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Welcome to www.tibetbirds.com!

This page is dedicated to the birds of Tibet.

I also give advice and information for birders and birdwatchers on birdwatching and travel in Tibet.

Below my pictures of Tibetan birds. If you want to find a special bird without scrolling the whole page you just may use your browser's search function (press: ctrl + F) and type the bird you search in English, German or Latin. For some birds click for "more pictures" !

This is the first webpage attempting to show Tibetan language bird names!!!

Please help with the Tibetan names of Tibetan birds! I would also be interested in local/ dialect/ other diverging names!!!

I did not record the time of photographing here, but it is in the meta data of the pictures. Download the picture, right click picture - Eigenschaften - Details - Aufnahmedatum.

ruddy shelduck

 

Ruddy Shell Duck

Rostgans

Tadorna ferruginea
Other names:
Casarca ferruginea
Anas ferruginea
Casarca rutila

赤麻鸭 (chì má yā)

1

(ngang ser, also ngur pa)

One of the most common birds here on lakes and rivers in winter. They seem to come because they consider Lhasa in winter to be a beautiful warm place!!!
That is not the association most people have with Tibet in winter, but they are right! Temperatures hardly drop below -15 °C at night (that is same as e.g. in Germany), and in daytime the sun is usually burning with no clouds being seen for weeks at a time.

more pictures

Lalu, Lhasa River, Damshung

Bar headed goose portrait

Bar Headed Goose

Streifengans oder Indische Gans

Anser indicus

斑头雁 (bān tóu yàn)

Bar-headed Goose

(ngang pa mgo khra)

Very common here in Winter.

It is supposed to be one of the highest flying birds! They have been seen flying over the highest peaks of the Himalaya!

 

more pictures

Lalu, Lhasa River, Damshung, Lukhang

crested grebe

Crested Grebe

Haubentaucher

Podiceps cristatus

凤头鸊鷉 (fèng tóu pì tī)

Quite rare here. I only saw one at a time.

more pictures

Lukhang

Black necked cranes flying

Black Necked Crane

Schwarzhalskranich

Grus nigricollis

黑颈鹤 (hēi jǐng hè)

Black-necked Crane

(khrung khrung mjing nag)

 

more pictures

Phembo, Lalu

Tibetan eared pheasant

Tibetan Eared Pheasant

Harman-Ohrfasan

Crossoptilon harmani

藏马鸡 (zàng mǎ jī)

Tibetan Eared-Pheasant

(bya wang sngon mo)

One finds these rare pheasants only around monasteries, where for the sake of the Buddhist religion hunting was forbidden in the past and today.
Often they come running for food which they eat from ones hand!

more pictures

Shugseb, Densatil

young Tibetan Eared pheasant a young one photographed in August
Tibetan snowcock

Tibetan snowcock

Tibet-Königshuhn

Tetraogallus tibetanus

藏雪鸡 (zàng xuĕ jī)

Tibetan Snowcock

(gong mo)

Same as above: once one sees them around monasteries they can be quite tame.

 

more pictures

Shugseb

 

Black kite

Black Kite

Schwarzer Milan, Schwarzmilan

Milvus migrans

黑鸢 (hēi yuān)

Black Kite

('ol ba)

more pictures

Lalu

Little owl

Little Owl

Steinkauz

Athene noctua

纵纹腹小鸮 (zòng wén fù xiǎo xiāo)

Little Owl

('ug pa khra bo, 'ug chung thur ris)

Damshung

Lammergeier

Lammergeier, Lammergeyer, or Bearded Vulture

Bartgeier

Gypaetus barbatus

胡兀鹫 (hú wù jiù)

Lammergeier

(dur bya: literally: burrial ground bird, go bo)

They sometimes go after the vultures to skyburrial sites for the bones which they will drop from high altitude on a rock to smash them to get the marrow. On this picture the beard is clearly visible.

 

more pictures

Drigung

Steppe eagle

Steppe Eagle

Steppenadler

Aquila nipalensis

亚洲草原雕 (yà zhōu cǎo yuán diāo)

rtswa glag

(rtswa glag)

It has a crop in its throat allowing it to store food for several hours! It is the national bird of Egypt!

