TEHRAN – The Department of Environment in cooperation with the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts has established a national birdwatching secretariat in Khuzestan province.

According to Behzad Moein, an official with the provincial DOE, it is the first birdwatching secretariat in the country, IRNA reported.

“The national birdwatching secretariat aims to identify birds and promote the culture of birdwatching among people. Bird watching is a branch of ecotourism. Iran is home to 577 species of birds, 404 of which live in Khuzestan province,” Moein noted.

The official went on to say that the province ranks first in the country in terms of the birds’ diversity.

Birds such as basra reed warblers; marbled ducks; small, large and African darters; osprey and golden owls; flamingos; and other birds in Khuzestan province are registered in the list of environmental resources. 

The department of environment is scheduled to introduce the protected areas suitable for birdwatching as well as birdwatching routes to the secretariat. The secretariat with the help of birdwatching experts will unveil these places to tourists to further flourish birdwatching, Moein added. 

The south-western province of Khuzestan is the most diverse region in terms of different bird species, its unique and pleasant climate, as well as rich natural habitats, have turned this province into a paradise for rare and endangered species of birds.

Every year, with the onset of the cold season, flocks of migratory birds come to winter in the province from the cold regions of Central Asia.

Due to the existence of numerous rivers, wetlands, and special bird habitats, at least 6 species of rare birds of Iran that live in the margins of wetlands and rivers have been recorded in Khuzestan province, two species of which have been seen only in this region.

From terns and ibises to house sparrows, various subspecies of birds will surely be recorded in Khuzestan province by researching and expanding the science of bird watching in the country.

About 20 percent of the country's wetlands are located in Khuzestan, this is why the province is home to most migratory birds, along with the favorable weather conditions.

Bird-watching in Iran

Although large portions of the country are arid to semi-arid, Iran possesses a very rich and diverse bird fauna.

Two main factors are responsible for this; the great range of habitats—from permanent snows to deep deserts and from lush deciduous forests in the north to palm groves and mangroves in the south—and Iran’s position at a crossroads between three major faunal regions, according to the Iran Paradise website.

The bulk of the country lies within the Palearctic faunal region, which stretches from Europe and North Africa across north and central Asia to the Soviet Far East and Japan. Lying along the southern edge of this region, Iran’s bird fauna includes a large Western Palearctic faunal element, reaching its eastern extremity in the central Alborz and Zagros mountains, and a smaller, but still marked, Eastern Palearctic element, which extends into northeastern Iran in the highlands of Khorasan.

On Iran’s south coast, the tidal mudflats, mangrove, sand beaches, rocky shores, and sea-cliffs support a variety of breeding and wintering habitats for seabirds. Breeding species include Crab Plover Dromas ardeola, Great Thick-knee Burhinus recurvirostris (only in the sea); several species of herons and egrets such as Indian Pond-Heron Ardeola grayii, Western Reef Heron Egretta gularis and Goliath Heron Ardea goliath (in mangrove); and several species of terns.

Wintering species include Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia, Osprey Pandion haliaetus, White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla, and also many shorebirds notably African Black Oystercatcher Heamatopus ostralegus, Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica, Curlew Numenius arquata and Plovers Charadrius spp., Scuas Stercorarius spp., Gulls Larus spp., and Terns Sterna spp.

MT/MG