Himalayan Snowcock
First view, above Island Lake, Ruby Mountains,
Elko County, Nevada, 16 July 2021; here
is this shot uncropped (to give you a sense of the distance involved); and here is another shot of this bird.
The hunt for Himalayan Snowcock is one of North AmericaÕs
great birding experiences. It involves a long hike, at altitude, in a
spectacular (and not particularly crowded) mountain setting—the Ruby
Mountains. There is no guarantee that you will find snowcocks, and if you do,
they will likely be at fairly great distance from you. You will almost
certainly have to go off-trail, scrambling up rocky slopes to see one. In our
case, we heard a number of birds calling in the far distance, near the top of
the mountain, so we climbed (and climbed and climbed) until we found an open
perch from which to watch for the birds to appear. They called a few more times
(from the other side of the ridgeline), until one bird finally made a brief
appearance far above us, allowing for the three photos on this page. We hiked
nine miles, ending up above 10,000 feet, to see this bird. A superb day in the
field; birding at its finest.
