Ihtisham Kabir

The Paraguay River turned out to be much wider than I had expected. Before our boat took off from the hotel's jetty at breakneck speed in the hot afternoon sun, I had asked Ben, our guide, the distance we expected to cover. “A lot – maybe fifteen to twenty kilometres,” he replied. So this Ferrari of boats did not let up. Soon Alessandro, our boatman, was talking over his radio. Another boat had spotted a jaguar and we sped to the spot before it disappeared.

Like a broken record, the same sequence of events has repeated several times this year. Before I leave the house for my morning run, I

At eight centimetres and much smaller than a sparrow it is the smallest bird seen in Bangladesh. Chances are, if you have a large tree

Guy Mountfort (1905-2003) was an influential English conservationist. He was a founder of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and co-wrote the best-selling A Field Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe.

Some years ago, while reading the book Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Harrari, I was struck by the author's thoughts about the effect of human beings on other species of our planet.

The year is 2013 and Bangladesh Bird Club is hosting a group of Bhutanese birders. I accompany them on their tour of bird-rich Tanguar Haor in Sunamganj. Afterwards, I ask them about the most interesting bird they saw here. “Purple swamphen”, they reply without hesitation. Our common kalem pakhi is exciting to Bhutanese eyes.

As dusk settles in I am out in the park for a walk. The exercise clears my head and recharges my soul and, of course, gives me an excuse to be outdoors.

Winter and spring comprise our best birding season. Shatchori National Park in Habiganj is no exception to this rule, yet I am here on a summer's morning. I do not expect the avian bounty of winter, but I still hope to see a few birds. And I want to see the forest in summertime.

The physical size of Bangladesh may be small compared to other countries, but what our land lacks in size it makes up in biodiversity.

I had just turned sixteen when I went to London to pursue my A levels. I spent two years there living away from home. This comprised my first taste of independent living.

The photography bug bit me when I was a third-year electrical engineering student in the United States. The museum at my

At one time or another, most of us take up a hobby. Hobbies can be anything under the sun, popular ones being collecting stamps

Everyone knows about hummingbirds. These colourful creatures hover while drinking nectar from a flower with their long beak.

Last summer a bout of chikungunia stopped my running. The best I could manage on a good day was a short walk in the park. Many

Several years ago I visited Uganda on the invitation of a friend posted in Kampala. It was the trip of a lifetime: we drove cross-

The Muhuri river originates in India's Tripura before flowing into Bangladesh, where it passes through Feni on its way to the Bay of

Wandering through giant tambul, raintree and gab trees interspersed with coconut, shupari and mahogany, walking along the

On this clear and cool February morning, I am in Kalenga forest once again after a long absence. Part of the Rema-Kalenga Wildlife

We see mandar (erythrina variegata) all over Bangladesh. Also known as coral tree, its bright red flowers bloom in February and last

Immense, difficult, teeming with life – but we know so little about Sundarban!