RUDDY SHELDUCK

Kochi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal March 2017

1014                    RUDDY SHELDUCK                    Cadorna ferruginea

NEPAL               82

Grazes on banks of rivers and lakes, also wades, dabbles and upends in shallows. Breeds around high-altitude lakes and swamps, winters by large open lakes and rivers, especially those with sandbanks and sandy islets. 61-67 cm. Common winter visitor throughout lowlands; breeds on Himalayan lakes,; also passage migrant.

HIMALAYAN VULTURE

Kochi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal March 2017

1013           HIMALAYAN  VULTURE               Gyps himalayensis

NEPAL                  81

Also known as himalayan Griffon. 115-125 cm. Breeds in mountains and Trans-Himalayan Tibetan steppe desert, especially along routes well used by pack animals; winters dow to plains. Widespread resident, subject to seasonal altitudinal movements, and partial migration.

CATTLE EGRET

(*  216)                         CATTLE EGRET                 Bibulous ibis

NEPAL                 80

Inhabits damp grassland, paddy fields, lakes, pools and marshes. 48-53 cm. Common and widespread resident.

NOTE: Eastern Cattle Egret if eastern form coromandus is split.

LITTLE-RINGED PLOVER

Kochi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal March 2017

(*  900)                        LITTLE-RINGED PLOVER                 Chadradrius dubius

NEPAL                       79

Shingle and sandy riverbeds. 14-17 cm. Common and widespread resident and winter visitor.

INTERMEDIATE EGRET

Kochi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal March 2017

(*  215)                         INTERMEDIATE EGRET                    Mesophoyx intermedia

NEPAL                78

Inhabits marshes, flooded grassland, well-vegetated pools,; also sides of lakes, reservoirs and slow-moving rivers. 65-72 cm. Mainly resident and widespread, locally fairly common.

ASIAN KOEL

Kochi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal March 2017

(*  882)             ASIAN KOEL                  Eudynamys scolopaceus 

NEPAL              77    

Found in open woodlands, groves, gardens and cultivation. 43 cm. Common and widespread resident and summer visitor.

JUNGLE OWLET

Kochi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal March 2017

1012                JUNGLE OWLET                 Glaucidium radiatum

NEPAL             76

Found in open forests and secondary growth. 20 cm. Common and widespread resident, mainly south.

BLACK-FACED BUNTING

Kochi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal March 2017

1011                   BLACK-FACED BUNTING                       Emberiza spodocephala  

NEPAL              75

Found in paddy fields and marshes. 15 cm. Rare and local winter visitor.

GREY HERON

Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal March 2017

(*  370)                      GREY HERON                    Ardea cinerea

NEPAL                    74

Found in lakes, large rivers and marshes. 90-98 cm. Rare resident and fairly common winter visitor, widespread below 915 cm.

WHITE-RUMPED VULTURE

 Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, March 2017

1010                       WHITE-RUMPED VULTURE                Gypus bengalensis

NEPAL               73

Found around habitation, cultivation, and open country. 75-85 cm. Resident; rare in the centre and east; generally uncommon in west; though after sharp decline in late 20th and early 21st century populations are recovering at some sites due to conservation efforts.

NOTE: Globally threatened.

LESSER ADJUTANT

Photographed at Koshi Tappu, Nepal March 2017

(*  835)            LESSER ADJUTANT                      Leptoptilos javanicus

NEPAL               72

Frequents flooded fields, mainly paddy fields, marshes and pools. 110-120 cm. Local resident in low lands, now mainly in the east.

NOTE: globally threatened.

PURPLE HERON

Photographed at Koshi Tappu, Nepal March 2017

(* 261)                    PURPLE HERON                Area purpurea

NEPAL                  71          

Found in dense reed beds in lakes and marshes. 78-90 cm. Widespread, locally fairly common, mainly resident and monsoon visitor.

COMMON HOOPOE

Photographed at Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal March 2017

1009                      COMMON HOOPOE                 Upupa epops

NEPAL                    70            

Also known as European Hoopoe. 31 cm. Found in open country, cultivation, around villages and grassy alpine slopes. Fairly common, widespread resident, tend to be summer migrant in north

STORK-BILLED KINGFISHER

Photographed at Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal March 2017

(*  916)               STORK-BILLED KINGFISHER              Pelargopsis capensis

NEPAL               69

Found over shaded pools, slow-moving rivers and streams in well-wooded country. 35 cm. Locally fairly common and quiet well spread resident, particularly in south.

SHIKRA

Photographed at Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal March 2017

1008                      SHIKRA               Accipiter badius   

NEPAL                 68

Found in open wooded country and groves around villages and cultivation. 30-36 cm. Fairly common resident mainly southern half of country.

SWAMP FRANCOLIN

Photographed at Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal March 2017

1007                  SWAMP  FRANCOLIN                Francolinus gularis                  

NEPAL                67

Found in tall wet grasslands and swamps. 37 cm. Very local resident. Two, maybe three small areas in south. 

NOTE:   Globally threatened.

COMMON IORA

Photographed in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal March 2017

(*  819)                      COMMON IORA                Aegithina tiphia

NEPAL                66

Found in open forests and well wooded areas. 14 cm. Widespread, locally common resident; mainly across south summer migrant to middle of country.

GREAT CORMORANT

1006                        GREAT CORMORANT                  Phalacrocorax carbo      

NEPAL           65

Found in lakes and large rivers, often communal roosting in winter. 80-100 cm. Fairly common and widespread winter visitor.

LONG-TAILED SHRIKE

LONG-TAILED SHRIKE                Lanius schach

NEPAL             64

Found in cultivation, open forest and grasslands, often sitting on top of bush, tree, pole watching for prey. 25 cm. Common widespread resident.