Pheasant Tailed Jacana - bfl

Bhutan has a wealth of bird diversity and as of today, 748 species have been recorded for the country. JDNP has recorded a total of 371 species (49.6% of Bhutan’s total birds) belonging to 70 families until February 2020. Two species of birds namely Pheasant-tailed Jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus) and Rosy Starling (Pastor roseus) has been recently added as new record for Bhutan from JDNP. 

The former was sighted along the banks of Pachu river (4027 m.a.s.l) under Soe gewog, Thimphu Dzongkhag and the latter has been recorded at Lunana gewog (3691 m.a.s.l), Gasa Dzongkhag. With the funding support from Bhutan for Life, JDNP published a field guidebook “Birds of Jigme Dorji National Park: A photographic field guide for the park visitors”, presenting pictorial guide for 311 bird species (83.8% of JDNP’s total birds and 100% of bird families). 

Many such field guidebooks on birds have been published before but the photographic field guidebook by JDNP, is one of the first of its kind as it guides and provides park visitors with the general glimpse of the trekking routes, campsites and the possible chances of sighting different bird species along different trails. This guidebook is significantly important not only to conserve the avifaunal diversity of the park but also to serve as the valuable source of reference and information to the people from all walks of life.