List of Birds from Dekiling, Sarpang (August 2019-August 2020)

 Dekiling is located at around 230-815 meters above sea level at 26° 52’50” N and 90° 20’14” E in subtropical zones of Indo-Bhutan border and the mid-Montana range covering 115.21 sq.km with a total arable land of 2486 acres. Only about 8.7% of the arable land is under cultivation at present. The forest coverage of the Gewog is about 88% of the total geographical area (LUPP Data) (source: http://www.sarpang.gov.bt/gewogs/dekidling). The gewog has cool winter months and hot and humid summer months with heavy precipitation especially during the months of July, August and September. It is located towards the west of Sarpang Dzongkhag and shares boundary with Shompangkha Gewog at the west, Chhudzoom Gewog to the north and Samtenling Gewog to the east and India border to the south.

Figure 1 Geographical Map of Dekiling Gewog (adapted from http://www.sarpang.gov.bt/gewogs/dekidling)

Nestled in the predominant subtropical forest coverage of the area (88%), Dekiling is one of the treasure troves of biodiversity with an unparalleled richness of wildlife including flora and fauna. The flimsy ecosystem of Dekiling has remained intake due to various conservation efforts both at the policy level by the farsighted and dynamic leaders and at the grassroots level by dedicated and loyal citizens.  As a matter of fact, Dekiling shelters a wide range of fauna diversities such as elephants, langurs, monkeys, sambars, wild pigs, barking dear, buffaloes, martins, cats, mongoose etc. Likewise, there are also several flora diversities such as orchids, agarwood, etc.  

Similarly, it is apparent to conclude from a year-long observation from August 2019 to August 2020 that there may be more than 350 species of birds present in the area given the unspoiled ecosystem and forest coverage. Bhutan has about 750 species of birds recorded so far and many more are yet to be discovered. Most importantly, Dekiling is harbouring all four different species of hornbills which are engendered species as per the IUCN.

The List of Birds from Dekiling, Sarpang (August 2019-August 2020) is seemingly not a comprehensive checklist due to the fact that the whole area was not covered to record the species. Major northern parts of Norbugang and Jigmeling area (Refer figure 1) were not covered in the checklist. However, almost all the lower region of the Dekiling were covered. This checklist was maintained during the intended bird watching hours either alone or with friends and during the ad hoc encounters. The records were maintained through observations, documentation of pictures, audio, video and field notes.  During the year-long observation, 174 species of birds have been confirmed to be seen in Dekiling Gewog. Although most species re are local resident, there several migratory birds visiting the area. Dekiling has very rare wetland and has seen a limited number of waterbird species. All the observations are recorded in the checklist given below.

The checklist is maintained with the author’s personal interest and do not represent expert’s views and opinion.

The author acknowledges Mr Mani Wangdi for sharing the index for maintaining records. (Author of the blog: https://sites.google.com/education.gov.bt/maniwangdi/home?authuser=0 )

 

