In Shuklaphanta National Park and adjacent regions, a water bird census has begun.
A waterbird census has begun in the park’s lakes and rivers, both inside and outside.
The counting will continue until the 16th of January.
Staff from the Shuklaphanta National park administration, Nepal Bird Conservation Association experts, officials from Himali Prakriti, NTNC, and the Nature Guide Association are all taking part in the census.
Those taking part in the census, according to the association’s ornithologist Hirulal Dagoura, utilize binoculars, telescopes, and cameras to count the water birds.
Waterbirds would be counted as they arrived on site and boarded a boat, he said.
Waterbirds will be counted at Ranital, Taratal, Kalikich Lake, Bedkot, Bandatal, Puranital, Pyaratal, Sally River, Chaudhary River, and the border areas, according to him.
Counting in lakes and rivers will be done on foot, while elephants will be deployed to count in the park’s Salgaundi lake. Shuklaphanta National Park
Every year, water birds are counted and monitored to determine the distribution and status of native and migratory birds in lake and wetland areas, to update numbers, and to create conservation awareness with the cooperation of local communities and stakeholders.
According to Dagoura, the census also offers information on the status of the lake where the water birds live. Shuklaphanta National Park
At the same time, data on the state of the wetland area, human encroachment on the lake, and natural damage is collected.
During the waterfowl census in the park and neighboring areas last year, 48 species were discovered, including some of the world’s rarest storks.
According to Dagoura, the location has ample space for food, security, and nesting, thus migratory waterbirds, including some from Siberia, India, and Sri Lanka, travel to the area.
From Saturday, a comparable waterbird census has been conducted in Kailali‘s lakes and watershed areas.
Water bird counts have begun in the Ghodaghodi Lake area, according to ornithologist Dagora.
The lakes of Karnali, including Ghodaghodi, Kohli, Lokabhauka, Ghoda, Suniyarupiya, Purana, and Karnali, will be counted for water birds.
On the Karnali River, they will be tallied by raft. Last year’s census discovered 32 different kinds of water birds in the Kailali watershed region.
