Royal Chitwan National Park covers 932 sq. km and more than 450species of birds have been recorded here - more than half of the country. Habitat is mostly Sal Forest, riverine forest, grasslands, rivers and lakes. Main river systems are Narayani, Rapti and Reu Rivers. Significant lakes are Lami Lake, Devi Lake, Tamar Lake etc. Important area for bird-watching is Sal forests of Kasara, Tamar Tal, Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge, Gaida Wildlife Tented Camp (Bhawanipur), Chitwan Jungle Lodge, Machan Wildlife Resort, Churia Stream of Pairebas, water source of Devi Lake. Riverine Forest of Icharni, Sauraha, Bhimle, Bandarjhola Island etc. Grasslands of Dumaria, Bhimle, Sukhivar are good for Floricans and other species. At least four days are required for bird-watching in Chitwan.

Mammals: Fulvous Fruit Bat, Rhesus Macaque, Grey Langur, Golden Jackal, Bengal Fox, Dhole, Sloth Bear, Smooth-coated Otter, Small Indian, Large Indian and Common Palm Civets, Small Indian, Indian Gray and Crab-eating Mongooses, Jungle, Marbled, and Fishing Cats, Spotted Leopard, Bengal Tiger, Gangetic Dolphin, Indian Rhino, Wild Boar, Indian Muntjak, Chital, Hog Deer, Sambar Deer, Four-horned Antelope, Gaur, Mainland Serow, Northern Palm and Hoary-bellied Squirrels, Red Giant and Particolored Flying Squirrel, Lesser Bandicoot Rat, Indian Porcupine, and Hispid and Indian Hares. Reptiles include the Gharial Crocodile, Marsh Crocodile, Monitor Lizard, Asiatic Rock Python, and Asiatic King Cobras.

Specialties:

October - April : Black-necked Stork, Bar-headed Goose, Great Stone-Plover, Little Pratincole, River Plover, Great Black-headed and Brown-headed Gull, River and Black-bellied Terns, White-throated and White-vented Needle tails, Sand larks and Rosy Pipits. Waders include Temmincks Stints, Kentish Plover, Common and Demoiselle Crane during migration along Narayani River.

Wetland species (regular): Little Cormorants, Darter, Cinnamon Bittern, Black-crowned Night and Purple Herons, Asian Open-bill, Wooly-necked and Lesser Adjutant Storks, Lesser Whistling Duck, Cotton Pygmy Goose, Baillon's and Ruddy-breasted and Brown Crakes, Purple Gallinule, Bronze-winged Jacana, Painted Snipe, and Stork-billed Kingfisher. Deep-blue Kingfisher, Ruddy Kingfisher and Black-backed Forktail along the shaded streams and pools. Chestnut-crowned and Spotted Bush Warblers, Yellow-bellied Prinia, Clamorous Reed, Dusky, and Smoky Warblers, and Red-capped Babbler in the reed beds and grasslands near water.

Resident forest species (regular): Lesser Fishing and Gray-headed Eagles, Brown Fish Owl, Changeable Hawk-Eagle, Kalij Pheasant, Emerald Dove, Orange-breasted Green and Pompadour Green Pigeons, Moustached Parakeet, Green-billed Malkoha, Brown Hawk-Owl, White-rumped Needletail, Crested Tree Swift, Oriental Pied and Great Pied Hornbills, Streak-throated Green, Rufous, Himalayan Golden-backed and Greater Golden-backed Woodpeckers, Large Woodshrike, Rosy Minivet, Black-crested Bulbul, Golden-fronted Leafbird, Pale-chinned Flycatcher, Black-naped Monarch, Puff-throated Babbler, White-browed Scimitar Babbler, Grey-throated Babbler, Crimson Sunbird, Thick-billed Flowerpecker, Hill Mynah and Black-hooded Oriole. White-rumped Shama, Lesser-necklaced, and Rufous-necked Laughing Thrushes, Nepal Fulvetta and Streaked Spiderhunter favor dense forest and Yellow-bellied Warbler prefer thick bamboo undergrowth along the streams. Rufous-bellied Eagle, Forest Eagle and Tawny Owls, Red-headed Trogon, White-browed Piculet, Great Slaty Woodpecker, Long-tailed Broadbill, Ruby-cheeked Sunbird and Little Spiderhunter are rare.

Savannah and forest edge bird species (regular) : Greater Spotted and Booted Eagles, Red-thighed Falconet, Red Jungle Fowl, Blue Peafowl, Sirkeer Malkoha, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Common Woodshrike, Small Minivet, White-tailed and Siberian Rubythroats, Gray-capped Prinia, Pale-footed Bush Warbler, White-browed Fantail, White-bellied Yuhina, Pale-billed Flowerpecker, White-bellied, Bronze and Greater Raquet-tailed Drongos and Ashy Wood Swallow. Regular passage migrants include Asian Sooty, Rufous-tailed and Asian Brown Flycatchers.

Grassland species (regular) : Pallid and Pied Harriers, Striped, Yellow Legged and Barred Button-quails, Bengal Florican, Lesser Coucal, White-tailed Stonechat, Bright-capped Cisticola, Large and Bristled Grass Warblers, Yellow-eyed, Striated, and Slender-billed Babblers, Black-breasted Weaver, Red-Avadavat, Chestnut Munia and Yellow-breasted Bunting. Grass Owl (rare), Eurasian Griffon, Red-headed and Eurasian Black Vulture, Laggar and Peregrine occur in open country.

Summer visitors : Black Baza, Large-tailed Nightjar, Banded bay Cuckoo, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, Dollarbird, and Asian Paradise Flycatcher in forests. Savannah Nightjar in grasslands and open forests and Blue-tailed Bee-eater near water. Red-winged Crested Cuckoo, Grey-bellied Plaintive Cuckoo, Indian Pitta, Orange-headed Ground Thrush and Crow-billed Drongo, Yellow Bittern, Lesser Florican, and Hooded Pitta.