Birds are seen in Punakha, Bhutan

Leaving Thimphu, you will cross the dochula pass at about 3050 meters and within the short time you will arrive at the Punakha valley which is drained by the Punatsangchu river. The cool broad leaved forest below the Dochula pass is home to one of the most sought after birds of Bhutan; the rare and globally threatened Ward's Trogon. Other species in this region includes the Cutia, Collared Grosbeaks, Darjeeling Woodpeckers and several colourful sunbirds, which especially abundant during the spring when the mountainside is covered in blooming rhododendrons and magnolias of varying shades.

Further down the valley we can spot the Tawny Fish Owl, Sliver-eared Mesia, barbets and oyher sub-tropical species. Perhaps the most famous bird in the valley is the extremely rare White-bellied Heron. This heron is one of the fifty rarest birds in the world and the global population is estimated at less than 200 individuals.