'Over 600,000 birds migrated to Sindh this year'
Along with usual species of migratory birds, several new species have also been spotted
May 11, 2023
In several countries, including Pakistan, hundreds of thousands of birds migrate from one place to another each year. Sometimes these migratory birds are looking for resources like food or shelter while on other occasions, they are trying to escape the devastating impacts of rapidly changing climate or human expansion. Sindh is one of those regions in Pakistan where birds annually migrate to.
According to the Sindh Wildlife Department, more than 613,851 birds visited the southern province in the surveyed areas between December 2022 and February 2023.
Interestingly enough, during the survey, the department spotted several bird species that were new to the region, including the knob-billed duck, Indian spot-billed duck, cottontail, black stork, lesser flamingo, pintail snipe, parasitic jaeger, great crested jaeger.
Meanwhile, 41 species of waterfowl — who are regular visitors — were also spotted.
The highest number of birds visited Badin's Nareri Lake, with 100,766 birds coming to the picturesque lake that lies near the Pakistan-India border.
Meanwhile, another 158,366 migratory birds came to the Rann of Kutch near Badin, 41,112 visited Lake Manchar, and 16,790 birds made their temporary abodes at Port Qasim.
As per the survey data, the visiting birds made their temporary nests in many new areas besides traditional habitats this year.
The Sindh Wildlife Department team conducted the survey in the months of December, January, and February at around 30 places — including Keenjhar Lake, Manchar Lake, Hamal Lake, Haleji Lake, Rann of Kutch, and Port Qasim.
