Bhutan Birding Tours
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The Kingdom of Bhutan (simply “Bhutan” hereafter) is a landlocked country in the Eastern Himalayas of the Indian Subcontinent. Its capital city is Thimphu, located in the west of the country, and the country’s only international airport is nearby in the town of Paro just west of the capital. Bhutan is the second-least-populous nation (after the Maldives) in South Asia and is bordered by Tibet to the north, Tibet and the Indian states of Sikkim (beyond which is Nepal) and West Bengal to the west, and the Indian states of Assam, West Bengal, and Arunachal Pradesh to the south and east.
Unlike most other countries in the Indian Subcontinent, Bhutan has never been colonized in its history and has developed a distinct national identity based on Buddhism. However, like the other countries in the region Bhutan has a fascinating cultural history, some of the exact facts have likely been lost due to a fire in the ancient capital city of Punakha in 1827! However, it is more than likely that aspects of Bhutanese culture was impacted by Mongol warlords and Chinese dynasties (from what is now Mongolia and China respectively). Since the 17th century, Bhutan has been known as “Druk yul” – which means country of the Drukpa Lineage, the Dragon People, or “the Land of the Thunder”, a reference to the country’s dominant Buddhist sect, a really interesting subject area to read up on if you have time before your visit or to explore on the ground if you arrive into the country a few days before your tour.
During the tour we will bird around some of the historical sites of cultural importance such as the famous Tiger Nest Monastery in the Paro Valley and the equally famous Punakha Dzong. The word ‘Dzong’ roughly translates to fortress-monastery, hence these buildings are hugely important to the Bhutanese. The Punakha Dzong was the administrative center and the seat of government in Bhutan until 1955, when the capital was moved a relatively short distance west, to its current location at Thimphu. This particular Dzong is one of the largest in Bhutan and the traditional architecture is fascinating to see up-close – take a look at our spring 2019 trip report to see a photo! It is also a great spot for birdwatching, the Dzong was built between two rivers for defensive purposes and so is worth a look for the huge Crested Kingfisher.
