New bird species discovered in Ilam

By Baburam Karki,Baraha Kshetra, Apr. 18: A new bird species has been discovered in Ilam, eastern part of the country. A species known as the Violet cuckoo (Baijani Koili) has been recorded at an altitude of 300 metres above sea level in Ilam district.

According to Dr. Tulsi Subedi, coordinator of the Nepal Bird Record Committee, the Violet cuckoo has been documented in the Sukhani forest area of Ilam as a new species for Nepal. 

Ornithologist Rajendra Gurung and his team observed the male Violet cuckoo for the first time at 11:20 am on April 7, 2025, during a birdwatching expedition.

The team reported seeing the bird flying repeatedly from one tree to another on the same day and officially recorded it then. Alongside Gurung were Malaysian citizen Roger Robert Rajan and Nepali ornithologist Anish Timilsina, who observed the bird about 20 metres away near the riverbank trees. Another Malaysian citizen, Alexander John Ang Yang, identified the bird by its call.

According to Laxman Paudel, national coordinator for bird counting in Nepal, the Violet cuckoo was officially recorded only after its details were studied and verified by national and international ornithologists.

This bird belongs to the family Cuculidae under the order Cuculiformes and is known to reside in countries like Bhutan, the Philippines, Singapore, Bangladesh, Brunei, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. Dr. Subedi said that the species breeds in Bhutan, the Philippine and Singapore.

Globally, the bird has two sub-species -- C. xanthorhynchus and C. x. amethystinus. The one recorded in Nepal belongs to the C. xanthorhynchus subspecies. The Nepal Bird Record Committee has confirmed the discovery in Ilam and given it the Nepali name Baijani Koili.

With the addition of the Violet cuckoo, the number of cuckoo species (Cuculiformes) recorded in Nepal has increased to 16, according to Paudel. 

Previously recorded cuckoo species include Jure Koili, Thulo Jure Koili, Koho Koili, Harit Koili, Dharke Khairo Koili, Petkaile Koili, Fushro Sane Koili, Chibe Koili, Biukuhiyo, Golsimal, Papiha, Kafal Koili, Kukku Koili, Purbiya Koili and Sano Koili.

With this new addition, Nepal’s total recorded bird species has reached 899, according to the Nepal Bird Record Committee.