Langtang Birding Trek

LANGTANG BIRDING TREK

Nepal is situated along the southern slopes of the Himalayan mountain range. The landscape is comprised of lush tropical jungles, terraced valleys, forested hills, frozen peaks, barren deserts and tundra, all irrigated by impressive rivers that meander down from the heart of the Himalayas.

Renowned for an incredible diversity of flora and fauna, including more than 900 species of birds - an astounding variety given the country’s small size - Nepal is a birdwatcher's paradise. There are very few places in the world where one can observe birds in a variety of habitats from jungle to alpine to Tibetan steppe regions as one travels from the low lying southern plains to the rugged mountains.

During this trip we’ll be staying in Langtang National Park. This is one of the three most important protected areas in Nepal for birds, and holds some of the most charismatic high altitude species in the world. We’ll be trekking up to 3,700m   to   see: Snow   Partridge,    Blood    Pheasant, Himalayan Monal, Bearded  Vulture, Black  Eagle, Snow  Pigeon, Himalayan   Bulbul, Brown Dipper, and Altai Accentor among many other species.

Itinerary:

Day 1:

We make a very early start this morning, driving northwards from Katmandu to the hill village of Dhunche. On the latter part of the drive we will start to look out for riverside and hill specialties such as White-capped Redstart, Plumbeous Water Redstart and Blue Whistling Thrush, a variety of  mynas, Indian Roller and the localized Spot-winged Starling. We will pass through (and above!) pretty Tamang villages, steep terraced fields, and watery ravines filled with dense subtropical vegetation and tall alder groves. Moving higher all the time, we’ll enter different ecosystems. Pines replace alders before we reach remnant forests of oaks, rhododendrons and hemlocks. We will reach Syabru Besi village (1,372m) for our first night beside the Langtang River.

White-capped Redstart

Day 2:

From the village of Syabru Besi we will follow the Langtang Khola (Khola means river in Nepali), which is the main river of the Langtang National Park and an outstanding area for wildlife. We soon enter the magnificent mixed forest that dominates the lower valley. Amongst oaks and rhododendrons, beautifully decorated with mosses  and  lichens,  are Himalayan  Black Bears and Red Pandas! Birding here is excellent and includes forest gems like Bay Woodpecker, Mrs. Gould's Sunbird, Rufous-bellied Niltava, Red- headed Bullfinch and Slaty-bellied Tesia, among many others. We will also stop along the way to inspect cliff-hanging bee nests which sometimes attract the rare and very elusive Yellow-rumped Honeyguide. By the evening we should be in the heart of the subtropical-temperate forest of the lower Langtang Valley. We will spend the night at Lama Hotel (2480m).

Day 3:

We will spend as much of today as possible birdwatching in the fine forests of the lower Langtang Valley as we continue our trek slowly, with occasional tantalizing glimpses of Langtang Lirung (one of the region's highest peaks), until at last the trail enters open ground at Ghora Tabela (2,987m). We will be entering a different ecosystem now as the valley broadens and climbs above the tree line. As we approach Langtang village we will see flocks of Snow Pigeon and Alpine Chough, Plain Mountain Finch, Rufous-breasted Accentor, Tickell's Leaf Warbler and Blue-fronted Redstart. On the way we can see some mammals including Pika, Squirrel and Himalayan Ghoral. We will spend the night at Langtang (3307m), a village built in the Tibetan style.

Himalayan Ghoral

Day 4

Today we will take it easy and will rest and acclimatize to the altitude, exploring the meadows and mountain slopes near Langtang village. As always, it’s better to climb during the day, and then spend the night at a lower altitude.

Day 5

Today we will start early. After breakfast, we will make a morning ascent to the village of Kyangjin, situated at 3720m in the Upper Langtang Valley. To our left is the impressive sight of Langtang Himal, and ahead is the great snow-covered bulk of Ganchempo. By lunch time we should reach the monastery of Kyangjin, set well above the Langtang River and surrounded by snowy peaks. We will spend the afternoon exploring and focusing our attention in particular on the braided, stony riverbed in this spectacular alpine wilderness.    Birds    found    here     are Himalayan  Monal, Red-  Flanked Bluetail and Golden Bush Robin. Mountain pigeons, and several species of finches are likely to be seen. We will spend the night in Kyangjin, which will give us an opportunity to fully appreciate these Himalayan uplands.

Day 6

After spending time during the first part of the morning in further exploration of the alpine surroundings of Kyangjin, we will begin our descent to Ghora Tabela around mid-morning. This is an excellent location that is very rich with birds. We may see several species of  Laughingthrushes, Babblers, woodpeckers, warblers, tits  and  sunbirds. Pink-browed

Rosefinch, White-winged Grosbeak and Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker are likely to be seen. We will spend the night at Ghora Tabela.

Day 7

For most of today’s long walk we will be passing through the extensive oak and rhododendron forest again which holds a great variety of trees, and a lush undergrowth ideal for many species of babblers, tits, Laughingthrushes, Barbets and Minlas. It’s a good  place  to  see Scarlet  Finch, Brown Bulfinch and Collared Grosbeak. Our afternoon climb brings us to the village of Thulo Syabru, strung out along a ridge at 2134m.

Brown Bullfinch

Day 8:

This morning we will rise early in order to descend to Bharkhu. Here our vehicle will be waiting for us, and we will spend much of the rest of the day driving back to Kathmandu and birdwatching along the way.

TRIP BASICS

Our tour includes the following:

▪    Transportation from Katmandu to Langtang and back to Katmandu.

▪    Trekking starting in Dhuche, passing through Syabru Besi, Lama Hotel, Ghora Tabela, Langtang, Kyangjin and Thulo Syabru.

▪    Accommodation and food at teahouses.

▪    Permits and tickets to enter the National Park.

▪    Specialized birding guide during the whole trip.

Guide: Sanjib Acharya.

Length: 8 days.

For more details about this tour please send an email to  sanzeev.acharya@gmail.com