Photo Courtesy: Hem Sagar Baral
CHITWAN: Migratory birds from home and foreign countries have started flocking to the Chitwan National Park and its surroundings in Chitwan district.
The migration of such birds, including ducks, hawks, and kites, takes place every year to avoid the cold.
President of the Bird Education Society Chitwan, Tikaram Giri, said such birds have been spotted on the riverbanks and at water bodies. According to him, 12 to 15 species of ducks from foreign countries have been seen in the Narayani, Rapti and Riu rivers. Saying the birds started coming in August, he said many such migratory birds had arrived, and some others would reach by the end of October. Even from the hilly areas of Nepal, birds come to Chitwan to avoid the cold, he said.
Ornithologist Hem Sagar Baral said birds come to Nepal from countries including Siberia, Malaysia, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and China. Birds like various species of ducks, such as Chakhewa (Ruddy Shelduck), Suiropuchhre (Pin-tailed Green Pigeon), Malak (Ferruginous Duck), Khadakhade (Gadwal), Bijul Gauri (Common Teal) are among the migratory birds that visit Nepal to avoid the cold. “It is found that birds migrate to the southern area from the northern one to avoid the cold,” Baral said.
According to him, 100 out of 150 species of birds that come to Nepal as visitors have arrived in Nepal this season so far. These birds would return from the south to the north after six months during the time of hatching, he said. These birds visit Nepal as during winter, the days are shorter, and nights are longer in the north pole of the earth, and there is a shortage of time for them to graze, he said.
Particularly, birds living in wetlands, grasslands, forests, and farmlands visit Nepal during winter. There are 892 species of birds across Nepal with 650 species in Chitwan alone. Rapti, Narayani, and Riu rivers that run through the CNP and wetlands in the surroundings are good habitats for water birds, while the CNP, buffer zones, parks, and community forests are considered good areas for wandering.
