruthius aeralatus | 148 | Paul saw a bird on the 9th in the forest above Thumke. |
| 149 | White-bellied Erpornis | Erpornis zantholeuca | 149 | Previously W-bellied Yuhina and now a different genus. This species was only heard on the 16th whilst in Chitwan NP. |
| 150 | Long-tailed Minivet | Pericrocotus ethologus | 150 | Commonly encountered in the open mountain areas above Thumke, typically in groups of 6+ birds and always a joy to see! Recorded on six days in total with birds at Thumke and Phulchowki. |
| 151 | Scarlet Minivet | Pericrocotus flammeus | 151 | Pairs seen on three days whilst travelling through the forest in Chitwan NP. |
| 152 | Rosy Minivet | Pericrocotus roseus | 152 | A pair of birds seen very well in the forest at Chitwan on the morning of the 16th. |
| 153 | Black-winged Cuckooshrike | Lalage melaschistos | 153 | Seen only on the 15th in the grounds of our accommodation at Chitwan on the 15th and heard only on the following two days. |
| 154 | Ashy Woodswallow | Artamus fuscus | 154 | A single bird on wires whilst travelling to the Rapti River on the morning of the 15th. |
| 155 | Large Woodshrike | Tephrodornis virgatus | 155 | Heard only in Chitwan on the 17th. |
| 156 | Common Iora | Aegithina tiphia | 156 | Seen well on a number of occasions over six days. |
| 157 | White-throated Fantail | Rhipidura albicollis | 157 | Seen in the forest above Thumke on four days. |
| 158 | Black Drongo | Dicrurus macrocercus | 158 | A very common and widespread species recorded on nine days. |
| # | Common Name | Scientific Name | # | Notes |
| 159 | Ashy Drongo | Dicrurus leucophaeus | 159 | Recorded in both the highlands and lowlands on at least six days. |
| 160 | White-bellied Drongo | Dicrurus caerulescens | 160 | Recorded on at least two days around Chitwan NP. |
| 161 | Bronzed Drongo | Dicrurus aeneus | 161 | Seen by some of the group on the 11th near Koshi Camp. |
| 162 | Lesser Racquet-tailed Drongo | Dicrurus remifer | 162 | The only sighting was of a single bird at Phulchowki on the final morning. |
| 163 | Hair-crested Drongo | Dicrurus hottentottus | 163 | This impressive Drongo was recorded in Chitwan NP on the 16th with a single bird seen well. |
| 164 | Greater Racquet-tailed Drongo | Dicrurus paradiseus | 164 | Seen well in Chitwan NP on two days with a max. count of 3 birds on the 17th. |
| 165 | Indian Paradise-flycatcher | Terpsiphone paradisi | 165 | This common but impressive flycatcher was recorded on five days. |
| 166 | Brown Shrike | Lanius cristatus | 166 | Single birds recorded on just two days. A bird whilst some of the group were travelling to Koshi on the 11th and then a bird seen by Paul on the 14th. |
| 167 | Bay-backed Shrike | Lanius vittatus | 167 | This beautiful shrike was seen very well on the 13th were 2 birds performed exceptionally well on the northern side of Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve. |
| 168 | Long-tailed Shrike | Lanius schach | 168 | Another impressive shrike species recorded on a total of six days from the highlands to the lowlands and all of the distinctive tricolor race. |
| 169 | Grey-backed Shrike | Lanius tephronotus | 169 | Recorded on the 11th by some of the group and again by Paul on the 18th. |
| 170 | Rufous Treepie | Dendrocitta vagabunda | 170 | This widespread but highly distinctive species was seen well on at least seven days whilst in the lowlands. |
| 171 | Grey Treepie | Dendrocitta formosae | 171 | A similar cousin to the above species but more commonly found in areas above 1,000M and therefore recorded on just three days in the forest above Thumke and Phulchowki. |
| 172 | Yellow-billed Blue Magpie | Urocissa flavirostris | 172 | This high altitude species was seen well on five days in the forest above Thumke with a max. count of 4 birds on the 8th. |
| 173 | Red-billed Blue Magpie | Urocissa erythroryncha | 173 | Mostly found at lower altitudes than the above species, though still recorded at Thumke on two days and heard calling in the lowlands on the 18th. |
| 174 | Plain-crowned Jay | Garrulus bispecularis | 174 | A single bird at Phulchowki on the final morning. |
