Bhutan located in the foothills of the eastern Himalayas is one of the most isolated countries that offer unmatched natural beauty with its unique topography. Being known for its hills and valleys the Bhutan is barely elevated at a range of 1000m of 500 metres that inhabits wide variety of bird species.
Due to its rich wildlife and biodiversity Bhutan is home to more than 770 species of birds, making it a paradise for bird lovers. Phobjikha valley is the hotspot for bird watching in Bhutan located on the bank of Nake Chuu and Phag Chuu rivers. Black-necked Crane, White-breasted Waterhen, Black-tailed Crake, Ruddy-breasted Crake are some of the rare birds sighted in Bhutan.
Let’s know about the regions that are popular for bird watching in Bhutan.
1. Subtropical and Deciduous forests
Southern part of Bhutan lies in the sub-tropical belt that inhabits rare bird species making it an ideal place for bird watching. The area is full of deciduous broad leave trees and offers sighting of bird species such as Gorgeted Flycatcher, Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Verditer Flycatcher and many more.
Due to its warm weather, broad leave forest and moist climate the region attracts huge number of local and migratory birds in Bhutan. Semgang, Phobjikha, Tingbitti, Trongsa, Mongar, Trashigang are some of the places located in the sub-tropical belt of Bhutan.
2. Temperate Belt Regions
Located in the central Bhutan, the temperate belt with its numerous mountain passes and lower valleys is considered as the main region for bird watching in Bhutan. Surrounded by dense Rhododendron forests along with its pleasant Climate and altitude attracts migrating birds from all over the world.
The temperate zones are known for its rich vegetations of Oak and Conifer making it an ideal place for rare and endangered bird species including avian species. Black Drongo, Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch, White Throated Laughing-Thrush, Eurasian jay, Wedge tailed Green Pigeon are some the rare birds that can be sighted in this region.
Paro, Thimpu and Bumthang are located in temperate belt region and are considered to inhabit the highest number of local bird species of Bhutan. Tourists can visit this place by connecting to some of the top car rentals in Bhutan.
3. Alpine Scrubs
Located in the higher areas of Bhutan with an elevation of around 4000 meters lies the dense forest of Alpine scrubs that are home to wide varierty of avian bird species. Along with its beautiful sightseeing destinations this region is also known for sightings of rare and endangered bird species.
Spotted Nutcracker, Large Hawk Cuckoo, Darjeeling Woodpecker, Yellow-billed Magpie, Chest Tailed Minla and Collard Blackbird are some of the rare birds that been sighted in this region. The region is located in the northern part of Bhutan which includes places like Chele La Pass, Dochula Pass, Pele La Pass and Thrumshing La Pass.
Bhutan due to its zero carbon emission attracts huge variety of local and migratory birds and is regarded as perfect destination for bird watching in Bhutan. Some part of the country also falls under the Eastern Himalaya Endemic Bird Area (EBA) and is among classified hotspot of Global biodiversity.