TEHRAN – Know-hows and hands-on experiences on bird-watching in Iran will be discussed during a webinar in the west-central province of Zanjan on November 23.

The event will mark a national day for bird-watching, which is observed this year on November 26.

“This educational webinar is also organized to empower the province’s tourist guides,” Zanjan province’s tourism chief Amir Arjmand announced on Thursday.

The history and status of bird-watching in Iran and the world, bird-watching tools and equipment, and step-by-step principles of bird identification are among the main topics of the webinar, the official said. 

Introducing Iran’s native and migratory birds, preparing a bird registration report, and do's and don'ts in bird watching tours are other themes of the one-day event, he added.

So far, 550 bird species have been sighted and registered in Iran, Arjmand said.

Bird-watching, the observation of live birds in their natural habitat, is a popular pastime and scientific sport that developed almost entirely in the 20th century.

Holding a wide range of ecosystems, Zanjan is home to a large number of native and migratory birds. Areas to watch birds include, but are not limited to Khorjahan village, Dandi, Taham dam, Sarcham, Hessar village, Moshampa village, and Hidaj.

The south Caspian Sea retreats are amongst the most famed heavens for birdwatchers in Iran, usually being dominated by its northerly guests until about mid-May when the migration season comes to an end. In a wider scene, the mid-winter population of the migratory birds is estimated to exceed over a million in the whole southern sandy shorelines of the Caspian Sea that spans some 700km.

The northern provinces of Gilan, Golestan, and Mazandaran embrace a variety of freshwater lakes, wetlands, and lagoons, which are the main destinations for traveling pelicans, flamingos, ducks, swans, coots, and some other species.

AFM/MG