Nature · Rara Lake
Grebes, pochards and coots on the lake
Spend an early morning with binoculars on Rara's quiet bays, watching coots, grebes and wintering ducks on the largest lake in Nepal, with musk deer and danphe possible in the forest behind.
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Rara National Park has 241 recorded bird species, 49 of them wetland birds. Coots are seen on the lake year-round, bobbing in loose flocks in the sheltered bays. From autumn the lake receives great crested and black-necked grebes, red-crested pochards, mallards, common teal and common mergansers.
The best way to see them is to walk to a quiet point on the shore at dawn, when the water is calm and the birds are close. Sit, scan with binoculars, and let the light come up. In the forest behind you may hear danphe, kalij pheasant and blood pheasant, and on lucky mornings a musk deer slips through the trees.
In midwinter heavy snow often closes the trails to the lake, so the best birding windows are late October to November and again in March and April as birds pass through. Bring binoculars, a warm hat and gloves.
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Questions
What birds can I see at Rara Lake?
Coots are present year-round. From autumn come great crested and black-necked grebes, red-crested pochards, mallards, teal and common mergansers. In the forest look for danphe, kalij pheasant, blood pheasant and Himalayan snowcock higher up. The park has 241 recorded species.
When is the best time for birdwatching at Rara?
Late October and November, after the monsoon and before heavy snow, and March to April as birds move through. December to February brings snow that often blocks access. Mornings are best, when the lake is calm.
Can I see red panda at Rara?
Red panda is recorded in Rara National Park, but sightings are rare and usually involve luck or a long search with a local guide in the right forest. Musk deer and langur monkeys are seen more often. Do not plan a trip around red panda here.
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