Annapurna Sanctuary Birding Trek

Birds to look for

None of them is promised: wild birds keep their own plans.

★ seen with guests on this trip

• ★ Himalayan Monal (seen with guests on this trip)

  Lophophorus impejanus

  Poon Hill · 3,210 m · usually seen

  “Nepal's national bird, and it glows like a jewel when the first sun hits the ridge.”

• Satyr Tragopan

  Tragopan satyra

  Bamboo · 2,335 m · sometimes seen

  “A crimson, pearl-spotted forest pheasant that is heard long before it is seen, so every glimpse is a celebration.”

• ★ Lammergeier (seen with guests on this trip)

  Gypaetus barbatus

  Poon Hill · 3,210 m · usually seen

  “A long-winged, rust-chested giant that sails along the cliffs and drops bones to crack them.”

• Himalayan Griffon

  Gyps himalayensis

  Ghorepani · 2,860 m · usually seen

  “Enormous, pale and unhurried, riding the mountain thermals above the valley.”

• Wallcreeper

  Tichodroma muraria

  Kimrong Khola · 1,780 m · November to March · with a little luck

  “Winter visitor to the stream cliffs”

• Spiny Babbler

  Turdoides nipalensis

  Tikhedhunga · 1,540 m · sometimes seen

  “Nepal's only endemic bird, a streaky skulker of the scrub that sings beautifully from the top of a bush.”

• Long-tailed Thrush

  Zoothera dixoni

  Ghorepani · 2,860 m · sometimes seen

  “A quiet, scaly ground thrush turning over the leaves under the rhododendron.”

• ★ Kalij Pheasant (seen with guests on this trip)

  Lophura leucomelanos

  Tadapani · 2,630 m · usually seen

  “Slate and silver with a scarlet face, scratching quietly along the trail edge.”

• ★ Brown Dipper (seen with guests on this trip)

  Cinclus pallasii

  Birethanti · 1,025 m · usually seen

  “Bobbing on a river boulder, then walking underwater like it's nothing.”

• ★ Fire-tailed Sunbird (seen with guests on this trip)

  Aethopyga ignicauda

  Tadapani · 2,630 m · almost always seen

  “A tiny jewel with a long scarlet tail, sipping rhododendron nectar.”

• ★ Spotted Forktail (seen with guests on this trip)

  Enicurus maculatus

  Tikhedhunga · 1,540 m · usually seen

  “Black, white and elegant on the rushing streams.”

• ★ Great Parrotbill (seen with guests on this trip)

  Conostoma aemodium

  Bamboo · 2,335 m · usually seen

  “A huge, shy babbler with a stubby yellow bill, in the bamboo.”

With guests

• November 2025, BambooWaiting for the parrotbill

  

  with Placeholder Guest B and a friend, Netherlands

  We reached Bamboo wet and tired after the long walk down from the Sanctuary. I told my guests I had heard something moving in the bamboo behind the teahouse, and they were too tired to argue. We stood in the drizzle for half an hour, watching a flock of fulvettas and a Golden Bush-Robin, and then it appeared.

  A Great Parrotbill is a big, soft, brown bird with a stubby yellow bill, and it came out onto a bamboo stem and calmly started stripping shoots, two metres away. My guest forgot his tiredness completely. He later said it was the bird of the trek, more than the snow peaks.

  Seen that day: Great Parrotbill, Golden-breasted Fulvetta, Himalayan Bluetail, Golden Bush-Robin, White-browed Fulvetta

  “I have been trekking for years, but never with a birder alongside. At Bamboo, Krishna waited patiently while a Great Parrotbill finally came out into the open, and at Annapurna Base Camp we watched Snow Pigeons wheel in front of the south face at dawn. A Brown Dipper at Jhinu Danda was the sweet end to a wonderful trek. Placeholder review.”

• November 2025, Annapurna Base CampSnow pigeons at the end of the world

  

  with Placeholder Guests I and J, United States

  It was minus eight when we crept out of the lodge for sunrise at Annapurna Base Camp, and nobody spoke. The south face of Annapurna I went from grey to pink to gold, and then a flock of about forty Snow Pigeons came up out of the dark cliffs and crossed it. I will never forget the sound of the wingbeats in that silence.