Check List of Birds of Dekiling Gewog, Sarpang (August 2019-August 2020)
Sl. No	Species	Speiced ID	Scientific Name	Date of Observation
1.	Babbler	Abbott's	Malacocincla abbotti	Nov 2019-Jan 2020
2.		Jubgle	Turdoides striata	Oct,2019-April,2020
3.		Pin-striped Tit	Macronus gularis	Sep,2019-April,2020
4.		Puff-throated	Pellorneum ruficeps	Sept,2019-March,2020
5.		Rusty-cheeked Scimitar	Erythrogenys erythrogenys	December 2019-February 2020
6.	Barbet	Blue-throated	Psilopogon asiaticus	August,2019-August 2020
7.		Coppersmith	Psilopogon haemacephalus	March-April 2020
8.		Great	Psilopogon virens	December, 2019-March 2020
9.		Lineated	Psilopogon lineatus	March-June,2020
10.	Baza	Jerdon’s	Aviceda jerdoni	Nov2019-Jan 2020
11.	Bee-eater	Blue-bearded	Nyctyornis athertoni	Nov, 2019-April 2020
12.		Chestnut-headed	Merops leschenaulti	Nov,2019-July 2020
13.		Green	Merops orientalis	Oct,2019-July,2020
14.	Besra	Besra	Accipiter virgatus	July-August, 2020
15.	Bluebird	Asian Fairy	Irena puella	June- July 2020
16.	Broadbill	Long-tailed	Psarisomus dalhousiae	Nov 2019-April 2020
17.	Bulbul	Ashy	Hemixos flavala	March-May 2020
18.		Black	Hypsipetes leucocephalus	March-April 2020
19.		Black-crested	Rubigula flaviventris	March -April 2020
20.		Himalayan	Pycnonotus leucogenys	Feb-April 2020
21.		Mountain	Ixos mcclellandii	March -April 2020
22.		Red-vented	Pycnonotus cafer	August,2019-July,2020
23.		Red-whiskered	Pycnonotus jocosus	August,2019-July,2020
24.		White-throated	Alophoixus flaveolus	July 2019 -Sept 2020
25.	Bushchat	Grey	Saxicola ferreus	Nov 2019-March 2020
26.	Buttonquail	Barred	Turnix suscitator	August 2019-September 2020
27.	Buzzard	Himalayan	Buteo burmanicus	Feb-April 2020
28.		Oriental Honey	Pernis ptilorhynchus	January 2020
29.	Cormorant	Little	Microcarbo niger	Nov 2019-March 2020
30.	Coucal	Greater	Centropus sinensis	Auguts 2019-July,2020
31.		Lesser	Centropus bengalensis	March-July,2020
32.	Crow	Large billed	Corvus macrorhynchos	Aug-20
33.	Cuckoo	Chestnut-winged	Clamator coromandus	April-June 2020
34.		Common Hawk	Hierococcyx varius	Jan-April 2020
35.		Himalayan	Cuculus saturatus	March-Aaugust 2020
36.		Indian	Cuculus micropterus	Jan-May 2020
37.		Jacobin	Clamator jacobinus	April-July 2020
38.		Large Hawk	Hierococcyx sparverioides	April-May 2020
39.		Plaintive	Cacomantis merulinus	April-May 2020
40.	Cuckooshrike	Black-winged	Lalage melaschistos	Apr-20
41.		Large	Coracina macei	October,2019-June 2020
42.	Dove	Barred Cuckoo	Macropygia unchall	July, 2020
43.		Emerald	Chalcophaps indica	October,2019-July,2020
44.		Oriental Turtle	Streptopelia orientalis	April -August 2020
45.		Red Collared	Streptopelia tranquebarica	April-August 2020
46.		Spotted	Spilopelia chinensis	August 2019-Ausuts 2020
47.	Drongo	Ashy	Dicrurus leucphaeus	Sept.2019-Jan,2020
48.		Black	Dicrurus macrocercus	August 2019-March 2020
49.		Bronzed	Dicrurus aeneus	March-April 2020
50.		Greater Racket-tailed	Dicrurus paradiseus	August 2019-Auugust 2020
51.		Hair-crested	Dicrurus hottentottus	August 2019-Auugust 2021
52.		Lesser Racket-tailed	Dicrurus remifer	August 2019-Auugust 2022
53.	Eagle	Black	Ictinaetus malaiensis	April-July 2020
54.		Mountain Hawk	Nisaetus nipalensis	August-September 2020
55.	Egret	Cattle	Bubulcus ibis	August 2019-August 2020
56.	Erpornis	White-bellied	Erpornis zantholeuca	April-May 2020
57.	Falconet	Collared	Microhierax caerulescens	September 2019-August 2020
58.	Fantail	White-throated	Rhipidura albicollis	June- September 2020
