Birding in Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, Neora Valley National Park, Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary | December 2015 Published by: DIBYENDU ASH ∙([email protected]or [email protected]) Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary (in East Sikkim) Phusrey Lake (27°10'13"N 88°42'8"E ). This lake lies at Southern end of lower Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary in Sikkim and contiguous above Neora valley National Park of West Bengal. This pristine place is a home for 8 different varieties of Laughingthrushes. For the first time we got Eyebrowed Thrush (Turdus obscurus) from this area on 13.12.2015.
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Birding in Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, Neora Valley ... in Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, Neora Valley National Park, Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary | December 2015 Published by :
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Birding in Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, Neora Valley National Park, Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary | December 2015 Published by: DIBYENDU ASH∙([email protected] or [email protected])
Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary (in East Sikkim) Phusrey Lake (27°10'13"N 88°42'8"E ). This lake lies at
Southern end of lower Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary in Sikkim and contiguous above Neora valley National Park of West Bengal. This pristine place is a home for 8 different varieties of Laughingthrushes. For the first time we got
Eyebrowed Thrush (Turdus obscurus) from this area on 13.12.2015.
Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary (in West Bengal), where we spend four days for birding. From 4th December
2016 to 7th December 2016 (till morning). Our activities were restricted between 2,000 ft through the forest trails up to 5,000ft at the higher ridges of Mahananda.
Neora Valley National Park (in West Bengal) Mostly covered by temperate broadleaf forests (of Sal and Saigon) in lower regions (between 3,000 to 5,000 ft) and bamboo thickets and bush shrubberies along with Montane forest type in the middle (between 4,500 to 7,000 ft) and Alpine conifers along with thin bamboo strands above 7,500 ft. We have spent 5 days in Neora Valley National Park and adjacent area for birding from 7th December to 11th December of 2015. In those five birding days in peak winter we saw multiple flocks of Maroonbacked Accentor
almost everyday in both afternoon birding as well as during evening birding. Considerably, in all the times bird wave consisted of 8 to 15 different varieties of birds.
Date: 4th December to 14th December 2015
Habitat:
Montane Forest. Temperate Coniferous. Broadleaf. Riverine. Alluvial. Sub Alpine Forest. Cultivation Land. Human Habitat.
Temperature Range: 5°C ~ 20°C
Altitude Range: 3,000' to 8,000' (from MSL)
Bird Checklist (As per Birds of Indian Subcontinent field guide by Richard Gmimmett, Carol Inskipp, Tim Inskipp):
1. Indian Peafowl 2. Indian Cormorant 3. Great Cormorant 4. Common Kestrel 5. Eurasian Sparrowhawk 6. Hen Harrier 7. Black Kite 8. Blackeared Kite 9. Black Eagle 10. Rufousbellied Eagle 11. Himalayan Vulture 12. Eurasian Sparrowhawk 13. Steppe Eagle 14. Mountain Hawk Eagle 15. Common Pigeon 16. Spotted Dove 17. Oriental Turtle Dove 18. Barred Cuckoo Dove 19. Mountain Imperial Pigeon 20. Wedgetailed Green Pigeon 21. Pintailed Green Pigeon 22. Whitethroated Kingfisher 23. Greater Coucal 24. Rufousnecked Hornbill 25. Great Barbet 26. Bluethroated Barbet 27. Goldenthroated Barbet 28. Rufous Woodpecker
Mammal checklist (as per the Indian Mammals | A Field Guide by Vivek Menon):
1. Indian Muntjac 2. Hoarybellied Squirrel 3. Himalayan Striped Squirrel
Participants:
1. Dibyendu Ash 2. Jayashree Mitra +1
Bird Images from Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary
Sultan Tit (Melanochlora sultanea) 05.12.2015 | Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, West Bengal
At the end of morning birding session of 5th December, just before 12 PM; we saw a flock of five Sultan Tits foraging alongside Greychinned Minivets and Chestnutbellied Nuthatch. The bird wave continued for 1520
minutes and the flock gradually moved uphill into the forest.
It may look like an alien to you; but this bird is of Accentor family. At Neora Valley on all four days we saw them
foraging in a flock of 1520 throughout the day. 8th December 2016 was so eventful that after having three Cutia in a row; we saw Maroonbacked Accentor (Prunella immaculata) along with Goldenbreasted Fulvetta and
Crimsonbrowed Finch.
Hoarythroated Barwing (Actinodura nipalensis) 08.12.2015 | Damdim, Neora Valley National Park.
Goldenbreasted Fulvetta (Lioparus chrysotis) 08.12.2015 | Neora Valley National Park, West Bengal
Though previously I have seen this bird in Khangchendzonga NP in Sikkim in October, this time I got it at Neora Valley NP with two birders from Singapore in this December. Four days we stayed there and saw them thrice.
Himalayan Cutia (Cutia nipalensis) 09.12.2015 | Neora Valley National Park, West Bengal
Not a Blacklored Tit, it is Yellowcheeked Tit. Zoo geographical barriers are there which separates Blacklored Tit (of Central and Western Himalayas) with Yellowcheeked Tit (of Eastern Himalayas). We saw this fellow along with
a mixed flock consisting of Blackthroated Tit, Blackeared Shrike Babbler, Yellowbrowed Tit etc. Yellowcheeked Tit (Parus spilonotus spilonotus) 08.12.2015 | Neora Valley National Park, West Bengal
The clash between Gondwana and Laurasia gave birth to mountain chains of Himalayas and some birders. Many a times in Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary, I have seen this bird; this time with a group of birders from Singapore we
saw this. Along with they were 8 in numbers. Goldenthroated Barbet (Megalaima franklinii) 10.12.2015 | Ramitey, Neora Valley National Park, West Bengal