Hurrah for Sherpur’s bird lovers

Established in 2018, the Sherpur Bird Conservation Society (SBCS), a collective of 17 volunteers, has been working towards monitoring local and migratory birds in different areas of the district.

With the goal of putting Sherpur on the map for its abundance of birds,  the organisation's journey initially started off with just five members.

"With a view of creating awareness among locals, especially those who earn their bread through bird hunting, we set off on our mission three years ago," said Shahiduzzaman, its founding member. Shahid is also a librarian at the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Sherpur.

Approximately 236 bird varieties have been identified in the last three years in Sherpur, mainly at the Brahmaputra shoals of Char Pankhimari in Sherpur Sadar; Bogadubi, Gazni and Rangtia in Jhenaigati; Kurcha in Nakla and Madhutila in Nalitabari.

"So far, we've rescued 200 birds from catchers and set them free in the forest with the help of officials. We've also rescued some injured birds including kite, fairy kite, owl, falcon, teal, vulture, water hen and Indian spotted eagle," said Devdas Chanda Babu, a member.

"Locals are now more sympathetic towards the wild birds," said Sujoy Malakar, president of SBCS. They (locals) told us that the pandemic was a blessing for the birds, as the catchers were away from the forests, allowing the number of bird population to increase," added Sujoy.

The Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division in Sherpur also conducts drives every week at different spots where birds visit in numbers, said Md Abdul Kader, assistant professor of Sherpur Govt College, and a founding member of the society. This also helps in protecting the district's avian population.

Due to the grave shortage of large trees, many birds have lost their shelter over the years, which has affected their breeding. To protect these birds, indiscriminate cutting down of forests must be stopped, members of the conservation society suggested.