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Bird Watching
(MAE-E-BW)
What is the status of bird watching
tours in Myanmar at the moment?
It is in its early stage. It only attracts listers and birdwatchers
who would like to see
and include in their list, birds not seen in any other parts
of the world, like Myanmar
endemics, Eastern Himalayan endemics and some rare birds.
Very, very few bird tour companies come to Myanmar to see Southeast
Asia birds.
Most of them go Thailand where tourism is more developed, there
is less restricion,
the price is cheaper, and approximately 90% of the birds are
the same with
Myanmar.
Most of the keen bird watchers and listers visiting Myanmar
are also bird tour
leaders. We should try and convince them that Myanmar is a good
place for bird |
watching,
much better than Thailand.
Birds which
every bird watcher don't want to miss in Myanmar
a. 5 Endemic birds of Myanmar
(1) White-throated
Babbler
Found
in dry forest, deciduous forest, thorn and scrub, open fields and
semi-evergreen forest in Central and South
Myanmar.
It is commonly found below 600 meters.
(2) Hooded Treepie
Seen
in dry forest, deciduous forest, dipterocarp forest, semi evergreen
forest and everygreen forest in South,
Central
and North Myanmar. Status - common below 900 Meters.
(3) White- browed
Nuthatch
One
of the Eastern Himalayan Endemics. But the range is strictly confined
to Mt Victoria (Natataung) of Southern Chin
State
at elevation above 8000ft. Not even found in Central Chin. Habitat
- Montane evergreen forest with mixed oak and
rhododendron.
Status - Rare
(4) White-bellied
Minivet
Found
in dry forest, thorn and scrub, dipterocarp forest and deciduous forest
in Central and South Myanmar. Status -
Rare
(5) Burmese Bushlark
( Myanmar Bushlark )
Found
in open fields, gardens, dry forest, thorn and scrub, dipterocarp
forest and deciduous
We
can find 4 Myanmar endemics in Bagan area. |
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b.
Eastern Himalayan Endemics
Parts of countries
included in this area.
(1) East of Nepal
(2) South of Bhutan
(3) Northeast India
(Arunachal Pradesh)
(4) Very small area
in Northeast Bangaladesh
(5) Southeast China
(6) Kachin, Chin and
Naga mountains of Myanmar
There are 22 endemic
species found in that area and out of that 17 species are
found in Myanmar. |
To
go to this area and look for these birds, the approach is easiest
from Myanmar.
- approached from
India, it is far and most of the areas are restricted.
- approached from
China, far and expensive.
- Bhutan - very expensive,
only 12 species found in Bhutan.
- Nepal - only 9 species
in Nepal.
- Bangladesh - only
3 species found.
|
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Species Altitute
Habitat
(ordered taxonomically) (m)
|
Chestnut-breasted
Partridge A mandellin
350-2450
Undergrowth
in evergreen forest
Blyth's Tragopan Tragopan blythi
1800-3300
Undergrowth (esp.bamboo)
in evergreen
forest, rhododendron forest
Sclater's Monal Lophophorus sclateri
3000-4000
to Silver
fir forest with rhododendron
undergrowth,
2500 in water
subalpine rhododendron scrub,rocky slopes
grassland
Ward's trogon Harpactes wardi
1500-3200
Broadleaf evergreen
forest ,bamboo
Dark-rumped Swift Apus acuticaula
c.1600
Rokey chiffs and deep gorges
Rusty-bellied Shortwing B hyperythra
1800-3000
Broadleaf evergreen forest ,bamboo
lower in winter
Striped Laughingthrush. Garrulax virgatus
9,002,400
Evergreen forest with dense
undergrowth,dense scrub
Browed-capped Laughingthrush,G austeni
(1500-)
Oak and rhododendron
forest, bamboo
thickets
1800-2700
Rufous-throated Wren-babbler S caudatus
1600-3100
Dense undergrowth
wand moss-covered
boulders in broadleaft evergreen forest
Rusty-throated Wren-babbler S bodeigularis
