TEHRAN – Mighan wetland in the central province of Markazi is hosting over 6,000 migratory birds which have come to spend the winter, Zohreh Mousavi, head of the provincial department of environment, has said.

The wetland is among the most important sites for ecotourism and bird-sighting in the country, which is home to over 130 migratory bird species, including cranes, ducks, flamingos, and geese.

Drought and climate change have caused the migration of migratory birds to start with a delay of more than 20 days (according to the annual migration calendar), but the first flock of birds came to spend the autumn in Mighan wetland, which has so far increased to 6,000, she explained.

The wetland is among the most important sites for bird-sighting in Iran, being home to over 130 migratory bird species. Every year, with the arrival of autumn and falling temperature, birds migrate from the north to the southern and tropical regions of the country. Some of these birds winter in the wetland and some travel to warmer areas, she added.

Pointing out that Mighan wetland is one of the 105 bird migration destinations in the world, she noted that up to 20,000 migratory birds of 46 species migrate to Mighan wetland annually, including, crane, Flamingo, mallard, Eurasian teal, common shelduck, and Geese.
She also stressed that patrolling in wetlands and areas where migratory birds spend the winter intensifies in the fall.

No hunting licenses, including bird hunting, have been issued in Markazi Province, and any violation or attempted poaching in the province will be dealt with through legal authorities and violators will be punished, she concluded.

The annual census for migratory birds in Iran begins in the middle of the Iranian calendar month of Dey (December 22-January 20) and ends in the middle of the month of Bahman (January 21-February 19), through which Iran hosts rare species of migratory birds heading from north to the southern countries due to reduced seasonal temperatures and food availability.

Iran’s bird species

Hosting over 600 species of birds, Iran is a climatically rich country, so it is said that the number of bird species in Iran is higher than in the whole of Europe. A wide range of wetlands is the reason behind migratory birds choosing Iran for an annual wintering habitat, as a large number of birds fly a thousand miles each year to benefit from this rich climate.

Every year, from early September to late February, Iran hosts rare species of migratory birds heading from north to the southern countries due to reduced seasonal temperatures and food availability.

It is estimated that there are about 50 billion birds in the world out of 9,000 species, many of which are migratory. Accordingly, about five to seven million birds migrate to Iran in different seasons. There are about 530 species of birds in Iran, 320 of which are migratory species, some of which are native species.

Among the various groups of migratory birds wintering in Iran, the largest population belongs to the group of geese, swans, and ducks amounting to 781,499 and the smallest population of seven are the long-tailed ducks or oldsquaw.

The provinces of Mazandaran and Golestan are the first provinces with the highest number of migratory birds for having sufficient resources, as the movement of migratory birds is closely linked to the seasonal availability of resources.

FB/MG