Damshung

Upland buzzard

Upland buzzard

Hochlandbussard auch Mongolenbussard

Buteo hemilasius

大鵟 (dà kuáng)

Upland Buzzard

(byi zan khra chen mo, ne'u le)

Here a comment by Peter Humphrey:

the bird you labelled Upland Buzzard is actually the Common Buzzard race found in the region (according to Sid in Sichuan it has now been elevated to a species by some authorities and is now called Himalayan Buzzard Buteo burmanicus). Plumage is pretty much identical to the Upland Buzzard but the size and structure are different with the latter looking more eagle-like as a bigger bird with longer wings, heavier flight and larger bill. I saw a few of these in Tibet but most - includng all the dead ones we found at Namtso - were Common/Himalayan

more pictures

Namtsho

Himalayan griffon vulture

Himalayan Vulture or Himalayan Griffon Vulture

Schneegeier oder Himalayageier

Gyps himalayensis

高山兀鹫 (gāo shān wù jiù)

Himalayan Griffon

(thang dkar rgod po, rgod thang dkar)

Dozens can be sees at Tibetan sky burrial places. Also they may find dead animals along the highways. If cought in such situations they are very tame, not minding if one walks right into a venue of vultures.

Probably the most common bird of prey in Tibet.

more pictures

Drigung, Damshung

Red billed chough

Red Billed Chough

Alpenkrähe

Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax

红嘴山鸦 (hóng zuǐ shān yā)

Red-billed Chough

(skyung ka)

Drigung, Tsurpu

Yellow billed chough

Alpine Chough or Yellow-billed Chough

Alpendohle, auch Berg- oder Jochdohle

Pyrrhocorax graculus

黄嘴山鸦 (huáng zuǐ shān yā)

gangs skyung

(gangs skyung)

Drigung

brown accentor

Brown Accentor

Fahlbraunelle

Prunella fulvescens

褐岩鹨 (hè yán liù)

ti li rdzi dkar.jpg

(ti li dzi dkar)

very common here ...

more pictures

everywhere ...

Dipper

White-throated Dipper, also European Dipper or just Dipper

Wasseramsel oder Eurasische Wasseramsel

Cinclus cinclus

河乌 (hé wū)

White-throated Dipper

(rba byi'u: literatlly: little wave bird, rba byi'u 'og dkar)

Lovely little bird diving in little streams, through little waterfalls, even below ice patches. Very enjoyable watching!

 

more pictures

Terdrom, Tsurpu

Himalayan wagtail

Himalayan Wagtail/ White Wagtail

Bachstelze-alboides, Himalaya Bachstelze

Motacilla alboides/ Motacilla alba

白鹡鸰 (bái jí líng)

'o byi'u

('o byi'u)

Lhasa river, Lalu, everywhere were there is water it seems, very very common

White rumped snowfinch

White-rumped Snowfinch or White-rumped Ground-sparrow, Taczanowski's/Mandelli's Ground-sparrow/Snowfinch

Tibet-Schneefink oder Weißbürzel-Schneefink, Weißbürzel-Erdsperling

Pyrgilauda taczanowskii, Montifringilla taczanowskii

白腰雪雀 (bái yāo xuĕ què)

bra rta skya ril

(bra rta skya ril)

Damshung

Rufous necked snowfinch

Rufous-necked Snowfinch

Rothals-Erdsperling, Rothalsschneefink, Rothals-Schneefink

Pyrgilauda ruficollis, Montifringilla ruficollis

棕颈雪雀 (zōng jǐng xuĕ què)

bra byi’u rgya ser

(bra byi’u rgya ser)   

Damshung, Namtsho

tibetan ground tit

Tibetan Ground-tit or Hume's Ground-tit, Ground Tit or simply as Hume's Groundpecker, also Hume's Ground-jay or Tibetan Ground-jay

Höhlenhäher

Pseudopodoces humilis

褐背拟地鸦 (hè bēi nǐ dì yā)

Tibetan Ground-Jay

(ti ti)

Little bird that uses Pika holes for living!

