KANCHANPUR: Winter migratory birds have begun arriving in the Kanchanpur–Kailali borderlands, as well as in local rivers and ponds, from Siberia and other northern regions to escape the winter cold.
Every year, as temperatures drop across the northern hemisphere, migratory birds travel long distances across the mountains to reach the relatively warmer wetlands of far-western Nepal.
This seasonal movement has led to a noticeable increase in bird activity around the border areas and water bodies of Kanchanpur and Kailali districts.
With the end of the monsoon and the onset of cooler weather, migratory birds have started arriving from Siberia, Kyrgyzstan, northern China, Tibet, and Mongolia, said Hirulal Dagaura, senior ornithologist at the Nepal Bird Conservation Association.
“When temperatures in those regions drop below zero, birds arrive here every year to escape the harsh winter,” Dagaura explained.
According to him, the arrival of migratory species has already been observed at Puraini Lake in Kanchanpur, Sikari Lake inside Shuklaphanta National Park, the Mahakali and Chaudhar rivers, as well as at Ghodaghodi Lake, the Basanta Biological Trail, and the Karnali River in Kailali, and Aalital in Dadeldhura. Most of the incoming species are ducks, along with other types of waterfowl and waders.
More than 100 species of migratory birds visit Nepal each year to escape the winter, over half of which are ducks. In the lakes of Kanchanpur and Kailali alone, around 30 to 50 species are recorded annually.
However, Dagaura noted that the number of migratory birds has been declining in recent years due to human encroachment on wetlands and fish farming activities in natural lakes and ponds.
“Effective management of border wetlands, increased public awareness, and active participation of local communities are essential for the long-term conservation of these birds,” he emphasized.
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