GANGTEY GOENPA/PHOBJIKHA VALLEY
Spotting the rare black necked crashes in the meadows next to Gangtey Gompa is an ornithologist deligfht. The cranes migrate from the high plains of the Tibetan plateau in winter to the milder climate of Phobjikha.
Gangtey is an old monastery, inhabited only in summer, a few hours drive from Wangdiphrodrang.
Phobjikha, one of the few glacial valleys in Bhutan is a winter habitat of the rare and endangered black-necked cranes. Called Thrung Thrung in Dzongkha, these birds arrive Phobjikha from Tibet in Mid-October and return in Mid-February. Their arrival heralds the end of harvest season and migration of farm families to warmer places.