  Later, on the moraine, an Alpine Accentor hopped almost to my guests' boots, and a Large-eared Pika called from the boulders. My guests said it was the coldest and happiest morning of their lives.

  Seen that day: Snow Pigeon, Lammergeier, Alpine Accentor, Blue Sheep, Large-eared Pika, Yellow-billed Chough

• April 2025, TadapaniThe pheasant that walked into breakfast

  

  with Placeholder Guest A and partner, Germany

  We had reached Tadapani the evening before in thick cloud, and I had told my guests only that morning would show us what the place was. At first light I woke them for a cup of tea on the doorstep. The clearing was grey and still, and then, from the ravine below, a Himalayan Monal began to call.

  We waited, tea going cold, until a Kalij Pheasant stepped out of the rhododendrons and walked straight across the open ground with its tail low. Right behind it the sun reached the ridge, and the blooms along the trail turned scarlet all at once. A Fire-tailed Sunbird dropped into the nearest flower, so close we could see the red in its tail.

  My guests said nothing for a full minute. That, to me, is the best sort of silence.

  Seen that day: Kalij Pheasant, Himalayan Monal, Blue-fronted Redstart, Fire-tailed Sunbird, Tree Rhododendron, Himalayan Langur

  “We came for the mountains and left talking about birds. Krishna heard a Himalayan Monal before we had even finished our tea at Tadapani, and then found us a Kalij Pheasant walking across the clearing. The rhododendrons were in full bloom and the Fire-tailed Sunbirds were right in them. The pace was perfect, and we never felt rushed. Placeholder review.”

• April 2025, Poon HillA wall of mountains and one very loud monal

  

  with Placeholder Guests G and H, Canada

  We left Ghorepani at four in the morning with headlamps, climbing in the dark behind a line of other trekkers. I always warn my guests that a bird is as good a reason to climb as the view. Halfway up, somewhere below us in the black forest, a Himalayan Monal began to call.

  By the time we reached the top the sky had gone pink. Dhaulagiri stood on the left and Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre were catching the first light, each one turning gold in turn. Behind us a Lammergeier slid along the ridge, long-winged and rust-coloured, and my guests, who had come for the mountains, spent the next ten minutes with their heads tilted back.

  Seen that day: Himalayan Monal, Lammergeier, Rufous-breasted Accentor, Spotted Nutcracker

• April 2025The last evening's list

  

  with Placeholder Guests K and L, Australia

  On the final night in Ghandruk, with the slate roofs still warm from the sun, we sat on the guesthouse terrace and went through the week's list. It had started with Brown Dippers at the river by Birethanti, and it ended with a Himalayan Monal, Great Barbets, forktails and a hillside of rhododendron.

  My guests were most pleased with the small ones, a sunbird on a flower, a bulbul on a wall. A trek like this, I tell people, is a long walk in the company of friends who happen to have wings.

  Seen that day: Himalayan Monal, Brown Dipper, Great Barbet, Spotted Forktail, Tree Rhododendron

A day on this trip

We're out at first light for an hour of birding before breakfast, then walk four to six hours at a birder's pace, stopping for every flock. Afternoons are short, so there's time to photograph, sketch, or sit with tea while the mountains turn pink.

The way, day by day

1. Day 1
   Tikhedhunga1,540 m · Spiny Babbler, Brown Dipper

   1. Phewa Lake, Pokhara800 m

      A relaxed hour at dawn on the lakeshore before the drive to Nayapul. Kingfishers, cormorants and egrets are easy warm-up birds, with the Annapurna range floating above the water on a clear morning.

   2. Birethanti1,025 m

      The trek proper begins where the Bhurungdi and Modi Khola meet. The bridge and boulders are a great place for dippers, redstarts and wagtails before the first climb.

