PROJECT : EAST HIMALAYA BIRDING PROGRAMME

(Project undertaken by : Association for Conservation & Tourism)

Systematic List (154 to 184)

  1. White-capped Water Redstart Phoenicurus leucocephalus One bird was seen en-route near the Teesta river on 21/11 and two along the river on the way to Lava from Gorumara on 23/11.
  2. Plumbeous Water Redstart Phoenicurus fuliginosus Two along the river on the way to Lava from Gorumara on 23/11 were the only ones seen.
  3. White-tailed Robin Cinclidium leucurum One pair and another male nearby were seen at Lava, in the area between Km4 and Km6, on 26/11.
  4. Black-backed Forktail Enicurus immaculatus One bird was seen, and photographed, by one observer near a small stream on the Mahakal Trail.
  5. Common Stonechat Saxicola torquata Two birds at Gorumara and one at Bamunpokhri.
  6. Pied Bushchat Saxicola caprata One seen en-route from Gorumara to Lava on 23/11 was the only sighting of the trip.
  7. Grey Bushchat Saxicola ferrea A pair at Lulagaon on 24/11 and one on the Sandakphu trek on 29/11 were the only ones seen.
  8. Chestnut-tailed Starling Sturnus malabaricus Common at Gorumara where a maximum of about 60 was recorded on 22/11.
  9. Asian Pied Starling Sturnus contra Very common in lowland areas, including Gorumara, Mahakal Trail and Phulbari Barrage.
  10. Common Myna Acridotheres tristis Very common in lowland areas, with records from Gorumara and Mahakal Trail, and also seen at Sandakphu.
  11. Jungle Myna Acridotheres fuscus Two seen near Gorumara Jungle Camp on 21/11 and two en-route from there to Lava on 23/11.
  12. Hill Myna Gracula religiosa First seen were 12 at Gorumara Jungle Camp on 21/11 with sightings also from Gorumara National Park and Chapramari the following day. A most spectacular sighting was of a flock, estimated at about 600, betweenLava and Lulagaon on 23/11. They were feeding in a heavily-forested valley and were seen together in flight on a number of occasions, their calls echoing against the hills. A flock of this size may be unprecedented in India? Large numbers were also present there the following day. The only other sighting was of one near Darjeeling Zoo. Note that Hill Myna G. religiosa has been split from Southern Hill Myna G.indica. Those birds seen would have been G. r. intermedia.
  13. Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch Sitta castanea Two seen at Gorumara, two at Chapramari and two on the Mahakal Trail. Two also seen at Sandakphu on 28/11.
  14. White-tailed Nuthatch Sitta himalayensis Several at Lulagaon, with 10 estimated there on 24/11, and smaller numbers at Neora Valley and Lava, with one also at Sandakphu.
  15. Velvet-fronted Nuthatch Sitta frontalis Only recorded from Gorumara with two there on 22/11.
  16. Eurasian Treecreeper Certhia familiaris Two or three seen at various places on the Sandakphu trek, including in trees at the summit, on both 27/11 and 28/11.
  17. Winter Wren Troglodytes troglodytes Seen or heard daily from 27/11 to 29/11 at various places on the Sandakphu trek. Those birds seen were very dark all over, typical of the nipalensis subspecies.
  18. Fire-capped Tit Cephalopyrus flammiceps Brief views of one at Lulagaon on 23/11 and two at Neora Valley on 25/11.
  19. Rufous-vented Tit Parus rubidiventris One on the Sandakphu trek on 28/11 showed a greyish belly typical of the East Himalayan subspecies beavani.
  20. Coal Tit Parus ater Two or three were seen in conifers at the summit of Sandakphu on 27/11, with two also in deciduous trees nearby at Gairibans the following day.
  21. Green-backed Tit Parus monticolus Small numbers seen regularly in the hills, with records from Lulagaon, Rishyap, Lava and Sandakphu.
  22. Yellow-cheeked Tit Parus spilonotus Two (of the nominate race) at Rishyap were the only ones seen.
  23. Yellow-browed Tit Sylviparus modestus After four at Neora Valley and a few at Lava, a group of about 15 were seen at Sandakphu. All were of the nominate subspecies.
  24. Sultan Tit Melanochlora sultanea Probably the surprise sighting of the whole trip, a feeding flock of at least 12 were seen at Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary on 22/11. They were conspicuous as they fed for several minutes in the middle storey, before we were warned back by forest guards since there had been a lone elephant seen in the area a little earlier! None of the trip reports we had seen mentioned Sultan Tit, although it’s such a striking bird that it certainly could not be overlooked!
  25. Black-throated Tit Aegithalos concinnus Fast-moving flocks, typically of 30 birds or more, were seen at Neora Valley, Lava and Sandakphu.
  26. Plain Martin Riparia paludicola Seen near the river at Gorumara only.
  27. [Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica] Three old nests were seen inside a shop doorway in Lava village.
  28. Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica The only sightings were of birds seen en-route: at Kalimpong on 26/11 and in the hills below Mirik on 29/11. No attempt was made to assign a subspecies.
  29. Asian House Martin Delichon dasypus Seen at Kalimpong on 26/11.
  30. Nepal House Martin Delichon nipalensis Four seen with Red-rumped Swallows in the hills below Mirik on 29/11.
  31. Striated Bulbul Pycnonotus striatus Small flocks of 10 to 20 birds seen in the treetops at Lulagaon on both 23/11 and 24/11, plus at Neora Valley on 25/11.

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