TEHRAN – A lesser white-fronted goose has been identified and recorded for the first time in Gandoman international wetland, southwestern Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari province, the head of the provincial department of environment has announced.

Gandoman wetland, stretching to 1,070 hectares, is located in Borujen county. It is one of Iran's top five birdwatching sites and the country's most important permanent habitat for migratory birds.

The lesser white-fronted goose species in Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari province has a special conservation action plan, Mehr quoted Saeed Yousefpour as saying on Tuesday.

The Conservation Action Plan attempts to protect endangered species by taking special conservation measures. The lesser white-fronted goose, with the scientific name Anser erythropus, is one of the most valuable species in Iran’s list of endangered birds and is in the VU (vulnerable) protection category of the IUCN Red List.

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 the north to 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