Wildlife and birds · Phalut
High-ridge birding for the fire-tailed myzornis
The rhododendron and bamboo scrub between Sandakphu and Phalut is one of the places birders come to look for the fire-tailed myzornis, a small green bird with a red tail, along with rosefinches, blood pheasants and other high-altitude species.
Above about 3,000 m the Singalila forest gives way to fir, dwarf rhododendron and bamboo scrub, home to a set of high-altitude birds that are hard to find elsewhere in India. The fire-tailed myzornis, a small bright green bird with a flash of red in the tail, feeds on nectar and insects in flowering rhododendrons and is a target for many visiting birders.
Walk slowly along the ridge track in the early morning, stopping at flowering shrubs in April and May. Look also for rosefinches, grosbeaks, tits and accentors, and listen for blood pheasants in the fir forest below. In autumn the birds are quieter, but the light is excellent.
Combine birding with the Sandakphu to Phalut walk by starting at first light and allowing a longer day, or spend an extra morning around Phalut. Binoculars are essential.
Cost: Included in your guide fee
Questions people ask
Good to know
Where can I see the fire-tailed myzornis in Singalila?
In the high rhododendron and bamboo scrub along the ridge, especially between Sandakphu and Phalut, mostly in spring when rhododendrons flower. Sightings need patience and a slow walk. A guide with birding experience helps a lot.
What other birds live on the high Singalila Ridge?
Blood pheasants, rosefinches, grosbeaks, accentors, tits, laughingthrushes and, lower down, satyr tragopans. Raptors such as lammergeiers and Himalayan griffons are sometimes seen riding the ridge winds.
Is spring or autumn better for birds at Phalut?
Spring, April and May, is better for song, breeding activity and nectar-feeding birds in flowering rhododendrons. Autumn has clearer light and better mountain views but quieter birds. The park is closed in the monsoon.
