Short Communication a Short Note on Birds of Bajhang District, Far-Western Nepal

Short Communication A short note on birds of Bajhang district, far-western Nepal

RISHI BARAL

National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC), Nepal

Email for correspondence: [email protected]

Nepal harbours nearly 9% of global bird diversity out of jemlahicus, wild boar Sus scrofa, and musk deer Moschus with 40 species have been assessed as globally threatened spp. (DDC 2014). while 168 as nationally threatened species (BCN and An opportunistic avifaunal survey was carried out DNPWC 2016, Inskipp et al. 2016). This diversity is in two former Village Development Committees namely remarkably high considering Nepal’s area which is only Dhamena and Kanda in April 2014 (FIG. 1). Birds were 0.1% of the world’s landmass. However, many regions of observed near 11 settlements – Chainpur, Khara, Kanda, the country are relatively unexplored for avifaunal surveys. Laphare (Dhuli), Buko Odar, Emeldour, Majha, Dhamena, Bajhang district of far-Western region of Nepal is one of the Daulichour, Bichada and Aagada. The opportunistic survey less explored areas despite its high potential birding was carried out over a period of 24 days using transects. hotspots. Transect surveys were carried out following the local trails on foot. The researchers walked at an Bajhang district lies within 29° 29' to 30° 09' N and 80° 46' approximate speed of 2 km/hour looking for birds on to 81° 34' E and covers an area of 3,422 km2 with altitude either side of the trail. Binoculars and field guide were used ranging from 915 m to 7,031 m. Mountains and high hills for bird identification. Unidentified birds were in the district remains covered by snow for over five photographed and identified later with experts' months every year. The variation in elevation resulting in consultation after completion of survey. different habitat types is one of the reasons for high

biodiversity in the region.

RISHI BARAL/NTNC/ACAP PHOTO 1: Crested kingfisher in Bajhang district.

A total of 67 species of birds were recorded. The birds were classified under 9 orders and 27 families (ANNEX I). Birds from the order Passeriformes topped the

SOURCE: JEEVAN RAI/FON NEPAL list with 35 species. The survey provided evidence of presence of rare FIG. 1: Map of study area showing the surveyed sites (Kanda and Dhamena) in Bajhang district. and threatened bird species in the district. They include, Critically Endangered – red-headed vulture Sarcogyps Forests occupy 30% of Bajhang district. Wildlife calvus, Endangered – Egyptian vulture Neophron reported from Bajhang include snow leopard Panthera percnopterus and steppe eagle Aquila nipalensis, Near uncia, common leopard Panthera pardus, grey wolf Canis Threatened – Himalayan vulture Gyps himalayensis, and lupus, golden jackal Canis aureus, Asiatic wild dog Cuon bearded vulture Gypaetus barbatus and nationally alpinus, Himalayan black bear Ursus thibetanus, blue protected – danphe Lophophorus impejanus and satyr sheep Pseudois nayaur, Himalayan tahr Hemitragus tragopan Tragopan satyra.

40 35 This survey, though brief, shows the avifaunal 35 richness of Bajhang district. With more exploration, status 30 of birds of Bajhang district can be better understood both 25 in terms of species richness as well as their distribution. It 20 is also vital to come up with initiatives to conserve species

15 10 that are already threatened.

10 5 6 3 3 3

NumberSpecies of 5 1 1 0 CI CO COL CU GA PA PI PSI ST

Order

FIG. 2: Number of bird species of different orders. *GA: Galliformes, PI: Piciformes, CO: Coraciformes, CU: Cuculiformes, PSI: Psittaciformes, ST: Strigiformes, COL: Columbiformes, CI: Ciconiiformes, PA: Passeriformes

RISHI BARAL/NTNC/ACAP During the survey, the main threat observed was PHOTO 3: Satyr tragopan kept in captivity in Chainpur. illegal hunting for bushmeat, especially of the ground dwelling birds. Use of snares for trapping birds was very Acknowledgements high. We also observed many cases of people keeping I would like to thank Friends of Nature for the opportunity different species of birds including chukar partridge to carry out the research. My special thanks go to Lal Alectoris chukar, satyr tragopan, and slaty-headed Gurung who was an amazing team member. I would also parakeet Psittacula himalayana as pets. like to thank the District Forest Office, Chainpur for the

approval to carry out the research. Local people of the area were also supportive of the study for which I am grateful.

References

BCN and DNPWC 2016. Birds of Nepal: An Official Checklist. Kathmandu, Nepal DDC 2014. Bajhang District Profile. Kathmandu.

Inskipp, C., Baral, H.S., Phyuyal, S., Bhatt, T.R., Khatiwada, M., Inskipp, T.,

Khatiwada, A., Gurung, S., Singh, P.B., Murray, L., Poudyal, L. and Amin, R. 2016. The status of Nepal's Birds: The national red list series. Zoological Society of London, UK.

Biosketch RISHI BARAL/NTNC/ACAP PHOTO 2: Chukar partridge kept in captivity in Chainpur. RISHI BARAL is working with Annapurna Conservation Area Project and is particularly interested in participatory wildlife conservation.

