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RAJSHAHI, Dec 24 (BSS): Ornithologists at a press conference have said the movement of migratory birds in different water bodies of northern region has dropped following the drying up of beels, rivers and tributaries, plying of mechanised boats, over-fishing and rampant hunting during winter.
They said during the last few years, the number of migratory birds has reduced to two-thirds because of rampant killing of the guest birds and scarcity of small fishes in water bodies.
Around 40 bird species have become extinct in the region in the past 50 years and many others are facing extinction, they commented.
They stressed the need for safeguarding the native and guest birds in the greater interest of ecological balance in the region.
They, however, laid emphasis on effective and concerted efforts by the concerned authorities to preserve various species of birds in the country.
The Bangladesh Birds Club (BBC) organised the press conference on "Resistance of birds' elimination and their selling and purchasing" at a city hotel Thursday.
BBC founder-convener Enam Al Haque was the key speaker.
Director of the Institute of Environmental Sciences of Rajshahi University (RU) Sarwar Jahan, Abdul Mannan of Zoology Department of the RU, Rakib Ahmed of Geography and Environmental Studies of the RU and local BBC conveners Tanvir Mahmud and Taznova Taznin also spoke on the occasion, among others.
The speakers described the region as a potential home to
various species of birds, but their habitats along with
biodiversity were facing threats due to many reasons.
Habitats of birds are gradually getting reduced due to various reasons, including depletion of forests, change in natural vegetation, use of pesticides and insecticides, plantation of exotic trees and human interference, they said.
They, however, lauded the government's initiative of planting fruit-bearing and herbal trees and dubbed it very essential for protecting the birds from extinction.
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