This report covers a short break in the Eastern Himalayas, the prime aim being to photograph some of the birds in the area. I covered
Lava (8000 ft) Loylegaon (6500 ft) and Suntalekhola (2500 ft) in North Bengal over 4 days. The
appended list of 120 birds were observed during the trip. Many species could not be identified due to the focus on photography plus the fact that there were no additional observers present.
The weather overall was cloudy, but luckily it only rained at night. This delayed starts and affected the count. Even then, I did get to see some good birds, none better than a male Rusty-bellied Shortwing at Loylegaon.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Bagdogra (p.m.) and travel by road to Lava ( 3 hrs). Stay at West Bengal Forest Dev. Dept.'s Nature Resort Cottage.
Day 2: Lava covering Algarah Road (4th - 6th mile) and approach to Neora. Afternoon to Loylegaon (21 kms) and stay at WBFDD's Rest House.
Day 3: Morning Loylegaon, Jhandidara Peak area. Noon depart for Suntalekhola via Lava and Damdim. Stay at WBFDD's Cottage.
Day 4: Morning Suntalekhola. Depart for Bagdogra and Kolkata.
Day 1: A short detour to the Siliguri garbage dump area was very rewarding with 200+ Himalayan Griffons and a Cinereous Vulture.
Day 2: Morning start with the 1st bird being a pair of Rufous-capped Babblers at the 4th Mile on Algarah Road. Other good birds included fly through Speckled Wood Pigeons, Red-tailed Minla, Maroon-backed Accentor, Golden Spectacled Warbler and pair of Small Niltavas. Drive to the village yielded Grey-winged and White-collared Blackbirds plus a few Dark-sided Flycatchers. A 10am visit to the lower part of the approach to Neora Valley
National Park was very disappointing. A 4 km walk through heavily degraded forests yielded 3 birds. A similar walk from the upper reaches in November 03 was as disappointing.
Left for Loylegaon in the afternoon and stopped at the secluded viewpoint. This was very rewarding with all three Minla species, both Barwings, Kalij Pheasant, Short-billed Minivet and Whiskered Yuhina plus Warblers and Green-tailed Sunbirds.
Day 3: AM visit to Jhandidara viewpoint had Olive-backed Pipit, Blue-winged Minla, Red-faced Liocichla, Grey-chinned Minivet, Hume's and Grey-hooded Warbler and the star of the trip, a male
Rusty-bellied Shortwing in a gully on the cattle path leading off the viewpoint. The Rest House had a Tickell's Leaf Warbler and the only Black-throated Tit of the trip.
The return visit to the viewpoint on the road to Lava yielded Grey-cheeked Warbler, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Yellow-browed Tit, White-browed Fulvetta and many other small birds.
5th mile on Algarah Road had Striated Bulbul and a striking Gold-naped Finch pair.
Day 4: Four birding hours yielded both species of Necklaced Laughing Thrushes, Himalyan Swiftlet, Common Green Magpie, White-crested and White-throated Laughing Thrush, Greater Yellownape, Spangled and Ashy Drongo, Hill Myna, Red Jungle Fowl, Maroon Oriole, Crested Serpent Eagle, Scarlet Minivet and the 1st Grey Treepie and Black Bulbul of the trip. The Treepie and Black Bulbul was the most common bird at all altitudes during our
November visit.
A single soaring White-rumped Vulture on the way back from Suntalekhola was the only sighting of this endangered species.
1. Red Junglefowl Gallus gallus
One at Suntalekhola
2. Kalij Pheasant Lophura leucomelanos
One male flushed at the viewpoint on the road to Loylegaon
3. Greater Yellownape Picus flavinucha
Pair at Suntalekhola
4. Great Barbet Megalaima virens
Heard everywhere.
5. Blue-throated Barbet Megalaima asiatica
Suntalekhola
6. Coppersmith Barbet Megalaima haemacephala
Siliguri
7. Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis affinis
One on the way to Sevok.
8. Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
One on the way to Sevok.
9. White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis
Recorded at Suntalekhola.
10. Blue-tailed Bee-eater Merops philippinus
On the road to Siliguri.