   3. Tikhedhunga1,540 m · 1 night

      First night under the stars of the Annapurna foothills. The evening walk along the stream above the teahouse often turns up minivets, sunbirds and the first Himalayan Bulbuls.

   Birds 38: Little Cormorant, Indian Pond-Heron, Cattle Egret, White-throated Kingfisher, Red-vented Bulbul, Black Kite, Oriental Magpie-Robin, Pied Kingfisher, Common Kingfisher, Little Egret, Red-wattled Lapwing, Pied Bushchat, Great Cormorant, Plumbeous Water Redstart, Grey Wagtail, Himalayan Bulbul, Oriental White-eye, Brown Dipper, Blue Whistling-Thrush, White-capped Redstart, Great Barbet, Verditer Flycatcher, Scarlet Minivet, Spotted Forktail, Crested Kingfisher, Ashy Drongo, Black Bulbul, Mountain Bulbul, Rufous Sibia, Long-tailed Minivet, Grey Treepie, Black-throated Sunbird, Rufous-bellied Niltava, Grey-hooded Warbler, Spiny Babbler, Mountain Hawk-Eagle, Crested Serpent-Eagle, Wedge-tailed Green-Pigeon

   Butterflies 2: Common Mormon, Northern Jungle Queen

   Seen from here: Annapurna South (7,219 m), Hiunchuli (6,441 m), Annapurna I (8,091 m), Machhapuchhre (6,993 m)

2. Day 2
   Ghorepani2,860 m · Himalayan Monal, Satyr Tragopan

   1. Ulleri2,020 m

      After the famous stone staircase the forest changes: mossy oaks, the first rhododendrons and mixed flocks of babblers and warblers moving through at eye level.

   2. Ghorepani2,860 m · 2 nights

      Two nights at Ghorepani give us a full day to bird the old rhododendron forest around the village. This is classic Himalayan pheasant country, with monals, laughingthrushes and a great mixed-flock bird list.

   Birds 40: Whiskered Yuhina, Rufous Sibia, Great Barbet, Grey-hooded Warbler, Black-throated Bushtit, Blue-winged Minla, Chestnut-tailed Minla, White-throated Laughingthrush, Streaked Laughingthrush, Rufous-bellied Niltava, Long-tailed Minivet, Eurasian Jay, Yellow-bellied Fantail, Spotted Nutcracker, Rufous-winged Fulvetta, Hoary-throated Barwing, Himalayan Bluetail, Large Hawk-Cuckoo, Rufous-breasted Accentor, Rufous-vented Tit, Grey-crested Tit, Blue-fronted Redstart, Stripe-throated Yuhina, Himalayan Monal, Koklass Pheasant, Spotted Laughingthrush, Black-faced Laughingthrush, Fire-tailed Sunbird, Bar-tailed Treecreeper, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, Himalayan Griffon, Hill Partridge, Great Parrotbill, Long-tailed Thrush, White-collared Blackbird, Grey-winged Blackbird, Collared Grosbeak, Mountain Hawk-Eagle, Satyr Tragopan, Himalayan Cuckoo

   Mammals 1: Himalayan Langur

   Plants 3: Tree Rhododendron, Bearded Rhododendron, Necklace Orchid

   Seen from here: Annapurna South (7,219 m), Annapurna I (8,091 m), Hiunchuli (6,441 m), Machhapuchhre (6,993 m)

3. Day 3
   Poon Hill3,210 m · Lammergeier, Golden Eagle

   1. Poon Hill3,210 m

      A pre-dawn climb in the dark with headlamps, then sunrise over a wall of mountains. Dhaulagiri, Tukuche, Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre light up one after another, with monals sometimes calling on the slope below.

