NEPAL REP 09 - Birdquest

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Oriental Magpie-robin Copsychus saularis: A few seen, e.g. at Nagarjung, Pokhara and Tiger Tops. White-rumped Shama Copsychus malabaricus: A pair showed well around the lodge at Chitwan Jungle Lodge, and heard at Tiger Tops. Hodgson’s Redstart Phoenicurus hodgsoni: A drab female at Godaveri. Blue-fronted Redstart Phoenicurus frontalis: Nice views of a smart male and a female at Godaveri. White-capped River-Chat (White-capped Water-Redstart, River Chat) Chaimarrornis leucocephalus: First seen at Godaveri, and then several along the main rivers on the drive to and from Pokhara. Plumbeous Water-redstart (Plumbeous Redstart) Rhyacornis fuliginosa: Again, first seen at Godaveri and common along the rivers, but also seen around Phewa Tal and in the Churia Hills in Chitwan. White-tailed Blue Robin (White-tailed Robin) Myiomela leucura: A male showed well, if briefly, on several occasions in the garden at Pokhara. Little Forktail Enicurus scouleri: Great views of a single bird on the journey to Pokhara. Black-backed Forktail Enicurus immaculatus: At least six in the Churia Hills, and then seen near the camp at Tiger Tops. Spotted Forktail Enicurus maculatus: Unusually good and prolonged views of a pair in the gully at the base of Phulchowki. Siberian Stonechat Saxicola maura: Small numbers throughout, but commonest in the grasslands at Chitwan. White-tailed Stonechat Saxicola leucura: A couple distantly in the grasslands at Chitwan Jungle Lodge, and then seen rather better in the riverine grass near Tiger Tops lodge. Pied Bushchat Saxicola caprata: Scattered sightings on the longer drives and in Chitwan. Grey Bushchat Saxicola ferrea: A handful at Godaveri and on Phulchowki on the last morning. TIMALIIDAE White-throated Laughingthrush Garrulax albogularis: Some good flocks of this wonderful laughingthrush on Phulchowki. White-crested Laughingthrush Garrulax leucocephalus: Seen by the back vehicle on Nagarjung and then good views at Pokhara and in the Churia Hills. Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush Garrulax monileger: Great looks at Tiger Tops. Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush Garrulax pectoralis: Again, great looks in the mixed flocks at Tiger Tops, and also seen, but more elusive, in the Churia Hills. Striated Laughingthrush Grammatoptila striata: Fantastic views of a pair of these sturdy, floppycrested laughingthrushes on Phulchowki. Rufous-necked Laughingthrush Dryonastes ruficollis: A flock seen on both mornings on the grassland edge at Tiger Tops. Red-headed Laughingthrush (Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush) Garrulax erythrocephalum: Good views of several flocks on Phulchowki. Cutia Cutia nipalensis: Fantastic looks at three of these sturdy babblers on Phulchowki. Puff-throated Babbler Pellorneum ruficeps: Several seen, and many more heard, in Chitwan. Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-babbler Pomatorhinus erythrogenys: Great views of a calling bird at Nagarjung. White-browed Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus schisticeps: Several seen around Tiger Tops, and eventually we all had nice views. Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus ruficollis: Seen well at Godaveri (at almost pointblank range as we were looking for Spiny Babbler) and again on the last morning on Phulchowki. Scaly-breasted Wren-babbler Pnoepyga albiventer: Good views of two birds on Phulchowki and another at the foot of the mountain in a gully at Godaveri. Pygmy Wren-Babbler Pnoepyga pusilla: One showed nicely at the foot of Phulchowki, and also heard a few times at the lodge at Pokhara. Black-chinned Babbler Stachyris pyrrhops: Several at Godaveri and Nagarjung. This little babbler has a restricted range in the west and central Himalayas. 16 Birdquest: Nepal 2009
