Current status of avifauna diversity in Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh: Synthesis from current and past surveys

Birds are the most prominent wildlife species in most forests and ecosystems. We attempted to enlist the existing avifaunal species in trans-Himalayan Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh based on our observations, 22 previously published checklists/observations and eBird data. A total of 278 species belonging to 20 orders and 59 families of birds have been reliably recorded in this region. Species that belongs to the Muscicapidae family were the most sighted during the study period. We also report six new species for the region: Short-eared owl (Asio flammeu), Lesser Cuckoo (Cuculus poliocephalus), Large-spotted Nutcracker (Nucifraga multipunctate), Scarlet Minivet (Pericrocotus flammeus), Blyth's Leaf-warbler (Phylloscopus reguloides) and Red-tailed Wheatear (Oenan the chrysopygia). Among these, Large-spotted Nutcracker, Scarlet Minivet and Blyth's Leaf-warbler were sighted frequently during the study period but never been reported previously for the region.