Khangchendzonga National Park – Flora & Fauna

Khangchendzonga National Park – Flora & Fauna

The park is home to a significant number of endemic, rare and threatened plant and animal species. The park has one of the highest number of plant and mammal species recorded in the Central / High Asian Mountains, and also has a high number of bird species.

Flora:

It is home to nearly half of India’s bird diversity, wild trees, orchids and rhododendrons and one third of the country's flowering plants. It contains the widest and most extensive zone of krummholz (stunted forest) in the Himalayan region. The vegetation of the park includes temperate broadleaf and mixed forests consisting of oaks, fir, birch, maple and willow. The vegetation of the park also includes Alpine grasses and shrubs at higher altitudes along with many medicinal plants and herbs. There are almost 425 different medicinal species of vegetation.

Fauna:

The animal species found in the park are musk deer, Indian leopard, snow leopard, clouded leopard, leopard cat, golden cat, Himalayan tahr, jackal, large Indian civet, Tibetan wolf, dhole, sloth bear, viverrids, Himalayan black bear, red panda, Tibetan wild ass, Himalayan blue sheep, pika, flying squirrel, mainland serow, goral and takin, as well as reptiles including rat snake and Russell's viper. The dhole has become very rare in the area. The wild dogs in the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve are thought to belong to the rare and genetically distinct subspecies.

Avifauna:

Almost half of all bird species found throughout India may be witnessed in the national park borders. There are about 550 species of birds found inside the park. Some of them are blood pheasant, satyr tragopan, osprey, Himalayan griffon, green pigeon, lammergeier, Western tragopan, Tibetan snowcock, snow pigeon, impeyan pheasant, Asian emerald cuckoo, sunbird and eagle. A new species of bird named Himalayan thrush has been found in 2016. Its scientific name is Zoothera salimalii.