Birding in Bhutan The country of Bhutan with a deep sense of reverence for nature, and with its policy of conservation and preservation has resulted a huge land under forest cover ideal for many different Bird species. Bhutan in many ways an ideal model for conservation. When the world today realizes the importance of conservation of nature, this small Himalayan Kingdom has always lived in harmony with Nature since time immemoriable, and respect for all things ‘great and small’ is a way of life. The Kingdom has more than 620 bird species, some of which are globally threatened, including the Rufus- necked Hornbill, Black-necked crane and Pallas’s fish eagle. Bhutan is truly a bird watcher’s paradise. The sub- tropical forest, warm and cool broad-leaved forests, oak, fir and hemlock forest are likely to be a good areas for bird watching.
BLACK-NECKED CRANE FESTIVAL
Phobjikha is a relatively wide and beautiful valley floor largely composed of marshes vegetated by dwarf bamboo. Located at 3,000 m above the sea level, it is an officially declared conservation area as it is one of the major winter habitats of the rare and endangered Black Necked Cranes in Bhutan.
The beautiful and majestic Black Necked Cranes (Grus Nigricollis) have been described by the conservationists as the least known of all the 15 crane species. This species was the last of the world's Crane species to be discovered in 1876 by the Great Russian naturalist- explorer Prejevalsky near lake KoKo Nor in Northeastern Tibet. Currently the Black Necked Crane is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for the conservation of Nature and natural resources (IUCN 1988) as the recent counts indicate the total numbers of BNC to be between 5,000 and 6,000 individuals worldwide.
The Black Necked Cranes have always been a part of life of the local people at Phobjikha valley. They are reflected in local culture, tradition and beliefs. Indeed these birds are referred to locally as "heavenly birds". But people's priorities are changing. Though rules and regulations for Black necked Cranes conservation are imposed, due to human needs and modern development, pressures on Black Necked Cranes habitat are likely to grow. It has been found that the goal of conserving these rare species and their habitat can be successful only if people see economic benefits arising from conservation activities. Hence, it has become essential that efforts must be made to establish a visible link between conservation programs and the materials well being of the people.
The above concerns have stimulated Royal society for protection of nature (RSPN) to initiate various conservation activities that integrate conservation and development. The Black Necked Crane festival is one of these. The first crane festival in 1998 was entirely financed by RSPN.There after it was handed over to the Phobjikha Area Conservation Program Committee with RSPN playing a supporting role. All tourists and visitors will pay some entrance fee that will go towards organizational costs of the festivals and towards the development of the Phobjikha Community development projects, which will eventually ensure the conservation of the rare Black Necked Cranes and their habitat.
Druk Path Trek is one of the popular treks in Bhutan. The trek usually begins from paro and ends in Thimphu or vice versa. It is a short and scenic trek with some of the best views of the Himalayan Mountains .....