c.1600
Breeding
habitat unknown,in winter
recorded in subtropical wetforest
Tawny-breasted Wren-babblar S longicaudatus
1000-2000
Damp evergreen forest(mainly oak and
rhododendron, ravines or steep rockey
hillsides with moss,ferns and ordchids
Wedge-billed Wren-babbler S humei
900-2300
Evergreen forest ,bamboo
Snowv-throated Babbler Stachyris oglei
c.1800 to 450
Dense evergreen scrub in rockey
ravines,winters in winter in tropical
evergreen and semi-evergreen rain forest
Hoary-throated Barwing Actinodura nipalensis
1800-3300
Oak and rhododendron forest, mixed
broadleaf and coniferous forest
Streak-throated Barwing. Actinodura waldem
2400-3300 to
Broadleaf evergreen and mixed forest
,rhododendron
1500 in winter
and bamboo
forest
Ludlow Fulvetta. Alcippe ludlowi
2100-3500
Rhododendron and bamboo forest,
broadleaf
and
mixed pine
and oak forest
Grey Sibia. Heterophasia gracilis
1400-2800 to
Evergreen and deciduous forest, pine forest
900
in winter
Beautiful Sibia Heterophasia Pulchella
2100-3000
to
Mossy evergreen forest
400 in winter
Whited-naped Yuhina Yuhina bakeri
600-2000
broadleaf evergreen forest
Yallow-vented Warbler. Phylloscopus cantotor
c.300-2000
broadleaf
evergreen forest
Broad-billed Warbler. Tickellia hodgsom
1100-2700 to
broadleaf evergreen
forest,dense
400 in winter
scrub,bamboo
White-browed Nuthatch.Sitta victoriae
2300-2800
Stunted lichen-covered oak forest, avoiding
pure
stands of pines |
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Overview
of birds families\groups found in Myanmar
Overview of
birds families\groups found in Myanmar, with
refrences to the numbers of species to be found in the world
and in Myanmar. Please realize that families without
representatives in Myanmar are not included. There are around
175 different families of birds in the world with around 11,000
different species.
In Myanmar,
there are around 90 different families\groups of
birds and over 1,000 diffent species. |
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| Number
of species in the world Myanmar |
Pheasants
etc.
Swans,Geese,Duck
Buttonquails
Honeyguides
Woodpeckers etc
Barbets
Hornbills
Hoopoe
Trogons
Rollers
Kingfishers
Bee-eaters
Cuckoos
Coucals
Parrots etc.
Swifts
Treeswifts
Owls
Frogmouths
Nightjars
Pigeons,Doves
Busturds
Cranes
Finfoots
Rails ect.
Woodcock,Snipes
Other waders
Jacanas
Thickknees
Ostyercatchers
Ibisbill
Stilts,Avocets
Plovers,Lapwings
Crabplover
Pratincoles
Gulls,Skua’s
Terns etc.
All birds of prey
Loons,Grebes
Tropicbirds
Boobies
Darters
Cormorants
Herons,Egrets
Ibies,Spoonbills
Pelicans
Storks
Storm Petrels
Pitta’s
Broadbills
Fairy bluebirds,Leafbirds
Shrikes
Whistelers
Crows etc
Woodswallows
Orioles,Cuckooshrikes,Minivets
Fantails
Drongo’s
Monarchs etc
Iora’s
Philentoma’s,Woodshrikes etc
Dippers
Thrushes etc
OW Flycatchers
Chats,Redstarts,Forktails etc
Starlings,Myna’s
Nuthatchs,Treecreepers,Wallcreeper
Wrens
All Tits
Martins,Swallows
Crests
Bulbuls
Cisticola’s,Prinia’s
White-eyes
Warblers,Tesia’s,Tailorbirds etc
Grassbirds
Laughingthrushes
Babblers,Fulvetta’s,Sibia,Yuhina’s etc
Larks
Flowerpeckers
Sunbirds,Spiderhunters
Sparrows
Wagtails,Pipits
Accentors
Weavers
Avadavat,Munia’s etc
Finches etc
Buntings etc
|
177
141
17
17
215
26
54
2
11
12
94
26
79
30
358
98
4
176
11
75
310
25
15
3
142
25
65
8
9
11
1
10
67
1
17
60
45
301
30
3
9
2
38
65
34
8
19
21
32
11
10
30
51
117
24
111
42
24
98
4
58
5
179
116
155
114
31
75
73
87
6
137
119
96
224
21
58
234
91
44
123
36
65
13
117
140
139
156 |
|
31
33
3
1
39
10
9
1
4
2
15
5
22
3
8
13
3
25
2
5
25
1
3
1
14
8
28
2
3
1
1
2
13
1
2
9
14
61
6
2
1
1
3
20
5
2
7
1
10
7
6
5
1
16
2
22
4
8
2
3
4
2
24
31
36
17
11
1
12
11
1
33
9
3
60
2
24
95
8
10
19
4
14
3
3
7
19
10 |
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