| 175 | House Crow | Corvus splendens | 175 | A very common species recorded on at least 10 days. |
| 176 | Large-billed Crow | Corvus macrorhynchos | 176 | Recorded on five days whilst at Thumke. The subspecies culminates (Indian Jungle Crow) was recorded on eight days whilst in the lowland areas. |
| 177 | Yellow-bellied Fairy-fantail | Chelidorhynx hypoxanthus | 177 | A single bird seen well in the forest above Thumke on the 8th. |
| 178 | Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher | Culicicapa ceylonensis | 178 | Recorded on four days whilst in the highland forest above Thumke. |
| 179 | Yellow-browed Tit | Sylviparus modestus | 179 | Recorded on two days in the forest above Thumke and then again at Phulchowki on the final morning. |
| 180 | Green-backed Tit | Parus monticolus | 180 | A common species of the highland forest areas recorded seven days. |
| 181 | Great Tit | Parus major cinereus | 181 | Subspecies Cinereous Tit was recorded on four days. |
| 182 | Black-lored Tit | Machlolophus xanthogenys | 182 | Seen very well during our lunch stop on the 18th and again at Phulchowki on the final morning. |
| 183 | Ashy-crowned Sparrow-lark | Eremopterix griseus | 183 | A small group of around 10+ birds seen on the morning of the 13th on the northern side of Koshi Tappu was the only sighting. |
| 184 | Sand Lark | Alaudala raytal | 184 | Recorded on two days with a count of 3 birds on the 13th and a single bird on the 17th. |
| 185 | Eastern Short-toed Lark | Calandrella dukhunensis | 185 | A single bird on the 13th on the northern side of Koshi Tappu. |
| 186 | Oriental Skylark | Alauda gulgula | 186 | A single bird singing on the 13th on the northern side of Koshi Tappu was seen very well on the ground. |
| 187 | Zitting Cisticola | Cisticola juncidis | 187 | Heard on two days whilst at Koshi Tappu and in Chitwan NP. |
| 188 | Golden-headed Cisticola | Cisticola exilis | 188 | Two birds seen very well alongside the Rapti River on the morning of the 15th. |
| 189 | Grey-breasted Prinia | Prinia hodgsonii | 189 | Seen well beside the Rapti River on the morning of the a5th and Glenn and Jane saw bird near the accommodation on the 17th. |
| 190 | Yellow-bellied Prinia | Prinia flaviventris | 190 | A total of 3 birds seen well beside the Rapti River on the morning of the 15th. |
| # | Common Name | Scientific Name | # | Notes |
| 191 | Ashy Prinia | Prinia socialis | 191 | Recorded beside the Rapti River on the morning of the 15th. |
| 192 | Plain Prinia | Prinia inornata | 192 | A common Prinia in suitable habitat recorded on five days. |
| 193 | Common Tailorbird | Orthotomus sutorius | 193 | This often tame and attractive warbler was seen well on at least six days in the lowlands. |
| 194 | Blyth’s Reed-warbler | Acrocephalus dumetorum | 194 | Seen well by some of the group on the 11th at Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve. |
| 195 | Paddyfield Warbler | Acrocephalus agricola | 195 | Two birds on the 15th were seen well beside the Rapti River. |
| 196 | Spotted Grasshopper-warbler | Locustella thoracica | 196 | Also known as Spotted Bush Warbler, this master skulker gave some brief views beside the Rapti River on the morning of the 15th. |
| 197 | Nepal House Martin | Delichon nipalense | 197 | A few birds were seen on the 12th. |
| 198 | Red-rumped Swallow | Cecropis daurica | 198 | Counts of 1-2 birds on just three days. |
| 199 | Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica | 199 | Recorded on seven days. |
| 200 | Asian Plain Martin | Riparia chinensis | 200 | Also known as Grey-throated Martin, this common hirundine was recorded on eight days. |
| 201 | Black Bulbul | Hypsipetes leucocephalus | 201 | This unmistakeable Bulbul was recorded only in the forest at Chitwan NP on the 17th. |
| 202 | Striated Bulbul | Pycnonotus striatus | 202 | A single bird showed well at Phulchowki on the final morning. |
| 203 | Black-crested Bulbul | Pycnonotus flaviventris | 203 | Counts of 1-2 birds Chitwan NP on two days. |
| 204 | Red-whiskered Bulbul | Pycnonotus jocosus | 204 | This common but impressive Bulbul was recorded on eight days. |
