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A bird census focusing on pheasant species, including the Himalayan monal (Danfe), has been conducted in the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) area within Machhapuchhre Rural Municipality of Kaski. 

The census was jointly organized by the Biodiversity Conservation Society Nepal (BIOCOS Nepal) and the World Pheasant Association, in collaboration with the ACAP. It covered regions such as Pilicho, Pipar, Khumai, Korchon, Lubrachhu and Chichimle in the Machhapuchhre Himal area. Researchers recorded 146 Danfe (Himalayan monals, 148 Satyr tragopans (Munal), 170 Hill partridges (Pyura) and 19 Kolass pheasants (Fokras) during the census.

In total, over 200 bird species were identified, according to Paras Bikram Singh, Director of BIOCOS Nepal.

Nineteen researchers and assistants conducted the census in teams across various locations. Previous surveys, carried out intermittently since 1976, have documented 314 bird species in this region. Nepal is home to 899 bird species, representing about eight percent of the world’s total. Despite its small size, the country’s ecological diversity—from the Himalayas to the Tarai—makes it rich in global biodiversity. Annapurna Conservation Area alone is home to 518 bird species.

The Machhapuchhre area is one of the few places globally where six pheasant species coexist, making it an exceptional site for birdwatching. However, experts say tourism infrastructure in the area remains underdeveloped. The region is particularly known for the Pipar Sanctuary, which has drawn ornithologists and researchers—especially from Britain—long before the ACAP was established, said Laxman Paudel, Chairperson of BIOCOS Nepal.

Dr Hum Gurung, Senior Asia Partnership Manager at BirdLife International, said Nepal has the potential to become a top bird watching destination in the world. "Nepal has 42 important bird areas. The Annapurna Conservation Area is one of them," Dr Gurung said. "Bird tourism can generate significant economic benefits for the local people if birds are protected, rather than hunted."

Traps threaten birds

Poaching, however, has emerged as a significant threat to bird conservation in Annapurna Conservation Area.

During the recent census, researchers discovered traps set to kill pheasants. “We found birds dead in some traps, while others were rescued and released,” said researcher Pawan Rai.

To combat poaching, BIOCOS Nepal and ACAP have implemented a mobile app-based patrol system known as SMART. Likewise, cameras have been installed on different trails to strengthen surveillance. Plans are also underway to install real-time spy cameras in high-risk poaching zones, said Dr Rabin Kadariya, chief of ACAP. “This will help us identify poachers and bring them to book,” he said. “Local communities will continue to play a key role in anti-poaching patrols.”

Killing a Danfe, the national bird, carries a prison sentence of up to three years, while killing other birds can result in fines of up to Rs 30,000.

ACAP has strengthened conservation efforts in partnerships with Machhapuchhre Rural Municipality, Great Machhapuchhre Trail Committee and other community groups to protect and increase the population of native pheasants, and help establish the Machhapuchhre region as a premier destination for bird tourism.

Note: The photo used in this news is taken by photographer Sherpa French Pemba in Dobate, Ilam. The photographer's name was mistakenly omitted in the previously published news, which has now been corrected.

Every year, in the hills of Nepal, the arrival of April and May brings with it a familiar sound—the haunting call of a bird echoing through the forests: ‘kafal pakyo, kafal pakyo.’

This call, meaning ‘the kafal has ripened’ in Nepali, is sung by the short-winged cuckoo (Cuculus micropterus), a migratory bird. The bird’s song reminds locals of the seasonal fruit kafal, also known as the Himalayan Bayberry or Box Myrtle (Myrica Esculenta), found in the mid-hill forests of South Asia including Nepal.

For many Nepalis, this fruit isn’t just a seasonal delicacy but part of folk memory, culture, and tradition. 

One popular Nepali folklore tells the story of two orphan siblings. After their parents died, the elder brother left his younger sister in the forest, pointing to a kafal tree and promising to return when the fruits ripened. Seasons changed, and the sister waited alone, surviving on forest fruits. When the kafal finally ripened, her brother didn’t return. Heartbroken and lonely, the girl eventually died. It’s said that her soul turned into a bird that still sings, ‘kafal pakyo,’ as she searches for her brother.

Another story speaks of two lovers. The boy, before leaving to find work, told the girl he would return when the kafal ripened. But he never came back. The girl, heartbroken, died and became the cuckoo bird that returns every season, reminding the world that the fruit is ready but her beloved is still gone.

