Bird Watching

This excursion into the world of the birds of Bhutan concentrates on the Paro, Thimphu and Punakha valleys of Western Bhutan and on the Tongsa region of Central Bhutan, which provide a superb opportunity to explore both the physical and the cultural environment in which birds thrive in a Buddhist country. The road from Paro to Thimphu passes through two deep valleys where, even from the bus window, many species of birds can be observed. In Thimphu, which is the country's capital, we explore the country's most significant urban center and meet with specialists and policy makers concerned with the study and preservation of Bhutan's wildlife. From Thimphu the tour moves on to Punakha over the Dochu La Pass, fabulous for its vistas, its mythology and its forests, where we will talk in search of the rich bird life that inhabits it.

Then to Punakha, a relatively low, almost sub-tropical valley. This is the winter capital of the Central Monk Body, the nation's religious establishment, and the location of the extraordinary Punakha Dzong. This valley, which rises to temperate climes, is home to a great variety of birds, some of whom inhabit the forests that cling to the valley's mountain sides and some of which inhabit the lower, warmer areas. Here, appropriately, we will have a lecture on birds in Buddhism and on Buddhist attitudes toward wildlife and the environment.

Then to Gangtey valley which is the place for the most rare bird of all, the Blacked necked crane, is also found in east Bumdeling in Tashiyangtshe district. Black necked crane flies all the way from Tibet during the winter. On to Trongsa, where we will look for the famous Ward's Trogan, observe the birdlife whose habitat is the open, rolling fields of the area. More open and more sparsely populated than the western part of the country, this is the cultural heartland of Bhutan. In addition to Tsongsa's birdlife, we will see Bhutan's largest Dzong at Trongsa. From Trongsa the tour returns to Paro through Thimphu.