Nepal Ramsar wetland
Mai Pokhari
242 bird species recorded; the most in March.
Hari gurung77 · CC BY-SA 4.0
This month here
36 species in January.106 species in February.166 species in March.101 species in April.126 species in May.116 species in June.1 species in July.39 species in August.82 species in September.47 species in October.101 species in November.120 species in December.
The birds you are most likely to see in the month you choose, those that come for the season first. It opens on today's month.
- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
242 species, counted.
Our own rating, from the records only: species (50 points), threatened species (20), migrants (20) and protected status — Ramsar, IBA, SPA, observatory (10).
- 242Speciesrecorded more than once
- 96Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 1ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 3,303Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 2,115 mAltitudeabove the sea
- 13Raptors
- 4Owls
- 1Waders
- 1Ducks & geese
- 3Herons, ibises & grebes
- 1Storks & cranes
- 179Songbirds
- 40Other birds
From open records (eBird and others, through GBIF, licensed for any use). More birdwatchers mean more records: a quiet place may have more birds than it shows.
The checklist
All 242 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors13 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Crested Serpent EagleSpilornis cheela
- Buteo refectusButeo refectus
- Gyps himalayensisGyps himalayensis
- Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- Booted eagleHieraaetus pennatus
- Black EagleIctinaetus malayensis
- Mountain Hawk-EagleNisaetus nipalensisNT
- Crested Honey BuzzardPernis ptilorhynchus
- Black KiteMilvus migrans
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
- Bonelli's EagleAquila fasciata
- Steppe eagleAquila nipalensis
- Upland BuzzardButeo hemilasius
Owls4 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Asian Barred OwletGlaucidium cuculoides
- Collared OwletGlaucidium brodiei
- Brown BoobookNinox scutulata
- Himalayan OwlStrix nivicolum
Waders1 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Red-wattled LapwingVanellus indicus
Ducks & geese1 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- GoosanderMergus merganser
Herons, ibises & grebes3 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Indian Pond-HeronArdeola grayii
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- Little CormorantMicrocarbo niger
Storks & cranes1 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Asian WoollyneckCiconia episcopusNT
Songbirds179 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Large-billed CrowCorvus macrorhynchos
- Green-backed TitParus monticolus
- Grey Bush ChatSaxicola ferreus
- Blue Whistling ThrushMyophonus caeruleus
- Grey TreepieDendrocitta formosae
- Verditer FlycatcherEumyias thalassinus
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- Red-billed LeiothrixLeiothrix lutea
- Grey-hooded WarblerPhylloscopus xanthoschistos
- Red-vented BulbulPycnonotus cafer
- Olive-backed PipitAnthus hodgsoni
- Whiskered YuhinaYuhina flavicollis
- Grey-headed Canary-FlycatcherCulicicapa ceylonensis
- Blue-winged MinlaMinla cyanouroptera
- Blue-fronted RedstartPhoenicurus frontalis
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- Rufous SibiaHeterophasia capistrata
- White-throated FantailRhipidura albicollis
- Red-tailed MinlaMinla ignotincta
- Black-throated BushtitAegithalos concinnus
- Plumbeous Water RedstartPhoenicurus fuliginosus
- Hair-crested DrongoDicrurus hottentottus
- Black BulbulHypsipetes leucocephalus
- Green-tailed SunbirdAethopyga nipalensis
- Himalayan BulbulPycnonotus leucogenys
- Common TailorbirdOrthotomus sutorius
- Buff-barred WarblerPhylloscopus pulcher
- Streak-breasted Scimitar BabblerPomatorhinus ruficollis
- Dicrurus leucophaeusDicrurus leucophaeus
- Green MagpieCissa chinensis
- Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
- Chestnut-crowned LaughingthrushTrochalopteron erythrocephalum
