Myanmar July – August 2013, Bagan

Bagan is The place in the world to see the four dry zone endemics of Myanmar (Burma). There are some less well known alternative sites like Mount Popa, but why skip this site when it can be combined with one of the finest archaeological wonders of Southeast Asia? The site can be easily accessed by bus from Yangon and most of them are even air-conditioned! In Bagan accommodation can be found in Nyaung U, Old Bagan and New Bagan. Nyaung U offers the budget choices, but we stayed in New Bagan, for Nyaung U is more than 15 km away from the best bird watching site. When staying in New Bagan however, it is only a ten minute bicycle ride. The best spot for bird watching is located South of New Bagan. The fields around the Sitsana Pagoda and especially the area around the small temple complex North of the Sitsana Pagoda can be very productive. It is good idea to buy a map (1.000 Kyat) to make sure you find this site.

We birded this area for one afternoon and two consecutive mornings. Two of the four endemics, White-throated Babbler and Burmese Bush Lark, are common and easy to find. They can be seen at most places in Bagan. The reasons for going to the Sitsana Pagoda area are the other two endemics: Jerdon´s Minivet and Hooded Treepie. I found the Minivet a lot easier than the Treepie and scored around 20 individuals in the fields directly around the Sitsana Pagoda. The Treepie however is a bitch and it took me three days to find a single one in the fields around the small temple complex North of the Sitsana Pagoda. Other birds of interest observed around the Sitsana Pagoda included: Laggar Falcon, Rain Quail (heard only), Barred Buttonquail, Plain-backed Sparrow, Streaked Weaver, Collared Dove (ssp. xanthocyclus which is almost definitely its own species and thus an endemic), Indian Nightjar (three flushed individuals from the rubbish dump north of the Sitsana Pagoda), Vinous-breasted Starling (ssp. burmannicus), Common Iora, Pied Stonechat and Spotted Owlet. Mammals observed around here were several Irrawaddy Squirrels and a single Burmese Hare next to many unidentified Free-tailed Bats.
  

Indian Nightjar (Caprimulgus asiaticus)

Spotted Owlet (Athene brama)

White-throated Babbler (Turdoides gularis)

Jerdon´s Minivet (Pericrocotus albifrons)

The distinctive xanthocyclus subspecies of Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) that is most likely its own species

Burmese Bushlark (Mirafra microptera)

Another key birding area is an island in the Irrawaddy river, which holds White-tailed Stonechats. We tried to get to the island, but failed completely due to a lack of local knowledge and a boatman familiar with the site. We did not try again, for the river was very high and therefor rather uninteresting from a birding perspective. We did not even see a single Small Pratincole even though we were on the river for more than an hour!

The rest of the time was spent enjoying the magnificent stupa´s and pagoda´s around Old and New Bagan which are an archaeological spectacle. Our bike tours to various temples even resulted in a White-eyed Buzzard next to many White-throated Babblers and Burmese Bush Larks. It is rare that such a touristic attraction can be combined so easily with high quality birding. So I think that Bagan for the birding and the pagoda´s is an experience not to be missed.

Blue-crested Lizard (Calotes mystaceus)