   Birds 12: ★ Himalayan Monal (seen with guests on this trip), ★ Rufous-breasted Accentor (seen with guests on this trip), ★ Spotted Nutcracker (seen with guests on this trip), Blue-fronted Redstart, Fire-tailed Sunbird, Himalayan Griffon, ★ Lammergeier (seen with guests on this trip), Koklass Pheasant, Great Parrotbill, Spotted Laughingthrush, Golden Eagle, Alpine Accentor

   Plants 1: Bearded Rhododendron

   Seen from here: Annapurna South (7,219 m), Annapurna I (8,091 m), Hiunchuli (6,441 m), Machhapuchhre (6,993 m)

4. Day 4
   Tadapani2,630 m · Kalij Pheasant, Golden Bush-Robin

   1. Ghorepani Deurali Pass2,960 m

      The pass between Ghorepani and the Kimrong valley. Walking slowly through the cloud forest here gives some of the trek's best bamboo and rhododendron birds.

   2. Tadapani2,630 m · 1 night

      A quiet forest clearing with rhododendrons right up to the doors. Dawn here is the best of the trek for pheasants, with Kalij and Himalayan Monal both regular around the edge of the clearing.

   Birds 25: Great Parrotbill, Rufous-breasted Accentor, Golden Bush-Robin, Rufous-vented Tit, Spotted Laughingthrush, Black-faced Laughingthrush, ★ Fire-tailed Sunbird (seen with guests on this trip), Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, Koklass Pheasant, ★ Himalayan Monal (seen with guests on this trip), Blood Pheasant, Gold-naped Finch, Dark-breasted Rosefinch, Collared Grosbeak, ★ Blue-fronted Redstart (seen with guests on this trip), Streaked Laughingthrush, Whiskered Yuhina, Grey-crested Tit, ★ Kalij Pheasant (seen with guests on this trip), Hill Partridge, Bar-tailed Treecreeper, Long-tailed Thrush, White-collared Blackbird, Lammergeier, Satyr Tragopan

   Mammals 2: ★ Himalayan Langur (seen with guests on this trip), Yellow-throated Marten

   Plants 3: Bell-flowered Rhododendron, ★ Tree Rhododendron (seen with guests on this trip), Bearded Rhododendron

   Seen from here: Annapurna South (7,219 m), Hiunchuli (6,441 m), Annapurna I (8,091 m), Machhapuchhre (6,993 m)

5. Day 5
   Chhomrong2,170 m · Wallcreeper, Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher

   1. Kimrong Khola1,780 m

      The long descent to this clear mountain stream is a mid-day rest for the birds as well as us. Forktails and redstarts work the wet rocks while minivets move through the trees overhead.

   2. Chhomrong2,170 m · 1 night

      The last real village before the Sanctuary, spread over a hillside of stone steps with Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre across the valley. We bird the gardens and forest edge here on the evening of arrival and again on the way down.

   Birds 30: Spotted Forktail, Little Forktail, Brown Dipper, Plumbeous Water Redstart, White-capped Redstart, Blue Whistling-Thrush, Grey Wagtail, Crested Kingfisher, Mountain Bulbul, Great Barbet, Scarlet Minivet, Himalayan Bluetail, White-throated Fantail, Wallcreeper, Blue-fronted Redstart, Himalayan Bulbul, Oriental White-eye, Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher, Rufous Sibia, Streaked Laughingthrush, Spotted Nutcracker, Hodgson's Redstart, Himalayan Griffon, Lammergeier, Eurasian Kestrel, Himalayan Monal, Fire-tailed Sunbird, Mountain Hawk-Eagle, Golden Eagle, Common Rosefinch

   Mammals 2: Himalayan Langur, Himalayan Tahr

   Butterflies 1: Indian Tortoiseshell

   Plants 1: Tree Rhododendron

   Seen from here: Annapurna South (7,219 m), Hiunchuli (6,441 m), Machhapuchhre (6,993 m), Annapurna I (8,091 m)

6. Day 6
   Dovan2,600 m · Rufous-vented Yuhina, Chestnut-crowned Warbler

   1. Sinuwa2,340 m

      The trail drops to a river then climbs to Sinuwa, the doorway to the Modi Khola gorge. Birds come easily here at mid-morning as the clouds lift from the forest.

   2. Dovan2,600 m · 1 night

      A damp, green gorge where bamboo walls the trail and the river is always roaring. Pheasants and partridges call at dawn and Himalayan Langur crash through the trees.