- White-capped Water-redstartChaimarrornis leucocephalus
- Rufous-winged FulvettaAlcippe castaneceps
- Chestnut-crowned WarblerSeicercus castaniceps
- Ashy-throated WarblerPhylloscopus maculipennis
- Bar-throated MinlaMinla strigula
- Pale-rumped WarblerPhylloscopus chloronotus
- Striated PriniaPrinia crinigera
- Whistler’s WarblerSeicercus whistleri
- Eastern Red-rumped SwallowCecropis daurica
- White-crested LaughingthrushGarrulax leucolophus
- Rufous-capped BabblerStachyridopsis ruficeps
- Common MynaAcridotheres tristis
- Indian White-eyeZosterops palpebrosus
- Grey-backed ShrikeLanius tephronotus
- White-rumped MuniaLonchura striata
- Rufous-gorgeted FlycatcherFicedula strophiata
- Yellow-bellied FantailChelidorhynx hypoxantha
- Red-billed Blue MagpieUrocissa erythroryncha
- Brown-flanked Bush WarblerHorornis fortipes
- Black-throated PriniaPrinia atrogularis
- Long-tailed MinivetPericrocotus ethologus
- Rufous-bellied NiltavaNiltava sundara
- Southern Blyth's Leaf-warblerPhylloscopus reguloides
- Little Pied FlycatcherFicedula westermanni
- Passer cinnamomeusPasser cinnamomeus
- Cinereous TitParus cinereus
- White-collared BlackbirdTurdus albocinctus
- Hume’s leaf-warblerPhylloscopus humei
- Tesia cyaniventerTesia cyaniventer
- White-tailed NuthatchSitta himalayensis
- Black-lored TitParus xanthogenys
- Stripe-throated YuhinaYuhina gularis
- Yellow-breasted GreenfinchChloris spinoides
- Jungle babblerTurdoides striata
- Orange-bellied leafbirdChloropsis hardwickii
- Oriental Magpie-robinCopsychus saularis
- Rusty-cheeked Scimitar BabblerPomatorhinus erythrogenys
- Black DrongoDicrurus macrocercus
- Chestnut-bellied NuthatchSitta cinnamoventris
- Pygmy CupwingPnoepyga pusilla
- Chestnut-bellied Rock-ThrushMonticola rufiventris
- Slaty-blue FlycatcherFicedula tricolor
- Siberian stonechatSaxicola maurus
- Crimson SunbirdAethopyga siparaja
- Grey-sided Bush WarblerCettia brunnifrons
- Black-chinned BabblerStachyridopsis pyrrhops
- Ashy BulbulHemixos flavala
- Grey-winged BlackbirdTurdus boulboul
- Tickell's ThrushTurdus unicolor
- Chestnut-headed TesiaCettia castaneocoronata
- Aberrant Bush WarblerHorornis flavolivaceus
- Dark-breasted RosefinchProcarduelis nipalensis
- Lanius schachLanius schach
- Little BuntingEmberiza pusilla
- Spotted ForktailEnicurus maculatus
- Large NiltavaNiltava grandis
- Small NiltavaNiltava macgrigoriae
- Striated LaughingthrushGarrulax striatus
- Rufous-breasted AccentorPrunella strophiata
- Himalayan BluetailTarsiger rufilatus
- White-browed FulvettaFulvetta vinipectus
- Yellow-browed TitSylviparus modestus
- Maroon OrioleOriolus traillii
- Rufous-vented YuhinaYuhina occipitalis
- Spice FinchLonchura punctulata
- Hodgson's RedstartPhoenicurus hodgsoni
- Ultramarine FlycatcherFicedula superciliaris
- Gould's SunbirdAethopyga gouldiae
- Black-winged CuckooshrikeCoracina melaschistos
- Short-billed MinivetPericrocotus brevirostris
- White-browed Scimitar BabblerPomatorhinus schisticeps
- Common RosefinchCarpodacus erythrinus
- Blue-capped Rock ThrushMonticola cinclorhynchus
- Scarlet FinchCarpodacus sipahi
- Black-throated SunbirdAethopyga saturata
- WallcreeperTichodroma muraria
- Blue Rock ThrushMonticola solitarius
- Little ForktailEnicurus scouleri
- Slaty-backed ForktailEnicurus schistaceus
- Grey-capped PriniaPrinia cinereocapillaVU
- Grey-breasted PriniaPrinia hodgsonii
- Stachyris nigricepsStachyris nigriceps
- Alcippe nipalensisAlcippe nipalensis
- Maroon-backed AccentorPrunella immaculata
- Brown DipperCinclus pallasii
- Streaked LaughingthrushTrochalopteron lineatum
- White-bellied ErpornisErpornis zantholeuca
- Blyth's Shrike-babblerPteruthius aeralatus
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- Yellow-billed Blue MagpieUrocissa flavirostris
- Fire-breasted FlowerpeckerDicaeum ignipectus
- Nepal House-MartinDelichon nipalense
- Blue-throated Blue FlycatcherCyornis rubeculoides
- Dark-sided FlycatcherMuscicapa sibirica
- Black-backed ForktailEnicurus immaculatus
- Nepal Wren-BabblerPnoepyga immaculata