Grey-throated Babbler Stachyris nigriceps: Seen on Phulchowki and in the Churia Hills, but rather elusive. Striped Tit-Babbler Macronous gularis: Commonly heard in Chitwan, and plenty crawling around in the bushes by the lodges (if you looked). Chestnut-capped Babbler Timalia pileata: Eventually some nice views of this striking babbler in the grassland of Chitwan. Yellow-eyed Babbler Chrysomma sinense: Seen at Chitwan Jungle Lodge and, rather better, at Tiger Tops. Spiny Babbler Turdoides nipalensis: After a real song-and-dance with the first one, we had FANTASTIC views of a pair at Pokhara. Endemic to Nepal. Striated Babbler Turdoides earlei: A couple of parties around at Tiger Tops. Slender-billed Babbler Turdoides longirostris: Three or four parties in the grasslands at Tiger Tops, with some nice views of birds sitting up on the grass in full view. Classified by Birdlife as Vulnerable, with a world population of 2,500-9,999 birds, and Nepalese population of less than a thousand birds. Jungle Babbler Turdoides striatus: Some tame and noisy parties in Chitwan. Red-billed Leiothrix Leiothrix lutea: Just one seen briefly in the big ravine at the foot of Phulchowki. Hoary-throated Barwing Actinodura nipalensis: A couple showed well on the upper slopes of Phulchowki. Blue-winged Minla Minla cyanouroptera: Two or three on Phulchowki, eventually showing well. This is the beautifully-coloured nominate race, at the western extremity of its range. Further east in South-East Asia, there are some distinctive races that probably deserve separate species status. Bar-throated Minla (Chestnut-tailed Minla) Minla strigula: Seen well on Phulchowki. Rufous-winged Fulvetta Alcippe castaneceps: Around four on Phulchowki, but they tended to slip away rather quickly …. White-browed Fulvetta Alcippe vinipectus: Lots of good views of these cheeky little chaps on Phulchowki. Nepal Fulvetta Alcippe nipalensis: Several on Phulchowki, and also seen in the Churia Hills in Chitwan. Rufous Sibia Heterophasia capistrata: This attractive bright sibia of the west and central Himalayas was common on Phulchowki, where its calls is one of the most characteristic and evocative sounds. Whiskered Yuhina Yuhina flavicollis: One on Phulchowki. Stripe-throated Yuhina Yuhina gularis: Lots on the upper slopes of Phulchowki. Black-chinned Yuhina Yuhina nigrimenta: Two in the Churia Hills; a new bird for your leader! White-browed Shrike-Babbler Pteruthius flaviscapis: Two or three sightings on Phulchowki, where they seemed unusually obvious this year. Green Shrike-Babbler Pteruthius xanthochlorus: Four on Phulchowki, with one spending an extended period right out in the open. Studies of DNA have clearly demonstrated that shrike-babblers are actually vireos, and not even remotely related to babblers. White-bellied Erpornis (White-bellied Yuhina) Erpornis zantholeuca: Two at Nagarjung. Not a yuhina, nor even a babbler, and it too may prove to be a vireo. CISTICOLIDAE Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis: Seen in the grasslands at Chitwan Jungle Lodge. Striated Prinia Prinia criniger: Two elusive birds seen at the side of the road on the journeys to and from Pokhara. Grey-crowned Prinia Prinia cinereocapilla: Several good views at Chitwan Jungle Lodge and at Tiger Tops. Almost endemic to the lowlands of Nepal (it has been recorded in the terai of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Assam, India, and was recently also found at Sukhna, along the Haryana-Punjab state border; in Nepal, it formerly occurred from Kanchanpur district in the west to Ilam district in the east, but it has declined and is now limited to an area centred around Chitwan National Park and the adjacent Parsa Wildlife Reserve; it is also 17 Birdquest: Nepal 2009
Page 1 and 2: LEADER: SIMON HARRAP and RAMESH KAR
Page 3 and 4: Leaving Kathmandu the following mor
Page 5 and 6: footed Bush-Warbler was also new, b
Page 7 and 8: SYSTEMATIC LIST Species which were
Page 9 and 10: Griffon Vulture (Eurasian Griffon V
Page 11 and 12: COLUMBIDAE Rock Pigeon (Rock Dove)
Page 13 and 14: MEGALAIMIDAE Great Barbet Megalaima
Page 15: LANIIDAE Long-tailed Shrike Lanius
Page 19 and 20: AEGITHALIDAE Red-headed Tit (Black-
Page 21 and 22: MAMMALS Orange-bellied Himalayan Sq
Page 23 and 24: CLOCKWISE: White-capped River-Chat;
Page 25 and 26: CLOCKWISE: Asian Openbill; Lesser A
Page 27: CLOCKWISE: Brown Hawk-Owl; Collared

NEPAL REP 09 - Birdquest

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?