Rare chinese Rubythroat spotted for the first time in Kanchanpur

Kanchanpur: The rare Chinese Rubythroat, a bird native to the Himalayan range, has been sighted for the first time in Kanchanpur.

The bird was discovered in the Nakaiya border area of Belauri Municipality-7 by a team of bird experts, including Hirulal Dagoura of the Bird Conservation Association of Nepal (BCN) and Suban Chaudhary and Mahananda Joshi from the Shuklaphanta Nature Guide Association. This species, which typically migrates to the Terai during winter due to increased snowfall in the Himalayan region, is considered a rare sight in this area.

“Although it migrates to the Terai, it is seldom seen,” said ornithologist Dagoura. “This is the first recorded instance of this bird in Kanchanpur, making it unique to this region.” He noted that the species had not been previously documented in local records.

The Chinese Rubythroat is found across Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, and Thailand. It migrates to the Himalayas during the summer and moves to the Terai in the winter, often traveling to Assam, India, during the colder months. The bird breeds in summer, nesting in dense trees and bushes, where it lays eggs and raises its young.

The male Chinese Rubythroat is distinguished by its white forehead, brownish body, black-tipped white tail, and striking red throat surrounded by black on the neck and chest. In contrast, the female has a bluish-brown body and a white throat. These birds are typically seen alone or in pairs during the breeding season and feed on small insects and ants.

As temperatures drop in the Terai, the bird returns to its summer habitat, typically at altitudes of 2,500 to 2,700 meters. Dagoura attributes the rare sighting to increased local interest in wetland conservation and a decline in bird hunting, providing a better habitat for such species.