Bhutan is a sanctuary for birds. It is recognized as an area of high biological diversity and is known as the East Himalayan ‘hot spot’ situated as it is at thehub of 221 global endemic bird areas. Over 670 spcies of birds have been recorded and many more are likely to be found. Bhutan is rich in species because of its wet forests of wide altitudinal range. Bhutan’s forest remains substantially intact with 72.5% of the country still under forest cover, which supports about 84% of the country's breeding birds.

In addition, 57% of Bhutan's globally threatened birds and 90% of the country's restricted range birds are dependent on forests. Bhutan has about 415 resident bird species. These resident birds are altitudinal migrants, moving up and down the mountains depending upon the seasons and weather conditions. Around 50 species are known to be winter migrants. These include ducks, waders, birds of prey, thrushes, finches & buntings. About 40 species of summer visitors or partial migrants Yellownts to Bhutan include cuckoos, swifts, bee-eaters, warblers, flycatchers and drongos. The country harbours more than 16 species of internationally threatened birds. They are Pallas's Fish Eagle, White bellied Heron, Satyr Tragopan, Grey bellied Tragopan, Ward’s Trogaon, Blyth’s King Fisher, rumped Honey Guide, Purple Cochoa, Rufous throated Wren Babbler, Red headed Parrot Bill, Chestnut breasted Partridge, Blyth's Trogon, Wood Snipe, Dark Rumped Swift,Rufous necked Hornbill, Grey crowned Prinia and the Beautiful Nuthatch all of which breed in Bhutan.

The country is an important wintering ground for the rare Black necked crane. Greater spotted Eagle, Baer's Pochard, Imperial Eagle and Hodgson's Bushchat are also found.