Eaglenest WLS is one of the most sought-after birding destinations amongst birdwatchers as it hosts some of the rarest bird species of the eastern Himalayas. The Eaglenest leg should be combined with Sela Pass and the Mandala region of Dirang, as clubbing the entire region would give you access to an altitude range and all the bird habitats that one can ask for. If you are planning Birdwatching Tours in Eaglenest, this combination is the one to go for.
In the higher regions of Sela (at 14,000 ft) bird species like Tibetan Blackbird, Grandala, Snow Partridge, White-browed Tit Warblers can be easily found. Sela and Baisakhi complex is also known to host a couple of other finch species, like Beautiful Rosefinch, White-winged Grosbeak, Collared Grosbeak, Himalayan White-browed Rosefinch, etc. Also, along the northern slope of Sela, towards Tawang, one can get sightings of Solitary Snipe and White-throated Dipper. Himalayan Monal and Blood Pheasants are easily seen in the months of summer. The months of March to May are considered the best time to visit Sela.
Little low is the elevation of Mandala - at 10,000 ft, it is home to the magnificent Temminck’s Tragopan. It is considered one of the best places to see and photograph this species of Tragopan. Otherwise, in Bhutan also we can see this bird, but at Mandala almost you have a guaranteed sighting. Also, some of the smaller bird species that twitchers mostly target while visiting Mandala are - Gray-headed Bullfinch, Blandford’s Rosefinch, Brown Bush Warbler, Russet Bush Warbler, etc.
There are some spots along the Mandala Phodong road, where the elusive Ward’s Tragon is also sighted. Thus, in summary, just before entering the Tenga Valley and hitting the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, one can easily cover the top five bird species of the eastern Himalayas. The top five birds from your Sela Dirang Mandala birding circuit will be Temminck’s Tragopan, Snow Partridge, Grandala, Blood Pheasant, and Himalayan Monal. The rest of the top five highlight bird species can be covered as you enter the Shertukpen Reserve Forest and the Eaglenest WLS. That is what makes Birdwatching Tours in Sela Dirang Tawang Mandala so rewarding.
The Bugun Tribe and Shertukpen Tribe live in the southern hills of Tenga Valley. A very rare bird Bugun Liocichla, is endemic to these hills and found exclusively in Alubari Gully of the Tenga region and Bompu Camp inside Eaglenest WLS. Tenga Valley is well connected with the nearby Sela and Mandala hills, and the mountain roads are fantastic. However, inside Eaglenest WLS, the forest department wants to preserve the pristine nature of the jungle, thus, no construction or road works are allowed. The entire sanctuary is rocky, cobblestone-clad, and has corduroy trails in places. Bugun Liocichla - the star bird of the sanctuary, prefers to stay in the mixed flock of Barwings. As one enters the Alubari Trail or the Glowbari Trail, birders should seek Barwing calls. We, in general, don’t ignore the Rusty-fronted Barwing calls. It is very likely to find a pair of Bugun Liocichlas in a mixed flock of Rusty-fronted Barwing and Red-faced Liocichla.
Day 1: You will be picked up from Guwahati Airport, and we will drive through Kalaktang-Shergaon and stay overnight there. On the way, we will do birding at Bhairabkunda and Kalaktang. If we arrive early, we will cover Shergaon as well. Overnight at Shergaon.
Day 2: This morning, we will check out very early and drive through the Shergaon-Phudong road and finally arrive at Mandala top by noon. In the afternoon, we will cover the north-eastern slope of Mandala and arrive at Dirang for an overnight stay.
Day 3: Early in the morning, we drive to Mandala Top and cover all the target species. Again, in the daytime, we drive down to Dirang and cover some birding trails on our way. Overnight at Dirang.
Day 4: Today, for the entire day, we will cover the Sela and Nuranang complex and arrive back in Dirang by afternoon.
Day 5: Very early in the morning, by 5 AM, we arrive at Sela and cover the missed species. By noon, we will drive down and go to Tenga for our Eaglenest leg.
Day 6: Today, we will do both the morning and afternoon sessions in the Singchung Bugun Village Community Reserve. In the evening, we might go owling as well. Overnight at Lama Camp.
Day 7: An added day to cover Eaglenest Pass & Tragopanda Trail above Lama Camp. In the afternoon, we will cover Ramalingam village and Singchung Village. Lama Camp for overnight stay.
Day 8: Today, for the last time, we are covering the alubari trail or the Glowbari trail. Later, post breakfast, we will check out of Lama Camp and drive to Bompu. On the way, Eaglenest Pass, Chaku, and Sundarview areas will be birded. It will be late afternoon when we arrive at Bompu.
Days 9, 10, 11, and 12: We are keeping four nights here at Bompu, as most of the target bird species are around here only. We will cover major areas like Sessni, Khellong, and Doimara from here.
Day 13: Today, we will drive down via Doimara and go to Guwahati. As we hit the national highway, there won’t be many birding opportunities. You are requested to plan for return flights for the early evening.
March to May in summer is considered the best time to visit this part. Otherwise, from November to January is also a good time, but the bird vocalization is less. Sometimes, we encounter vagrant species in winter.
From Tibetan Plateau birds to Terai foothills Hornbills; mixed montane forests coppice - this tiny state has little bit of everything squeezed in it!
© 2026 Sierra Birds. All Rights Reserved. Website developed by ACCENDITORE SOFTWARE PVT LTD.