Bangladesh News

About 12,286 wetland birds of 39 species have been spotted in Maheshkhali, Sonadia and Shahparir Dwip in Cox’s Bazar, shows a recent bird census.

The Directorate of Environment, and Marine Life Alliance, a research and nature conservation organisation, jointly conducted the three-day bird census from December 18.

Zahirul Islam, executive director of Marine Life Alliance, said a number of Spoonbill Sandpiper (Calidris pygmeus), an endangered species of bird, had been recorded.

Of them, six were spotted on the Sonadia and Mokam sea beach. Only a few hundred pairs of the 14-15 centimetre long bird now remain throughout the world.

The census area falls under the East Asian-Australasian Flyway of migratory birds.

A team led by German ornithologist Dr Christoph Jauckler has been working for conservation of the endangered birds across the globe.

Zahirul Islam, Md Faisal, member of Bird Club and student of the biology department at the Jagannath College, DoE officials Md Bashir Uddin and Md Hasibur Rahman conducted the census with the help of volunteers from Sonadia, Maheshkhali and Shahparir Dwip.

Both Sonadia and Badar Mokam beach have been favourite spots of migratory birds. Spoonbill Sandpiper has been spotted in the two areas since 2006.

Migratory birds make a stopover there to collect food before flying to further south. Some species of migratory birds even spend the whole winter there.

Zahirul said the sandy beaches, wetlands and coastal mangroves adjacent to Sonadia are very crucial for these wetland birds.

He said over 60 percent of the mangroves have been destroyed for setting up shrimp enclosures.

“The presence of migratory birds in Sonadia brings a ray of hope despite existence of various problems in the country and environmental hazards,” said the executive director of Marine Life Alliance.

Migratory birds fly at least 7,000 kilometres to get shelter and food there. About 40,000 to 50,000 migratory and local wetland birds stay in the coastal areas of Sonadia and Maheshkhali in the winter, said Zahirul.

He said although Kaladia, Paikdia, Alordia and Belekerdia near Sonadia are well-known bird sanctuaries, the government has moved to set up a deep seaport in the area much to the frustration of environmental activists.