Common Birds of Nepal

The male's crimson-spotted plumage and vivid blue facial skin make it one of Asia's most stunning pheasants — best found on ridges above 2,500 m in April when displaying.

Nepal's national bird — the male's iridescent blue, green, and copper plumage in direct sunlight is one of Asia's greatest sights; found above treeline foraging on open slopes.

Nepal's only true endemic species — a secretive babbler of scrubby hillsides restricted entirely to the Nepal midlands, best found by its distinctive rattling call.

One of the world's most distinctive shorebirds — its curved red bill and bold black face mask are unmistakable on the shingle banks of Nepal's major river systems.

Arguably the world's most beautiful nuthatch — vivid blue, orange, and white patterning covers what is otherwise a familiar stocky nuthatch body shape; extremely rare.

Named for the blood-red streaking on the male's breast — found in small groups in subalpine rhododendron scrub, scratching through snow near the treeline in Nepal's north.

Crashed by over 99% from diclofenac poisoning in the 1990s — Nepal's Chitwan and Bardia are now among the last places where small numbers can be reliably found.

One of Asia's rarest nest-confirmed trogons — a large raspberry and silver bird of temperate forest above 1,800 m in eastern Nepal's least-visited birding wilderness.