TEHRAN – The beautiful wetlands of Chaldoran in the northwestern province of West Azarbaijan are hosting more than 50 species of migratory birds.

In this season, Chaldoran wetlands welcome migratory birds due to having adequate food and security, Reza Kheiri, head of the province’s department of environment said, IRIB reported on Saturday.

The wetlands of Chaldoran city are sufficiently filled with water due to their good ecosystem. During the migration season, countless species of birds wings their ways into these wetlands, including over 50 species of geese and ducks, he added.

There are six wetlands in the city, of which Zavieh Sofla, Pir Ahmad Kandi, and Navar wetlands are among the permanent wetlands.

Due to the location of Chaldoran wetlands in border and hunting-prohibited areas, the DOE forces constantly monitor the region and protect these species of natural heritage.

The presence of common cranes in Chaldoran’s wetlands has made them be listed among the most important wetlands of the country, Omid Yousefi, head of the wildlife surveillance of West Azarbaijan’s department of environment, stated.

These wetlands are the only wetlands in the country where this bird species breeds every year, he noted.

Chaldoran wetlands stretch to an area of over 1,000 hectares, and this year, with the participation of local communities and environmentalists, the volume of water in these wetlands increased significantly.

Iran’s bird species

Hosting over 600 species of birds, Iran is a climatically rich country, so it is said that the number of bird species in Iran is higher than in the whole of Europe. A wide range of wetlands is the reason behind migratory birds choosing Iran for an annual wintering habitat, as a large number of birds fly a thousand miles each year to benefit from this rich climate.

Every year, from early September to late February, Iran hosts rare species of migratory birds heading from north to the southern countries due to reduced seasonal temperatures and food availability.

It is estimated that there are about 50 billion birds in the world out of 9,000 species, many of which are migratory. Accordingly, about five to seven million birds migrate to Iran in different seasons. There are about 530 species of birds in Iran, 320 of which are migratory species, some of which are native species.

Among the various groups of migratory birds wintering in Iran, the largest population belongs to the group of geese, swans, and ducks amounting to 781,499 and the smallest population of seven are the long-tailed ducks or oldsquaw.

The provinces of Mazandaran and Golestan are the first provinces with the highest number of migratory birds for having sufficient resources, as the movement of migratory birds is closely linked to the seasonal availability of resources.

FB/MG