- Indian Blue RobinLuscinia brunnea
- Silver-eared MesiaLeiothrix argentauris
- Pomatorhinus superciliarisPomatorhinus superciliaris
- Common IoraAegithina tiphia
- Fire-tailed SunbirdAethopyga ignicauda
- Brown-throated TreecreeperCerthia discolor
- Siberian RubythroatLuscinia calliope
- Green Shrike-BabblerPteruthius xanthochlorus
- Green-crowned Warbler or Golden-spectacled WarblerSeicercus burkii
- Greenish WarblerPhylloscopus trochiloides
- Hoary-throated BarwingActinodura nipalensis
- Black-chinned YuhinaYuhina nigrimenta
- Bronzed DrongoDicrurus aeneus
- Plain Mountain-FinchLeucosticte nemoricola
- White-browed WagtailMotacilla maderaspatensis
- Scarlet MinivetPericrocotus speciosus
- Black-faced LaughingthrushTrochalopteron affine
- Black-crested BulbulPycnonotus flaviventris
- Golden BabblerStachyridopsis chrysaea
- Turdus eunomusTurdus eunomus
- House CrowCorvus splendens
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus
- Chestnut ThrushTurdus rubrocanus
- Ferruginous FlycatcherMuscicapa ferruginea
- Black-eared Shrike-BabblerPteruthius melanotis
- Large-billed Leaf-warblerPhylloscopus magnirostris
- Slaty-bellied TesiaTesia olivea
- Broad-billed warblerTickellia hodgsoni
- Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- White-tailed RobinMyiomela leucura
- Blue-winged LaughingthrushTrochalopteron squamatum
- Mountain BulbulIxos mcclellandii
- Long-tailed BroadbillPsarisomus dalhousiae
- Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrikeHemipus picatus
- Javan CuckooshrikeCoracina javensis
- Yellow-cheeked TitParus spilonotus
- Golden Bush-robinTarsiger chrysaeus
- Fire-tailed MyzornisMyzornis pyrrhoura
- Western Crowned WarblerPhylloscopus occipitalis
- Dusky warblerPhylloscopus fuscatus
- Yellow-vented WarblerPhylloscopus cantator
- Scaly-breasted CupwingPnoepyga albiventer
- Black-faced WarblerAbroscopus schisticeps
- White-throated LaughingthrushGarrulax albogularis
- Pied ThrushGeokichla wardii
- Black-throated ParrotbillSuthora nipalensis
- Scaly LaughingthrushTrochalopteron subunicolor
- Chestnut-tailed StarlingSturnia malabarica
- Southern NutcrackerNucifraga hemispila
- Brown BullfinchPyrrhula nipalensis
Other birds40 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Great BarbetPsilopogon virens
- Oriental Turtle DoveStreptopelia orientalis
- Cuculus sparverioidesCuculus sparverioides
- Eastern Spotted DoveSpilopelia chinensis
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- House SwiftApus nipalensis
- Grey-headed WoodpeckerPicus canus
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
- Barred Cuckoo DoveMacropygia unchall
- Blue-throated barbetPsilopogon asiaticus
- Greater Yellownape WoodpeckerChrysophlegma flavinucha
- Lesser CuckooCuculus poliocephalus
- Crested KingfisherMegaceryle lugubris
- Grey-capped Pygmy WoodpeckerYungipicus canicapillus
- Wedge-tailed Green PigeonTreron sphenurus
- Slaty-headed ParakeetPsittacula himalayana
- Hill PartridgeArborophila torqueola
- Kalij PheasantLophura leucomelanos
- White-breasted KingfisherHalcyon smyrnensis
- Ashy Wood PigeonColumba pulchricollis
- Cuculus saturatusCuculus saturatus
- Greater FlamebackChrysocolaptes guttacristatus
- Himalayan SwiftletAerodramus brevirostris
- Black-tailed CrakePorzana bicolor
- Chestnut-headed Bee-eaterMerops leschenaulti
- Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
- Asian Palm-swiftCypsiurus balasiensis
- Darjeeling WoodpeckerDendrocopos darjellensis
- Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
- Common Emerald DoveChalcophaps indica
- Rhopodytes tristisRhopodytes tristis
- Rufous WoodpeckerMicropternus brachyurus
- Scarlet-breasted WoodpeckerDryobates cathpharius
- Bay WoodpeckerBlythipicus pyrrhotis
- Indian CuckooCuculus micropterus
- Square-tailed Drongo-CuckooSurniculus lugubris
- Oriental DollarbirdEurystomus orientalis
- Speckled PiculetPicumnus innominatus
- Cuculus variusCuculus varius
- Picus chlorolophusPicus chlorolophus
Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.
