Two teams of bird watchers set off yesterday to conduct the 31st census of wetland birds in the country, including the winged guests who migrate from far away Siberia and Europe to escape the harsh winter there. The teams would be visiting the coastal areas of Bhola and Noakhali and the haors in northeastern Bangladesh like the Tanguar haor, the Hakaluki haor and the Baikkar beel, respectively. The coastal area group is led by Samiul Mohsin from the Nature Conservation and Management Organisation. The haor area team is led by Inam Al-Huq from the Bangladesh Birds Club.
The teams would catalogue the number and species of both migratory and resident birds in the wetlands, andhighlight their status and feeding habits, said Dr SMA Rashid, a wild life biologist and researcher from the Centre for Advanced Research in Natural Resources and Management (CARINAM).
The teams are expected to return on January 20 and report their findings in the first week of February, he added. The visits would help spread awareness against trapping and hunting of birds as they help in conservation of nature as well on as their role in pollination, Rashid said.
The trips followed a conference of bird watchers and nature lovers in the capital yesterday. The meeting was held to commemorate three decades of bird census in the country, with the first such count held in 1987.