Krishna Prasad Bhusal

Nepal is an exceptionally rich country in terms of the diversity of bird species. Though occupying a small area in the world, Nepal boasts of more than 886 species of birds, which is around 8 per cent of the total bird species of the globe.
The various climatic and topographical regions, the vegetation of the country ranges from lush subtropical forests to open grasslands, riparian forests to alpine pastures, to deserts of the trans-Himalayan region resulted in Nepal becoming a favourite with birds, both resident and migrant.
Nepal receives both long-distance winter migrants that breed further north and summer visitors from the south, which mainly migrate over relatively short distances.
Around 62 species are summer visitors or partial migrants to Nepal which include the species of cuckoos, swifts, bee-eaters, flycatchers and drongo. A total of about 150 species of birds are winter visitors in Nepal, originating from a wide area in the Palearctic. These include ducks, geese, birds of prey, waders, pipits, wagtails, thrushes, warblers, finches and buntings.
Nearly 20% of Nepal’s birds (168 species) are threatened with extinction in the country. A further 62 species are near-threatened nationally. Eight species are now extirpated in Nepal and have not been recorded since the 19th century. Forty-three globally threatened bird species are found in Nepal.

History of Ornithology in Nepal
The history of ornithology in Nepal began in 1793 when Col William Kirkpatrick collected a few bird skins for observation. In those days birds had to be killed for detailed observations or study; the most basic equipment of bird watching was not available.
Brian Hodgson, an official of the British East India Company in Nepal for over two decades from 1820-1843 is accredited with the first important work on the birds of Nepal. His collected bird skins from different parts of Nepal with the help of Nepali collectors totalled 9500, the largest collection made by anyone.
Hodgson discovered 120 species that were “new to science” and he published more than 140 scientific papers. A Nepali artist, Raj Man Singh painted over 1800 watercolour illustrations of Hodgson’s collection.
John Scully, a resident surgeon in 1876-1877 collected nearly 2000 specimens of birds. He was the first person to study birds in the Kathmandu valley.
Lt-Col Frank Bailey collected 2,146 skins between 1935 to 1938 and in the 1940s Dr S. Dillon Ripley resumed the study of the birds of Nepal. Dr Ripley mounted the first true ornithological expedition into the hills and is accredited with the discovery of the Spiny Babbler, Nepal’s only endemic bird.
Nepal’s ornithology in the period from 1950 to 1970 was dominated by the Flemings, Robert Fleming, Sr and Robert Fleming, Jr. The father and son were the first ornithologists to travel throughout the country.
They accrued a large collection of bird skins, many of which are now housed in the Chicago Field Museum of Natural History. They authored some 35 papers and articles on Nepali birds.
Their single greatest contribution to the development of ornithology in Nepal came in 1976 with the publication of their field guide Birds of Nepal, co-authored by the well-known artist, Lain Singh Bangdel. The publication of the book coincided with a period during which the interest in the avifauna of Nepal was growing worldwide.
The Flemings made yet another contribution to Nepali ornithology in 1980 when they brought out a checklist of birds of the Kathmandu valley. At the same time, Hari Sharan Nepali made a large bird skin collection of his own, some of which are now in the Kathmandu Natural History Museum. During his lifetime, he has recorded 30 new species.
Under his leadership, Bird Conservation Nepal (BCN) was established in 1982. Now, BCN is the leading organization in Nepal, focusing on the conservation of birds, their habitats and sites. It seeks to promote interest in birds amongst the general public, encourage research on birds and identify major threats to birds' continued survival.
As a result, BCN is the foremost scientific authority providing accurate information on birds and their habitats throughout Nepal. It is a membership-based organisation committed to showing the value of birds and their special relationship with people.
As the Nepalese Partner of BirdLife International, a network of more than 115 organizations around the world, BCN also works on a worldwide agenda to conserve the world's birds and their habitats.
Richard Grimmett, Carol Inskipp and Tim Inskipp contributed several books and papers further updating the status of Nepal's birds. The field guide book which was published in 1985 hit and continues to be the guiding light to budding ornithologists even today.
At the onset of the last decade of the 20th century, Nepali ornithologists took over the helm of the ornithological work from their foreign counterparts. This change of vanguards is reflected in the fact Nepali ornithologist's account for almost 80% of all new species discovered in Nepal after 1990.
Since 1990, a higher level of coverage of the country has been achieved through the Nepali people who are mostly involved in the tourism profession either as trekkers or guides.
The field of ornithology now had Nepali representatives. The Nepali translation of Birds of Nepal in 2003 by Hem Sagar Baral is one of the most useful field guide bird books on the ground making familiar with Nepalese names of birds.

Bird Watching Tourism
Birdwatching is a growing niche market and Nepal falls in one of the top ten destinations for birdwatchers across the globe. Nepal’s diverse natural habitat plays a major role but it has also made significant progress in other areas that are key to attract birdwatchers.
Within a fairly long bird-watching history, Nepal has seen homegrown bird experts with broad nature guide experience.
Their expertise assures birdwatchers a memorable experience in the land of the Himalayas. And after the peaceful inclusion of Maoists in the mainstream political process, Nepal has seen political stability and growth in the overall flow of tourists including birdwatchers.
The geographical adversity makes many places inaccessible but key birding hotspots of Nepal such as Chitwan, Pokhara, Koshi, Bardiya are easily accessible. The hotels and resorts are environment friendly around these areas and provide excellent service attracting all range of tourists. Hence, bird watching tourism is one of the major sources of income for people involved in the hospitality business.
National parks, conservation areas, important bird and biodiversity areas, wetlands and remote landscape of pristine habitat that Nepal offers make it a paradise for birdwatchers. A large number of tourists come to Nepal for wildlife safaris and bird watching. Nepal has multiple prime bird-watching locations, in various parts of the country famous for the diversity of birds.
The pioneer works of globally threatened vulture conservation through the operation of Vulture Restaurants have been an attraction to local and international tourism and have been linked to promoting ecotourism. Let's hope bird watching tourism will rise again once the COVID-19 pandemic goes away.

(A member, IUCN-SSC Vulture Specialist Group, Bhusal isan ornithologist)