| 205 | Himalayan Bulbul | Pycnonotus leucogenys | 205 | Recorded in the forest at Chitwan on two days. |
| 206 | Red-vented Bulbul | Pycnonotus cafer | 206 | The commonest of the Bulbuls recorded on 10 days. |
| 207 | Hume's Leaf-warbler | Phylloscopus humei | 207 | A very common Phylloscopus warbler quite often heard more than seen and recorded on eight days. |
| 208 | Buff-barred Warbler | Phylloscopus pulcher | 208 | A distinctive species with striking white in the tail, recorded on three days in the highland forest above Thumke |
| 209 | Ashy-throated Warbler | Phylloscopus maculipennis | 209 | Recorded on six days in the highland areas of Thumke and Phulchowki. |
| 210 | Dusky Warbler | Phylloscopus fuscatus | 210 | Single birds seen at Koshi Tappu on two days. |
| 211 | Smoky Warbler | Phylloscopus fuligiventer | 211 | This aptly-named species was seen well along the Rapti River on the morning of the 15th and heard on the 17th. |
| 212 | Tickell's Leaf-warbler | Phylloscopus affinis | 212 | Recorded on two days at Koshi Tappu. |
| 213 | Green-crowned Warbler | Phylloscopus burkii | 213 | Birds were recorded on the 11th and 12th. |
| 214 | Whistler's Warbler | Phylloscopus whistleri | 214 | This striking wing-barred version of the similar Green-crowned Warbler was seen well on three days in the forest above Thumke. |
| 215 | Chestnut-crowned Warbler | Phylloscopus castaniceps | 215 | This very smart warbler was seen on four days in the forest above Thumke. |
| 216 | Greenish Warbler | Phylloscopus trochiloides | 216 | One of the commonest wing-barred Phylloscopus warblers recorded on eight days and a familiar sound in suitable habitat. |
| 217 | Blyth's Leaf-warbler | Phylloscopus reguloides | 217 | A common wing-barred Phylloscopus warbler of the highland forest areas recorded on four days above Thumke. |
| 218 | Grey-hooded Warbler | Phylloscopus xanthoschistos | 218 | Heard above Thumke on the 8th and finally seen at Phulchowki on our last morning. |
| 219 | Chestnut-headed Tesia | Cettia castaneocoronata | 219 | Great views of this fabulous little bird. More often heard than seen, but with perseverance we were treated to great views on the 8th above Thumke. |
| 220 | Pale-footed Bush-warbler | Hemitesia pallidipes | 220 | This skulker was only heard only in the tall grasses at the forest edges of Chitwan NP on two days. |
| 221 | Yellow-bellied Warbler | Abroscopus superciliaris | 221 | This bamboo specialist was seen in Chitwan NP on the 16th where 2 birds showed well. |
| 222 | Black-faced Warbler | Abroscopus schisticeps | 222 | This stunning warbler was seen very well in the forest above Thumke on the 8th and again at Phulchowki on the final morning. |
| # | Common Name | Scientific Name | # | Notes |
| 223 | Broad-billed Warbler | Tickellia hodgsoni | 223 | Two birds on the 10th whilst walking down from Thumke for some of the group was the only sighting. |
| 224 | Black-throated Tit | Aegithalos concinnus | 224 | These striking Tits always in small groups were seen well on four days whilst in th highland areas of Thumke and Phulchowki. |
| 225 | Golden-breasted Fulvetta | Lioparus chrysotis | 225 | Two of these stunning Fulvettas showed well whilst walking down from Thumke on the 10th for some of the group. |
| 226 | Yellow-eyed Babbler | Chrysomma sinense | 226 | A single bird beside the Rapti River on the morning of the 15th showed very well. |
| 227 | White-browed Fulvetta | Fulvetta vinipectus | 227 | This species was recorded in the highlands on six days whilst at Thumke and Phulchowki. |
| 228 | Stripe-throated Yuhina | Yuhina gularis | 228 | Great views on three days whilst in the forest above Thumke. |
| 229 | Streak-breasted Scimitar-babbler | Pomatorhinus ruficollis | 229 | Heard on two days and then finally seen in the forest above Thumke on the10th where 3 birds showed well for some of the group. |
| 230 | Chestnut-capped Babbler | Timalia pileata | 230 | This striking Babbler was seen well on three days in Chitwan NP. |
| 231 | Pin-striped Tit-babbler | Mixornis gularis | 231 | Two birds showed well in the forest at Chitwan NP on the 16th. |
