Birding in Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, Neora Valley National Park, Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary | December 2015 Published by: DIBYENDU ASH∙(dbndsh@gmail.com or dibyendu@goingwild.in)

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

29. Grey­capped Pygmy Woodpecker 30. Greater Yellownape 31. Lesser Yellownape 32. Speckled Piculet 33. Large CuckooShrike 34. Black­winged CuckooShrike 35. Scarlet Minivet 36. Grey­chinned Minivet 37. Long­tailed Minivet 38. Long­tailed Shrike 39. Greater Racket­tailed Drongo 40. Black Drongo 41. Bronzed Drongo 42. Himalayan Swiftlet 43. Maroon Oriole 44. White­throated Fantail 45. Yellow­bellied Fantail 46. Yellow­billed Blue Magpie 47. Common Green Magpie 48. Grey Treepie 49. Large­billed Crow 50. House Crow 51. Green­backed Tit 52. Yellow­cheeked Tit 53. Sultan Tit 54. Yellow­browed Tit 55. Black­throated Tit 56. Himalayan Bulbul 57. Black­creasted Bulbul 58. Red­vented Bulbul 59. Mountain Bulbul 60. Black Bulbul 61. Common Tailorbird 62. Bush Warbler?? 63. Chestnut­headed Tesia 64. Buff­barred Warbler 65. Ashy­throated Warbler 66. Lemon­rumped Warbler 67. Mandelli's Leaf Warbler 68. Grey­cheeked Warbler 69. Grey­hooded Warbler 70. Chestnut­crowned Warbler 71. Whistler Warbler 72. Golden Babbler 73. Slender­billed Scimitar Babbler 74. White­browed Scimitar Babbler 75. White­crested Laughingthrush 76. White­throated Laughingthrush 77. Striated Laughingthrush 78. Rufous­necked Laughingthrush 79. Black­faced Laughingthrush 80. Rusty­fronted Barwing 81. Hoary­throated Barwing 82. Red­billed Leiothrix

83. Blue­winged Siva 84. Bar­throated Siva 85. Red­tailed Minla 86. Black­eared Shrike Babbler 87. Grey­chinned Babbler 88. Golden­breasted Fulvetta 89. Rufous­winged Fulvetta 90. White­browed Fulvetta 91. Nepal Fulvetta 92. Rufous Sibia 93. Whiskered Yuhina 94. Stripe­throated Yuhina 95. Rufous­vented Yuhina 96. Black­chinned Yuhina 97. Oriental White­eye 98. Chestnut­bellied Nuthatch 99. White­tailed Nuthatch 100. Velvet­fronted Nuthatch 101. Rusty­flanked Treecreeper 102. Common Myna 103. Asian Pied Starling 104. Blue Whistling Thrush 105. Grey­winged Blackbird 106. Himalayan Bluetail 107. White­browed Bush Robin 108. Oriental Magpie Robin 109. White­browed Shortwing 110. Plumbeous Water Redstart 111. White­capped Redstart 112. Black Redstart 113. Blue­fronted Redstart 114. Slaty­backed Forktail 115. Common Stonechat 116. Grey Bushchat 117. Golden Bush Robin 118. Himalayan Bluetail 119. Blue Rock Thrush 120. Chestnut­bellied Rock Thrush 121. Eye­browed Thrush 122. Flycatcher?? 123. Rufous­gorgeted Flycatcher 124. Verditer Flycatcher 125. Grey­headed Canary Flycatcher 126. Small Niltava 127. Rufous­bellied Niltava 128. Large Niltava 129. Orange­bellied Leafbird 130. Fire­breasted Flowerpecker 131. Yellow­bellied Flowerpecker 132. Green­tailed Sunbird 133. Streaked Spiderhunter 134. House Sparrow 135. Eurasian Treesparrow 136. White­rumped Munia

137. Rufous­breasted Accentor 138. Maroon­backed Accentor 139. Grey Wagtail 140. Olive­backed Pipit 141. Rosy Pipit 142. Dark­rumped Rosefinch 143. Crimson­browed Finch

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.

White­browed Scimitar Babbler (Pomatorhinus schisticeps) 07.12.2015 | Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, West

Bengal

Mountain Hawk Eagle (Nisaetus nipalensis) 07.12.2015 | Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, West Bengal

Rufous­necked Hornbill (Aceros nipalensis) 06.12.2015 | Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, Darjeeling, West

Bengal

Blue Rock Thrush (Monticola solitarius) 06.12.2015 | Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, West Bengal

Bird Images from Neora valley National Park

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

Bird Images from Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary

Mountain Bulbuls, Slender­billed Scimitar Babblers, Leafbirds were there alongside these horrible looking

Rusty­fronted Barwings. They look scary, aren't they! Rusty­fronted Barwing(Actinodura egertoni) 14.12.2015 |Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary, East Sikkim

Unpredictable movements of a skittish bird, frame shows the behavior!

Grey­throated Babbler (Stachyris nigriceps) 14.12.2015 | Daleepchand, Lower Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary, East Sikkim

Though this is not my first encounter, for the third time I saw this beauty at Pangolakha WLS; but unlike before, I

ended up with a record shot only! Eyebrowed Thrush (Turdus obscurus) 13.12.2015 | Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary, East Sikkim

A beautiful commoner from Lower Pangolakha WLS.

Orange­bellied Leafbird (Chloropsis hardwickii) 14.12.2015 | Lower Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary, East Sikkim

Happy Birding!

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Dibyendu Ash: +919681417974 / dibyendu@goingwild.in / dbndsh@gmail.com