Birdwatchers have recorded the sighting of the Glossy ibis, locally called sano sawari, in the Kathmandu Valley for the first time in nearly 200 years, rekindling excitement among ornithologists and wildlife photographers.

The rare migratory aquatic bird was spotted flying over the wetlands near the Manohara river on September 6 by a team of wildlife photographers—Pratap Gurung, Deepak Budhathoki, Hitaman Gurung, and Samyang Rumba. They captured its striking images on camera.

Senior ornithologist Hem Sagar Baral confirmed the sighting, noting that the bird was likely on its southward journey after breeding in Central Asia.

Historical records show that the Glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) was last documented in the Kathmandu Valley in 1829 and again in 1844 by British naturalist Brian Hodgson, a pioneer in documenting Nepal’s bird species. Its reappearance after 181 years marks a significant moment for Nepal’s birding community. “Seeing this bird in the Valley after nearly two centuries is thrilling,” said photographer Pratap Gurung, expressing the team’s excitement.

Known for its slender neck, long legs, and iridescent plumage that shimmer in shades of bronze, green, and purple, the Glossy ibis is a cosmopolitan species found across Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Australia. In Nepal, it has occasionally been recorded in the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Shuklaphanta, and Chitwan, but sightings remain extremely rare.

Experts say the bird does not reside in Nepal but passes through during migration. Sometimes, disoriented by weather changes or exhaustion, migratory birds make unexpected stopovers, earning them the local name “batuwa chara”— wayfaring birds.

The Glossy ibis breeds in central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan before migrating south to India and southeast Asia during winter. Its recent sighting in Kathmandu follows another rare event last month when the globally threatened Bristled grassbird was recorded in the valley for the first time.

Birdwatchers hope these rare sightings will inspire greater efforts to conserve the wetlands and habitats essential for migratory birds and promote Nepal as one of the best destinations for birding.