Walks start at dawn from points near the headquarters or buffer zone, with at least two licensed guides. The route follows forest edges and dry stream beds, where visibility is better than in the dense interior. Great and oriental pied hornbills feed in fruiting trees, woodpeckers drum on sal trunks, and crested serpent eagles and changeable hawk-eagles hunt from high perches.
Smaller birds include minivets, drongos, bulbuls, babblers and flycatchers, with pittas arriving with the pre-monsoon rains in May. Your guides also watch for elephant, gaur and sloth bear, and plan the route to avoid surprises. Expect 4 to 6 km at an easy pace on uneven ground, with long pauses to watch and listen.
This is for keen birders and walkers comfortable in remote forest. Wear neutral colours and closed shoes, carry two litres of water, and start early: by 10 am in March and April the Churia hills are hot and quiet. Walking rules and permitted routes are set by the park; check current status before you travel.
Good for
- Photographers
- Solo
- Couples
Questions travellers ask
What birds live in Parsa National Park?
Parsa's sal and hill forest holds great and oriental pied hornbills, many woodpeckers, raptors such as crested serpent eagles, minivets, drongos, babblers and, in the wet season, pittas. It shares many species with Chitwan but has more forest birds and fewer grassland and wetland species.
Is walking in Parsa safe?
With licensed guides and following their instructions, yes. Wild elephants, sloth bears and occasionally tigers are present, so walks stay on forest edges and open stream beds with good visibility. We do not book walks for children under 12 or anyone who cannot move quickly over rough ground.
How does birding in Parsa compare with Chitwan?
Chitwan has a longer bird list and more wetland and grassland species. Parsa is quieter, with forest birds and almost no other visitors. Keen birders often spend most of their time in Chitwan and add a morning in Parsa for forest species and solitude.
