Himalayan challenge

摘要

I first heard of the ibisbill when I was a trainee bird guide, tagging along with European and American birders visiting Gaida Wildlife Camp in Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal. What was so special about this bird, I wondered, that it had them allchanting its name, almost like a mantra? I learnt that, as it's the only mountain wader to breed exclusively mountain wader to breed exclusively across the entire Himalayan range, the ibisbill is often seen as a metaphor for mountain birds and as a symbol of healthy mountain ecosystems. Before long, I was bitten by the ibisbill bug myself.