TEHRAN – Migratory birds have started their wintering trip to coastal areas of southern Bushehr province, IRIB reported on Tuesday.

Bushehr province is a suitable habitat for migratory birds, due to having the largest coastline with the Persian Gulf, pristine and uninhabited islands, a variety of aquatic plants, and food availability.

Flocks of migratory birds migrate from northern to southern regions, and Bushehr province is considered by the International Bird Organization.

Over 120 species from about 20 families of wintering birds identified in Bushehr province. More than 120 species from about 20 families of wintering birds have been identified and observed in the province, such as terms, geese, storks, pelicans, sandpipers, cranes, flamingos, herons, large white-headed gulls, and cormorants.

According to last year's census, the number of migratory shorebirds to Bushehr province was about 68,000, which indicates an increase of at least 10 percent compared to a year before.

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