Travelling Miles To Lay Eggs

Manoj Paude, 

With its attractive natural setting studded with unique flora and fauna, Nepal keeps attracting not only tourists from across the globe but also winged visitors from many parts of the country during winter and summer times.

Suitable Environment

Many species of birds come to the Himalayan country to avoid the cold weather that grips some parts of the globe during winter while some birds visit Nepal during summer times as the forests in high and low lands and riverbanks provide them plenty of food a suitable environment to make nests, lay eggs and hatch their fledglings. Once they raise their chicks, they return to their original abode along with their chicks.

Asian paradise flycatchers, locally known as Swargachari, have reached the community forest at Kawasoti in East Nawalparasi. They have entered Nepal following the forest. 

The pair can be seen bringing dried-up grass and small twigs to make a nest to lay eggs and hatch babies.nd

According to ornithologists, the Asian paradise flycatchers arrived in Nepal a few weeks ago from Sri Lanka, traveling around 1,800 miles. They come to Nepal every summer to lay eggs and raise their fledglings.

Blue-tailed-bee-eaters, known as Nilpuchhre Muralichari in Nepali, can also be seen building nests in the Thai Monastery in the Lumbini area these days. These bird species have migrated to Nepal from as far as Thailand through Myanmar and Bangladesh, covering a distance of around 1,600 miles.

“Hundreds of birds of several summer migratory species come to various parts of Nepal to lay eggs. A total of 44 species of summer migratory birds have already arrived in Nepal. A few other species will arrive shortly,” said Hem Sagar Baral, a senior ornithologist.

According to him, several species migrate to Nepal every summer as the country has favourable climatic conditions and a better environment for raising fledglings. The summer migratory birds start arriving in Nepal in mid-February and stay here for a few months.

Ornithologists informed around 60 species of birds migrate to Nepal each summer. Most summer migratory birds come to Nepal to lay eggs, hatch their chicks and raise them. As informed by ornithologists, the white-throated needle-tailed visits Nepal all the way from Australia.

Tikaram Giri, another ornithologist, says around 10 to 12 bird species from several countries will arrive in Nepal within a few weeks. Various species of cuckoos are yet to come. “Pied cuckoos arrive here quite late. They migrate to Nepal by the end of May from the sub-Saharan region of Africa,” said Giri. 

He said that pied cuckoos will arrive in Nepal by the end of May with the onset of the pre-monsoon season. 

According to ornithologists, winter migratory birds generally come to Nepal from the north while summer migratory birds migrate to the Himalayan nation from the south. 

Flocking To Nepal

With the onset of the spring season, several species of birds come here from India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia and Indonesia, among other countries. Upon arrival, the migratory birds choose suitable locations in forests, farmlands, and the banks of rivers to make nests and lay eggs. Many of them started coming to Nepal a month ago after spending 4-5 days to 7-10 days on their way. After raising the baby bird, the parents take their chicks to where they came from. The Koili species, the Dollard bird, comes from Southeast Asian countries.

New birds and abundant birds have started chirping in the forest. Black-naped monarch, Golden Oriole, Orange-headed thrush, Hooded Pitta, Indian Pitta and Chestnut-headed bee-eaters have settled in Chitwan National Park and the Lumbini forest area to lay eggs. It takes about three weeks for a bird to hatch.

“Most of the migratory birds that have arrived in Nepal have already chosen an ideal place and have started making nests. Several bird species have already prepared their nests and are all set to lay eggs in Chitwan National Park and the Lumbini area,” said ornithologist Hathan Chaudhary. According to him, it takes around three weeks for a bird pair to make a nest. He informed us that many such summer migratory birds make their nests by April and raise their fledglings by July.

According to ornithologists, several species of summer migratory birds come to Chitwan National Park, Bardiya National Park, Shuklaphanta National Park, Banke National Park, Shivapuri-Nagarjun National Park, Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, and Annapurna Conservation Area Project, among other forests of Nepal, each year to make nests and raise their fledglings. 

It is easier for chicks to crawl and find food in the Nepali national parks and conservation areas than where they come from. There is no competition for food. Most of them have already migrated to the Terai, some to the mid-hills and a few species to the high mountains.

Nepal is home to 890 bird species, including the Spiny babbler (Turdoides nipalensis), a bird species found only in the country. 

(A photojournalist based in Kapilvastu, Paudel writes about birds, biodiversity and wildlife.)