Our Avian Bounty

The masked finfoot is one of the rarest and most mysterious birds in the world. Found in the Bangladesh Sundarban, it has lobed – not webbed – feet that enable it to swim like a duck, but also nimbly climb trees and run on land. For me, it is a star of among bird species of Bangladesh.

And how many species is that? With recent first-time sightings, over 700 species of birds are seen in Bangladesh, an astonishingly high number when you consider our small area. For example, Spain has 562 and Turkey has 482 species. One reason for this richness is that Bangladesh falls under two bird flyways, highways in the sky that birds use for migration. These are the Central Asian Flyway and the East-Asia/Australasia Flyway. Another reason is that, despite overpopulation, our land is relatively rich in bird food such as vegetation, insects, fish, etc.

Ornithologists have many ways of grouping birds, but for me, our birds fall into three broad, overlapping categories. There are birds of the forests, birds of the fields and birds of water and shore.

Birds of the forest are usually the most colourful. If you spend some time watching them in one of our protected forests, such as Satchori National Forest, you will be charmed by their colours: the red and yellow crown on a yellownape woodpecker, the blue of a veriditer flycatcher, the red and green of a vernal hanging parrot, the green and orange of our pigeons, the brilliant crimson of a minivet... the list goes on. Forest birds, however, are difficult to photograph because they are often fully or partially behind leaves and branches.

Birds of the field, which must camouflage well in the open, cannot compete with forest birds for colour. Relatively drab, they are easier to photograph because, out in the open, their entire form is visible. In winter, for example, birds which hunt, such as shrikes or bee-eaters are seen in many fields or village groves, where they perch on a tall spot. Other common birds of the field include munias, grassbirds, starlings, prinias, pipits and stonechats.

Among our water birds are a large variety of ducks, storks, smaller water birds, grebes, as well as shorebirds which hang around the mud. In winter, our duck variety grows significantly as migrant birds arrive. But some ducks, such as the lesser whistling duck and the cotton pygmy goose, stay here year-round. Among smaller water birds, the little grebe, various water hens as well as the spectacular purple swamphen are found year-round in Bangladesh.

So there you have it: a bounty of birds that enriches the biodiversity of Bangladesh. Far too often, we fall into the trap of thinking that our natural heritage is depleted. While this may be true for larger mammals, our avian population is something to be proud of. Once we are aware of this blessed bounty, we can take the right steps to preserve it.

www.facebook.com/ikabirphotographs or follow ihtishamkabir on Instagram

The masked finfoot is one of the rarest and most mysterious birds in the world. Found in the Bangladesh Sundarban, it has lobed – not webbed – feet that enable it to swim like a duck, but also nimbly climb trees and run on land. For me, it is a star of among bird species of Bangladesh.

And how many species is that? With recent first-time sightings, over 700 species of birds are seen in Bangladesh, an astonishingly high number when you consider our small area. For example, Spain has 562 and Turkey has 482 species. One reason for this richness is that Bangladesh falls under two bird flyways, highways in the sky that birds use for migration. These are the Central Asian Flyway and the East-Asia/Australasia Flyway. Another reason is that, despite overpopulation, our land is relatively rich in bird food such as vegetation, insects, fish, etc.

Ornithologists have many ways of grouping birds, but for me, our birds fall into three broad, overlapping categories. There are birds of the forests, birds of the fields and birds of water and shore.

Birds of the forest are usually the most colourful. If you spend some time watching them in one of our protected forests, such as Satchori National Forest, you will be charmed by their colours: the red and yellow crown on a yellownape woodpecker, the blue of a veriditer flycatcher, the red and green of a vernal hanging parrot, the green and orange of our pigeons, the brilliant crimson of a minivet... the list goes on. Forest birds, however, are difficult to photograph because they are often fully or partially behind leaves and branches.

Birds of the field, which must camouflage well in the open, cannot compete with forest birds for colour. Relatively drab, they are easier to photograph because, out in the open, their entire form is visible. In winter, for example, birds which hunt, such as shrikes or bee-eaters are seen in many fields or village groves, where they perch on a tall spot. Other common birds of the field include munias, grassbirds, starlings, prinias, pipits and stonechats.

Among our water birds are a large variety of ducks, storks, smaller water birds, grebes, as well as shorebirds which hang around the mud. In winter, our duck variety grows significantly as migrant birds arrive. But some ducks, such as the lesser whistling duck and the cotton pygmy goose, stay here year-round. Among smaller water birds, the little grebe, various water hens as well as the spectacular purple swamphen are found year-round in Bangladesh.

So there you have it: a bounty of birds that enriches the biodiversity of Bangladesh. Far too often, we fall into the trap of thinking that our natural heritage is depleted. While this may be true for larger mammals, our avian population is something to be proud of. Once we are aware of this blessed bounty, we can take the right steps to preserve it.

www.facebook.com/ikabirphotographs or follow ihtishamkabir on Instagram

webbed – feet that enable it to swim like a duck, but also nimbly climb trees and run on land. For me, it is a star of among bird species of Bangladesh.

And how many species is that? With recent first-time sightings, over 700 species of birds are seen in Bangladesh, an astonishingly high number when you consider our small area. For example, Spain has 562 and Turkey has 482 species. One reason for this richness is that Bangladesh falls under two bird flyways, highways in the sky that birds use for migration. These are the Central Asian Flyway and the East-Asia/Australasia Flyway. Another reason is that, despite overpopulation, our land is relatively rich in bird food such as vegetation, insects, fish, etc.

Ornithologists have many ways of grouping birds, but for me, our birds fall into three broad, overlapping categories. There are birds of the forests, birds of the fields and birds of water and shore.

Birds of the forest are usually the most colourful. If you spend some time watching them in one of our protected forests, such as Satchori National Forest, you will be charmed by their colours: the red and yellow crown on a yellownape woodpecker, the blue of a veriditer flycatcher, the red and green of a vernal hanging parrot, the green and orange of our pigeons, the brilliant crimson of a minivet... the list goes on. Forest birds, however, are difficult to photograph because they are often fully or partially behind leaves and branches.

Birds of the field, which must camouflage well in the open, cannot compete with forest birds for colour. Relatively drab, they are easier to photograph because, out in the open, their entire form is visible. In winter, for example, birds which hunt, such as shrikes or bee-eaters are seen in many fields or village groves, where they perch on a tall spot. Other common birds of the field include munias, grassbirds, starlings, prinias, pipits and stonechats.

Among our water birds are a large variety of ducks, storks, smaller water birds, grebes, as well as shorebirds which hang around the mud. In winter, our duck variety grows significantly as migrant birds arrive. But some ducks, such as the lesser whistling duck and the cotton pygmy goose, stay here year-round. Among smaller water birds, the little grebe, various water hens as well as the spectacular purple swamphen are found year-round in Bangladesh.

So there you have it: a bounty of birds that enriches the biodiversity of Bangladesh. Far too often, we fall into the trap of thinking that our natural heritage is depleted. While this may be true for larger mammals, our avian population is something to be proud of. Once we are aware of this blessed bounty, we can take the right steps to preserve it.

www.facebook.com/ikabirphotographs or follow ihtishamkabir on Instagram