Eastern Terai

Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve

Nepal’s birding capital — wetlands on the great Koshi flyway.

Best time to visit — Oct–Mar (peak migration)
Mist over a wetland at sunrise

For birders, Koshi Tappu is the reason to come to Nepal. This 175 km² Ramsar-listed wetland on the Sapta Koshi river is a migratory crossroads, and in winter it fills with waterfowl and waders in numbers seen nowhere else in the country.

A birder’s wetland

More than 500 species have been recorded here. From October to March the mudflats, marshes and river channels host huge concentrations of ducks, geese, storks, ibis and shorebirds, with a steady stream of rarities that keep serious listers returning. It’s also the last refuge of the wild water buffalo (arna) in Nepal.

This is our dedicated birding product’s home ground, and where our naturalists’ decades of Nepal bird knowledge really show.

How we explore it

  • Dawn boat trips through the reserve’s channels
  • Walking transects along the embankments and mudflats
  • Scoped sessions for waterfowl, waders and raptors
  • Evening watches for roosting flocks

Time it right — the migratory window is everything here. We plan Koshi Tappu trips squarely inside the Oct–Mar peak.

Plan with us

Start planning your Nepal wildlife journey

Tell us what you hope to see and when. We’ll shape an honest, naturalist-led itinerary around it — no pressure, no fixed packages.

Chat with a naturalist