Staff Reporter:

Even before the onset of winter, various areas including Chalan Beel in Sirajganj have become vibrant with the arrival of migratory birds. As in previous years, birds have flown to Bangladesh from distant Siberia and other cold prone regions, where they find comparatively warm weather and abundant foods.

With the arrival of the birds, Chalan Beel has come alive once again. The chirping of the birds and their graceful flights in flocks create a breathtaking natural scene, attracting nature lovers and travelers from different parts of the country to this region.

Locals said, migratory birds have started flocking to Chalan Beel in Sirajganj, the biggest wetland in the country, delighting visitors with their chirping and fluttering. Birds of different species have come earlier this year and their number is also higher than the last years, bird watchers said.

It is reported that although nearly 14 rivers and 22 wetlands—both large and small—once flowed through the area, many of them no longer exist. Even though the waters have not fully receded, the birds have already started to settle in the chars of the Jamuna River and the surrounding Beels in the northern region.

The birds now appearing in Chalan Beel and the Jamuna Chars include  Bak, Itali, Shirley, Piaj Kheko, Trishul, Batuila, Narulia, Lalswar, Kando Khocha, Fefi, Dahuk, Balihans, Pankauri, Shamkali, Ratchora and various species of birds.

These birds usually stay until February and remain busy searching foods from morning to evening.

The number of visitors to Chalan Beel is increasing every day. However, amid this celebration of natural beauty, illegal bird hunting has become a growing concern.

Local sources, some unscrupulous hunters are regularly capturing birds using nets and cages and selling them in local markets with high prices. In remote village markets, Bak are being sold at Tk 90 to Tk 100 each, Ratchora at Tk 250 to Tk 450 per pair and whistling ducks at Tk 320 to Tk 670 per pair. This not only causes the loss of bird lives but also severely disrupts the ecological balance, experts seem.

Sharmistha Sen Gupta, the agricultural officer of Tarash Upazila, said that, “Migratory birds help maintain ecological balance and reduce the need for pesticides by feeding on crop-damaging insects, which helps the farmers by reducing production costs. Additionally, the droppings of these birds serve as a natural fertilizer for the soil.