First record of Naumann’s Thrush in Nepal’s capital highlights shrinking wetlands and conservation concerns

KATHMANDU, Jan 18 – A rare Naumann’s Thrush has been recorded for the first time in Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley, bird experts said, highlighting the growing importance of conserving shrinking wetlands in the capital.

Biodiversity researcher Sujan Shrestha and wildlife photographer Krishna Kaji Prajapati spotted the bird on Jan. 14 in the wetlands near the Manohara River, southeast of Mulpani in Kageshwori-Manohara Municipality. The sighting was later confirmed by Bird Conservation Nepal and ornithologists at Tribhuvan University.

The thrush (Turdus naumanni), known locally as the Rufous-faced Thrush, breeds in south-central Siberia and migrates in winter to parts of East Asia including China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. It has also been reported as a rare vagrant in Europe and South Asia, including Bhutan, India and Myanmar.

The species was first documented in Nepal in 2024 in Mustang District, but the Kathmandu Valley record is considered significant due to rapid loss of wetlands from pollution, sand mining and urban expansion.

“Such sightings are a reminder that balancing urban development with biodiversity conservation is urgent,” Bird Conservation Nepal said in a statement.