 

more pictures

Dode, Namtsho, Damshung, Lalu, Tsurpu, ... probably everywhere

Great tit

Great tit

Kohlmeise

Parus major

大山雀 (dà shān què)

dung ma ‘o thung

(dung ma ‘o thung)

Nyangre, Dode, Norbulingka, Lalu, very common

white winged grossbeak

White winged grosbeak

Wacholderkernbeißer

Mycerobas carnipes

白翅拟蜡嘴雀 (bái chì nǐ là zuǐ què)

shug byi’u stod nag

(shug byi’u stod nag)

The German name suggests that it eats juniper seeds, of which in deed there is a lot here. Sorry for the bad picture ...

rare

Drigung

wallcreeper

Wallcreeper

Mauerläufer

Tichodroma muraria

红翅旋壁雀 (hóng chì xuán bì què)

brag shud

(brag shud)

now it came to the river, where I can see it every day

more pictures

Damshung, Lhasa river

Lark

Tibetan Lark

Riesensumpflärche

Melanocorypha maxima

长嘴百灵 (cháng zuǐ bǎi líng)

na yi co ka

(na yi co ka)

Lalu

 

Hoopoe

Hoopoe

Wiedehopf, auch Hoppevogel, Puvogel, Krammetsvogel, Langwiede, Hupatz oder Wehdwinde

Upupa epops

戴胜 (dài shèng)

hoopoe

(pu shud)

more pictures

Lalu, Lukhang, common also in non-special birdwatching places

Mallard male

Mallard

Stockente

Anas platyrhynchos

绿头鸭 (lǜ tóu yā)

Here a male ‍(drake). The most common duck on Germany's ponds, but here quite rare.

A mallard can reach a flying speed of 105 km/h!

Lalu, Lukhang

Mallard female

Mallard female (hen).

Lalu, Lukhang

White winged redstart male female

White-winged Redstart or Güldenstädt's Redstart

Riesenrotschwanz

Phoenicurus erythrogastrus

红腹红尾鸲 (hóng fù hóng wĕi qú)

bag byi’u klad dkar

(bag byi’u klad dkar)

I know some bushes where there are dozens of them. The male is one of the most colorful birds here in winter.

 

more pictures

Lalu, Tsurpu, Terdrom, Drigung, Nyangre, very common

robin accentor

 Robin Accentor

 Rotbrustbraunelle

Prunella rubeculoides

鸲岩鹨 (qú yán liù)

ti li dang dmar

(ti li dang dmar)

more pictures

very common, maybe everywhere

Rosefinch

Himalayan Beautiful Rosefinch

Schmuckgimpel

Carpodacus pulcherrimus

红眉朱雀 (hóng méi zhū què)

byi’u bla dmar skya

(byi’u bla dmar skya)

Nyangre, Terdrom, Lalu, Tsurpu, Chushul, Norbulingka, Dode, quite common in many places

 

Spotted Great Rosefinch

Spotted Great Rosefinch

Berggimpel

Carpodacus severtzovi

大朱雀 (dà zhū què)

 

Spotted Great Rosefinch female
and it's female
an other rosefinch.jpg

another Beautiful Rosefinch.

 

Snipe

Common Snipe

Bekassine

Gallinago gallinago

扇尾沙锥 (shàn wĕi shā zhuī)

thing sreg

(thing sreg, this is the name for the Pintail Snipe. But I am not sure if the picture IS a Pintail Snipe, neither I am sure that mine is a Common Snipe and not a Pintail Snipe)

It seems to have missed the point of flying away and then relied on its' camouflage ... and I could come quite close.

more pictures

Chusul, Lalu

white tailed sea eagle

White-tailed Sea-eagle or White-tailed Eagle, Sea Eagle, Erne, Ern

Seeadler

Haliaeetus albicilla

白尾海雕 (bái wĕi hǎi diāo)

White-tailed Eagle

(mtsho glag mjug dkar)

He ruined my water fowl watching ... but was a a great show by itself.

