Bird Watching

Endowed with steep, almost inaccessible valleys dotted with a modest populace, Bhutan is home to majestic taintless greenery that houses over 670 species of birds with more to discover.

Bhutan is a paradise of superlatives, the last surviving oasis of compassion and wisdom where Buddhist heritage has been carefully guarded. These Buddhist values are inculcated into the lives of the Bhutanese people, which have led to a harmonious appreciation of their natural environment. Almost as a testimony to their deep respect for all sentient beings, birds that are on the fringe of extinction, such as the Imperial Heron and Black-Necked Crane, have all nestled onto the Bhutanese embrace. Explore the best of Bhutan's bird habitats, especially the central and eastern parts which are eco-rich regions for birding.

Bhutan houses more than 16 species of vulnerable birds, including the White Bellied Heron, Satyr Tragopan, Blyth's King Fisher, Wood Snipe, Dark-rumped Swift, and more. Birds like the Black-Necked Cranes can be spotted in the Phobjikha Valley in Western Bhutan and Bumthang in Central Bhutan in the winter roosting months of September-October before migrating back to Tibet during February-March.

The following is a comprehensive list of the endangered birds of Bhutan:

1. Baer’s Pochard
2. Beautiful Nuthatch
3. Black-necked Stork
4. Blackish-breasted Babbler
5. Blyth’s Kingfisher
6. Chestnut-breasted Partridge
7. Dark-rumped Swift
8. Eurasian Curlew
9. Eurasian Peregrine Falcon
10. Ferruginous Duck
11. Gray-crowned Prinia
12. Great Hornbill
13. Lesser Fish-eagle
14. Palla’s Fish-eagle
15. Pallid Harrier
16. Rufous-necked Hornbill
17. Rufous-throated Wren-babbler
18. Satyr Tragopan
19. Ward’s Trogon
20. White-rumped Vulture
21. White-throated Bushcat
22. Woodsnipe
23. Yellow-rumped Honeyguide
24. Black-necked Crane
25. Imperial Heron
26. White-bellied Heron