A similar tale from India’s Uttarakhand region is equally tragic. It’s about a widow and her daughter. One morning, the mother brought home some kafal after collecting grass and told her daughter they would eat the fruits together in the evening. The obedient daughter waited patiently, never touching a single fruit. But when the mother returned and found fewer fruits in the basket—withered by the afternoon heat—she suspected the girl had eaten some. In a moment of anger and exhaustion, she slapped her daughter. The girl fell, hit her head on a stone, and died.

Only later did the mother discover that the fruit had shrunk in the heat and rehydrated overnight in the cool air. Realizing her mistake, the mother died in grief. It’s believed both mother and daughter became birds. Today, the daughter’s bird still cries out, ‘kafal pako, me ni chakho’ (the kafals are ripe, but I have not tasted them.)

For most Nepalis, the kafal is a fruit to chew, enjoy for its tangy sweetness, and spit out the seed. But beyond Nepal, the fruit has found varied uses. In China, kafal is used for flavoring alcohol, snacks, and other foods. Its red color is also extracted as a natural food dye. The leaves are used to add aroma to soups and broths and are even dried as spices. In Japan, the fruit is preserved in syrup and eaten as a dessert. It’s also used in jams and baked goods.

Realizing the potential of kafal, a resident of Uttarakhand, Deepak Petshali, started experimenting with it. In his village of Petshaal in the Almora district, Deepak created a herbal tea from the fruit under his brand ‘Back to Nature.’

This herbal kafal tea isn’t only tasty but also packed with health benefits. Rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, it’s said to help with anemia, asthma, indigestion, constipation, and common colds. The process includes drying both the fruit and leaves, mixing them with spices like cloves and cardamom, and turning it into a flavorful herbal infusion. Today, Deepak’s kafal tea is gaining popularity not only in Uttarakhand but across India and even abroad.

So the question arises: If others can explore the full potential of this fruit, why not us? Nepal is rich in biodiversity, indigenous knowledge, and seasonal treasures like kafal. But we have often overlooked the commercial and medicinal value of our native plants. While the fruit continues to be consumed casually, its economic and health potential remains largely untapped in Nepal.

With rising interest in herbal products, organic farming, and traditional remedies, now is the time for us to look at our natural resources with new eyes. From Kafal-based tea, juice, jam, and pickles, to herbal medicine and skincare, the possibilities are wide open.

It would not only help preserve our traditions and folk stories but also create income opportunities for rural communities. Local entrepreneurs, cooperatives, and youth groups could lead this movement, turning a seasonal fruit into a source of pride and prosperity.

The next time you hear the bird calling ‘kafal pakyo’ in the hills, pause and remember the stories it carries—the waiting sister, the heartbroken lover, the obedient daughter, the grieving mother.

But let it also remind you of the fruit's unrealized potential. Kafal is not just a memory of spring. It can also be a gift for the future—if we choose to act.

The author is a London-based R&D chef

Mero dukha ma roi dine, mero khushi ma ramaai dine,

Sabai bhanda maathi chha, mero euta saathi chha…

That tribute to friendship, set to an unforgettable tune—which I rashly attempted at our National Day (“King’s Birthday Party”, KBP) last week—comes from Sugam Pokharel. To my mind, it beautifully captures the relationship between the UK and Nepal. This year, when I came to write my KBP Speech, it inspired a metaphor about two old friends trekking together.

The UK and Nepal have been travelling together for more than 200 years. We have come to a fork in the path. One track goes straight on. It would take us forward but gain no height. It represents Nepal’s existing business model, reliant on remittances and grant aid. The steeper path would take us more swiftly—up the hill—beyond which lie global capital markets.  

The UK recommends the steeper path—a shorter route to the happy and prosperous Nepal we all want to see. Together, we have mapped out the ascent, fixed some ropes. These include Government achievements such as a positive Sovereign Credit Rating, Nepal’s first international bond (supported by $22m from British International Investment), and important economic reforms backed up by legislation.

Which is just as well. Because the UK has been looking down the apparently easier path and sees several obstacles. Landslides—triggered by things like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and global trade disputes. We are going to have to climb. The exercise will be good for us!

Here are some of the topics which—being old friends—we discuss amicably along the way:

The national budget

Nepal has a modest supply of provisions but never uses as much as it could. The UK is Nepal’s strongest advocate. But our arguments for climate finance and other benefits are undermined when Nepal does not use its own resources; and use them well.

Concessional international loans

Nepal’s rucksack is full of World Bank and ADB resources. The UK helped procure those entitlements and urges Nepal to take advantage of them. Currently, these sources of finance are largely untouched.

Education

The UK is a big fan of what we call Trans-National Education. We mean any kind of connection between providers in Nepal and abroad which allows Nepal’s young people to get the education they deserve without leaving the country. At affordable prices. The UK has lots of TNE to share. We think it would reinforce Nepal’s economy. It might even attract the other country’s students to this beautiful land.