 

more pictures

Lhasa river, Lalu

white tailed sea eagle
white tailed sea eagle
white tailed sea eagle
white tailed sea eagle
common merganser

Common Merganser

Gänsesäger

Mergus merganser

秋沙鸭 (qiū shā yā)

chu bya ir mo

(chu bya ir mo)

Lhasa river, Lalu, extremely common in winter.

merganser diving
here taking a dive
merganser diving2
merganser diving2
merganser diving6
and diving up
common tael

Eurasian Teal or Common Teal

Krickente auch Kriekente

Anas crecca

绿翅鸭 (lǜ chì yā)

Lalu

northern lapwing

Northern Lapwing, also known as the Peewit or Green Plover

Kiebitz

Vanellus vanellus

凤头麦鸡 (fèng tóu mài jī)

theng ljang ral ba

(theng ljang ral ba)

Lalu

Plain Mountain Finch

Plain Mountain-finch

Waldschneegimpel, auch Waldrosenfink

Leucosticte nemoricola

林岭雀 (lín lǐng què)

rdza byi’u ‘ur ba

(rdza byi’u ‘ur ba)

Lalu

dark throated thrush

Red-throated Thrush

Rotkehldrossel

Turdus ruficollis

赤颈鸫 (chì jǐng dōng)

kha la sbo dkar

(kha la sbo dkar)

more pictures

Norbulingka, Lukhang

oriental skylark

Oriental Skylark

 Sumpflerche

Alauda gulgula

小云雀 (xiǎo yún què)

Oriental Skylark

(co ga)

The German name suggests a marsh- swampland habitat, which in deed it was where I found it.

Lalu

pallas gull adult breeding plumage

Pallas's Gull or Great Black-headed Gull

Fischmöwe

(Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus or Larus ichthyaetus)

渔鸥 (yú ōu)

rta skyar

(rta skyar, the name for gulls or even all fish-eating water bird in general is: chu skyar)

Adult breeding plumage.

Lhasa river, Lalu, Lukhang

More pictures with Pallas Gulls in different plumages and catching fish.

Hoopoe

Hoopoe

Upupa epops

戴胜 (dài shèng)

Eurasian Hoopoe

We had one above ... but here I got closer!

gull

Brown Headed Gull

Braunkopf-Lachmöwe

Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus

棕头鸥 (zōng tóu ōu)

mtshe’u skyar ‘ol mgo

(mtshe’u skyar ‘ol mgo)

First winter plumage.

Lhasa river, Lalu, Lukhang

gull

Brown Headed Gull

Adult non breeding plumage.

Lhasa river, Lalu, Lukhang

brown headed gull adult breeding plumage

Brown Headed Gull

Adult breeding plumage

common sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Flussuferläufer

Actitis hypoleucos

矶鹬 (jī yù)

Green Sandpiper

(thing ril, thing byil)

more pictures

Lhasa river, Lalu

iIbis bill flying

Ibisbill

Ibisschnabel

Ibidorhyncha struthersii

鹮嘴鹬 (huán zuǐ yù)

mthing ril gro mo

(mthing ril gro mo)

Here in flight.

Lhasa river

ibis bill

Ibisbill

Ibisschnabel

Ibidorhyncha struthersii

鹮嘴鹬 (huán zuǐ yù)

His long bend beak seems to be perfect to search for little worms and insects below the river pebbles. There are plenty of them right in front of my house door at the river. Plenty.

 

more pictures

Lhasa river

Eurasian Blackbird

Eurasian Blackbird/ Tibetan Blackbird

Amsel, Schwarzdrossel/ Tibetamsel

Turdus merula/ Turdus maximus

乌鸫 (wū dōng)

To me it looks very much like an Eurasian Blackbird ... just it was photographed in a Lhasa park.

Lukhang

blackbird female

and it's female

Lukhang

Oriental Turtle Dove

Oriental Turtle Dove or Rufous Turtle Dove

Orientturteltaube, auch Bergturteltaube, Meena-Turteltaube oder Meenataube

Streptopelia orientalis

山斑鸠 (shān bān jiū)

kru kru stag ske

(kru kru stag ske)

Lukhang, Potala Square, Lhasa river

horned skylark

Horned Lark, Horned Skylark, Shore Lark

Ohrenlerche

Eremophila alpestris

角百灵 (jiǎo bǎi líng)

lhags byi’u

(lhags byi’u)

Lhasa river, Damshung

Once one sees them, then usually in large flocks.

