← Back to Journal
Bird Diaries

Kewzing

Where the birds find you first.

Sikkim · South 18 Species Spotted 6 min read

There are places where you have to search for birds. You scan the treeline, you wait, you strain your ears. And then there are places like Kewzing, where the birds find you first.

Honestly, I hadn't even heard of Kewzing until I was in Ravangla. When I was searching up birding spots in the area I kept drawing blanks — until I saw the striking name. And let me tell you, the spot was much more striking than the name itself.

When I reached the exact spot where we had to start our bird watching trail that morning, the first thing I noticed was the calmness around me. The surrounding untouched forests made it a haven for exotic Himalayan bird species — the kind of stillness where you feel like the whole forest is holding its breath with you.

Snow-capped Himalayan peaks visible through the forest canopy at Kewzing Himalayan peaks · Kewzing, Sikkim
A raptor perched on a bare mossy branch above the misty forest at Kewzing Keeping watch in the morning mist

The first bird I looked for was the elusive Black-tailed Crake — which unfortunately I only heard and did not see. We also tried for wren babblers, with the same result. But even the misses felt like part of the magic. Because the birds I did see more than made up for it.

A bird with a long chestnut tail half-hidden in the sunlit canopy A long tail gives it away
A grey bird perched on a branch, seen through the spotting scope Through the spotting scope
A bird silhouetted against the sky in the dense dark canopy Hidden in the canopy

Especially — the Majestic Asian Emerald Cuckoo. The spellbinding bluish-green plumage and the bright orange beak against the morning sun was as unreal as a dream. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Majestic Asian Emerald Cuckoo
Spot the Emerald Cuckoo perched on the tree top

While on the trail we spotted around 18 different species, here are a few we found in the canopy that morning:

Species spotted that morning: Asian Emerald Cuckoo ★, Common Green Magpie ★, Sikkim Treecreeper, Red-tailed Minla, Blue-winged Minla, Asian Barred Owlet, Fire-throated Flowerpecker — and the Black-tailed Crake, heard only.

A small bird with an orange breast and dark blue back among golden bamboo stems A flash of orange in the bamboo
A powder-blue bird perched on a bare branch with the forested valley behind Powder blue against the valley
The powder-blue bird up close on the branch, facing the camera The same blue beauty, up close

Everyone else was talking about the Asian Emerald Cuckoo — and rightly so. But as we were leaving the trail, I told my mum how much I wanted to see a Common Green Magpie. And as soon as I sat down in the vehicle, there it was — bolting from one tree to another, right above the car. This serene view provided the perfect 'wrap-up' to the birding session that day...

A streaked crested bird perched on a slim branch beside sprays of orange berries Among the orange berries

That bird stayed with me more than any other from that day. It just had something riveting about it. Something I can't quite put into words.

A crested bird silhouetted on a mossy branch against a pale sky Crest against the sky
Getting There
LocationKewzing village, South Sikkim — roughly 10 kms from Ravangla
Best timeEarly morning, just after dawn — the forest is most active in the first few hours of light
SeasonMarch to May and October to November for Himalayan species
TipHire a local guide — they know exactly where the crakes and wren babblers like to hide

Here's the thing about birding: it's never the bird everyone else talks about that stays with you. It's the one that chooses you.