A Lesser Adjutant patrols the marshy grasslands of Koshi Tappu. Photo: Hem Baral
There are few birdwatchers who haven’t dreamed of visiting the mighty Himalayas or magical Nepal. A land of stark contrasts, of ancient legends, and of superb mountain and lowland scenery, Nepal also has a rich, vibrant, and diverse culture and equally fascinating and readily accessible wildlife. It is a country dominated by the ever-growing Himalayan mountain chain that separates the icy, inhospitable Tibetan wastelands to the north from the dusty, sun-baked Indian plains to the south.
Cut off from the rest of the world for centuries, Nepal remains one of Asia’s most fascinating countries, where a veritable feast of spectacular scenery, cultural contrasts, and rich biological resources awaits the visitor. Over 850 species have been recorded in this tiny landlocked kingdom, more than in any other region of comparable size in Asia, and this tour samples a variety of the country’s richest natural habitats. These range from the moist, moss-covered oak-rhododendron forests surrounding the Kathmandu Valley to areas of riverine grassland, marsh, and scrub at Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve in the southeast, and on to the subtropical forests in the world-renowned Chitwan National Park.
Day 1: The tour begins this evening in Kathmandu.
Day 2: Today will be occupied in exploring Nepal’s mystical capital; Sunbird participants arrive from London today, and may join us for a brief sightseeing excursion just before dinner. Night in Kathmandu.
Days 3-4: The Kathmandu Valley is a circular basin in the heart of Nepal at the foot of the main mountain range. Kathmandu itself has been the kingdom’s cultural center for centuries, and though it has changed substantially since the first tourists arrived here 40 years ago, it retains much of its traditional heritage. Few of the world’s capital cities can summon up by their name alone images of the mysterious, the fabulous, and the exotic in the way that Kathmandu does.
The valley bottom, once a lake bed, is fairly densely populated, intensively cultivated, and seriously deforested, so we’ll begin by exploring Phulchowki Danda, at over 9,000 feet the highest summit on the edge of the Kathmandu Valley. We’ll spend two days here exploring the luxuriant moss-encrusted remnant oak-rhododendron forest near the summit and the subtropical broad-leaved forest at lower levels, occasionally venturing off the road onto narrow tracks as we make our way back down the mountain. We’ll search for a host of mountain specialities ranging from tiny tesias and skulking wren babblers to flocks of vociferous laughingthrushes that wander through the undergrowth like gangs of schoolchildren.
Phulchowki offers what is often frantic, sometimes frustrating, but always exciting birding, as we encounter feeding flock after feeding flock of arboreal sprites and attempt to pick out the more sought-after species from parties that are often moving just too quickly, or are always just one step ahead. It’s great fun for novice and expert alike, and we’re sure to encounter a whole host of Himalayan specialties such as yuhinas, fulvettas, and barwings. We’ll expect to see well over one hundred species, and hopefully these will include Kalij Pheasant, Hill Partridge, Asian Barred Owlet, Golden-throated Barbet, Rufous Sibia, Chestnut-crowned and Black-faced Warblers, Streak-breasted Scimitar-Babbler, Rufous-chinned Laughingthrush, Tibetan Siskin, and Spiny Babbler, Nepal’s only endemic. With luck we might even discover a stunning Cutia among one of the mixed-species feeding flocks that we’re sure to encounter. If we can pull ourselves away from Phulchowki’s magic, we’ll also visit the bird-rich botanical gardens at Godaveri. Nights in Kathmandu.
Day 5: Today we’ll fly from Kathmandu down to Biratnagar in the southeast before driving the short distance to Koshi Tappu, where we’ll spend the next four nights in a comfortable safari-style camp. We should arrive in time for some initial exploration of this fascinating area.
Days 6-8: Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve encompasses a large area of riverine grassland, marshes, swamps, and small tracts of woodland and scrub along the floodplain of the Koshi River. We’ll be busy here, with a lengthy boat ride, a series of walks, and thorough explorations of what the reserve has to offer. On one day we’ll visit a neighboring tract of forest in search of species such as Oriental Pied Hornbill, Orange-breasted Green Pigeon, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, and Abbott’s Babbler. We’ll also head south from our camp to explore areas around Koshi barrage, Nepal’s largest wetland, and an important staging post for a host of migrant waterfowl and shorebirds. During our stay we’ll expect to see at least part of the reserve’s small population of threatened Swamp Francolins, as well as Lesser Adjutant, Cinnamon Bittern, Striated Grassbird, and Paddyfield and Smoky Warblers. A wide variety of raptors hunt the area, ranging from Pallas’s Fishing and White-tailed Eagles to Red-headed Merlin, and, with luck, we might also find a Falcated Duck, Baer’s Pochard, Pied Harrier, Spotted Bush Warbler, Bristled Grassbird, Rosy Minivet, or even a Gangetic Dolphin, an uncommon and declining species. Nights at Koshi Tappu.
Day 9: Leaving Koshi we’ll drive west through the fertile Terai, stopping en route to search for Ibisbill before reaching Chitwan National Park. This large park preserves a wide variety of habitats within the Terai, though tropical forest and riverine grassland are the two most extensive. During our five nights in Chitwan we’ll spend time at two different bases, one at either end of this fabulous park. We’ll start with two nights at Gaida Tented Camp in the east before transferring to the world-famous Tiger Tops Tented Camp further west.
Days 10-13: Over half of Nepal’s rich avifauna has been recorded inside the park, and we’ll see a representative sample including Red Junglefowl, Black Francolin, Crested Serpent Eagle, Brown Crake, White-rumped Needletail, Great Hornbill, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Spot-winged Starling, Chestnut-capped Babbler, and Spotted, Pale-footed, and Chestnut-crowned Bush Warblers. We should also be able to find some of the park’s rarer inhabitants such as Bengal Florican, Gray-crowned Prinia, Rufous-rumped Grassbird, and Slender-billed Babbler. With luck we might even stumble across a Black Baza, Rosy Minivet, or Rufous-necked Laughingthrush. Mammals abound in Chitwan, and we can almost count on sightings of Indian Rhinoceros (though hopefully these will be from the safety of an elephant’s back and not while we are on foot). Tigers and Sloth Bears are both much rarer and considerably more elusive. An elephant ride is usually one of the best, safest, and most enjoyable ways of seeing much of this wildlife. We might also find a long-snouted Gharial basking on a sand bank or floating in one of the numerous river channels that bisect the park.
Day 14: There’s no doubt that we’ll be reluctant to leave Chitwan when the time comes to head up into the foothills and back to Kathmandu. We’ll spend two nights in the capital, and should arrive in time to do some sightseeing before dinner.
Day 15: We’ll have a full day in the Kathmandu Valley, searching for any species still missing from our list, and we’ll almost certainly return to Phulchowki once again. Night in Kathmandu.
Day 16: The tour ends in Kathmandu.
Updated: 01 April 2008
Prices
- 2009 price about $5,060
- Single Occupancy Supplement $760
Notes
This tour is limited to 12 participants with 2 leaders.
This tour is organized by our English company, Sunbird.