White-winged Snowfinch

White-winged Snowfinch, Common Snowfinch, Eurasian Snowfinch

Schneefink, oder auch Schneesperling

Montifringilla nivalis

白斑翅雪雀 (bái bān chì xuĕ què)

khre ba gshog bkra

(khre ba gshog bkra)

Namtsho

brown-cheeked laughingthrush

Brown-cheeked Laughingthrush, Prince Henry's Laughingthrush

Prinzenhäherling

Garrulax henrici henrici

灰腹噪鹛 (huī fù zào méi)

 

They can make a hell of a noise ...!

fairly common in many places, but they are shy.

more pictures

Dode, Nyangre, Norbulingka, Terdrom, Lalu

weasel

Mountain Weasel, also known as the Pale Weasel, Altai Weasel

Altaiwiesel

Mustela altaica

香鼬 (xiāng yòu)

Very curious animal following us for some time ...

he lives on Pikas like many raptors and sometimes lives in their burrows - like some bird species on the plateau.

Damshung

 

abra

Plateau Pika, Black-lipped Pika

Schwarzlippige Pfeifhase

Ochotona curzoniae

高原鼠兔 (gāo yuán shŭ tù)

sorry for the tiny picture ... I'll try to provide a better one soon.

Prey for all raptors and it's burrows are used by some bird species like the ground tit, and some snow finches and therefore a keystone species on the plateau!

see: www.cspo.org

and: www.snowleopardnetwork.org

Chinese authorities liked to poison it, claiming it destroys the pastures. With the Pika all the raptors, foxes, linx etc. were killed (eating the poisoned Pikas)... the Pika population recoverd fast, it's natural enemies much slower - and there were more Pikas than ever. (Wouldn't need too much phantasie to predict it ...)

close to everywhere

common greenshank

Common Greenshank

Grünschenkel

Tringa nebularia

青脚鹬 (qīng jiǎo yù)

 

more pictures

Lalu, Lhasa river

Buff-barred warbler

Buff-barred warbler

Goldbinden-Laubsänger

Phylloscopus pulcher

橙斑翅柳莺 (chéng bān chì liŭ yīng)

Christ! it can't keep still ... I only saw once.

Norbulingka

white collared blackbird

White Collared Blackbird

Weißhalsdrossel

Turdus albocinctus

白颈鸫 (bái jǐng dōng)

Norbulingka

I only saw once.

sparrow

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Feld Sperling, Spatz, Feldspatz

Passer montanus

麻雀 (má què)

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

(mchil pa, mchil ba rgya bo)

close to everywhere

common coot

Common Coot or Eurasian Coot

Blässhuhn

Fulica atra

白骨顶 (bái gŭ dǐng)

Lalu

Eurasian Crag martin

Eurasian Crag Martin or just Crag Martin

Felsenschwalbe

Ptyonoprogne rupestris

岩燕 (yán yàn)

swallow

(khug rta: this may be any kind of swallow)

The best of 239 pictures (!) I tried to do of it ...

more pictures

Lhasa river

alpine accentor

Alpine Accentor/ Collared Accentor

Alpenbraunelle

Prunella collaris

领岩鹨 (lǐng yán liù)

ti li gangs skyes

(ti li gangs skyes)

Drigung

tibetan partridge

Tibetan Partridge

Tibetrebhuhn

Perdix hodgsoniae

高原山鹑 (gāo yuán shān chún)

partridge

(sreg pa)

Terdrom, Shugseb

crow

Porbably a Large Billed Crow?

Dickschnabelkrähe

Corvus macrorhynchos

大嘴乌鸦 (dà zuǐ wū yā)

 Large-billed Crow

(kwa ta)

Drigung

winter wren

Eurasian Wren/ Winter Wren

Zaunkönig

Troglodytes troglodytes

鹪鹩 (jiāo liáo)

rbya byil stag ris

(rbya byil stag ris)

more pictures

Tsurpu, Nyangre

godlewski's bunting

Godlewski's Bunting

Felsenammer

Emberiza godlewskii

戈氏岩鹀 (gē shì yán wú)

gzi mthur

(gzi mthur)

Tsurpu, Nyangre

white browed tit warbler

White Browed Tit Warbler

Busch- oder Purpurhähnchen

Leptopoecile sophiae

花彩雀莺 (huā cǎi què yīng)

mthe ba rgya smug

(mthe ba rgya smug)

I only saw once at Tsurpu

raven

Common Raven

Kolkrabe

Corvus corax

渡鸦 (dù yā)

 Tibetan Raven

(bya rog)

(this Tibetan name is probably for all kind of ravens and maybe crows)

He sat just 2 meters from me, seemingly waiting for me to die ... so bad was my shape when I fell down for rest on this treck ...

