Forty-three years after its first recorded appearance in Nepal, northern wheatear, a rare migratory bird species, has been sighted again. The discovery comes exactly 24 days after the death of Clive Byers, the British ornithologist who first recorded the species in the country.

On March 28, nature guides Man Chaudhary, Manish Mahato, Amrit Mahato, Dinesh Mahato, and Kanchan Mahato spotted the bird on the banks of the Narayani river in Amaltari, within the buffer zone of Chitwan National Park. Man and Manish Mahato successfully captured photographs of the elusive visitor.

The timing is remarkably poignant. Clive Byers, a renowned illustrator and bird expert, passed away on March 4 at age 68. Byers, alongside Alan Adams, first documented the northern wheatear in Meghauli on April 1, 1983. Following that discovery, Adams went missing during a trek in Langtang in May 1983 and was never found. The seminal book, A Guide to the Birds of Nepal, was later dedicated to him.

“It is an extraordinary coincidence that this bird reappeared almost exactly where it was first seen, just weeks after Byers’ passing,” said Hem Sagar Baral, a senior ornithologist. “While enthusiasts frequent our forests and rivers daily, this species remained hidden for four decades,” he added.

Baral explained that the northern wheatear likely stopped in Nepal to rest while migrating back from its wintering grounds in India (and Africa) to breeding territories in China, Mongolia, or Siberia. “These passage migrants stay for only a few days to regain strength before continuing their arduous journey,” he added.

The northern wheatear belongs to the robin family and prefers open fields and rocky terrain. According to wildlife photographer Sanjay Tha Shrestha, the male is particularly striking during the breeding season, with bluish upperparts, a black face and a pale orange breast, while the female appears duller with greyish-brown tones.

According to records maintained by bird conservationists, Nepal is home to 903 bird species. The country’s diverse topography serves as a vital corridor for migratory birds, though habitat loss remains a persistent threat. This latest sighting underscores the importance of the Narayani floodplain as a critical stopover for rare trans-Himalayan migrants.