A Pocket Photo Guide to the Birds of Nepal

This pocket photo guidebook is a collection of some common and uncommon birds found in Nepal. Images from non-digital (celluloid) media as early as 1992 to recent digital ones as of October 2016 have been included.

Of the world’s approximately 10,000 bird species, Nepal is home to some 790 species or 8% at present. ln a popular bird watching spot like Chitwan National Park, a hundred bird species have been identified by ornithologists in a single day some 40 years ago, but today that number should be about fifty. Nepal also has one endemic bird, the Spiny Babbler, which can be spotted in the scrub forest of the middle hills. This species is included in this guidebook.

Like other photo guidebooks, this book has been designed for easy identification of Nepal’s birds. Most of the photographs are of adult males, with some photographs, labelled with a ♀ symbol, showing females. Juveniles have been excluded in this book as they are difficult to identify and are a little beyond the scope of this book.

Photographs of birds in flight are included for some species like the raptors (birds of prey) which enables easy identification. For each bird species, the genus and family are mentioned in a colour tab for easy access. The common name, scientific name, average length and Nepali name in Nepalese text is given. A general description is given of the appearance and characteristics. In most cases, voice description is mentioned but in some cases call description is given. Food is an important part of a bird's life, thus food description is given in general but it is also specified for some species. The place where you likely will find the species is described under the heading habitat. Under the heading Distribution, details are given such as whether a species is a common resident, passing migrant, but also the altitude it is commonly seen at in summer or winter. Photo details include the location where the species was photographed. The month and year are also included, a feature which has been possible with the introduction of digital photography. The month will give you a general idea whether the species is a summer or winter visitor. Lastly, there is the bird status according to IUCN criteria.

Features: 

• 252 Bird species photographs of Nepal with description, food, voice, habitat and distribution
• Actual locations and dates
• IUCN status including endangered species 
• Colour tab index for quick reference
• Birds names in Nepali
• Some popular bird watching spots