Migratory birds rise in Hakaluki Haor
DoE declares five sanctuaries
Chirping and fluttering migratory birds at the onset of winter adds to the beauty of Hakaluki Haor.Photo: STAR
Migratory birds have started flocking to Hakaluki Haor in Moulvibazar, the biggest lake in the country, delighting visitors with their chirping and fluttering. Birds of different species have come earlier this year and their number is also more than last year, bird watchers said. There is also a good news for bird lovers. The Department of Environment (DoE) has declared five water bodies in Hakaluki haor as bird sanctuaries, effective from this year. Implementation of the project has already started, DoE sources said. Hakaluki haor comprising 18115 hectares is spread over six upazilas in Moulvibazar and Sylhet districts. Every winter, tens of thousands of guest birds of about 150 species from Siberia and other colder regions flock to the haor. They include Bright King-duck, Rose King-duck, Bali-haas, Lenja, Chity, Sorali, Boikal, Nilshir-Piyan, Pantamukhi, Pankouri, Buti-duck, China, Rangamuri, Black-duck, Peributhi, Chokchoki, Giria, Khonjona, Patari, Dolpipi, Water-hen, North-giria, Dahuk, Patibatan, Common-chill, Cotton-chill, Gergini, Cottontail, Pintail and Toughed-duck. Bird specialist Inam Al Haque after a survey in February this year told journalist that they counted 51, 521 birds of 42 species in 20 water bodies of Hakaluki Haor . Of these, 18, 555 birds of 29 species were guest birds and the rest 32, 966 of 13 were 'local bird or permanent resident of the Haor'. They also found nine aquatic birds of four new species during the survey (in February this year) in the Haor. They were Falcated Duck, Gray Leg Goose, Northern Lapwing and Common Shell Duck. In the earlier survey done on February 12-13 in 2006, the they counted 46, 712, 49 birds in 20 water bodies of the Haor, Inam told this correspondent. But three species-- Spot bill Duck, Comb Duck and Grey Headed Lapwingwere not found during this year's survey, he said. Iman said the maximum number of birds--about 30,226 of 10 species--were found at Nogua-Lobiroi Beel of the Haor. Last year, they counted 27, 486 birds in this beel, he said. A good number of unknown birds were found in the Haor this year, bird specialist Inam said. The survey was conducted under 'Enumeration of Aquatic Bird 2007', a project of DoE. Wild life specialists SMA Rashid Uddin and Md Abdul Aziz, project director project Jafar Siddique, some teachers and students of Zoology departments of Chittagong and Khulna universities were also in the survey team. The five bird sanctuaries in Hakaluki Haor declared by DoE are Doho Beel, Hala Zola, Haramdinga, Nogua-Lobiroi, and Chatlabil. Environment friendly aquatic trees like Hizol, Koroch Boran, Murta is being planted in Chatalbil and Dohobil beels to create resting places for birds, said Bashir Ahmed, wild life affair officer of DoE at Kulaura. Artificial nests will also be created for birds, he said. Anwar Hussain, Echo Tourism Development Officer of DoE at Kulaura said, they have taken up a plan to construct three bird observation centres in Hakaluki haor for tourists.
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