Birds I found in Kathmandu

Oriental Magpie Robin

I'm on the road again, this time starting out in Kathmandu, Nepal. My birding was restricted (by the tight work schedule) to only a few brief intervals in the hotel garden, but as usual, where there is even a bit of natural habitat, one is likely to find a few birds. The pair of Magpie Robins brought not only their lively, bold activity into the garden, but their beautiful song was a very welcome note at the beginning and ending of the day.

White Wagtail

A pair of wagtails appeared on the lawn for about 10 minutes during breakfast one morning. But the most abundant birds in Kathmandu appeared to me to be the House Crows and the Rock Pigeons. They were literally "everywhere" all the time, and especially in and around and on the many ancient temples, which are also abundant in the city.

House Crow

Rock Pigeon in the temple of Kumari

But the most famous bird of Kathmandu is probably the peacock carved in wood as part of a window screen facing the street on the front of the temple where the current incarnation of Kumari lives -- in the form of a five-year-old little girl. She did not seem to be very happy when she was brought to another open window to appear to the people (mostly tourists like us) watching from the street below.