59.	Finch	Common rose	Orthotomus sutorius	August, 2019 - July 2020
60.	Flowerpecker	Fire-breasted	Dicaeum ignipectus)	Feb-20
61.	Flycatcher	Blue-throated Blue	Cyornis rubeculoides	April-May 2020
62.		Brown-breasted	Muscicapa muttui	Aug-20
63.		Dark-sided	Muscicapa sibirica	February, 2020
64.		Grey-headed Canary	Culicicapa ceylonensis	Feb-April 2020
65.		Little Pied	Ficedula westermanni	March, 2020
66.		Pale Blue	Cyornis unicolor	March-April 2020
67.		Sapphire	Ficedula sapphira	Nov-2019-feb 2020
68.		Slaty-backed	Ficedula erithacus	February,2020
69.		Slaty-blue	Ficedula tricolor	March-April 2020
70.		Taiga	Ficedula albicilla	March-April 2020
71.		Rufous gorgeted	Ficedula strophiata	December, 2019-March 2020
72.		Ultramarine	Ficedula superciliaris	Mar-20
73.	Flycatcher-shrike	Bar-winged	Hemipus picatus	Feb-20
74.	Forktail	Black-backed	Enicurus immaculatus	Nov, 2019-Feb,2020
75.	Goldenback	Greater	Chrysocolaptes guttacristatus	Feb 2019-April 2020
76.	Heron	Indian Pond	Ardeola grayii	Nov, 2019-Feb,2020
77.		Striated	Butorides striata	February,2020
78.	Honey-buzzard	Oriental	Pernis ptilorhynchus	Feb-March 2020
79.	Hoopoe	Common	Upupa epops	November 2019-March 2020
80.	Hornbill	Great	Buceros bicornis	August 2019-August 2020
81.		Oriental Pied	Anthracoceros albirostris	August 2019-August 2020
82.		Rufous-necked	Aceros nipalensis	Feb-20
83.		Wreathed	Rhyticeros undulatus	August -Ausuts
84.	Ibis	Red-naped	Pseudibis papillosa	November,2019-Feb, 2020
85.	Iora	Common	Aegithina tiphia	August, 2019 - August, 2020
86.	Junglefowl	Red	Gallus gallus	Sep-19
87.	Kestrel	Common	Falco tinnunculus	October,2019-Jan,2020
88.	Kingfisher	Common	Alcedo atthis	October,2019-Jan,2020
89.		Crested	Megaceryle lugubris	August 2019-March 2020
90.		White-throated	Halcyon smyrnensis	Aigust 2019-Ausgut 2020
91.	Koel	Asian	Eudynamys scolopaceus	April-August 2020
92.	Lapwing	Red-wattled	Vanellus indicus	Nov 2019-March 2020
93.		River	Vanellus duvaucelii	Nov 2019-March 2020
94.	Laughingthrush	Lesser Necklaced	Garrulax monileger	August 2019-August 2020
95.		Rufous-necked	Pterorhinus ruficollis	August 2019-August 2021
96.		White-crested	Garrulax leucolophus	Feb-July 2020
97.	Leafbird	Golden-fronted	Chloropsis aurifrons	March-June,2020
98.		Orange-bellied	Chloropsis hardwickii	Nov,2019-June,2020
99.	Magpie	Common Green	Copsychus saularis	August, 2019 - July 2020
100.	Malkoha	Green-billed	Phaenicophaeus tristis	Nov,2019-March,2020
101.	Mesia	Silver-eared	Leiothrix argentauris	May-June 2020
102.	Minivet	Grey-chinned	Pericrocotus solaris	March - June 2020
103.		Scarlet	Pericrocotus speciosus	April-August 2020
104.	Monarch	Black-naped	Hypothymis azurea	June-August 2020
105.	Munia	Scaly-breasted	Lonchura punctulata	August -October 2019
106.		White-rumped	Lonchura striata	June-July 2020
107.	Myna	Common	Acridotheres tristis	August,2019-July,2020
108.		Common Hill	Gracula religiosa	August 2019- August 2020
109.		Great	Acridotheres grandis	Augus 2019-July 2020
110.		Jungle	Acridotheres fuscus	August 2019-August 2020
111.	Niltava	Rufous-bellied	Niltava sundara	Feb 2020
112.		Small	Niltava macgrigoriae	Feb-March 2020
113.	Nuthatch	Chestnut-bellied	Sitta cinnamoventris	August -2019-August 2020
114.	Oriole	Black-hooded	Oriolus xanthornus	Nov,2019-July,2020
115.	Owl	Collared Scops	Otus lettia	Dec-19
116.		Mountain Scops	Otus spilocephalus	October 2019-March 2020
117.	Owlet	Asian Barred	Glaucidium cuculoides	Sept.2019-August,2020