Terdrom

russet sparrow

Russet Sparrow, also called the Cinnamon or Cinnamon Tree Sparrow

Rötelsperling

Passer rutilans

山麻雀 (shān má què)

Lukhang

grey heron

Grey Heron

Graureiher

Ardea cinerea

苍鹭 (cāng lù)

skyar mo sre ring

(skyar mo sre ring)

sorry, bad picture, far away ... he would not wait for me to come closer ... I only saw once.

Lalu

vivid niltava

 

Blue-fronted Redstart

Himalayarotschwanz

Phoenicurus frontalis

蓝额红尾鸲 (lán é hóng wĕi qú)

bag byi’u sngo mgo

(bag byi’u sngo mgo)

only saw once at Sera

derbyan parakeet

Derbyan Parakeet

Chinasittich

Psittacula derbiana

大绯胸鹦鹉 (dà fēi xiōng yīng wŭ)

Derbyan Parakeet

Female with black bill. Escaped cage birds? It is a cold place for them to be here in Winter ...

It would be interesting if the early British birdwatchers in Tibet in 1904 already saw them in Lhasa. But I am in no position to check that.

derbyan parakeet

Derbyan Parakeet

Chinasittich

Psittacula derbiana

大绯胸鹦鹉 (dà fēi xiōng yīng wŭ)

Derbyan Parakeet

Male with a red bill. This couple is feasting on some fruit in Norbulingka. But they can be seen also in the trees before Potala palace.

where I once saw a whole swarm of maybe 30-40 animals in the trees in the park in front of the Lhasa Departmentstore.

chestnut thrush

Kessler's Thrush

Rhododendrondrossel

Turdus kessleri

棕背黑头鸫 (zōng bèi hēi tóu dōng)

kha la rgyab dkar

(kha la rgyab dkar)

Norbulingka

red billed starling

Red-billed Starling

Seidenstar

Sturnus sericeus

丝光椋鸟 (sī guāng liáng niǎo)

there were some ...escaped cage birds? or are they supposed to be here in winter?

Norbulingka

plain laughingthrush

Plain Laughingthrush or Père David's Laughingthrush ???

Davidhäherling

Garrulax davidi

山噪鹛 (shān zào méi)

mjol mo mchu ser

(mjol mo mchu ser)

Norbulingka

brown dipper

Brown Dipper?

or brown morph of white dipper?

Flusswasseramsel

Cinclus pallasii

  褐河乌 (hè hé wū)

rba byi’u ‘ol ba

(rba byi’u ‘ol ba)

Lhasa river

rock pigeon

Rock Dove or Rock Pigeon

Felsentaube

Columba livia

野鸽 (yĕ gē)

pigeon

(phug ron ... this is the general name for pigeon/ dove. I don't know if different kinds are differentiated)

Sure they are everywhere ... here at Lhasa river with a Common Sandpiper.

twite

Twite

Berghänfling

Carduelis flavirostris

黄嘴朱顶雀 (huáng zuǐ zhū dǐng què)

tsi tsi mchu ser

(tsi tsi mchu ser)

 

green sandpiper

Green sandpiper

Waldwasserläufer

Tringa ochropus

白腰草鹬 (bái yāo cǎo yù)

skar thing nywa ljang

(skar thing nywa ljang)

By the Lhasa river.

I only discovered when looking at the pictures again at home ... It doesn't have the pale breast of the common sandpiper and looks different when flying, no white bars in the wings.

See more pictures

great cormorant

Great Cormorant

Kormoran

Phalacrocorax carbo

普通鸬鹚 (pŭ tōng lú cí)

so bya rog po

(so bya rog po)

Out of a big flock of goose, ducks and gulls all being peacefully at rest, which one flew immediately away ...? There are not many but some at more hidden parts of the Lhasa river.

tibetan grey shrike

Chinese Grey Shrike/ Tibetan Grey Shrike

Keilschwanzwürger

Lanius sphenocercus giganteus

楔尾伯劳西南亚种 (xiē wĕi bó láo xī nán yà zhŏng)

dme le khra men

(dme le khra men)

 

All photos below are made after May 27th 2012. The pictures before were made from November 2011 to March 23rd 2012.

