Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve sits in the floodplains of the Koshi River in eastern Nepal. It's small by national park standards — just 175 square kilometers — but it packs more avian biodiversity into that space than almost anywhere else in South Asia.
I spent a week there in January, during the peak migratory season. Every morning at 5 AM, I'd wade into the marshes with my 600mm lens, the cold water seeping through my waders. By 6 AM, I'd already have photographed: a flock of bar-headed geese (fresh from crossing the Himalayas), a pair of Sarus cranes dancing their elaborate courtship ritual, and a pied kingfisher hovering above the water like a tiny helicopter.
The reserve is also one of the last refuges of the wild water buffalo, and if you're lucky, you might spot a Gangetic dolphin surfacing in the deeper channels. But the real stars here are the birds. Over 500 species have been recorded — that's more than the entire continent of Europe.
If you're a bird photographer, put Koshi Tappu on your list. Bring a long lens, waterproof everything, and prepare to be humbled by the sheer variety of life that calls this place home.