Gonoshasthaya Kendra in Savar, not far from Dhaka city, is a place of great natural beauty. As soon as winter touches the land, the Kendra and the wetlands around it come alive with visiting guests. Locals and experienced observers say these birds will be seen in the area for the next few months.

Here the dawn breaks to birdsong, and the light chill of the winter wind brings a new face to nature. The reflections of colourful birds drift on the still water of the ponds, and the air carries the restless music of their wings.

With winter, this natural haven becomes even livelier. Migratory birds come to this country from the snow-covered plains of Siberia or the cold lands of Ladakh, and the whole area, beyond the noise of the town, fills with their calls.

The birds begin arriving at the end of the monsoon, but they are seen in the largest numbers in early winter. They leave around the end of March.

At this time the water in Bangladesh's wetlands begins to fall, so the birds easily find their favourite food: snails, mussels, small fish, tender floating leaves and more. Flocks are often seen in the ponds on both sides of the road by Gonoshasthaya's PH.

As the day goes on, the birds move from the big lake to the smaller ponds, and just after dusk they fly up in flocks to the tops of nearby trees or bamboo clumps. Nusaiba Islam, a student at Gono University, said: "These migratory birds add even more to the beauty of winter. But when they leave at the end of winter, these lakes feel strangely empty."

Staff living in the quarters inside Gonoshasthaya said they wake to birdsong. Flocks of many unidentified species arrive in the morning, but birds of the duck family are seen all day. Ducklings of various sizes and breeds can also be seen on the water.

They fear, however, that the birds' habitat could face disaster because these lakes and ponds are not being conserved. When food in cold regions is buried under snow in harsh weather, the birds come to this area to set up short-term homes and escape the food crisis.

Environmental scientist Professor Mesbah-us-Saleheen said: "At one time, for climatic reasons, lakhs of birds came to this land and their presence was clearly noticeable. But unplanned urbanisation and a lack of thought about these issues are destroying the birds' habitats."

"Their survival is under threat, and native birds are not escaping this danger either. Only overall awareness and planned projects can protect this biodiversity."

The writer, Tahmid Hasan, is a student and journalist.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.