Shuklaphanta starts counting Finn’s weavers

KATHMANDU: Shuklaphanta National Park Office has begun counting the rare and endangered Finn’s weavers, locally known as Sunaulo Top Chara, from Thursday.

The national park office has deputed two teams to count this rare avian species. Representatives of The Rufford Foundation, National Trust for Nature Conservation, Bird Conservation Nepal, and national park staffers are involved in the count.

According to the national park office, the teams will study the condition of Finn’s weavers, the damage caused by predatory birds, the number of males and females, and the types of trees they nest in. Based on the study’s findings, the national park office plans to create a conservation and management plan for these weavers.

Finn’s weavers are found only in Shuklaphanta National Park in Nepal. These weavers build their nests in the grassy areas of the park. They were first spotted in the national park in 1996.

A census conducted last year found that there are 211 Finn’s weavers in the national park. The number was 244 in the survey conducted in 2022.