Bhutan: A Haven for Birdwatchers and Ornithologists

Bhutan offers a sanctuary for bird enthusiasts, boasting an impressive avian diversity with over 670 recorded bird species—and the number continues to grow as more are discovered. Among these, nearly 50 species migrate during the winter, including ducks, waders, raptors, thrushes, finches, and buntings.

The country also serves as a seasonal home for partial migrants such as cuckoos, swifts, bee-eaters, warblers, and flycatchers, enriching Bhutan’s skies with their presence during different times of the year.

Notably, Bhutan provides critical breeding habitats for more than 16 globally vulnerable bird species. These include:

• Pallas’s Fish Eagle

• White-bellied Heron

• Satyr Tragopan

• Gray-bellied Tragopan

• Ward’s Trogon

• Blyth’s Kingfisher

• Yellow-rumped Honeyguide

• Rufous-throated Wren-Babbler

• Chestnut-breasted Partridge

• Blyth’s Trogon

• Wood Snipe

• Dark-rumped Swift

• Rufous-necked Hornbill

• Gray-crowned Prinia

• Beautiful Nuthatch

Among Bhutan’s rarest avian treasures is the White-bellied Heron, one of the 50 rarest birds on Earth, and the revered Black-necked Crane—a globally threatened species that migrates annually from the Tibetan plateau to Bhutan.

These majestic cranes can be observed in Phobjikha Valley (west), Bumthang (central), and Bomdeling (east) during their winter stay from September to March, before making their return journey to Tibet in early spring.

With its pristine forests, protected habitats, and rich biodiversity, Bhutan remains one of the last true strongholds for endangered and migratory birds—a paradise waiting to be explored by bird lovers from around the world.