118.		Collared	Glaucidium brodiei	March-April 2020
119.		Jungle	Glaucidium radiatum	Novenmber 2019
120.		Spotted	Athene brama	Nov 2019-Fe 2020
121.	Parakeet	Alexandrine	Psittacula eupatria	Feb-March 2020
122.		Red-breasted	Psittacula alexandri	August 2019-August 2020
123.		Rose-ringed	Psittacula krameri	Feb-April,2020
124.		Slaty-headed	Psittacula himalayana	Oct,2019-Dec,2019
125.	Peafowl	Indian	Pavo cristatus	August 2019-July 2020
126.	Piculet	Speckled	Picumnus innominatus	Mar-20
127.	Pigeon	Common	Columba livia	August,2019-July,2020
128.		Green Imperial	Ducula aenea	September 2019-April,2020
129.		Pin-tailed Green	Treron apicauda	March-July 2020
130.		Wedge-tailed Green	Treron sphenurus	March -April 2020
131.		Yellow-footed Green	Treron phoenicoptera	March -April 2020
132.	Pipit	Olive-backed	Anthus hodgsoni	Nov-19
133.		Paddyfield	Anthus rufulus	January -March 2020
134.	Pitta	Blue-napped	Hydrornis nipalensis	March-August 2020
135.	Prinia	Rufescent	Prinia rufescens	August 2019-August 2020
136.	Redstart	Black	Phoenicurus ochruros	March, 2020
137.		Plumbeous Water	Phoenicurus fuliginosus	November,2019, March 2020.
138.		White-capped	Phoenicurus leucocephalus	Dece-2019-March 2020
139.	Robin	Oriental Magpie	Copsychus saularis	August 2019 - July 2020
140.	Roller	Indian	Butorides striata	Sept.2019-April,2020
141.	Rosefinch	Common	Carpodacus erythrinus	Feb 2020
142.	Rubythroat	Siberian	Calliope calliope	Nov 2019 - Jan 2020
143.	Shama	White-rumped	Copsychus malabaricus	October, 2019-April,2020
144.	Shrike	Brown	Lanius cristatus	September 2019-October 2019
145.		Grey-backed	Lanius tephronotus	March-August 2020
146.		Long-tailed	ShrikeLanius schach	November 2019-March 2020
147.	Sparrow	Eurasian Tree	Passer montanus	August 2019-July,2020
148.	Spiderhunter	Streaked	Arachnothera magna	November, 2019-March 2020
149.	Starling	Chestnut-tailed	Sturnia malabarica	August,2019-August 2020
150.		Asian-pied	Gracupica contra	August,2019-August 2020
151.	Stork	Black	Ciconia nigra	Feb 2020
152.	Sunbird	Crimson	Aethopyga siparaja	Feb-April 2020
153.	Swallow	Red-rumped	Cecropis daurica	March-July 2020
154.	Tailorbird	Common	Orthotomus sutorius	August 2019 - July 2020
155.	Thrush	Blue Whistling	Myophonus caeruleus	October -December 2020
156.	Tit	Cinereous	Parus cinereus	June-August 2020
157.		Sultan	Melanochlora sultanea	March-July 2020
158.	Treepie	Grey	Dendrocitta formosae	Feb 2019-August 2020
159.		Rufous	Dendrocitta vagabunda	March 2020
160.	Wagtail	Citrine	Motacilla citreola	Jan-20
161.		Grey	Motacilla cinerea	Nov-19
162.		White	Motacilla alba	Oct,2019-Feb,2020
163.		White-browed	Motacilla maderaspatensis	Apr-20
164.	Warbler	Dusky	Phylloscopus fuscatus	February -March 2020
165.		Thick-billed	Arundinax aedon	March-April 2020
166.	Waterhen	White-breasted	Amaurornis phoenicurus	June- August 2020
167.	Weaver	Baya	Ploceus philippinus	March-August 2020
168.	White-eye	Indian	Zosterops palpebrosus	April -August 2020
169.	Woodpecker	Fulvous-breasted	Dendrocopos macei	April-July 2020
170.		Grey-capped pygmy woodpecker	Yungipicus canicapillus	Feb-July 2020
171.		Grey-headed	Picus canus	Feb-August 2020
172.		Rufous	Micropternus brachyurus	Feb-20
173.	Woodshrike	Large	Tephrodornis virgatus	March-June,2020
174.	Woodswallow	Ashy	Artamus fuscus	August 2019-July 2020
175.	Yellow-nape	Greater	Chrysophlegma flavinucha	March-July 2020
176.		Lesser	Picus chlorolophus	Feb-June 2020