When to go
The most species in March.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan16°/6°6 mm
- Feb20°/8°12 mm
- Mar24°/11°30 mm
- Apr27°/15°64 mm
- May27°/17°144 mm
- Jun27°/19°235 mm
- Jul25°/20°419 mm
- Aug25°/20°317 mm
- Sep24°/18°242 mm
- Oct22°/15°70 mm
- Nov20°/11°4 mm
- Dec17°/8°3 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Mai Pokhari.
Wetland in Ilam District, Nepal
Mai Pokhari is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in Nepal, 2,115 m above the sea.
242 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 3,303 open records.
The most recorded are the Large-billed Crow, the Green-backed Tit and the Grey Bush Chat.
34 species come for the summer, 56 for the winter and 6 only pass through.
1 are threatened worldwide, including Grey-capped Prinia.
The most species are recorded in March.
Get there and watch
- Magnolia Food & Lodgingplace to stay · 11 km · 14 within 10 km
- Ilāmnearest town · 11 km in a straight line
- Taplejung Airport (TPJ)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 45 km in a straight lineCar hire at PBH airport (Paro)Discover Cars · sponsored link↗
Plan the visit
A guided walk, a bed nearby, a car.
Some links above are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the data on this page says.
From above
The place and its surroundings.
The satellite image of the 6 × 6 km around the place, with the bird hides, towers and trails that OpenStreetMap shows.
Around, in OpenStreetMap
- 1viewpoints within 5 kmMaipokhari
- 2campsites within 10 km
- 14places to stay within 10 kmMagnolia Food & Lodging, Solu Lodge, Kaiakata Habresnest Lodge & Restaurant and 11 more
- bird hides within 6 km
- observation towers within 6 km
- marked trails within 4 km
- visitor centres within 6 km
- car parks within 3 km
- restaurants and cafés within 3 km
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. A low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet.
In our other atlases
Around Mai Pokhari.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Peakyas5 mountains within 25 kmSandakpu3,636 m · 13 kmTonglu3,070 m · 16 kmThakam · 17 kmSabargam · 19 kmFalut3,600 m · 24 km
Darkskyas1 dark-sky places within 30 kmSandakpuBortle 2 · 13 km
Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.
Photographs
The place, as people saw it.
Other places nearby.
Mai Pokhari
Nepal
- 68Birdyas Score
- 242Species
- 96Migrants
- 1Threatened
Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve
Nepal · 100 km
- 92Birdyas Score
- 425Species
- 255Migrants
- 10Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q6735168) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 3,303 open bird records within 6 km (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only; mostly eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology) |
| See these records | gbif.org |
| Species | GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0; Wikidata (CC0); Wikimedia Commons |
| Altitude | Copernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA |
| Temperature and rain | NASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg, 2001–2020; MERRA-2) |
| What is around | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Images | EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons |
| Sister atlases | Peakyas, Darkskyas, Cascadyas |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
The family
Do you prefer beaches, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, islands, rivers, canyons, caves, dark skies, viewpoints, birdwatching or forests?
Same idea, other landscapes: field atlases built on open data, in seven languages.
beaches
Find your beach: sea temperature, sun and swimming month by month.Visit 
lakes
Every lake on Earth: water temperature, ice, depth and the shore.Visit mountains
Every summit in 3D: summit weather, the 0 °C line, huts and trails.Visit 
waterfalls
Every waterfall: height, flow month by month and when it roars.Visit 
islands
Every island from the sea up: size, sea temperature, ferries and 3D.Visit 
rivers
Every river from source to sea: the journey, the flow and the basin in numbers.Visit 
canyons
Every canyon cut to scale: depth to the floor, rim and floor temperatures, trails and viewpoints.Visit 
caves
Every cave with its real depth and length: the rock above, the temperature inside all year, and how to visit.Visit dark skies
Where the night is still dark: the sky of every place, the Milky Way month by month, the Moon, eclipses and auroras.Visit 
viewpoints
Every viewpoint with its real 360° panorama: the peaks you can name, how far you see and where the sun sets.Coming soonVisit 
birdwatching
Every bird sanctuary and wetland with the species recorded month by month: who is resident, who comes for the summer, who only passes through.You are here
forests
Every forest with its land-cover rings, what grows and lives in it, and the best months to walk it.Coming soonVisit