‘Paradise of birds’ hosting migratory swans

TEHRAN –A Flock of whooper swans have been observed in Kani Barazan International Wetland, which is known as the ‘paradise of birds’ in the northwestern province of West Azarbaijan.

The swans are on their migration route to southern regions. They have entered the wetland to rest and feed before continuing their flight to the south, IRNA quoted Farouq Soleimani, an official with the provincial department of environment, as saying.

In addition, thousands of other aquatic and waterside birds, including some endangered species such as white-headed ducks and marbled ducks, and other migratory birds such as coots, shovelers, mallards, wigeons, flamingos, and tadornas, live in the wetland, the official noted.

With the release of water from the Mahabad dam and the restoration of the springs supplying water to Kani Barazan, the water condition of the wetland is now favorable, Soleimani added.

Swans are birds of the genus Cygnus within the family Anatidae. They are one of the largest and most beautiful water birds in the world. They are herbivorous and feed on aquatic plants.

Whooper swans can reach a length of over 1.5 m and weigh over 15 kg. Their wingspans can be over 3.1 m. Compared to the closely related geese, they are much larger and have proportionally larger feet and necks.

They typically breed during the spring or summer, with some species traveling to the Arctic in flocks to do so. They build huge nests at the edge of the water, where a female swan lays between three and eight eggs. 

Important stopover for migratory birds

Iran is the most important country in West Asia in terms of housing migratory birds in winter as around two million birds fly each year to spend winter in the country’s wetlands, according to an official with the Department of Environment. 

Encompassing numerous wetlands, reservoirs, and diverse water bodies, Iran welcomes millions of migratory birds every year.

The country has also emerged as the most important stopover for migratory birds in their flight route from Siberia to the Nile as sixteen percent of them select to spend the winter in the country, ISNA quoted Hassan Akbari as saying.

He made the remarks on the occasion of World Migratory Bird Day which is celebrated on May 11 to raise awareness about the importance of migratory birds and the need to protect them.

A diverse array of migratory birds fly to the country, with more than 160 species of aqua and waterside birds identified in Iran which is a significant number.

Despite limited water resources in the domestic habitats of the country, the study of the migratory bird population trend shows that the abundance and diversity of the birds that enter the country have not decreased. The majority of them have flown to the coastal areas of the Caspian and the Persian Gulf, though.

Iran hosts more than five percent of the world’s migratory birds in 450 sites in winter, Akbari said.

“Every year some 30 to 40 million birds are counted all over the world and the related statistics are recorded in the International Waterfowl Census (IWC) database,” he added.

MT/MG