TEHRAN – A group of bird enthusiasts, students, and researchers has come together on a birdwatching tour, which has been held in compliance with health rules near Baq-Bahadoran, Lenjan county, central Isfahan province. 

It was the first birdwatching tour [of the town this year] organized by the local birdwatching committee with regards to the restrictions imposed over the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, Lenjan’s tourism chief has said. 

Lenjan is home to various species of birds and several historical pigeon towers which could put the town on the tourism map for birdwatchers yet help better preservation procedures for existing natural and historical properties, Ahmad Fathi said on Sunday. 

Moreover, abundant gardens and the pristine nature of Lenjan, which is situated on the banks of the Zayandeh river, are among privileges that could help it become a hub for ecotourism, the official added. 

Such tours are planned to be extended after the virus pandemic is curbed, he concluded. 

So far, 550 bird species have been distinguished and registered across Iran.

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.

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.

ABU/AFM