By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Nov. 30: Three new species of birds have been discovered in the Rara National Park (RNP) bringing the total number of bird species in the protected area to 213.
“There were 210 species of birds in Rara, but now with the addition of three new species, it has reached 213,” said Saroj Khadka, park ranger at RNP.
Khadka, who is also a conservation photographer, said that he himself discovered the new species of bird, wherein the two species were sighted during April and one recently in November.
The newly discovered birds, Spot Winged Rosefinch (Pankhathople Titu, Scientific name, Carpodacus rodopeplus), Taiga Flycatcher (Rato-kanthe Chaachar, Scientific name, Ficedula albicilla) and Black Throat Thrush (Kalo-kanthe Chaachar, Scientific name, Turdus atrogularis) are currently being registered in the list of Birds of Rara.
The spot-winged rosefinch, also known as the spotted rosefinch, is found in India and Nepal mostly in the subtropical or tropical high-altitude scrubland while Red-throated flycatcher or the taiga flycatcher is a migratory bird, according to Birds Conservation Nepal (BCN).
The Buffer zone of RNP was declared on September 25, 2006, covering 198 square km area surrounding the Park. Similarly, Rara Lake of RNP has also been listed as a Ramsar site of international importance under the Ramsar Convention on September 23, 2007.
According to Mohan Bikram Shrestha, research officer at the BCN, Rara National Park and its Buffer Zone are also listed as one of the most important birds and biodiversity areas in Nepal by BirdLife International and BCN.