11. Indian Cuckoo Cuculus micropterus
Common at all sites
12. Oriental Cuckoo Cuculus saturatus
Heard at Loylegaon.
13. Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopacea
Siliguri area.
14. Alexandrine Parakeet Psittacula eupatria
Road to Lava in the plains
15. Red-breasted Parakeet Psittacula alexandri
In flight on the way back from Suntalekhola
16. Asian Palm Swift Cypsiurus balasiensis
Plains
17. Himalayan Swiftlet Collocalia brevirostris
Suntalekhola
18. Mountain Scops Owl Otus spilocephalus
Heard all nights and at dawn
19. Large-tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus macrurus
Heard all nights and at dawn
20. Rock Pigeon Columba livia
21. Speckled Wood Pigeon Columba hodgsonii
3 birds at Lava
22. Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis
Common in the hills
23. Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis
24. Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
Siliguri area
25. Black Kite Milvus migrans
Common in the lowlands but not seen at higher elevations.
26. White-rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis
Single on the road just before reaching the plains
27. Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis
200+ birds at the Siliguri dump
28. Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela
Singles at Loylegaon and Suntalekhola
29. Shikra Accipiter badius
One bird at 2500 feet on the road
30. Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
One bird on the drive to Lava
31. Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger
5 on a tree on the way to Sevok (lowlands).
32. Little Egret Egretta garzetta
2 birds in the lowlands.
33. Intermediate Egret Mesophoyx intermedia
1 in the lowlands.
34. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Common lowlands.
35. Indian Pond Heron Ardeola grayii
Siliguri area
36. Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus
On the road from Siliguri to river Teesta
37. Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach
ssp. Tricolor seen at 3000 feet on the way to Lava
38. Grey-backed Shrike Lanius tephronotus
39. Common Green Magpie Cissa chinensis
Common at Suntanekhola
40. Rufous Treepie Dendrocitta vagabunda
One in the lowlands
41. Grey Treepie Dendrocitta formosae
Common at Suntalekhola. None seen in the higher reaches
42. House Crow Corvus splendens
Siliguri
43. Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos
44. Maroon Oriole Oriolus traillii
Suntalekhola
45. Grey-chinned Minivet Pericrocotus solaris
2 at Loylegaon
46. Short-billed Minivet Pericrocotus brevirostris
Pair, Lava
47. Scarlet Minivet Pericrocotus flammeus
Pairs were common at all sites
48. Yellow-bellied Fantail Rhipidura hypoxantha
One at Lava.
49. White-throated Fantail Rhipidura albicollis
Lava and Loylegaon
50. Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus
Common in the lowlands but not recorded anywhere in the hills.
51. Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus
Common
52. Spangled Drongo Dicrurus hottentottus
Breeding birds at Suntalekhola
53. Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush Monticola cinclorhynchus
Pair on the Algarah road.
54 Blue Whistling Thrush Myophonus caeruleus
Common everywhere on the trip.
55 White-collared Blackbird Turdus albocinctus
Single female, Algarah Road
56. Grey-winged Blackbird Turdus boulboul
3 birds on Algarah Road
57. Rusty-bellied Shortwing Brachypteryx hyperythra
Male seen well at a gully off the cattle track leading away from the Jahandidara viewpoint, Loylegaon
58. Dark-sided Flycatcher Muscicapa sibirica
3 birds at Lava.
59. Snowy-browed Flycatcher Ficedula monileger
Lava.
60. Red-throated Flycatcher Ficedula parva
Single at Suntalekhola.
61. Slaty-blue Flycatcher Ficedula tricolor
Loylegaon
62. Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias thalassina
Lava
63. Rufous-bellied Niltava Niltava sundara
Common at Lava.
64. Small Niltava Niltava macgrigoriae
Pairs at Lava
65. Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis
Lava and Loylegaon
66. Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis
Lowlands.
67. Blue-fronted Redstart Phoenicurus frontalis
Lava.
68. White-capped Water Redstart Phoenicurus leucocephalus
Lava, Suntalekhola and on the road
69. Plumbeous Water Redstart Phoenicurus fuliginosus
1 bird on the Damdim Road.
70. Grey Bushchat Saxicola ferrea
Common at Loylegaon, some seen on the Damdim Road
71. Chestnut-tailed Starling Sturnus malabaricus
Pair at Suntalekhola
72. Asian Pied Starling Sturnus contra
Lowland areas.
