<i>Arrival of migratory birds poor in southern coasts </i>
Bird watchers say Sidr reduced feeds, destroyed nesting places
Migratory birds that add to the natural beauty in coastal areas during winter are less in number this year.Photo: STAR
Arrival of migratory birds in coastal areas of Patuakhali, Barguna and Bhola have fallen drastically this winter compared to previous years mainly due to the 'ecological imbalance' caused by Sidr, experts and bird watchers here said. Bird watcher Pijush Kanti Hari, former chairman of geology department at Patuakhali Government College, who keeps records on yearly arrival of migratory birds in the area, said over 10,000 birds of different species were recorded during a survey in January 2003 on Tatulia river that dividers Patuakhali and Bhola districts. The birds included Garganey, Common Pochard, Larus Brunni Cephalous, Grebe, White Bellied Sea eagle and Marsh Harriar. But a survey completed on December 29 found a little over 1,000 migratory birds in the area. According to Hari, the number of birds declined due to less availability of food and destruction of their nesting places by Sidr. "Sidr left a lot of sweet water in coasts and nearby water bodies, swept from rivers and canals, reducing salinity in the coast. Migratory birds did not come into this area as schools of small fishes on which these birds feed, moved from typical saline water of the area," Hari said. Migratory birds can identify their feeding grounds from a very high altitude. The birds, particularly of duck species, used to come to southern parts of Bangladesh to feed on fishes, found in plenty in costal rivers with little salinity. Hari said that the recent survey done by him revealed that Sidr also destroyed nesting places. "The number of migratory birds has drastically fallen simply because the earlier bird-friendly environment has been lost, at least for the time being”, he said. Every winter thousands of migratory birds from Siberian, Russia and other cold countries fly to Bangladesh to escape biting cold. Normally, they start arriving in the middle of December and go back in March-April. Thousands of migratory birds including Sand Piper, Snip, Godwit, Wagtail, Ruddy Shell Duck, Common teal, Mallard, Garganey, Common Pochard, Larus Brunni Cephalous, Grebe, White Bellied Sea Eagle, Marsh Harriar, Lapwing, Plover, Godwit, Red Shanka, Turn stone, Wood Cock, Sander Lang come to different wetlands including Tatulia river in Bhola district; Paiyra, Ahdhar Manik, Agunmakha, Mohipur and Buragouranga in Patuakhali; Bishkhali and Fatrarban in Barguna, all in coastal areas of the country. "Over 145 species of migratory birds come to our country every year,” Hari told. “Interestingly, northern areas of the country this year saw a rise in the arrival of migratory birds”, he said. "The same thing happened in the coastal areas after the 1970 cyclone”, he said. Bird watcher Mohi Uddin who visits Kuakata every winter, said he is surprised to see so few birds, specially ducks, in the area this year. Migratory birds play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance in the environment, he added. They feed on weeds, harmful insects and ailing fishes and help stop spread of diseases among fishes, he said.
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