Gandaki, Feb 14: The Black-breasted Thrush has been recorded in Nepal for the second time.

A team consisting of Manashanta Ghimire, President of the Pokhara Bird Society, and ornithologists Hathan Chaudhary and Gopi Shrestha spotted the bird in the Dharan forest while conducting a monitoring session.

Ghimire confirmed that this is the second sighting of the Black-breasted Thrush in Nepal. The first recording was made three years ago in Danabari, Ilam district.

Ornithologists Sanjeev Acharya, Carol Inscip, and Tikaram Giri were the first to document the species in Nepal on March 9, 2022.

Acharya explained that the Black-breasted Thrush is found across northeast India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam in the east, and extends from China to South Korea in the north. The bird migrates to lower coastal areas in winter and to the hilly regions of China during the summer months.

Ghimire also highlighted that the Dharan forest, covering around 50,000 hectares and ranging in altitude from 100 to 1,300 meters above sea level in Morang and Sunsari districts of Koshi Province, is a significant habitat for birds. This forest is regarded as one of the 42 important bird areas in Nepal, as identified by BirdLife International.