   Birds 21: Great Parrotbill, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, Whiskered Yuhina, Stripe-throated Yuhina, Golden-breasted Fulvetta, White-browed Fulvetta, Grey-crested Tit, Rufous-bellied Woodpecker, Slaty-blue Flycatcher, Hill Partridge, Rufous-vented Yuhina, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Spotted Laughingthrush, Black-faced Warbler, Himalayan Monal, Plumbeous Water Redstart, Satyr Tragopan, Koklass Pheasant, Long-tailed Thrush, Himalayan Bluetail, Golden Bush-Robin

   Mammals 3: Himalayan Langur, Yellow-throated Marten, Himalayan Black Bear

   Seen from here: Hiunchuli (6,441 m), Annapurna South (7,219 m), Machhapuchhre (6,993 m), Annapurna I (8,091 m)

7. Day 7
   Deurali3,230 m · Plain Mountain Finch, Yellow-billed Chough

   1. Deurali3,230 m · 1 night

      Via the Himalaya teahouse (2,920 m), we reach Deurali at the tree line. Here Himalayan Monals and Blood Pheasants share the slope with Himalayan Tahr on the cliffs, and the forest gives way to rhododendron scrub and rock.

   Birds 15: Rufous-breasted Accentor, Fire-tailed Sunbird, Rufous-vented Tit, White-browed Fulvetta, Himalayan Monal, Blood Pheasant, Alpine Accentor, Plain Mountain Finch, Yellow-billed Chough, Lammergeier, Himalayan Griffon, Dark-breasted Rosefinch, Spotted Nutcracker, Golden Eagle, Snow Pigeon

   Mammals 2: Himalayan Tahr, Blue Sheep

   Plants 2: Bell-flowered Rhododendron, Lepidote Rhododendron

   Seen from here: Hiunchuli (6,441 m), Annapurna South (7,219 m), Machhapuchhre (6,993 m), Annapurna I (8,091 m)

8. Day 8
   Machhapuchhre Base Camp · Annapurna Base Camp4,130 m · Red-billed Chough, Himalayan Snowcock

   1. Machhapuchhre Base Camp3,700 m

      We enter the Sanctuary through a gap between Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre. Snow Pigeons wheel along the cliffs and Blue Sheep graze the grass, an hour or two of easy walking before the final steps to Annapurna Base Camp.

   2. Annapurna Base Camp4,130 m · 1 night

      The end of the climb: a vast bowl of ice with Annapurna I, Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre all around. We watch sunset and then dawn here, with Snow Pigeons, Lammergeier and Alpine Accentors for company.

   Birds 12: ★ Snow Pigeon (seen with guests on this trip), ★ Alpine Accentor (seen with guests on this trip), Plain Mountain Finch, ★ Yellow-billed Chough (seen with guests on this trip), Red-billed Chough, ★ Lammergeier (seen with guests on this trip), Himalayan Griffon, Himalayan Snowcock, Golden Eagle, Water Pipit, White-winged Redstart, Grandala

   Mammals 3: ★ Large-eared Pika (seen with guests on this trip), ★ Blue Sheep (seen with guests on this trip), Himalayan Tahr

   Butterflies 1: Indian Tortoiseshell

   Plants 2: Drumstick Primula, Lepidote Rhododendron

   Seen from here: Hiunchuli (6,441 m), Annapurna South (7,219 m), Annapurna I (8,091 m), Machhapuchhre (6,993 m)

9. Day 9
   Bamboo2,335 m · Nepal Fulvetta, Satyr Tragopan

   1. Bamboo2,335 m · 1 night

      A long descent from the Sanctuary ends in the bamboo forest that gives the village its name. This is a rich evening stop for parrotbills, fulvettas, flycatchers and warblers, and a chance to compare notes on the day.