| 232 | Rufous-throated Wren-babbler | Spelaeornis caudatus | 232 | We all heard a bird calling in the forest above Thumke on the 8th, but the bird refused to show. |
| 233 | Rufous-winged Fulvetta | Schoeniparus castaneceps | 233 | Single birds in the forest above Thumke on two days. |
| 234 | Puff-throated Babbler | Pellorneum ruficeps | 234 | Heard only in Chitwan Np on the 16th. |
| 235 | Indian Grass-babbler | Graminicola bengalensis | 235 | Also known as the Rufous-rumped Grassbird, this specially was sen well beside the Rapti River on the morning of the 15th. |
| 236 | Striated Laughingthrush | Grammatoptila striata | 236 | This very striking Laughingthrush was recorded on two days in the forest above Thumke. |
| 237 | Striated Babbler | Argya earlei | 237 | Recorded on three days with the best views at Koshi Tappu. |
| 238 | Spiny Babbler | Acanthoptila nipalensis | 238 | It took a while, but with perseverance everyone had good views of Nepal’s only endemic bird with a total of 5 birds seen on the 18th near Kurintar. |
| 239 | Jungle Babbler | Turdoides striata | 239 | A very common Babbler of the lowland areas recorded eight days. |
| 240 | White-crested Laughingthrush | Garrulax leucolophus | 240 | Heard only on the 6th as we walked up to Thumke village. |
| 241 | Spotted Laughingthrush | Garrulax ocellatus | 241 | A fabulous song heard in the forest above Thumke, but despite truing it just refused to show! |
| 242 | Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush | Garrulax pectoralis | 242 | Great views of four birds on two separate days in Chitwan NP. |
| 243 | White-throated Laughingthrush | Garrulax albogularis | 243 | Small groups seen very well around Thumke village on two days. |
| 244 | Grey-sided Laughingthrush | Garrulax caerulatus | 244 | A great sighting out in the open at Phulchowki for an often difficult to see species! |
| 245 | Scaly Laughingthrush | Trochalopteron subunicolor | 245 | At least 2 birds showed very well out in the open as they fed below us on the Indian border on the afternoon of the 10th. |
| 246 | Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush | Trochalopteron erythrocephalum | 246 | Another impressive Laughingthrush and recorded on two days in the forest above Thumke, but typically always very shy. |
| 247 | Rufous Sibia | Heterophasia capistrata | 247 | This striking and unmistakeable species was seen very well around Thumke on at least four days and again at Phulchowki on the last morning. |
| 248 | Hoary-throated Barwing | Sibia nipalensis | 248 | Three birds on the 8th above Thumke was the only sighting. |
| 249 | Blue-winged Minla | Siva cyanouroptera | 249 | Also known as Blue-winged Siva, at least 4 of these beautiful birds showed well at Phulchowki on the final morning. |
| 250 | Bar-throated Minla | Chrysominla strigula | 250 | Also known as Bar-throated Siva, this species was recorded on five days in the forest above Thumke. |
| 251 | Sikkim Treecreeper | Certhia discolor | 251 | Brown-throated Treecreeper if treated as conspecific with Certhia manipurensis. A single bird showed well at Phulchowki on the final morning. |
| 252 | Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch | Sitta cinnamoventris | 252 | Some excellent views of this attractive Nuthatch with counts of 1-2 birds on three days in the forest around Chitwan NP. |
| 253 | White-tailed Nuthatch | Sitta himalayensis | 253 | This higher altitude Nuthatch was seen well in the forest above Thumke on four days with counts of 1-2 birds. |
| 254 | Velvet-fronted Nuthatch | Sitta frontalis | 254 | Probably the best looking Nuthatch and many opportunities to see them well. Recorded on three days whilst exploring Chitwan NP. |
| # | Common Name | Scientific Name | # | Notes |
| 255 | Asian Pied Starling | Gracupica contra | 255 | A relatively common species recorded on at least seven days. |
| 256 | Chestnut-tailed Starling | Sturnia malabarica | 256 | A relatively common species recorded on at least seven days. |
| 257 | Common Myna | Acridotheres tristis | 257 | Very common and recorded on 11 days. |