This should give some hint to the time birds visit Lhasa. The first most obvious impression from the drive from the airport to town was that all the Barheaded Goose and Ruddys Shellduck left Lhasa!

humes's short toed lark

Hume's Short-toed Lark

Tibetlerche

Calandrella acutirostris tibetana

  细嘴短趾百灵

skylark

('jol mo: this is the name for larks in general)

I did not see it in Winter, but I might just have overseen it/ mixed it up with the Tibetan or Oriental Skylark that I did encounter in Winter.

lesser sand plover

lesser sand plover flying

Lesser Sand Plover

Mongolenregenpfeifer

Charadrius mongolus

 蒙古沙鸻

gzi thing (general name for Sandplover)

 

It must have arrived newly, I did not see in Winter. Picture below flying.

common tern

 

Common Tern

Sterna hirundo

Flußseeschwalbe

普通燕鸥

skyar yug klad nag

It must have arrived newly, I did not see in Winter.

Lhasa River, Pembo

common tern
a beautiful playful bird and phantastic flyer
grey shrike

Grey-backed Shrike

auf Deutsch sehr schön! Tibetwürger

Lanius tephronotus

灰背伯劳

dme le tha rgyab

In the trees and bushes right in front of my house at the river. It was not here in Winter definitely.

grey backed shrike juvenile

Juvenile Grey-backed Shrike

Pembo

common redshank

Common Redhshank

Rotschenkel

Tringa totanus

红脚鹬 (hóng jiǎo yù)

I got one in winter from far away ... here now a close up from June.

Lhasa river. Lalu.

redshank flying
flying
donkey
blackbird female

Eurasian Blackbird/ Tibetan Blackbird

Amsel, Schwarzdrossel/ Tibetamsel

Turdus merula/ Turdus maximus

乌鸫 (wū dōng)

I got some blackbirds in winter, now a picture of a female from June.

Lukhang

blackbird juvenile
and a juvenile
magpie

Eurasian Magpie

Pica pica (bottanensis?)

Elster

 喜鹊

Eurasian Magpie

Pembo

cuckoo

Eurasian Cuckoo

Cuculus canorus

Kuckuck

 大杜鹃

cuckoo

(khu byug - this is the general term for cuckoo)

Pembo

cuckoo flying
flying
citrine wagtail

Citrine wagtail

here a male in breeding plumage

Motacilla citreola calcarata

Zitronenstelze

黄头鹡鸰

spri byi'u mgo ser

Lalu

citrine wagtail female
and a singing female
yellow wagtail

Juvenile Citrine wagtail

Lalu

lark
Lalu
yak

A yak bull (Bos mutus) in the plumage of a wild Yak (Drong). ... here you should transfer your birding carefully to an other spot ...

Lalu

cattle egret

Cattle egrets

Bubulcus coromandus

Kuhreiher

 牛背鹭

Little Egret

(skyar mo nor 'ded)

Lalu.

cattle egret
Cattle egret. Lalu.

buzzard

Buzzard with prey.

Lalu.

rufous breasted accentor

Rufous breasted Accentor

Prunella strophiata

Strichelbraunelle

棕胸岩鹨 (zōng xiōng yán liù)

rti li rdzi ser

 

stone chat male

Siberian Stonechat, male

Saxicola maura

before the split: Common Stonechat
Saxicola torquatus

Sibirisches Schwarzkehlchen

黑喉石(即鸟)

shing mgo'i khra mo (that is for the Common Stonechat)

shing mgo'i khra mo

 

stone chat female

female

 

giant babax

Giant Babax

Riesenbabax

Babax waddelli

大草鹛

tib?

white browed tit

White-browed Tit

 Poecile superciliosus

Weißbrauenmeise

白眉山雀

dung ma te'u ting

white throated redstart

White Throated Redstart, male

Phoenicurus schisticeps

Baumrotschwanz

 白喉红尾鸲

bag byi'u lkog dkar

white throated redstart
here the white wings
white throated redstart female

female

 

daurian redstart

Hodgson's Redstart, male

Phoenicurus hodgsoni

Feldrotschwanz

黑喉红尾鸲

bag g.yog

daurian redstart back

from the back

ribbon

Woolly Hare, or Highland/ Tibetan Hare

Lepus oiostolus

tib: yos

 

little egret

Little egret

Egretta garzetta

Seidenreiher

小白鹭

skyar mo dkar po

hoopoe
hoopoe
hoopoe flying
reptile
now a reptile is entereing the same cavity
reptile

and comes back out after some time.

