However, their stay in these warmer climes is not devoid of challenges. Interestingly, territorial dispute with the local birds makes things even worse.[break]
“The residential birds and migratory birds show interesting behaviors when they face each other initially. A kind of competition goes on over food and territorial control,” said veteran ornithologist Dr Hem Sagar Baral. “However, the level of compatibility between the guests and locals varies depending on the types of birds. Those who live in groups enjoy more comfort than those who get dispersed,” he added.
The birds make different sounds to shoo away other parties. Their sounds reflect aggressiveness and irritation as they struggle for domination over the area. They react through remarkable body language as well.
According to Baral, the struggle does not get too bitter and neither does it go on for very long. As the breeding time for insects coincides with the arrival of the migratory birds, enough food is available, allowing the birds to learn to co-exist.
A file picture of Black Stork taken by Darren Clarke. It migrates from the northern countries including central Asia and as far as from Russia.
“Towards the end of the monsoon, insects reproduce and serve as food for the birds. In fact, the migratory birds are important as they eat up the excess insects to help keep the environmental balance. It is nature´s calculation that birds migrate to better habitats during winter and somehow contribute to ecological balance,” Baral said.
The birds come all the way from Siberia, Mongolia, China and Eastern Europe and settle in different parts of Nepal for around six months in winter. Though the birds start heading to warmer zones right from July, most of them prepare for their journey during September and October.
The chill in the Himalayan region sets some 150 bird species on the move. The country hosts only 60 species in the summer. Bird species including ducks, eagles and falcons make the journey in search of warmer and pleasanter weather every winter.
According to Baral, the birds have to travel no less than 4,000 to 5,000 miles to reach here. Amazingly, there are non-stop travelers who cover the entire journey within two days. The rest of the birds, who like to travel in more relaxed fashion, often take eight to 10 days.
Jyotendra Thakuri, conservation officer at Bird Conservation Nepal (BCN), said the birds use specific routes during their journeys, including the journey to Nepal.
“They come here via the Kaligandaki Valley in the west and the Arun Valley in the east. The days are short in winter in the northern latitudes, which gives birds less time to search for food. So they come down here. Similarly, some of the migratory birds go to Southeast Asia through our country,” Thakuri said.
He added that birds like Thrushes, Fly Catcher, Leaf Warblers, Booted Eagles and Wagtails come to Nepal during the colder days.
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