High Life: The Birds of Neora Valley National Park
Photo StoryUpdated : Jun 27, 2025
Neora Valley National Park is among the most undisturbed forest patches in West Bengal. Though it is known as the red panda’s habitat, the profusion of avian species makes it a paradise for bird enthusiasts
Text by: Anita Rao Kashi
Photos by: Arindam Bhattacharya
Neora Valley National Park is among the most undisturbed forest patches in West Bengal. Though it is known as the red panda’s habitat, the profusion of avian species makes it a paradise for bird enthusiasts
Neora Valley National Park (NVNP) in West Bengal’s Kalimpong district is amongst the most biodiverse areas in the Eastern Himalayas, with the spectacular Kanchenjunga mountain range in the background. It is also home to the endangered red panda.
Spread over 88 sq km of the catchment areas of the Neora River, NVNP is a global biodiversity hotspot that has been on UNESCO’s tentative list of World Heritage Sites since 2009. It is contiguous with protected areas in Sikkim (Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary) and Bhutan (Toorsa Strict Reserve) and consists of virgin forests. Parts of the park are difficult to access owing to its unique topography and an assemblage of landforms. The park’s altitude varies from 180-3,200 m; this variation has led to an exceptional ecosystem comprising tropical, subtropical, temperate and sub-temperate forests with a mix of bamboo, oak, rhododendron, sal, ferns, and several species of orchids.
The park is unique because approximately 20 per cent of all species found here are considered rare. These include the musk deer and clouded leopard, apart from the red panda. But of all the park’s creatures, perhaps the diversity of avian species is the most fascinating. Various surveys peg the number of bird species between 258-308, including rare inhabitants such as Ward’s trogon, satyr tragopan, and rufous-necked hornbill. Birdwatchers consider this park one of the best sites in the country to see the rusty-bellied shortwing, endemic to the Eastern Himalayas.
According to the authors of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas in India: Priority Sites for Conservation (Rahmani, A.R., Islam, M.Z. and Kasambe, R.M):“Like any other protected area in India, the Neora Valley National Park also suffers from illegal cattle grazing, firewood collection, encroachment on the fringes and poaching. But, due to inaccessibility and difficult terrain, the biotic pressures are not very acute. The Neora Valley National Park has some intact forest patches”.
Of the many vulnerable species that inhabit NVNP, the rufous-necked hornbill (Aceros nipalensis) is probably the most visually spectacular bird with vibrant colours and patterns. This hornbill is listed as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List. Its population is small and declining due to hunting and the destruction of evergreen forests in its vast range in South and Southeast Asia. This bird is large (90-100 cm; 2,270-2,500 gm) with dark grooves on its upper mandible. The grooves are thought to be related to its age. (2) The male has a rufous head and underparts with glossy black wings, while (3) the female is almost entirely black. Both have an ivory/cream beak, turquoise blue patches around the eyes, a striking scarlet throat pouch, and white tips on the wings and tail. These hornbills inhabit dense hill forests with tall, mature trees and are known to be territorial. They forage inside forest canopies, mainly eating fruits (including mangoes and figs), but are also seen on the ground, especially near creeks. Besides their mainstay of fruits, they eat cicadas, crabs, frogs, and snakes. Rufous-necked hornbills are usually seen in pairs or small groups, and the sound they create is described as short croaks, cackles, or grunts, resembling cuckoos and pigeons. Photo: (1) Dhritiman Mukherjee
Among the most vibrant birds of NVNP is (1) Mrs Gould’s sunbird (Aethopyga gouldiae), which looks like it was dipped in a box of paints. The male has a scarlet body, yellow underparts, blue tail, and dark curved beak; the female is olive and grey. Named after illustrator Elizabeth Gould, wife of 19th-century English ornithologist John Gould, these are tiny birds (~12 gm and up to 16 cm long). They are usually found alone or in pairs and sometimes in groups of up to ten. These sunbirds feed on nectar and sometimes congregate on flowering trees. (2) The scarlet minivet (Pericrocotus speciosus) is equally brilliantly coloured with its predominantly scarlet and black body (the female is grey and olive) but is a bit larger (19-25 gm; 17-22 cm) than Mrs Gould’s sunbird and has a dark, short beak. Scalet minivets mainly eat caterpillars, crickets, cicadas, grasshoppers, and spiders, foraging in the canopy and amongst fruit for insects attracted to the fruit. Known to be gregarious, they are regularly seen foraging in mixed-species flocks.
A tiny songbird (7-9 cm, about 6.5 gm) mainly found in the hilly forests and mountains, the (1) fire-breasted flowerpecker (Dicaeumignipectus) has a fiery reddish-orange patch on its breast surrounded by a cream-yellow and bluish-black coat on top. The female is olive-brown on top and off-white below. These songbirds emit a series of high, shrill calls. They forage among flowers in the canopy. Comparatively, the (2) fire-tailed sunbird (Aethopyga ignicauda) is much bigger (5-9 gm; 15-20 cm) with a long, thin curved beak and more vividly coloured. It has a striking long scarlet tail, yellow and scarlet underparts, scarlet neck, and metallic purple-blue crown. The female is duller, with a mix of grey, olive, and mild yellow. They feed on nectar, small insects and spiders and can be spotted in coniferous and oak forests, and among rhododendrons.
NVNP has a clutch of birds that have shades of orange and look slightly similar. (1) The ferruginous flycatcher (Muscicapa ferruginea) has a large head and eyes. Its orange-brown body stands out amidst the foliage, especially because it can be found in the mid-canopy of the forest and close to waterbodies since it feeds mostly on insects. The (2) Himalayan cutia (Cutia nipalensis), known for its high-pitched, repetitive “cheep” call, is comparatively stockier with a bright, rufous back, white throat, and barred sides. It forages in small groups for insects, berries, and seeds at the mid and upper levels of the forest. None of these is as dramatic as the (3) red-headed bullfinch (Pyrrhula erythrocephala), which has a stunning black eye mask-like patch on a bright orange head and black wing tips and tail. It can be seen hopping around shrubbery and foraging in small flocks for seeds, berries, buds, and nectar within low vegetation on or near the ground.
(1) The streaked spiderhunter (Arachnothera magna) is a golden yellow-olive bird with black streaks and a buff-tipped tail with a blackish band. The bird’s underparts are pale yellowish white with bold black streaks, and its beak is a bit curved and blackish brown. Both sexes look similar (17-20.5 cm); the male (28-34.5 gm) is slightly larger and weighs more than the female (about 24 gm). They forage primarily in the canopy and feed predominantly on nectar, with fruits, insects and spiders forming a small part of their diet. Almost similar in size (23–26 cm, 64–67 g/52·8 g), the (2) long-tailed broadbill (Prarisomus dalhousiae) is a bright green, yellow and black bird with a distinctive slim and very long blue tail. Both sexes look similar and prefer forested ravines with running water or temporary pools and undergrowth. They feed primarily on tiny invertebrates, predominantly insects such as cicadas, beetles, cockroaches, bugs, and butterflies, as well as spiders, caterpillars, larvae, and pupae.
is an independent journalist, travel and food writer based in Bangalore, India. With over 28 years of experience, she has written for the BBC, South China Morning Post and Nikkei Asian Review. When not writing, she's reading, listening to music, cooking, or eating, and considers the forest to be her bolthole.
is an amateur nature and wildlife photographer who has photographed wildlife extensively over a decade in India, Africa, Japan, New Zealand and Canada. His work can be found on www.arindam.art.
