Shivapuri-Nagarjun National Park and Buffer Zone (14344)
Nepal, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2025
National site name: Shivapuri-Nagarjun National Park and Buffer Zone
Central coordinates: Latitude: 27.7167, Longitude: 85.2167
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 1000 to 2732
Area of KBA (km2): 111.90746
Protected area coverage (%): 90.79
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: SNNP lies on the northern side of the Kathmandu Valley, only about 12 km from the capital. The IBA lies in Kathmandu, Nuwakot, Sindhupalchok and Dhading Districts of Bagmati Province.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: A total of 349 species have been recorded for the IBA (SNP and BCN 2007; Laxman Poudyal and Sanjib Acharya in litt. to C. Inskipp, 8 November 2022). The globally threatened Steppe Eagle has been recorded in significant numbers. Other globally threatened species recorded are: Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus (very rare visitor); White-rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis (status uncertain, very rare visitor to Kathmandu Valley); Pallas’s Fish-eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus (very rare passage migrant), and three vagrants: Saker Falcon Falco cherrug, White-throated Bushchat Saxicola insignis and Kashmir Flycatcher Ficedula subrubra.<div>SNNP has good populations of Spiny Babbler and Hoary-throated Barwing, two restricted-range species from the Central Himalayas (EBA 129). Other restricted-range species recorded are: Nepal Cupwing Pnoepyga immaculata from the Central Himalayas (EBA 129) which is a very rare passage migrant and two species from the Western Himalayas (EBA 128): Kashmir Flycatcher and Spectacled Finch Callacanthis burtoni which is very rare visitor.<br><p>Non-bird biodiversity: A total of 24 mammal species has been recorded including Pangolin (Manis spp.), Leopard Cat Prionailurus bengalensis, Common Leopard Panthera pardus, Jungle Cat Felis chaus, and near-threatened Himalayan Goral Naemorhedus goral. There are 102 butterfly species. Shivapuri is the only habitat for the near-threatened Himalayan Dragonfly Epiophlebia laidlawi in Nepal. A total of 1120 flowering plants including 16 endemic plants have been documented from SNNP. The park is home to diverse epiphytic and terrestrial orchids, nearly one third of Nepal’s orchid species (123 species)<span style="font-size: 10pt;">(DNPWC 2014)</span></p></div>
Manageability of the site: Site identified based on BirdLife International's Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, under which manageability is strongly recommended but not explicitly documented
Delineation rationale: Protected IBAs extended to include designated Buffer Zones
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: The lower slopes are extensively covered by scrub. Chir Pine Pinus roxburghii is the dominant tree species in the subtropical zone although other species are present, mainly Alnus nepalensis, Castanopsis indica and Schima wallichii. The northern slopes are dominated by these broadleaved trees at lower elevations and some scrub. Quercus lanata is the main tree species in the lower temperate zone, but little remains and this is badly degraded. Higher up in the upper temperate zone the mountain is densely vegetated with Quercus semecarpifolia.<br>The land use pattern in the park is predominated by forest (73.94%), followed by shrub land (20.14%), cultivated land (5.41%), grassland (0.44%) and other land uses (0.07%) (DoF 2012).
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The observed land use changes in Sundarijal catchment from 1990-2010 suggests an overall decline in forest land by 6.71 km2 (0.91%), while agricultural land increased by 25.5 km2 (0.72%) (Shrestha 2012). Adverse impacts of land use change on ecosystem services were observed in water quantity, soil condition and forest resources. Firewood and timber overharvesting, alcohol production, and population growth were the principle causes of the change (Shrestha 2012).<div><br></div>
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Only in the past and unlikely to return |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Only in the future |
Additional information
References: <div>Bird Conservation Nepal and Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (2012) Conserving biodiversity and delivering ecosystem services at Important Bird Areas in Nepal. Bird Conservation Nepal, Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation and BirdLife International, Kathmandu and Cambridge, UK.</div>Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (2014) Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park Management Plan (draft). Kathmandu.<div>Shivapuri National Park and Bird Conservation Nepal (2007) Birds of Shivapuri National Park. Shivapuri National park and Bird Conservation Nepal, Kathmandu.</div><div>Shrestha, S. (2012) Drivers of Land use change: A study from Sundarijal catchment, Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park. Master’s dissertation, Human and Natural Resources Studies, Kathmandu University, Kathmandu.</div><div>WWF (2013) Chitwan-Annapurna Landscape: Important Areas and Linkage. Kathmandu: WWF Nepal Hariyo Ban Program, WWF Nepal Program.</div>
Contributors: Site identified based on Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas by the BirdLife International Partnership