| 258 | Jungle Myna | Acridotheres fuscus | 258 | Another common Myna species recorded on eight days. |
| 259 | Common Hill Myna | Gracula religiosa | 259 | The largest of all the Mynas and a single bird in Chitwan NP on the 16th was the only sighting. |
| 260 | Alpine Thrush | Zoothera mollissima | 260 | Also known as Plain-backed Thrush, this skulker was seen well on two days in the forest above Thumke on the 8th and then 2 birds on the 10th. |
| 261 | Orange-headed Thrush | Geokichla citrina | 261 | This unmistakable and stunning thrush was seen very well in Chitwan NP with counts of 2 birds seen on two different days. |
| 262 | Grey-winged Blackbird | Turdus boulboul | 262 | This highland thrush was seen very well on five days in the forest above Thumke and at Phulchowki on the final morning. |
| 263 | Tickell's Thrush | Turdus unicolor | 263 | A single bird whilst walking up to Thumke village on the early evening of the 6th. |
| 264 | White-collared Blackbird | Turdus albocinctus | 264 | A stunning and unmistakeable Blackbird seen very well on a number of occasions over three days in the more open areas above Thumke village. |
| 265 | Black-throated Thrush | Turdus atrogularis | 265 | Some great views of small groups of 2+ birds on three days around Thumke village and the open areas above the forest. |
| 266 | Oriental Magpie-robin | Copsychus saularis | 266 | A commonly heard and easily seen species recorded on 10 days. |
| 267 | White-rumped Shama | Kittacincla malabarica | 267 | A singing bird showed well in Chitwan NP on the 17th. |
| 268 | Dark-sided Flycatcher | Muscicapa sibirica | 268 | A single bird in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve on the early evening of the 13th. |
| 269 | Small Niltava | Niltava macgrigoriae | 269 | A single bird performed very well at Phulchowki on the final morning. |
| 270 | Verditer Flycatcher | Eumyias thalassinus | 270 | This striking blue Flycatcher was seen very well on numerous occasions over four days around Thumke and the surrounding forest. |
| 271 | Pale-chinned Flycatcher | Cyornis poliogenys | 271 | A single bird in the forest at Bankata, Chitwan NP showed well on the afternoon of the 16th. |
| 272 | Blue-throated Blue-flycatcher | Cyornis rubeculoides | 272 | This stunning Flycatcher showed very well at Koshi Tappu on the morning of the 12th where we saw 2 birds together. |
| 273 | Bluethroat | Cyanecula svecica | 273 | Stephen saw a bird near the Rapti River on the 15th. |
| 274 | Siberian Rubythroat | Calliope calliope | 274 | A bird was heard singing on the 12th at Koshi Tappu and then a beautiful male finally showed in the same area the following day. |
| 275 | Himalayan Bush-robin | Tarsiger rufilatus | 275 | Also known as Himalayan Bluetail and seen well on the edge of the forest above Thumke on three days. All females and a max. count of 2 birds. |
| 276 | Slaty-backed Forktail | Enicurus schistaceus | 276 | Two birds showed very well on the river to some of the group during a brief stop at Mongal Bare as we descended from Thumke on the 11th. |
| 277 | Blue Whistling-thrush | Myophonus caeruleus | 277 | Stunning views of this very attractive and large Thrush on four days whilst at Thumke. |
| 278 | Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher | Ficedula strophiata | 278 | This impressive Flycatcher was seen very well around the forest and forest edge above Thumke on four days. |
| 279 | Ultramarine Flycatcher | Ficedula superciliaris | 279 | Single males seen above Thumke on the 8th and the 11th and then a female at Phulchowki on the final morning. |
| 280 | Red-throated Flycatcher | Ficedula albicilla | 280 | Also known as Taiga Flycatcher, singles were seen on the 11th and the 15th. |
| 281 | Blue-fronted Redstart | Phoenicurus frontalis | 281 | An absolutely stunning Redstart and very common around Thumke with birds recorded on five days. |
| 282 | White-capped Water-redstart | Phoenicurus leucocephalus | 282 | Another stunning Redstart with birds recorded by water on the 6th whilst travelling and at Mongal Bare on the 11th. |
