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Meet Rani Chari – The Queen Bird of the Hills 👑

Adding to our growing list of Kalimpong’s feathered wonders where every bird carries a story, and every story belongs to the hills. Nestled in the lap of the Eastern Himalayas, where misty ridges melt into dense forests and prayer flags flutter through bamboo groves, this region is a true haven for birdlife. Biodiversity hotspots like Neora Valley National Park make these hills a paradise for birdwatchers and seekers of quiet wonder from around the world.

Scarlet Minivet (Pericrocotus speciosus)

The Scarlet Minivet is a striking forest bird found across the Darjeeling hills and Sikkim, within the Eastern Himalayan region. Locally known as Rani Chari (Queen Bird), the name especially honours the yellow-hued female, regarded as the “Queen,” while the brilliant scarlet-red male is often seen as the “King” together creating one of the most vivid contrasts in the forest canopy.

This species inhabits broad-leaved and mixed forests, forest edges, and areas near tea gardens, typically between 600 and 2,000 metres in elevation. The male displays a dazzling scarlet body with black wings and tail, while the female appears in shades of yellow to orange, accented with darker wings.

Scarlet Minivets are active, social, and vocal birds, usually seen in pairs or small groups as they forage among the treetops. They often join mixed-species feeding flocks, moving swiftly through the upper canopy in search of insects, which they catch mid-air or glean from foliage.

Their sharp, whistling calls frequently echo through mist-laden forests long before the birds are spotted. In the hills of Darjeeling and Sikkim, the vibrant colours and lively presence of the “King” and “Queen” make the Scarlet Minivet one of the most admired and enchanting forest birds of the region.