TEHRAN – Iranian tourism minister Ezzatollah Zarghami has said the Italian flamingos lend glamour to the birdwatching opportunities in the wetlands of Abadan, southwest Iran.

“Birdwatching, and in particular, Italian flamingos, is a remarkable capacity for the development of tourism in Abadan,” Zarghami said on Thursday.

“Flamingos create very beautiful images the time when they migrate to this area…. This attraction can provide the ground for tourism development,”

According to available data, some 550 bird species, including Dalmatian pelican, Siberian crane, lesser white-fronted goose, and white-headed duck have been sighted and registered in Iran.

The country is decorated with a variety of impressive wetlands that hold a great share of aquatic and bird species and wildlife. Anzali wetland, Qeshm Island, Urmia Lake, and Miankaleh Peninsula are among the most important locations for bird watching in Iran.

Miankaleh International Wetland in Mazandaran, called the birdwatching paradise of Iran, stretches to a total area of 68,000 hectares, which is home to at least 130 species of migratory species with a population of 1.5 million.

Being an impressive bird-watching destination, the wetland displays a variety of bird species such as otters, all kinds of fish-eating ducks (common goldeneye and Mergus), pelicans, flamingos, cormorants, common pheasants, partridges, mute swan, tundra swan, and coots. Ashuradeh was introduced and registered as one of the world's first biosphere zones in 1975.

Gomishan wetland in Golestan province is home to over 20,000 water birds, and more than 20 species of birds, which supports three IUCN Red List vulnerable species of waterbirds, i.e., Pelecanus Crispus, Aythya nyroca, and Vanellus gregarious, as well as the vulnerable mammal Phoca (Pusa) caspica; it is also an important staging area for the fish subspecies Rutilus rutilus caspicas.

Located at the foot of the Zagros mountains in north-western Iran, Zarivar is a freshwater wetland hosting over 74 bird species, which is designated as a Ramsar Site. The site provides a suitable breeding and resting place for birds and other wetland animals, and due to the relatively extensive reed beds, it is an important overwintering site for northern migratory birds.

AFM