TEHRAN--Specialized birdwatching tour was recently held in Qaleh Bala village and Tooran National Park  in Semnan province with participation of nature lovers.

Head of Shahroud Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Department Mohammad Sadeq Razavian said that the event was held to promote responsible eco tours, increase public awareness regarding the biodiversity and introduce natural tourism capacities of Qaleh Bala village and Tooran National Park, ISNA reported.

He explained that the participants visited the ancient texture of Qaleh Bala village at first. Then, they became acquainted with culture, customs and lifestyle of local people through visiting the anthropology museum of the village, he added.

Also, a workshop themed ‘Principles of birdwatching and identifying species spending winter’ was held in Qaleh Bala village in which issues regarding the importance of Tooran habitats,  the behavior of birds, and the proper methods of observing and registering the data of birdwatching were discussed.

At end of the training workshop, a group went to Tooran National Park and watched the birds. 

He said that Tooran National Park, as one of the most important desert environments of Iran, is the habitat of valuable bird species. It hosts indigenous and migratory birds during winters, he added. 

Razavian explained that the existence of Ground-Jay—known in Persian as “Zagh-e Boor—gives high importance to Tooran National Park in terms of biodiversity and make birdwatching a unique experience for nature lovers. 

For 14 years, the remote eco-friendly village of Qaleh Bala has welcomed wildlife enthusiasts to its unique ‘Journey to the Habitat of the Iranian Ground-Jay’ festival — an annual event where residents and visitors come together to honor and protect one of Iran’s rarest native birds.

The festival is part of the community’s conservation program to protect a bird found exclusively in Iran. The Iranian Ground-Jay, locally referred to by older villagers as “running fool,” and scientifically identified as Podoces pleskei—is a sandy-yellow species that inhabits deserts and semi-desert shrublands, especially tamarisk–saxaul sand plains.

Qaleh Bala Village, located at the gateway to Turan National Park—Iran’s largest UNESCO Biosphere Reserve—enjoys a harmonious coexistence with this bird and with remarkable wildlife including the Asiatic cheetah, the Persian onager, and more.

The village of Qaleh Bala is located in the northeastern part of Iran’s Central Desert, in Semnan province, Shahroud county. Set in a foothill region with a hot, dry climate, the village is renowned for its striking architecture, shaped by local materials such as adobe, mud, stone, and wood—elements that lend its homes a deeply authentic and traditional character.

KD