Tibetan Blood phesant on a moss rock, Bhutan

The blood pheasant (Ithaginis cruentus) is the only species in genus Ithaginis of the pheasant family. This relatively small, short-tailed pheasant is widespread and fairly common in eastern Himalayas, ranging across India, Nepal, Bhutan, China and northern Myanmar. The blood pheasant was the national bird of the former Kingdom of Sikkim, and remains Sikkim’s state bird. Blood pheasants have the size of a small fowl, about 17 in (43 cm) in length with a short convex, very strong black bill, feathered between bill and eye, and a small crest of various coloured feathers. The colour of the plumage above is dark ash, with white shafts, the coverts of the wings various tinged with green, with broad strokes of white through the length of each feather, the feathers of the chin deep crimson; on the breast, belly and sides feathers are lance-shaped, of various length, the tips green with crimson margins, collectively resembling dashes of blood scattered on the breast and belly. The tail consists of twelve sub-equal feathers, shafts white, rounded, the ends whitish, the coverts a rich crimson red. Both males and females have red feet and a distinct ring of bare skin around the eye that typically is […]

Rufous necked hornbill male in habitat, Bhutan

  The rufous-necked hornbill (Aceros nipalensis) is a species of hornbill in northeastern India, especially in Arunachal Pradesh, Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is locally extinct in Nepal due to hunting and significant loss of habitat. There are < 10,000 adults left in the wild. With a length of about 117 centimetres (46 in), it is among the largest Bucerotine hornbills. The underparts, neck and head are rich rufous in the male, but black in the female. The head, neck, and lower body of the male are coloured rufous, with deeper colouration on the flanks and abdomen. The middle primaries and the lower half of the tail are tipped white. The rest of the hornbill’s plumage is a glossy dark-green and black. The lower tail-covert feathers are coloured chestnut mixed with black. The female, on the other hand, is black, except for the end-portion of her tail and the tips of the middle primaries, which are white. Juvenile hornbills resemble adults of the same sex, but lack the ridges at the base of the upper beak. The beak lacks a true caique but is thickened at its base. It has a number of dark ridges on the upper beak […]

Fire tailed sunbird male, Bhutan

The fire-tailed sunbird (Aethopyga ignicauda) is a species of sunbird in the Nectariniidae family. It is found in the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent, primarily in the Himalayas, and also in some adjoining regions in Southeast Asia. The species occurs in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand and Tibet. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.Males reach a length of 15 cm. including their long tail; females are about two-thirds that length. They live in conifer forests at altitudes up to 4,000 meters, descending into the valleys during the cold season. They eat insects, and also nectar. Both parents take part in feeding the young. Not globally threatened and classified as least concern. Widespread and fairly common in India, Nepal and Bhutan; considered very common in Myanmar above tree-line (3900 m) in Adung valley.

Fire tailed sunbird male looking back, Bhutan

  The fire-tailed sunbird (Aethopyga ignicauda) is a species of sunbird in the Nectariniidae family. It is found in the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent, primarily in the Himalayas, and also in some adjoining regions in Southeast Asia. The species occurs in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand and Tibet. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.Males reach a length of 15 cm. including their long tail; females are about two-thirds that length. They live in conifer forests at altitudes up to 4,000 meters, descending into the valleys during the cold season. They eat insects, and also nectar. Both parents take part in feeding the young. Not globally threatened and classified as least concern. Widespread and fairly common in India, Nepal and Bhutan; considered very common in Myanmar above tree-line (3900 m) in Adung valley.

Himalayan Monal looking back, Bhutan

The Himalayan monal (Lophophorus impejanus), also known as the Impeyan monal and Impeyan pheasant, is a bird in the pheasant family, Phasianidae. It is the national bird of Nepal, where it is known as the danphe, and state bird of Uttarakhand, India, where it is known as the monal. It was also the state bird of Himachal Pradesh until 2007. It is a relatively large-sized pheasant. These pheasants are amongst the most beautiful pheasants due to their striking metallic-colored plumage. The bird is about 70 centimetres long. The male weighs up to 2380 grams and the female 2150. The adult male has multicoloured plumage throughout, while the female, as in other pheasants, is more subdued in colour. Notable features in the male include a long, metallic green crest, coppery feathers on the back and neck, and a prominent white rump that is most visible when the bird is in flight. The tail feathers of the male are uniformly rufous, becoming darker towards the tips, whereas the lower tail coverts of females are white, barred with black and red. The female has a prominent white patch on the throat and a white strip on the tail. The first-year male and the […]