ANNEX I: List of birds of Bajhang district recorded during the opportunistic survey

Count ORDER/Family/Common Name Scientific Name Nepali Name GALLIFORMES Phasianidae Rofv'/f 1 Chukar Partridge Alectoris chukar lkp/f 2 Hill Partridge Arborophila torqueola d'gfn 3 Satyr Tragopan Tragopan satyra kmf]qmfF; 4 Koklass Pheasant Pucrasia macrolopha 8fFkm] 5 Himalayan Monal Lophophorus impejanus sflnh 6 Kalij Pheasant Lophura leucomelanos PICIFORMES Picidae lxdfnL sfi7s"6 7 Himalayan Woodpecker Dendrocopos himalayensis Megalaimidae GofpnL 8 Great Barbet Megalaima virens s'y's]{ 9 Blue-throated Barbet Megalaima asiatica

CORACIIFORMES Dacelonidae ;]tf]s07] df6Lsf]/] 10 White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis Cerylidae 7"nf] l5/la/] df6Lsf]/] 11 Crested Kingfisher Megaceryle lugubris Meropidae d'/nLr/f 12 Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis CUCULIFORMES Cuculidae s'Ss' sf]OnL 13 Eurasian Cuckoo Cuculus canorus

PSITTACIFORMES Psittacidae dbgf ;'uf 14 Slaty-headed Parakeet Psittacula himalayana

STRIGIFORMES

Strigidae dnfxf x'rLn 15 Brown Fish Owl Ketupa zeylonensis 8'G8'n 16 Jungle Owlet Glaucidium radiatum

Caprimulgidae km';|f] r}t]r/f 17 Grey Nightjar Caprimulgus indicus

COLUMBIFORMES

Columbidae dn]jf 18 Common Pigeon Columba livia lxdfnL dn]jf 19 Snow Pigeon Columba leuconota l5/la/] jgk/]jf 20 Speckled Wood Pigeon Columba hodgsonii tfd] 9's'/ 21 Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis s'n{] 9's'/ 22 Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis

CICONIIFORMES

Scolopacidae kfgL rfxf 23 Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago

Count ORDER/Family/Common Name Scientific Name Nepali Name

Accipitridae sfnf] rLn 24 Black Kite Milvus migrans xf8kmf]/ 25 Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus ;]tf] lu4 26 Egyptian Vulture * EN Neophron percnopterus lxdfnL lu4 27 Himalayan Vulture Gyps himalayensis ;'g lu4 28 Red-headed Vulture * CR Sarcogyps calvus sfsfs'n 29 Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela rNnfrf]/ e'OFrLn 30 Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus uf]dfo' dxfrLn 31 Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis

Falconidae af}+8fO 32 Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus

PASSERIFORMES

Laniidae eb|fO{ 33 Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach

Corvidae ;'g7"F8] nfdk'R5«] 34 Yellow-billed Blue Magpie Urocissa flavirostris kxf8L sf]sn] 35 Grey Treepie Dendrocitta formosae 6]d' 36 Alpine Chough Pyrrhocorax graculus 3/ sfu 37 House Crow Corvus splendens sfnf] sfu 38 Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos nfdk'5«] /fgLr/L 39 Long-tailed Minivet Pericrocotus ethologus sfnf] lra] 40 Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus

Muscicapidae sNrf}+8] 41 Blue Whistling Thrush Myophonus caeruleus gLnt'yf] ch'{gs 42 Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias thalassinus ;'Gb/ gLntef 43 Rufous-bellied Niltava Niltava sundara gLns07] ch'{gs 44 Blue-throated Blue Flycatcher Cyornis rubeculoides wf]lagL r/f 45 Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis lxdfnL u|f08nf 46 Grandala Grandala coelicolor 8fª\u|] ?kL 47 Common Myna Acridotheres tristis

Sittidae sfZdL/L d§f 48 Kashmir Nuthatch Sitta cashmirensis kxf8L d§f 49 White-tailed Nuthatch Sitta himalayensis

Paridae lrlrNsf]6] 50 Great Tit Parus major kf08' lrlrNsf]6] 51 Black-lored Tit Parus xanthogenys

Aegithalidae ;]tf]s07] /fhlrlrNsf]6] 52 White-throated Tit Aegithalos niveogularis

Hirundinidae 3/ uf}+ynL 53 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

Pycnonotidae h'Nkm] h'/]nL 54 Himalayan Bulbul Pycnonotus leucogenys h'/]nL 55 Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer

Cisticolidae km';|f]5ftL 3fF;]lkm:6f] 56 Grey-breasted Prinia Prinia hodgsonii

Sylviidae kftl;pg] lkm:6f] 57 Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius

Count ORDER/Family/Common Name Scientific Name Nepali Name kLts6L lkm:6f] 58 Lemon-rumped Warbler Phylloscopus chloronotus ;f]O/g] tf]/LufF8f 59 White-throated Laughingthrush Garrulax albogularis aufn] Eofs'/ 60 Jungle Babbler Turdoides striatus lzj ldGnf 61 Bar-throated Siva Siva strigula

Nectariniidae sfnLs07\ a'Ë]r/f 62 Black-throated Sunbird Aethopyga saturata

Passeridae 3/ eFu]/f 63 House Sparrow Passer domesticus ?v eFu]/f 64 Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus km';|f] l6sl6s] 65 Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea kxf8L r'OofF 66 Upland Pipit Anthus sylvanus

Fringillidae cdf]+uf ltt' 67 Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus