The Himalayan Raptors

15/10/2026

15 Oct 2026
Raptor Migration Highlights from Thoolakharka
Total Species Migrating = 17
Total Individuals Migrating = 141
Resident Species = 6
Major Highlights: Imperial Eagle, Amur Falcon, Steppe Eagle, Upland Buzzard, Long-legged Buzzard, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Peregrine Falcon, Booted Eagle, Himalayan Buzzard, Eurasian Hobby etc. Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association The Peregrine Fund

13/10/2026

Do you know the s*x specific role of Egyptian Vulture during breeding stages ?

Read our recent article

Both mates of an Egyptian Vulture pair work together to raise chicks, but their roles differ. Males mostly bring food and nesting material, while females spend more time at the nest caring for eggs a...

12/10/2026

Just the beginning of the migration count at Thoolakharka
Total Day = 3
Total Raptors Counted =150
Total Species Migrating = 13
Resident Species =5
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association The Peregrine Fund

11/10/2026

The Mountain Hawk-Eagle is an indicator species of healthy primary forest. Few birds move around the Thoolakharka Raptor Watchsite. We have been monitoring them for the last seven years. This particular individual was tagged with a GPS transmitter, which is providing vital information about its habitat.
The Peregrine Fund

10/10/2026

We had a wonderful start to the migration season at Thoolakharka, Nepal, with 65 migrating raptors representing 9 species!

The most abundant migrant was the Oriental Honey Buzzard, with 34 individuals recorded. Other migrants included White-rumped Vulture, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Northern Goshawk, Eurasian Hobby, Common Kestrel, Booted Eagle, Steppe Eagle, and Black Kite.

In addition to the migrants, we recorded 7 species of resident raptors, including four distinct Mountain Hawk-Eagles and four Black Eagles, alongside Bonelli’s Eagle, Red-headed Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Himalayan Vulture, and Besra.

An exciting beginning to the season, and we look forward to many more memorable moments and discoveries in the days ahead!
Thank you Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association for making this year count possible.

10/10/2026

The Raptor Migration Count has kicked off at Thoolakharka, Nepal!

The first hour brought a few Oriental Honey Buzzards and hundreds of Red-rumped Swallows. Stay tuned for more updates as the count progresses Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association The Peregrine Fund

24/09/2026

We are delighted to present this beautiful artwork by Ms. Aayusha Sharma Paudel, created under the theme “Nature’s Clean-Up Crew.”
Her artwork was awarded First Position in the Vulture Artwork Festival 2026, organized by Himalayan Raptors as part of our efforts to raise awareness about the ecological importance of vultures and their role in maintaining healthy ecosystems.

Through her artwork, Aayusha beautifully captures the importance of vultures as nature’s clean-up crew and highlights why these remarkable birds deserve our appreciation and protection.

Ms. Aayusha describes her artwork as follows:

Human activities are rapidly changing the environment. Large nesting trees are being cut down, food sources are poisoned, and high-voltage power lines make the skies increasingly dangerous. As vultures lose their safe habitats, the landscape slowly becomes a death zone not only for them, but also for other wildlife and people. Without vultures to quickly remove animal carcasses, dead animals remain in the environment for longer periods. As they decompose, they can harbor harmful bacteria, parasites, and diseases that may spread to livestock, wildlife, and eventually humans. This painting depicts a vulture in its final moments, reflecting on memories of a flourishing past when food was safe and plentiful, vultures soared in abundance, diverse species shared the skies, and towering trees offered shelter and security.

18/09/2026

Here, we present another beautiful artwork by Ms Smirti Mahato, created under the theme “Safe Skies for Vultures.” Her artwork was awarded First Runner-up in the Vulture Artwork Festival 2026, organized by Himalayan Raptors.

Ms Smirti describes her artwork as follows:

My artwork indicates about how Vulture safety is protected in the skies and what the main problem is for unsafe skies for vultures. My artwork has some indicators for the safety of vultures. My artwork also urges students to help and support the conservation of vultures.

16/09/2026

This Beautiful artwork on the theme 'Vultures and Communities' was done by Tanisha Thapa, who won third place at our Vulture Artwork Festival 2026, organized on the occasion of IVAD 2026.

Ms Tanisha describes her artwork as below;

"Featuring the critically endangered Red-headed Vulture at its heart, this artwork illustrates the vital bond between wildlife and human settlements. For generations, vultures have silently protected our mountain villages, keeping our home clean, healthy, and safe. But today, our choices are pulling their world apart. This painting is a gentle reminder that these magnificent birds cannot survive without us, and we cannot thrive without them. Ultimately, the survival of nature's scavengers depends on local communities choosing sustainable coexistence over destruction because saving the vulture means saving the very heart of our shared home.

We congratulate Tanisha on securing third place.

10/09/2026

Early next month, we are starting the Raptor Migration Count.

Now, it is time to prepare for another season of raptor migration monitoring at Thoolakharka, the only established raptor migration watchsite along the east–west southern corridor of raptor migration in Nepal.

This year, we are excited to welcome four students from different institutions of Tribhuvan University — Dipesh Khatri Chhetri, Bishal Chhetri, Dipa Bhatt, and Rohan Tuladhar. They will support the daily migration counts while gaining hands-on experience in raptor research, field techniques, species identification, migration monitoring, and conservation.

This initiative is not only about collecting valuable long-term data on migrating raptors; it is also about building the next generation of raptor researchers and conservationists in Nepal.

We sincerely thank the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association for your partnership and support for this year’s raptor migration count. Your support is helping strengthen both raptor conservation research and young researchers’ capacity in Nepal.