Area: 1,454 sq km; 560 sq miles.

The Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary, located in the northeastern region of Bhutan in the Eastern Himalayas, encompasses an area of 1,454 sq km (560 sq miles), with a buffer zone stretching across parts of Trashi Yangtse, Lhuentse, and Mongar Dzongkhag. The Sanctuary borders China in the north and India in the northeast.

Established to protect the critical habitat of wintering Black-necked Cranes, the Sanctuary is home to vast stretches of well-preserved alpine and forest habitats, as well as 296 confirmed bird species, including the rare Gloud’s Shortwing, Pallas’s Fish Eagle, and the Yellow-rumped Honeyguide. Every year, around 150 cranes flock to the Sanctuary from mid-November to early March.

In addition to birds, the Sanctuary is also home to approximately 100 species of mammals, including globally endangered species such as Snow Leopard, Bengal Tiger, Red Panda, and Capped Langur, as well as other threatened species like Musk Deer, Serow, Goral. Some of the commonly found mammals and birds in the area include the Assamese Macaque, Jungle Cat, Common Tree Shrew, Barking Deer, Sambar, Himalayan Black Bear, Pika, Marmot, Blue Sheep, Yellow-throated Marten, Three-striped Squirrel, Wild Pig, Yellow-billed Blue Magpie, Ibisbill, Snow Pigeon, Satyr Tragopan, and Blood Pheasant.