New Bird in Bhutan: Hodgson’s Frogmouth

Discovery of Hodgson’s Frogmouth(Batrachostomus hodgsoni)
New Family and Species to Bhutan

By Chris G Bradshaw and Peter Lobo

During late March and early April we enjoyed a birding tour of Bhutan in the company of three other birders. On the evening of 9th April 2008 we camped in a small orange grove with patches of forest nearby, a few kilometres up the road from Deothang, at an elevation of 1250m. After dinner we all retired for the night. At around 2100hrs, Chris G Bradshaw heard the distinctive call what appeared to be a Hodgson’s Frogmouth, a species he had previously heard in Vietnam. Noise from traffic on the road drowned out any further calls and he wondered whether he had been dreaming. About 20 minutes later he again heard the call and got up to investigate.

Down by the road it soon became apparent that there were at least two Hodgson’s Frogmouths calling. One bird was responding to recordings of the species so Chris G Bradshaw shouted “Hodgson’s Frogmouth” up to the rest of the group. Peter Lobo, who had also heard the calls but initially thought he was dreaming, along with James Yurchenko and Amy Lauterbach soon arrived down by the road and here were eventually enjoyed superb views as one individual responded in to the recording and eventually perched on a low branch in one of the orange trees above our tents! No field description was taken as Peter Lobo was able to take several excellent photographs of the bird, one or two of which are reproduced here. In addition to the bird Peter Lobo photographed, two other birds were heard calling.

Hodgson’s Frogmouth has a range extending from North-east India through Bangladesh and Burma, southern China, Thailand, Laos and central Vietnam (Cleere). In the Indian subcontinent it is resident in the hills of Sikkim, Arunachal, S Assam hills and Central Bangladesh (Rasmussen and Anderton). It is noted listed as occurring in Bhutan by Spierenburg, and as far as we are aware there are no previously confirmed records for the country, although its occurrence here is perhaps unsurprising.

Many thanks to Sakten Tours and Treks for organizing this wonderful trip in Bhutan.


References

Cleere, N. 1998. Nightjars. A guide to Nightjars and related nightbirds. Pica Press.

Rasmussen, P.C. & Anderton, J.C. 2005. Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide. Vols 1 and 2. Smithsonian Institution and Lynx Edicions, Washington D.C. and Barcelona.

Spierenburg, P. 2005. Birds in Bhutan. Status and Distribution. Oriental Bird Club. Bedford.

picture from: www.birdquest.co.uk/tour_main_images/ai3_838.jpg