TEHRAN – More than 2,000 flamingos have migrated to Makran coasts in southern Iran this winter that could support nature-based tourism, an environmental official has said.

Meysam Qasemi, deputy head of Hormozgan’s provincial Department of Environment, said the birds have settled along the province’s tidal shores and coastal wetlands since December and are expected to remain until the end of winter, Mehr reported.

Hormozgan province has more than 2,000 kilometers of coastline, multiple coastal wetlands and mangrove forests, making it a seasonal habitat for migratory birds, particularly flamingos, Qasemi said.

He said the birds use food-rich tidal zones and wetlands during winter to survive colder conditions and prepare for their spring migration.

The official said the presence of flamingos reflects the condition of local ecosystems and has drawn public interest, particularly in coastal areas around the provincial capital, Bandar Abbas.

According to a mid-winter census conducted last year, more than 2,000 flamingos were identified across Hormozgan’s coasts and wetlands, he said. At least 230 of the birds were recorded along the shores of Bandar Abbas, including areas near Dowlat and Velayat parks.

The Makran coast, also known as Makkoran or Mokran, stretches along the Sea of Oman in southeastern Iran, mainly within Sistan-Baluchestan province. The region is characterized by semi-desert terrain and long, undeveloped shorelines.

Eearlier this year, the minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri said the Makran coast is among the world’s leading coastal regions and a key platform for the country’s future development.

AM