With the two new additions, Koshi now records a total of 491 bird species. [break]
Nepal Rare Birds Committee confirmed the two birds species through a report released two months after spotting the vagrant birds.
“These are rare bird species and Niltava has been seen for the first time in Nepal,” Tika Giri, member of the Committee told myrepublica.com on Friday.
According to the report, the long spell of cold weather has driven many birds to lower altitudes. The cold weather is especially detrimental to many small passerines which usually die in the lack of food.
Small Niltava is a member of the flycatcher family. As per the report, the word Niltava is believed to be derived from Sanskrit language about 160 years ago while naming this bird. Male of this handsome bird is blue in color.
- Small Niltava seen for the first time
- Glossy Ibis spotted after 21 years
- Cold weather driving birds to lower altitude
- Koshi now records a total of 491 bird species
Previously, this bird had been noted mainly above 250 m and during the breeding it went up to 2200 m from the sea level. The bird was sighted by ornithologists Tika Giri, Badri Chaudhary and Nick Bray during a birding excursion to the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve. The bird is found in the Himalayas, China, Myanmar and Thailand.
Similarly, Glossy Ibis was sighted by ornithologist Tika Giri and Nick Bray at the Koshi Barrage. This is the fifth record of the bird in Nepal and only the third time in the Koshi area. The sighting of this bird was first reported in Kathmandu Valley in the 19th century, according to the report. The bird has been seen in Koshi twice before and once in Chitwan.
This bird´s overall appearance is dark and is much smaller than the other two species of Ibises found in Nepal. The other two species are Black-headed Ibis and Black Ibis.
During breeding time, the color of upper back, breast, entire neck and head area of Ibis changes into chestnut whereas most other body parts remain darker. Its length is around 48-66 cm and weighs between 500-800 grams.
“This bird is a colonial nester and is of highly nomadic nature, often making long journey outside their normal range of occurrence,” Giri added.
This bird breeds in the lower reaches of several Baltic states, and is widely found in Southern Europe, Africa, Australia and parts of America.
akanshya@myrepublica.com
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