Most of the wildlife-watching around Munsiyari asks you to go somewhere — a forest, a meadow, a glacier trail. Birdwatching is the exception. Sarmoli, the village SamathaStay sits in, is itself part of a recognised Important Bird Area, and a fair amount of what there is to see turns up in the trees and terraced fields around the village.
An Important Bird Area, right where you're staying
The Gori valley, which includes Sarmoli, has been designated an Important Bird Area by both BirdLife International and the IUCN. Counts vary a little depending on the survey and the year, but well over 300 species have been recorded here — close to a quarter of all the birds found in India — which is part of why Sarmoli has built a small but genuine reputation among birders.
What you might spot, and when
The Himalayan Monal — Uttarakhand's iridescent state bird — along with Cheer and Koklass Pheasants are some of the more sought-after sightings in the hills around Sarmoli. Closer to the village itself, keep an eye out for laughing thrushes (Sarmoli's forest edges host several species), Verditer Flycatchers, and, overhead, raptors like the Himalayan Griffon. Spring (roughly March to June) and autumn (September to November) tend to be the most productive stretches, though some high-altitude species move down closer to accessible ground in winter.
A short walk further: Betuli Dhar
If you want to widen the search beyond the village, Betuli Dhar forest is about 5km from Munsiyari, at roughly 9,000ft, and is a locally known spot for Monal, Koklass and Cheer Pheasants along with various finches — an easy add-on to a morning walk rather than a trip on its own.
A note on the local craft
The birds here have worked their way into more than the checklist — Maati Sangathan, a women's weaving collective based in Sarmoli, works local bird motifs into some of its woven pieces, one small sign of how much the valley's birdlife is woven into everyday village life, not just kept for visiting birders.