73. Common Myna Acridotheres tristis
Lowlands
74. Hill Myna Gracula religiosa
Suntalekhola
75. White-tailed Nuthatch Sitta himalayensis
Loylegaon
76. Green-backed Tit Parus monticolus
Small numbers Loylegaon and Lava.
77. Yellow-browed Tit Sylviparus modestus
Lava
78. Black-throated Tit Aegithalos concinnus
Single bird seen at the resort at Loylegaon
79. Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Gorubathan
80. Striated Bulbul Pycnonotus striatus
Lava
81. Black-crested Bulbul Pycnonotus melanicterus
Single bird on the Teesta
82. Himlayan Bulbul Pycnonotus leucogenys
Pair on Damdim road at 4000 feet
83. Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer
84. Black Bulbul Hypsipetes leucocephalus
Pair at Suntalekhola being the only observation
85.Hill Prinia
?
3000 feet on the way to Lava
86. Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius
Suntalekhola
87. Grey-sided Bush Warbler Cettia brunnifrons
Gully at 4th Mile, Lava
88. Tickell's Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus affinis
Loylegaon
89. Hume's Warbler Phylloscopus humei
Loylegaon
90. Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus
Lava
91. Golden-spectacled Warbler Seicercus burkii
Single at Lava
92. Grey-cheeked Warbler Seicercus poliogenys
With mixed flock at viewpoint to Loylegaon
93. Grey-hooded Warbler Seicercus xanthoschistos
Common
94. Chestnut-crowned Warbler Seicercus castaniceps
With mixed flock at viewpoint to Loylegaon
95. Black-faced Warbler Abroscopus schisticeps
With mixed flock at viewpoint to Loylegaon
96. White-crested Laughingthrush Garrulax leucolophus
Noisy flock at Suntalekhola
97. White-throated Laughingthrush Garrulax albogularis
Suntalekhola
98. Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush Garrulax monileger
Common at Suntalekhola
99. Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush Garrulax pectoralis
Suntalekhola
100. Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush Garrulax erythrocephalus
All sites
101. Red-faced Liocichla Liocichla phoenicea
One bird seen briefly on the cattle track next to Jhandidara viewpoint, Loylegaon
102. Rufous-capped Babbler Stachyris ruficeps
Pair at Algarah Road, Lava
103. Jungle Babbler Turdoides striatus
Siliguri area
104. Red-billed Leiothrix Leiothrix lutea
7 birds at Loylegaon
105. Rusty-fronted Barwing Actinodura egertoni
Lava (gully near 5th Mile) and Loylegaon viewpoint
106. Hoary-throated Barwing Actinodura nipalensis
Loylegaon viewpoint
107. Blue-tailed Minla Minla cyanouroptera
Pair with Warblers at Loylegaon and large flock at the road viewpoint.
108. Chestnut-tailed Minla Minla strigula
Large flock recorded at Lava in mixed hunting flock. Single bird at Loylegaon viewpoint
109. Red-tailed Minla Minla ignotincta
Lava and Loylegaon. Fairly common.
110. Rufous-winged Fulvetta Alcippe castaneceps
Lava and Loylegaon
111. White-browed Fulvetta Alcippe vinipectus
One bird positively identified at Lava.
112. Whiskered Yuhina Yuhina flavicollis
Hills
113. Stripe-throated Yuhina Yuhina gularis
Only one flock of 4 birds seen at the 6th mile on Algarah Road.
114. Rufous Sibia Heterophasia capistrata
Not as common as expected. Hills.
115. Green-tailed Sunbird Aethopyga nipalensis
Common at Lava and Loylegaon.
116. House Sparrow Passer domesticus
Lowlands
117. Tree Sparrow Passer montanus
Lava
118. Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni
Plenty at Loylegaon and higher parts of the road to Damdim
119. Maroon-backed Accentor Prunella immaculata
6 birds seen on both days at Algarah Road, Lava
120. Gold-naped Finch Pyrrhoplectes epauletta
Another star bird for the trip. Pair seen well at gully between 4th and 5th mile, Algarah Road.
REFERENCES