| 283 | Plumbeous Water-redstart | Phoenicurus fuliginosus | 283 | A single bird performed well beside the Slaty-backed Forktail at Mongal Bare on the 11th whilst travelling down from Thumke. |
| 284 | Black Redstart | Phoenicurus ochruros | 284 | Recorded on six days in the lowlands. |
| 285 | Chestnut-bellied Rock-thrush | Monticola rufiventris | 285 | This highland speciality was sen exceptionally well in the forest edge areas above Thumke with male and female birds seen on three days. |
| 286 | Grey Bushchat | Saxicola ferreus | 286 | Some nice views of both the striking male and more subtle female in the Thumke area over five days. |
| # | Common Name | Scientific Name | # | Notes |
| 287 | Pied Bushchat | Saxicola caprata | 287 | A number of sightings on four days whilst at Chitwan NP. |
| 288 | White-tailed Stonechat | Saxicola leucurus | 288 | A number of sightings on four days whilst at Chitwan NP. |
| 289 | Common Stonechat | Saxicola torquatus indicus | 289 | Recorded on three days in the forest edge areas above Thumke on three days. |
| 290 | Fire-breasted Flowerpecker | Dicaeum ignipectus | 290 | The only sighting was of a stunning male at Phulchowki on the final morning. |
| 291 | Purple Sunbird | Cinnyris asiaticus | 291 | Recorded on five days in the lowlands. |
| 292 | Fire-tailed Sunbird | Aethopyga ignicauda | 292 | A single male of this highland speciality showed pretty well despite the misty conditions on the 8th above Thumke village. |
| 293 | Green-tailed Sunbird | Aethopyga nipalensis | 293 | Some great views of this highland Sunbird on six days whilst in the forest above Thumke and Phulchowki on the final morning. |
| 294 | Gould’s Sunbird | Aethopyga gouldiae | 294 | Also known as Mrs Gould’s Sunbird. This highland speciality was recorded on three days with both males and females seen very well. |
| 295 | Crimson Sunbird | Aethopyga siparaja | 295 | The only sighting was of a bird briefly during our lunch stop on the 18th. |
| 296 | Rufous-breasted Accentor | Prunella strophiata | 296 | Great views of this attractive Accentor with small groups of 2-3 birds feeding around Thumke village on four days. |
| 297 | Baya Weaver | Ploceus philippinus | 297 | Five birds were seen around their nests on the 17th whilst travelling into Chitwan NP. |
| 298 | White-rumped Munia | Lonchura striata | 298 | A bird visiting a nest showed well in the gardens of a hotel where we stopped for tea on the morning of the 18th. |
| 299 | House Sparrow | Passer domesticus | 299 | A common species particularly around urban areas and recorded on 10 days. |
| 300 | Eurasian Tree Sparrow | Passer montanus | 300 | Seen on three days around Kathmandu and while travelling. |
| 301 | Chestnut-shouldered Bush-sparrow | Gymnoris xanthocollis | 301 | Four birds were seen in Chitwan Np on the 16th. |
| 302 | Olive-backed Pipit | Anthus hodgsoni | 302 | Recorded on six days including some birds giving their song display flight. |
| 303 | Rosy Pipit | Anthus roseatus | 303 | Chris saw a bird on the 9th whilst birding the open areas above Thunke village. |
| 304 | Paddyfield Pipit | Anthus rufulus | 304 | A common species of the lowlands recorded on six days. |
| 305 | Grey Wagtail | Motacilla cinerea | 305 | Mostly recorded in the highland areas over six days. |
| 306 | Citrine Wagtail | Motacilla citreola | 306 | Single birds around Koshi Tappu on the 12th and 13th. |
| 307 | White-browed Wagtail | Motacilla maderaspatensis | 307 | This attractive Wagtail was seen well on six days at Koshi Tappu and Chitwan NP. |
| 308 | Common Rosefinch | Carpodacus erythrinus | 308 | A singing male and a female type were seen on two days above Thumke village. |
| 309 | Brown Bullfinch | Pyrrhula nipalensis | 309 | A small flock of 10+ birds flew over whilst at Phulchowki on the final morning. |
| 310 | Little Bunting | Emberiza pusilla | 310 | Single birds on the 7th and the 9th in fields around Thumke. |
| # | Common Name | Scientific Name | # | Notes |
| # | Mammals & Reptiles | Scientific Name | # | Notes |
| 1 | Indian Flying Fox | Pteropus giganteus | 1 | Small groups roosting in trees and flying our of roost were seen on three days. |
