Photo: Golden Eagle (Juvenile bird) taken on 6th Dec 2014-- Thoolakharka Nepal Thoolakharka (Kande) is one of the globally significant raptor migration corridors (Flyway) in Nepal  which is situated in Kaski District, Lumle VDC- 6 and this flyway is used by thousands of raptors that leave the Tibetan plateau and northern Asia, including Mongolia, China and Eastern part of Russia that heading to south in Middle-East or even Africa following the Himalayan Range of Nepal and India. This is the only site in the world where raptor migrates from east to west direction (but other places migration is north to south). Also this is the only place in the world where highest numbers of Steppe Eagles migration can be observed during autumn season.   To find out the total species and number of raptor that use this migration route, their status and migration pattern and age structure of Steppe Eagle, this study was started from 2012. In each year we conduct 85 days of study (Sept 15...

Peregrine Falcon (ssp peregrinator) Now we are towards the end of autumn migration season in Nepal. This year was certainly different than previous years because of the different weather and fluctuation on number of migrating birds. In the beginning of the season we had definitely better weather than last years because not much rain/cloud however in November we had mostly foggy days  because of moist air from the south, when it strikes with the cold mountain slopes and turns into fog. Therefore we had about 75% foggy days in November. In early season we had quite diverse species of raptors including falcons, eagles, vultures, OHB, sparrowhawk and buteos. Now the species diversity is going low and we are mostly getting eagles and vultures (Himalayan Vulture and Steppe Eagle). That means the falcon, OHB and Accipiter migration is over. If we compare the data of falcon migration from previous studies, this year seems to be a bad year for those species for example it seems the nu...