The diaspora

Many brilliant Nepalis living in the UK are making huge contributions. But the UK doesn’t want them to lose touch with their roots. We want them to help develop Nepal. For this, the UK hopes Nepal will recognise the equivalence of qualifications obtained at British universities. Nepal’s current arrangements seem designed to prevent its children ever investing here.

The last part of the ascent is the steepest. Nepal’s progress is attracting global attention. In London—for example—financiers are starting to talk about Nepal as a destination for investment. They have a sentimental attachment, refreshed by a spectacular visit to Nepal by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. Since then, the UK media and dinner party conversations have been reminding the British public about Nepal’s friendliness and beauty, our proud Gurkha ties, as well as its status as the UK’s “first ally in Asia”.

As well as beauty, these private financiers are coming to understand that Nepal is a land of investment opportunities. But they will not bring their money here until they know they can repatriate their profits. Even the famous Sherpa known as Dolma Impact Fund has had trouble doing that.

This is the altitude we are at today. Close to the summit, beyond which it will be much easier going, downhill all the way to The City of London.

Perhaps it is the rarified air. But my old friend seems conflicted. I recognise the signs. The UK had doubts when we opened our economy to foreign investment. We worried about competition. Loss of control. In practice, however, we found that foreign investment brought not just jobs, but also technology transfer, productivity gains and other good things besides. It is now our life blood. So, let’s continue this journey together.

The author is the British Ambassador to Nepal 

CPN-UML lawmaker Yogesh Kumar Bhattarai has said the policies and programs presented in the House are youth-oriented and investment-friendly. In Tuesday’s meeting of the House of Representatives, he said the policies and programs have ensured suitable policies for providing employment to the youth and for investment.

“There are provisions related to the integrated plan bank and to industrial, environment and youth-centric policies and programs, while priority has been given to policies and programs for agriculture, industry, production and infrastructure development,” Bhattarai said. He argued that if the capital of Nepalis scattered in different parts of the world could be integrated, there would be no need to look to others for national economic development. Lawmaker Bhattarai was of the view that the country would progress through the development of energy, agriculture and tourism.

Rastriya Swatantra Party leader and lawmaker Swarnim Wagle described the government's policies and program as routine. He was airing his views on party basis during a discussion on the government’s annual policy and programs for the upcoming fiscal year 2025/26 in Tuesday’s meeting of the House of Representatives. “This is merely a list of the old programs brought reluctantly by a tired government. The order of the budget is also not aligned. Tourism has been lumped under the physical infrastructure and agriculture under trade. There is also no coordination between ministries of foreign affairs and finance,” he said.

According to him, although the agreement reached between the Nepali Congress and the UML during the formation of the government was aimed at banishing corruption and maintaining good governance, this is completely missing in practice. He said though the NC and UML had agreed to amend the constitution, they could not bring out the details of amendment even after 10 months of the formation of the government.

Wagle pledged his party’s support if the high-level economic reform suggestion report included in the policies and programs was implemented practically. Referring to his party’s support to the government in the Economic and Business Environment Reform and Investment Promotion Bill, he said the issue of re-prioritizing physical infrastructure projects in the policies and programs was positive.

Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) leader and lawmaker Gyanendra Shahi said, “The government’s policy document speaks of bringing about a revolution in agriculture, but the situation is such that farmers are not able to sell fish due to the import of foreign fish, the apples of Jumla remain unsold; at least if a policy is made to not import agricultural products from outside, then the people themselves will be engaged in production.”

‘Policies and programs traditional’

Secretary of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) and member of the House of Representatives Devendra Paudel described the government’s policies and programs as ‘traditional’. During a discussion on the policies and programs for the fiscal year 2025/26 in Tuesday’s meeting of the House of Representatives, Paudel said, “Public policy synchrony, social justice, employment of students 20 hours a week and provisions on citizen apps, online tax system, digital foundation, cyber security, digital Nepal and bank system were included in last year’s policies and programs. These have been copied and included in the new policies and programs.” 

Stating that the policies and programs should incorporate strong resolve for nation-building, Paudel slammed the policy document for failing to cover the overall national development. According to him, the projects of national pride in the current fiscal year are facing problems due to lack of budget. Paudel said only 31.9 percent of the development budget has been spent in the 10 months of the current fiscal year.
Stressing the need to increase investment in the manufacturing sector, he said, “We sell electricity to neighboring countries at cheaper price but buy it at higher price. This should not be the way.”