   Birds 17: Rufous-vented Yuhina, Whiskered Yuhina, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Black-faced Warbler, Slaty-blue Flycatcher, ★ Great Parrotbill (seen with guests on this trip), ★ Golden-breasted Fulvetta (seen with guests on this trip), Nepal Fulvetta, ★ White-browed Fulvetta (seen with guests on this trip), Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, Spotted Laughingthrush, Plumbeous Water Redstart, Satyr Tragopan, Koklass Pheasant, Gold-naped Finch, ★ Himalayan Bluetail (seen with guests on this trip), ★ Golden Bush-Robin (seen with guests on this trip)

   Mammals 2: Himalayan Langur, Yellow-throated Marten

   Seen from here: Hiunchuli (6,441 m), Annapurna South (7,219 m), Machhapuchhre (6,993 m), Annapurna I (8,091 m)

10. Day 10
    Jhinu Danda1,780 m · Ultramarine Flycatcher, Brown Dipper

    1. Jhinu Danda1,780 m · 1 night

       We drop back into warm, leafy forest and walk down to the natural hot springs on the Modi Khola. The river bank here is lovely for forktails, redstarts and the occasional Crested Kingfisher.

    Birds 15: Plumbeous Water Redstart, Grey Wagtail, Himalayan Bulbul, Great Barbet, Black Bulbul, Spotted Forktail, Little Forktail, Brown Dipper, Blue Whistling-Thrush, White-capped Redstart, Ultramarine Flycatcher, Verditer Flycatcher, Crested Kingfisher, Mountain Hawk-Eagle, Hodgson's Redstart

    Mammals 2: Himalayan Langur, Yellow-throated Marten

    Seen from here: Annapurna South (7,219 m), Hiunchuli (6,441 m), Machhapuchhre (6,993 m), Annapurna I (8,091 m)

11. Day 11
    Ghandruk1,940 m · Spotted Dove, Rose-ringed Parakeet

    1. Landruk1,565 m

       A Gurung village on the hillside above the Modi Khola and a long lunch stop. The gardens and field edges are good for sunbirds, bulbuls and flycatchers.

    2. Ghandruk1,940 m · 1 night

       A final night in one of Nepal's loveliest Gurung villages, with slate roofs and stone lanes. The oak forest on the edge of Ghandruk is great for a last morning flock, with Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre in the background.

    Birds 27: Himalayan Bulbul, Red-vented Bulbul, Oriental White-eye, Black-throated Sunbird, Great Barbet, Verditer Flycatcher, Scarlet Minivet, Long-tailed Minivet, Rufous Sibia, Spotted Dove, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Spiny Babbler, Slaty-headed Parakeet, Red-billed Blue Magpie, Oriental Honey-buzzard, Streaked Laughingthrush, Whiskered Yuhina, Black-throated Bushtit, Eurasian Jay, Blue-winged Minla, Grey-hooded Warbler, Oriental Magpie-Robin, Spotted Nutcracker, Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush, Yellow-billed Blue Magpie, Mountain Hawk-Eagle, Himalayan Bluetail

    Mammals 1: Himalayan Langur

    Seen from here: Annapurna South (7,219 m), Hiunchuli (6,441 m), Machhapuchhre (6,993 m), Annapurna I (8,091 m)

12. Day 12
    Nayapul1,070 m · White Wagtail, Brown Dipper

    1. Kimche1,640 m

       The last real birding stop before the road, as the trail comes down to the valley floor and the river forest. Wagtails, kingfishers and flycatchers keep the walking leisurely.

    2. Nayapul1,070 m

       The road end where we began. A cup of tea, a last look at the river, and a few last bird ticks before the transfer back to Pokhara.

    Birds 14: Grey Wagtail, White Wagtail, Red-vented Bulbul, White-throated Kingfisher, Plumbeous Water Redstart, Brown Dipper, Verditer Flycatcher, Black Bulbul, Great Barbet, Crested Kingfisher, Common Kingfisher, Spotted Forktail, Black Kite, Oriental Magpie-Robin

    Butterflies 1: Common Mormon

    Seen from here: Annapurna South (7,219 m), Hiunchuli (6,441 m), Machhapuchhre (6,993 m), Annapurna I (8,091 m)