Nepal Birds & Animals

Birds
There are over 800 species of birds in Nepal. Along with the birds that are residence of Nepal, there are also migratory birds in the winter and summer. Almost 10% of the species of birds in the world are found in Nepal. Shivapuri, Pulchowki and Nagarjun are good places to find bird than like subtropical and temperate areas.

There are many species of birds of prey. They can especially be seen at the beginning of the winter. The golden eagles can be seen in the Khumbu and other eagle species can be seen in the Kali Gandaki area. The griffon has a wingspan of 3m. It depends on thermal updraughts for is majestic gliding flying. The Eurasian kestrel flaps is wings regularly while flying.

Most waterbirds are migratory. They can be widely seen in Chitwan and Bardia national parks. Eight species of storks have been seen in the Terai. The only species of cranes is the demoiselle cranes that fly down in the winter to stay at the Kali Gandaki and then returns in the spring to Tibet. Herons and egrots are common in the tropics and subtropic areas. They can be distinguished from storks because the have a curved neck while storks have straighter legs. The bar-headed goose.
There are 17 species of cuckoo in Nepal. They are recognized by their calls. The hawk cuckoo has a repetitious call which rises in volume. The Indian cuckoo has a “kaphal pakyo” call. Most cuckoo are social parasites, which mean they lay their eggs in other birds’ nest.

There are six species of pheasant. The national bird is the peyan pleasant, of which the male has iridescent colors. Pleasants can only fly downhill and then only when they are scared. They can only walk uphill. The kaliji pheasant can be seen all over Nepal. The koklas and cheer pheasants are only seen west of the Kali Gandaki.

There are three species of crows. If when beginning a journey sees a crow it is considered inauspicious in Nepal, and a Nepal will often cancel their journey. In Kathmandu Valley there are many pigeons and sparrows. There are 60 species of thrushes and warblers. Dark kites, who have forked tail, can often be seen in cities.

The Indian roller can be seen in the Pokhara area. When sitting it appears to be a brown bird, but it flashes turquoise on its wings when it flies. It is considered auspicious to see an Indian roller when beginning a journey.

In the morning the sweet chirping the robin dayal can be heard.

Timalidks or babblers are found in the Terai and temperate forests. They can be identified by their call. They are 8cm to 34cm high. They can be found by themselves or in large groups.

After dark the spotted owl can be seen and heard.

Mammals
The Royal Bengal Tigers can be found in the Royal Chitwan National Park and Royal Bardia National Park. Each male has a territory of around 100 sq km and with two or three females in the general area.

The one-horned rhinoceros is found in the grasslands in Chitwan National Park and Royal Bardia National Park. It weights up to two tonnes (tons) and has poor eyesight. It is different than an African rhino. They are amazing quick. If you catch one by surprise, especially a mother with a child, they can immediately charge.

Snow leopards inhabit the tough areas above the tree line. It main prey is hoofed (ungulate) animals.
Spotted leopards are rarely seen. They are tree climbers and nocturnal animals. They sometime will become human eaters.

The Himalayan black bear can be found. They are omnivorous. They do not hibernate and wander around in the winter. They seldom attack humans. They do not have good eyesight and may sometimes feel threatened by a standing human. It is best to lie on the ground, and not to run if they begin to attack.

There are two types of monkeys in Nepal, the common langur and the rhesus macaque. The langaur have black faces, gray fur and long tails and arms. The langur is found up to 3500m. The rhesus is brown with a short tail. They usually go around in a group and are not scared of humans. They are found from the Terai to 2500m. Monkeys are protected and usually can not be killed.

There are several types of deer in Nepal. Deer are mainly found at low elevations. The largest is the sambar. The spotted is beautiful. The muntjac, or barking deer can be seen up to 2500m. It makes a sharp sound. Musk deer can be seen at higher elevation. They are only about 50m high at the shoulders.

Jackals are found in the Terai and hilly areas. They make a creepy howling sound. They either hunt or can be scavengers.

Himalayan tahr, are basically normal goats that have flowing manes. They are found in the hills. Blue sheep, which are a mixture between a sheep and a goat, are a bluish-gray color. They are found in the lower Himalaya Mountains.

Flying foxes or fruit bats eat fruit at night. They can be seen in trees near the old Royal Palace in Kathmandu and in the chir pines in Bhaktapur. They have good eyesight and do not need the sonar system that other bats use.

Marmots are large rodents found in western Nepal in the mountains.

A pika or mouse-hare looks is a guinea pig type animal that can be seen in valleys.

Elephants
Wild Asian Elephants are mainly found in the western section of the Terai and Chure Hills, but often lone elephants cross over the border from India. Elephants usually travel in herds. Elephants can reach up to the age of 80. An elephant's teeth are replaced six times and when the final set of teeth wears out, the elephant dies of starvation. The trunk of the elephant has 100,000 muscles and can hold 9 litres of water.

It takes around two years to train an elephant and they work until they are around 50 years old. A trained elephants costs about $3000. The person who controls and rides the elephants in known as a mahout or a pahit in Nepali. Elephants are all trained in India. The mahout comes with the elephant to Nepal and stay for three years until the Nepali mahout is trained to take care of the elephant. Usually the same mahout takes care of the elephant for life. The mahout has two assistants, who mainly collect food for the elephant.

Trained elephants are fed around 300kg of food daily. Even after being fed an elephant will still eat whenever they get a chance. An elephant drinks more than 200 litres of water each day.
The Asian elephant and African elephant are different. African elephant are bigger than the Indian elephants. The two different types of elephants have different shaped ears and the Indian elephant has smaller ears, while the African elephant has huge ears. Indian elephants have trunks with one finger and African with two fingers. Indian elephant’s trunks have white patches and African white stripes. An Indian elephants ear's are shaped differently and have a forward fold, while the African elephants ears have a back fold. Asian elephants have five nails on the front feet and four on the back. African elephants have four nails on the front feet and three on the back.

Indian elephants can be trained easily, but the African elephant can not be trained easily.
Females have a pregnancy period for 22 months. The calf is taken care of by the mother for three years. Another female assist the mother. The average height of the male is 2.75m and the female 2.50m. Only males have tusks, but all of them don’t. Both male and female African elephants have tusks.

Some elephant commands are go – agat, stop – rhaa, sit – baith, get up – sut, lie down – sut, hold trunk up – utha, throw water – chhop.

Reptiles
There are two types of crocodile in Nepal, the marsh mugger and the gharial. They live in the Terai. The marsh mugger is omnivorous and will eat whatever it can get. It is found mainly in stagnant water. The gharial has a long, narrow snout and big eyes, that lives in rivers. Because its hide and eyes are wanted, they have been killed almost to the point of extinction.

There are poisonous that include cobras, kraits and vipers in Nepal, but they are rarely encountered. They are mainly found in the Terai. The pit viper may be found in the mountains.

Copyright ©2001 John Howley and Spiritual Guides