What did it do? Did it eat hoopoe eggs?

If someone has suggestions please let me knwo!

reptile
that's it. Ca. 20 cm.
reptile
sun loving
marmot

Himalayan Marmot

Marmota himalayana

(please let me know if it is an other subspecies of marmots!)

 

 

black redstart

Black Redstart

Phoenicurus ochruros

Hausrotschwanz

赭红尾鸲

bag byi'u rkang 'jib

Toelung, June

Common in shrubland with cliff holes.

The picture is bad ... the back is black light black brownish with no hints of white spots. The head slightly greyish.

flying black redstart female flying black redstart female
warbler

Tickell's Leaf Warbler

Phylloscopus [affinis or occisinensis]

 Himalajalaubsänger

黄腹柳莺

mthe ba sbo ser

August in Shugseb

Sources for Tibetan language bird names:

bod ljongs su yod pa'i ri skyes srog chags mthong rtsa chen phyi rol du dngos 'dzin lag deb, by: bod rang skyong ljongs ri skyes srog chags srung skyobs mthun tshogs, published by the krung go'i nags las par skrun khang.

Sometimes Tibetan Materia Medica books contain birds for medical purposes. I used 2 titles:
bod gangs can gyi gso ba rig pa'i lugs kyi sman gyi 'khrungs dpe ngo bo nus ming rgyas bshad dngos dpe gsal ston dri med shel gyi me long, chab mdo sa khul sman rtsis khang, dga' ba'i rdo rje, pe cin, mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 2007 and
bod sman sngo khrog 'khrungs dpe'i par ris kun 'dus chen mo mkhyen nor dgongs rgyan zhes bya ba bzhugs so, bod kyi mngon min rig gnas shul bzhag dpe tshogs, blo bzang rdo rje, lha sa, xizang renmin chubanshe, 2012

Two Posters by the Tibetan NGO Gnyen po g.yu rtse'i skye khams khor yug srung skyob tshogs pa, called: gnyen po g.yu rtse'i 'dab chags with altogether 149 birds and their Tibetan names. Some of the names used may be Amdo/ Golog dialect! This environmental protection group does not seem to have a webpage, but for some information please see my link section.

 

The author:

aboutme

Surname: Holler   First name: David
Date of Birth: 20.03.1969 
Place of Birth: Wiesbaden, Germany
Nationality: German
Education/ work/ experience:
1975.9-1979.7 Primary school, Schuhmann Elementary School Wiesbaden
1979.9-1988.7 Secondary School ,Gutenberg Gymnasium Wiesbaden
1984-1988 group leader of boyscouts group within the German BdP (Bund der Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen) scouts
1986-1988 leader (Stammesführer) of the Steinadler BdP Group (Stamm Steinadler) in Wiesbaden
1988.9 – 1989.10. Travel in China and other Asian countries
1990.3-1992.3 obligatory Civil Service
1992.9-1994.7 Study Psychology and Religious Sciences at Free University
1994.9-1999.7   Study Anthropology at Free University Berlin
and Tibetan Studies at Humboldt University Berlin
9.1999 MA in Central Asian Studies
1999.9-2002.7   Junior Lecturer at Central Asian Institute of Humboldt University
2002.9-2003.7   Study Tibetan language at Tibet University
2003.9-2005.12  Junior Lecturer at Central Asian Institute of Humboldt University
2005.12-2009.7  Founder and manager of the Erhard&Holler GbR in Berlin Germany
2009.8-   work as the chief representative of lhasa representative office of Erhard&Holler GbR  
Language skills: German, English, French (passive), Chinese (weak), Tibetan