Nepal, a country with a diverse ecology and rigid terrain makes a perfect home for a variety of species of birds and a paradise for bird watchers.

Nepal hosts both local species and migratory birds as far as Mongolia, the southern part of Russia, Siberia, and Central Asia. As the migratory birds make their annual journey, Nepal becomes a suitable ground to conduct censuses; the bird census started in 1987 and is regularly conducted between January 1 and January 15.

Some towns and villages' names are linked with birds and can tell historical stories. In ancient times, Bajura was ruled by Jumla State and the king demanded the locals of Bajura bring him a male eagle. Unfortunately, the people were able to trap a female eagle (Jhurra Baaz). This female bird was presented to the king. Hence, it was named ‘Bazurra Kot’ (kot meaning fort) that later became Bajura.

Bajura is a steep mountainous district known as the poorest district of Nepal inhabited predominantly by historically untouchable castes; the stories of birds continue to link with poorer marginalized groups.

Moving towards the warm planes of Terai, the Chidimar Community (Chidi means bird and mar means killer) a poor untouchable caste traditionally made a living by hunting birds. However, their traditional profession has disappeared, but the community continues to struggle as they haven’t found other income-generating activities.

Birds can give a wide range of stories, and bird watching has also made a remarkable contribution to improving tourism. In 2019, 500-1000 tourists visited Rara daily. Rara is home to 270 species of birds out of 876 bird species found in Nepal.

Birds also add value to religious sentiments, not just in ways as perceived in the West. Birds are commonly sacrificed in temples- even pigeons!

In Baglung Kalika Temple, pigeons alongside other birds and animals were sacrificed by devotees. Temple Management Committee argued that pigeons are the symbol of peace and therefore should not be sacrificed and since 2016 they have prohibited filling of pigeons in the temple premises.

Bird killing can also be linked with hunting sport. Nepal has only one hunting reserve- the Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve where people can legally hunt birds. The hunting reserve is home to 130 bird species as a result there are many options for hunters to shoot birds for pleasure.

The killing of birds would surely outrage animal rights activists but still Nepal remains a country that conservationists can also appreciate.

One of the major destinations for bird watchers is Koshi Tapu. This is the first Ramsar site in Nepal, designated in 1976.

Koshi Tapu is home to critically endangered grassland birds and wetland migratory birds.

In total, there are 10 Ramsar sites in Nepal, which are scattered in various ecological regions in Nepal allowing diverse birds to be protected.

The lesser-known Ghodaghodi wetland, a Ramsar site gained prominence on 11 March 2022, as Chief Minister of Sudurpaschim Province Trilochana Bhatta declared it to be Nepal’s first bird sanctuary to protect birds that are globally and nationally threatened.

The sanctuary houses 12 globally threatened bird species and popularizing this as a bird sanctuary has helped to spread awareness and bring tourism.

The effort of Sudur Paschim Province was quickly followed by Lumbini Province which declared its Jagadishpur Lake as the second bird sanctuary in Nepal.

Jagadish Lake, a manmade Reservoir was fed water from a canal from the Banganga River; this also reveals how a human-made structure can contribute to improving and preserving biodiversity.

In total 22,491 water birds were counted in Jagadishpur which had 167 species of birds (such as grebes, cormorants, herons, egrets, storks, ducks, geese, terns, and gulls), including 8 rare bird species. The provincial government is also working to improve eco-tourism in Jagadishpur lake

There are stories of rare birds being sighted in various places such as three rare birds (white-rumped vulture, Asian wooly neck stork, and steppe) were spotted in Ludi Damgadhe Community Forest, Gorkha Municipality-8 which is home to around 99 species of birds.

Similarly, on 29 August 2021, a new species of bird- a European Roller bird was found at an altitude of 3,781 m. in Kekighang, Lomanthang Rural Municipality-5.

Ornithologist Devendra Kharel spotted a green pigeon in Mechinagar municipality, the bird is known as the Green Imperial Pigeon (Dukula Ania).

Some governmental policies, like banning an anti-inflammatory drug called diclofenac, have contributed to the flourishing vulture population from 10 to 200 in Kanchanpur.

So many stories could show both a grim picture of some bird species disappearing in Nepal and simultaneously a beautiful picture of bird populations flourishing in the country. Birds give amazing footage to cinematographers and a possible topic for a documentary.

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Part I: Nepal’s Community Forest