| 2 | Assam Macaque | Macaca assamensis | 2 | Three animals were seen at Phulchowki on the final morning. |
| 3 | Rhesus Monkey | Macaca mulatta | 3 | Also known as Rhesus Macaque. We enjoyed counts of up to 9 animals over five days mostly around Koshi Tappu. |
| 4 | Northern Plains Grey Langur | Semnopithecus entellus | 4 | Recorded at Koshi Tappu and Chitwan NP with a max. count of 6 animals at Koshi Tappu. |
| 5 | Asiatic Jackal | Canis aureus | 5 | Great views at Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve on three days with a max. count of 4 animals. |
| 6 | Bengal Fox | Vulpes bengalensis | 6 | Also known as Indian Fox. Wonderful views of 2 animals at Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve. |
| 7 | Sloth Bear | Melursus ursinus | 7 | One of the highlights of the tour was seeing an animal in Chitwan NP at dusk and watch it slowly cross the track in front of us. Everyone soon forgot about the heavy rain at the time! |
| 8 | Indian Grey Mongoose | Herpestes edwardsi | 8 | Recorded on three days in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve with up to 3 animals seen on one day. |
| 9 | Bengal Tiger | Panthera tigris | 9 | The tour highlight was watching a male in Chitwan NP stroll down the track in front of us and then stare at us from the tall grasses before sliding off! |
| 10 | South Asian River Dolphin | Platanista gangetica | 10 | At least two animals were seen well from the well known feeding area at Koshi Barrage on the evening of the 12th. Another 2 were seen briefly from the coach whilst crossing the Barrage on he 13th. |
| 11 | Indian Rhinoceros | Rhinoceros unicornis | 11 | Some exceptional sightings whilst exploring Chitwan NP with an incredible day count of at least 14 animals on one day! |
| 12 | Wild Boar | Sus scrofa | 12 | Recorded on three days whilst exploring Chitwan NP including a family group with stripes piglets! |
| 13 | Northern Red Muntjac | Muntiacus vaginalis | 13 | Also known as Barking Deer. Recorded twice in Chitwan Np with an animal heard on the 16th and seen on the 17th. |
| 14 | Chital | Axis axis | 14 | Also known as Indian Spotted Deer. Recorded on four days whilst exploring Chitwan NP with counts in excess of 25 animals. |
| 15 | Hog Deer | Cervus porcinus | 15 | Recorded on six days whilst in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve and Chitwan NP. |
| 16 | Sambar | Rusa unicolor | 16 | Two stags and 3 females were seen well on the 17th in Chitwan NP. |
| 17 | Nilgai | Boselaphus tragocamelus | 17 | Great to see this impressive mammal so well with 2 impressive males and 7 young / females on the 12th at Koshi Tappu. Another 3 females were seen whilst travelling to Chitwan on the 14th. |
| 18 | Wild Water Buffalo | Bubalus Armee | 18 | Single wild animals at Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve on two separate days. |
| 19 | Gaur | Bos gaurus | 19 | A group of 18 animals was an exciting find whilst exploring Chitwan NP. |
| 20 | Orange-bellied Himalayan Squirrel | Dremomys lokriah | 20 | Two animals were seen in the forest above Thumke on the 8th. |
| 21 | Yellow-throated Marten | Martes flavigula | 21 | A single animal crossing the track right in front of the first vehicle heading up to Phulchowki on the final morning was an exceptional sighting! |
| 22 | Asian Elelphant | Elephus maximus | 22 | Two wild animals allowed very close views on the evening of the 13th in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve. |
| 23 | Greater Short-nosed Fruit Bat | Cynopterus sphinx | 23 | Recorded on the 11th by some of the group. |
| 1 | Mugger | Crocodylus palustris | 1 | Recorded on four days. |
| 2 | Gharial | Gavialis gangeticus | 2 | Seen on the Raptai River on the evening of the 17th. |
| 3 | Burmese Python | Python bivittatus | 3 | An impressive specimen was seen in Chitwan NP as it digested its prey. |
This trip report was written by Wise Birding Holidays and is reproduced with their permission, with their photographs. See Wise Birding Holidays tours for their trips and more reports. Back to resources.