October 14, 2007	Sunday	Shawwal 1, 1428

LAHORE, Oct 13: Wildlife experts have expressed their concern over extreme decrease in migratory birds in Pakistan.

They say some 80 per cent decline has been observed in the population of migratory birds in Punjab in recent years.

Dr Zulfiqar Ali, a wildlife expert from University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), says major reasons for this decline are tree cutting, hunting, poaching, pollution and massive constructions.

He says every year millions of migratory birds head towards wetlands of Pakistan from Europe and Central Asian states to escape winter.

These migratory birds have a special fly zone that leads to Pakistan commonly known as Indus flyway zone. There are, however, seven fly zones all over the world. The birds reach Pakistan flying over Karakorum, Suleiman Ranges and Hindukush along the Indus River.

The migratory birds which include falcons, cranes, swans, ducks, flamingos, waders and geese start reaching Pakistan early September till February and fly back to Europe and Central Asian states by March.

He says especially falcons are being targeted by several illegal hunters.

Ali, who is a project director at UVAS, says another important reason for birds migrating to other regions is food, saying that it was not available in indigenous habitats during winter. The other factors include change in temperature and reduced hours of daylight.

On the other hand wildlife experts say migratory birds, including Houbara Bustard, have also started arriving in Cholistan area where they stay till the spring season.

The wildlife department has set up check posts at various entry points of Cholistan desert to prevent illegal hunting of migratory birds.

They say birds that migrate from Siberia to Pakistan and India during September to November have started arriving. The NWFP wildlife department has started organising communities along river Kabul and Indus to contain hunting.

The migration of these birds starts from Siberia to Pakistan and ends in India at Bahartpur. This route is known as ‘Indus Fly-way No. 4? or the Green Route’, they say. The distance covered by birds during migration is around 4,500km. —Shoaib Ahmed