Bird Watching in Bhutan

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Bhutan has rich diversity, moist climate, wide altitude ranging (from 200m in the south to over 7000m in the north), low population density, vast forest cover, and the government’s strict conservation policy. So Bhutan ca be an ideal country for bird watchers. Its mixed broadleaf forests, valleys has been a home of about 770 species out of which is impossible to see in other country. The bird watching tour takes to the best places like Phobjikha Valley, a glacial valley in a remote area with no electrical power. Here the Black Neck Cranes are conservatory protected and can be viewed. Like wise, Raven and the Rufous-Nacked Hornbill are seen here. Other migratory birds are the fish eagle which is considered rare, migrates through Bhutan between Tibet and northern India mostly seen around Wangdi in spring. Numerous species come down to lower altitudes, including accentors, rose finches, grosbeaks, snow pigeons and pheasants such as the satyrtragopan, the Himalayan monal and the blood pheasant in the wintertime.

The wall creeper The blue whistling-thrush, yellow blue magpie, white capped water redstarts, spotted nutcracker in the pine forest and the red-billed choughs on the roofs on the Dzongs are seen round the year and from west to east Bhutan. However the better time for bird watching trip is from spring, early summer and autumn.

Tour Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive at Paro and transfer to Thimpu

Transfer to airport and fly to Paro. While driving to Thimpu, you will Red-billed Choughs  are quite common in this valley, and as we head east we’ll stop to search for Black-tailed Crake, Ibisbill, and Brown Dipper. With luck we might encounter a regional
specialty such as Rufous-fronted Tit. We’ll spend the night in Thimpu.

Day 2: Drive to Punakha via Dochu La, the first of a series of high-altitude road passes. On the way you will see a wealth of birds, including some species-rich feeding flocks. Quarrelsome Nutcrackers are common, and past highlights have included a skulking Hill Partridge, a Satyr Tragopan, a Golden Bush Robin, an immaculate Cutia, a Brown Parrotbill, and even the gorgeous Fire-tailed Myzornis. Over night stay near Punakha.

Day 3: Explore the braided channels of the Mo Chhu River beside Punakha Dzong and its bird-rich subtropical forests. Here you will see White-bellied Heron, one of Bhutan’s rarest birds, brightly colored minivets and noisy Striated Laughingthrushes, and Ibisbills. In the afternoon we hope to be able to go inside Punakha Dzong, a fabulous fortified
monastery that’s still home to many hundred monks. Over night stay in Punakha.

Day 4: Drive to Wangdi Dzong where near by can be seen Pallas’s Gull and Pallas’s Fishing Eagle. Enter further the forest near the end of our journey, where we’ll stop to look for species such as Blood Pheasant, Satyr Tragopan, and the majestic Himalayan Monal.  Spotted Laughingthrush, Yellowish-bellied Bush-Warbler, Rusty-flanked Treecreeper, White-browed Bush Robin, and White-winged Grosbeak also occur here. Over night stay in Gangtey.

Day 5: Drive through the Pele La pass and into Central Bhutan. A stand of ringal bamboo extends for about three miles below the pass, and we’ll search here for specialties such as
Great and Brown Parrotbills and Golden-breasted Fulvetta, surely one of the world’s most attractive passerines. Over night stay in Trongsa.

Day 6: Drive through the bamboo-thronged Yotong La into the first of the four Bumthang valleys. Nutcrackers can be common, though we’ll have to spend a little more time
searching for the region’s real specialties: Slender-billed Scimitar Babbler, White-browed and Rufous-breasted Bush Robins, Dark-rumped Rosefinch, and Fulvous, Brown, and Great Parrotbills. Over night stay in Jakar.

Day 7: Start early today, continuing our circuit east and searching for pheasants, which could include Monal, Satyr Tragopan, and Blood Pheasant. Eventually we’ll cross the Thrumsing La, at 12,465 feet Bhutan’s highest road pass, perhaps Asia’s premier birding road. Many of Bhutan’s most sought-after birds can be found here, including Chestnut-breasted Partridge, Ward’s Trogon, the majestic Rufous-necked Hornbill, Blue-naped Pitta, Blue-fronted Robin, and Sikkim Wedge-billed, Long-billed, and Bar-winged Wren-Babblers. Accommodation nearby is spartan, so we’ve opted to camp.

Days 8: Exploring the fabulously lush primary forests near Lingnmethang in search of the area’s specialties. We’re sure to see many new birds, and while not all of them are rare, many, such as Slender-billed and Coral-billed Scimitar-Babblers, Scaly and Blue-winged
Laughingthrushes, Greater Rufous-headed Parrotbill, Broad-billed Warbler, White-naped Yuhina, and Rufous-throated Wren-Babbler are poorly known and unfamiliar to most birders. Over night stay in tent.

Day 9:  leave Yongkola campsite to head back up and over the mighty Thrumsing La. Night in Jakar.

Day 10: A long day drive to Trongsa and camp Tingtibi. Here we can see the rare and little-known Yellow-rumped Honeyguide, but we should also see a number of other birds, perhaps including Fire-capped Tit, Large Niltava, or Russet Bush Warbler, Chestnut-breasted Partridge, Violet Cuckoo, Pin-tailed Green Pigeon, Rufous-necked Hornbill, Cutia. Rufous-faced Warbler White-bellied Heron and possibly Collared Treepie. Over night stay in tent.

Day 11: We’ll wind our way south to our next base in southeastern Bhutan taking through villages, across forest-covered passes, and down spectacular river valleys. Only recently opened to foreigners, this area of central Bhutan remains ornithologically poorly known. We’ll make several exploratory birding stops amid superb forest. Over night stay in tent.

Day 12: Our campsite is right in the heart of prime mid-altitude forest. We’ll spend the entire day birding in the forests between camp and Geylegphug, with breakfast and lunch in the field. We expect to arrive at Geylegphug in the early evening. Today’s key species will include Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Dark-rumped Swift, Long-tailed Broadbill, and Rufous-necked Laughingthrush, and we stand another chance of encountering the enigmatic Beautiful Nuthatch. Night at Geylegphug.

Day 13: We’ll spend the morning exploring the forested slopes around Geylegphug, a bustling border town lying at the junction of the Himalayas and the Brahmaputra floodplain. Here we may find species such as Gray Peacock Pheasant, Wreathed Hornbill, Whistling Hawk-Cuckoo, Pin-tailed Green-Pigeon, Violet Cuckoo, and Sultan Tit. In the afternoon we’ll reluctantly leave Bhutan for the drive south to Assam, India, and on to
Gauhati. Night in Gauhati.

Day 14: Highlights of a morning’s birding around Gauhati could include Small Pratincole, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Citrine Wagtail, Rusty-rumped Warbler, and Striated Grassbird. After birding, we’ll transfer to the airport, arriving in plenty of time to catch our flight to Delhi.

Trip cost: USD 2790 (1-3 person) and USD 2570 (4-12 person)

Single supplements charge: USD 325

Note: One person half of the tour cost for 12-14 person and group leader free of tour cost above 15 person.

Flight cost: It depends on the sector and USD 448 round trip if kathmandu sector

Visa: USD 20 and TDF: USD 10

Trip cost includes

Royalty, hotel and tent accommodation on twin sharing basis, all meals, sightseeing with English speaking guide, all transportation overland, entrance fee to the monuments, permits, during trekking-all camping/kitchen gears, ponies or yaks for transportation of gears, trekking guide and cook etc.

Trip cost does not include

Bhutan visa fee, airfares, expense of personal nature like cold drinks and tips, personal travel health insurance etc.