Sikkim has one national park and six wildlife sanctuaries. These eco-reserves together constitute over 30% of the total geographical area of the state. The Temperate and Alpine eco-regions of the region are protected in one national park, Khangchendzonga National Park (1784 sq. Km) in North and West and four wildlife sanctuaries; Shingba in the North (43 sq. Km), Kyongnosla (31 sq. Km) and Pangolakha in the East (124 sq. Km) and Barsey in the West (104 sq. Km).

Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary, located between Lachung and Yumthang, is home to the endemic Rhododendron niveum. This tree has been designated as the State Tree of Sikkim. The Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary, near Tsangu Lake has Budorcas taxicolor. This plant came from Bhutan in 1999 through the new Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary, which is contiguous with West Bengal’s Neora Valley National Park. Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary is located near Hilley in West Sikkim. It is adjacent to the Singalila National Park in West Bengal. Fambong Lho Wildlife Sanctuary near Rumtek/Martam in East Sikkim (51.76 sq. Km) and Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary above Rabongla in South Sikkim (35.34 sq. Km) protects the subtropical eco-region.

Birdwatching

Region of Sikkim spans across the boundaries of two major zoogeographical regions, the Oriental and the Palaearctic, due to which it has a great variety of avifauna which is representative of both the regions.

The climate of Sikkim ranges between two extremes. Valleys have tropical hot climate and the snowy regions have the alpine cold climate. Depending on the altitude, all kinds of vegetation, tropical, sub-tropical, temperate and alpine is found here which is enriched by the abundance in rainfall. The annual average rainfall here is 325 mm which peaks at 660 mm in the month of July making the weather extremely humid. Extreme deviation in altitudes within very short distances results in distinct climatic zones in his small region which also favours rapid seasonal migration of the species throughout the year. Around 1,300 avifaunal species are found in the Indian subcontinent of which 527 have been recorded in the region.Get Holidays to Sikkim and Tour package to Sikkim in very affordable price.Best Sites for bird Watching are located off the vehicular roads and urban settlements. Trekking to easy and gentle hikes in the middle hills such as Varsey-Dentam, Pelling-Yuksam, and similar trails ranging from one to three days is another good option. Alternatively, one can drive to secluded forested areas like Pemayangtse, Khechiperi, Yuksam, Damthang, Lingzhya, Hee-Gyathang for many interesting finds.