My Story

How I Became a Birder...?

Everything revolves around my birding career where throughout my experience, I underwent much excitement, but also at times distress. My interest in birdwatching was sparked when I was just 8 years old. My childhood house was located next to a wildlife camp where I had many opportunities to take part in birdwatching programs conducted by the local people. In the following years, my interest in birdwatching grew until the age of ten. Unfortunately, around that time I was not able to continue to develop my birding skills as we sold all of our property to the wildlife camp and relocated a little ways away. Once moved, my life changed as my everyday activities no longer included birdwatching, but rather attending school, helping my parents with household chores, and playing with friends. As I no longer had opportunities to see different kinds of birds in the wild, my birdwatching possibilities waned. However, despite this, whenever I used to go to the jungle for cattle grazing, I enjoyed exploring the grounds filled with all kinds of birds and animals. I would study the birds’ English names and share them with my friends. I have forgotten a few of them, but I’ll never forget the Black-hooded Oriole, the Common Myna, the Red-vented Bulbul, the Black Drongo, the Magpie Robin, the Grey Hornbill, and the Rufous Treepie, as they were quite common birds that would often appear in my backyard. This routine of slowly familiarizing myself with bird life continued until I was about 14.

Watching farmland birds at the age of  17

During the time that I was preparing myself for the SLC exams, a bird club was established by a youth group in my village. I became really excited about joining the group, so much so that my exams became secondary to pursuing my interest in birding and I would go birdwatching with them on many occasions. After finishing my exams, I had more time to dedicate to observing birds in the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve. At this time, neither the group nor I had bird books or binoculars which resulted in the sinking of the club without active members or a guide who could help us identify the different birds we were seeing. Only the leader had one book and a pair of binoculars, but he was not always willing to share them with the rest of us. Regardless, every morning and evening I would go to the park and observe birds with a naked eye, remember what they looked like, and then go back to our leader’s house to find out what the name was from his book. I did this routine many times, but occasionally I got a bit confused, especially with the species that physically looked very similar to other ones. The Common Shelduck, the Blue-capped Rock Thrush, and the Great Tit were a few that I was able to identify in this manner. This method became very difficult as I continued to do it each time, making these days my hardest birding days. Nevertheless, I never stopped persevering with birdwatching. Later on, I slowly got the chance to take the bird book with me on my trips always returning the book back to our leader at the end of them, until the day that I finally kept it. I was happy about the book but realized that I could not continue only using the naked eye to observe and identify the birds I was seeing. Due to my family’s financial situation, I was not able to buy myself a pair of binoculars, so I started going to Koshi Camp, another wildlife camp that operated birdwatching tours for aspiring bird enthusiasts. There, I met Badri Chaudhary, Som GC, and Anis Timsina who took me on birding trips with them and managed to provide me with an old pair of spare binoculars. That day was the happiest day of my life as I realized that from then on I could finally properly pursue my interest and love for birdwatching.

When it was time for me to further my studies and go to university, I moved to Dharan. Located at the end of the foothills, it is a very beautiful and natural place. Over there, I continued birding and every Saturday I would pack some cookies and a bottle of water and walk along the small creeks and climb the hills to find good places to observe birds. Wanting to expand my group of one, I decided to create a small birding group where people who were interested in observing birds could join. The two years that I lived in Dharan allowed me to find and study many beautiful birds that cannot be found back at the Koshi Camp.

Following my time spent in Dharan, I moved to Itahari for my graduation. The college was on festive vacation for a long period during festival time, I used to go inside the park every morning, and my routine was the same one day a man came with his big group of birders to Koshi for birding. While I was birding inside the park by the roadside suddenly he saw me from his jeep. He asked Badri about me and Badri explained about me and my birding interest. A month later I received a call from my cuisine brother Anis and told Hem Sagar Baral asked me to participate in a workshop in Lumbini and I decided to go for that.

With Dr. Hem Sagar Baral

After encountering an influential personality, my passion for birding soared to new heights, revealing to me the vast possibilities for a fulfilling career in this field. Embarking on a journey of simultaneous learning and exploration, I engaged in a multitude of research programs, including bird ringing, waterbird counts, vulture nest monitoring, and more. Following my graduation, I eagerly joined Himalayan Nature as a research assistant, dedicating two enriching years to the organization. During this period, I conducted numerous surveys across diverse regions of Nepal, amplifying my expertise. My commitment to avian conservation led me to participate in the esteemed Nepal Red Data Book Workshop, representing the Eastern Nepal contingent. Additionally, I spearheaded a comprehensive Himalayan bird survey within the breathtaking Annapurna Conservation Area and orchestrated a remarkable Birding Trek throughout Langtang National Park. Contributing to the field, I also conducted an extensive bird survey along the Annapurna Circuit and conducted a thorough Raptors Survey in Mustang. Furthermore, I had the privilege of working at the renowned Koshi Bird Observatory (KBO), a prominent research station devoted to studying grassland and wetland birds.

Simultaneously, my like-minded colleagues also developed a keen interest in bird conservation, prompting us to establish the Koshi Bird Society (KBS). Together, we initiated awareness programs targeting school-level students, actively involving them in birdwatching activities. Through our collective efforts, a vibrant birding culture flourished within the community. Although I eventually bid farewell to my time at the Koshi Bird Observatory (KBO) to pursue post-graduation studies, I remained dedicated to fostering conservation initiatives through the KBS platform. Throughout my post-graduation journey, I embraced the role of a freelance guide in Nepal, further expanding my experience and knowledge in the field. 

In expressing my heartfelt gratitude, I extend my sincerest thanks to Hem Sagar Baral, Paras Bikram Singh, Badri Chaudhary, Hathan Chaudhary, Suchit Basnet, Badri Pudashaini, Ramesh Karki, Som GC, and Anish Timsina for their unwavering support and invaluable assistance...

Date:19/12/2019