Hakaluki Haor has seen a slight increase in aquatic birds, even though the number is much lower this year than previous years.
Inam Al Haque, the eminent ornithologist, revealed the information on Friday while talking about the two-day bird census took place on January 28.
This census was held jointly by the Forest Department, Bangladesh Bird Club and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The census revealed that out of 718 species of birds in Bangladesh, 388 species are migratory. Migratory birds come to Bangladesh from different countries in winter and choose reservoirs like Hakaluki Haor as shelter.
According to the census, about 25,000 birds came to Hakaluki this year, which is much less than last year. In 2020, around 40,126 birds came to this haor.
Observations by Bangladesh Bird Club and IUCN said that the number of migratory birds in Bangladesh has decreased by 35% in the last 20 years. Hakaluki Haor saw a 45% drop.
Before 2000, about 75,000-80,000 birds used to come to different beels and haors in Bangladesh among whom 80% flocked to Hakaluki Haor.
Experts attributed the decline in the number of migratory birds to destruction of biodiversity, river pollution and bird poaching.
Dhaka Tribune“Fishing in the beels and cutting aquatic trees caused the decline as well,” they said.
Haris Mohammad, a local journalist, said the rivers that meet at Hakaluki Haor are now filled with plastic, polluted water, and garbage. This is one of the few causes of why the number of birds is declining.
“The number of birds is decreasing day by day because the haor is unprotected. There should be a strict role of the administration to increase the awareness of the locals to protect the migratory birds of this haor,” he said.
Moulvibazar Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife and Nature Conservation Department) Rezaul Karim Chowdhury said people are given leases on different beels of Hakaluki Hoar every year. “Due to this several people visit the beels, and we guard the beels all day.”
He said there are several reasons why migratory birds cannot stay comfortably in the haor. Biodiversity of the haor is being destroyed due to fishing by drying the beels. “As a result, the number of migratory birds is decreasing,” he said.
Ornithologist Inam Al Haque said 37,778 aquatic birds of 52 species were found during the census. Among them, 12,732 birds were seen in Hakaluki Haor.
“Among them, 5,457 were piang duck (Gadwall) and 4,537 were cormorants. Meanwhile, two rare and endangered falcated ducks were seen in Hakaluki Haor during the census,” he said.
Hakaluki Haor is spread across different areas of Kulaura, Juri and Barlekha of Moulvibazar and Fenchuganj and Golapganj upazilas of Sylhet.
With an area of about 181 square kilometres, this haor has 276 small and big beels.
In 1999, Bangladesh government declared Hakaluki Haor as an ecologically critical area (ECA).
