THE Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association (BANCA) has announced plans to conduct a waterbird census in TadaU Township, Mandalay Region.

 

This initiative is part of BANCA’s Asian Waterbird Cen­sus programme and will take place in Pyu Lake, Paleik Lake and Banaw Lake from 20 to 22 January. BANCA has invited bird enthusiasts and individu­als interested in birdwatching to observe the census activities independently.

 

The Asian Waterbird Cen­sus is also conducted in Myan­mar’s Ramsar sites, such as Inlay Lake, Indawgyi Lake, and Moeyungyi Wetland, as well as other critical areas like Pyu Lake, Paleik Lake and Banaw Lake in the central region. It involves ornithologists and birdwatching enthusiasts.

 

Participants typically in­clude administrators and staff of Inlay Lake, Indawgyi Lake, and Moeyungyi Wetland wild­life sanctuaries, teachers and students from Mandalay, Yan­gon, Taunggyi, and Loikaw uni­versities, as well as represent­atives from organizations such as Bird and Nature Tour My­anmar (BNTM), SST Tourism Company, Mandalay In Bloom (MIB), FFI, and BANCA.

 

The latest records high­light the diversity and popu­lation of waterbirds and wet­land-dependent birds in key areas. At Indawgyi Lake, 93 species have been document­ed, with a population exceeding 25,000 individual waterbirds. Inlay Lake hosts 36 waterbird species (13,271 individuals) and 55 wetland-dependent species (2,015 individuals). Moeyungyi Wetland boasts 84 species, in­cluding over 15,000 waterbirds. Paleik Lake is home to 32 spe­cies, including rare birds such as the Baer’s Pochard, with over 1,500 individuals. Mean­while, Pyu Lake supports 29 species, with a population of over 1,100 waterbirds. — ASH/ MKKS