Golestan bird watching paradise; A place to watch herons and pelicans

The presence of wintering and hunting birds in the water habitats and plains of the northern belt of Golestan has made this province a suitable place for bird watching, and the solution to the problem of water shortage in wetlands and the cooperation of people to protect water areas has opened the feet of more environmentalists to this province. will do.

According to IRNA, Golestan has 23 bird census sites in water habitats.

The migration of birds from the northern latitudes of the planet, including the cold regions of Siberia and Eastern and Western Europe, simultaneously with the cooling of the air and the limitation of food resources in these areas, begins in the wetlands of the province from the end of September, and these birds migrate until the middle or the end of April according to the temperature. They stay in the wetlands of Golestan and feed on its food sources.

Since last week, the first group of migratory birds, including about 100 khotkas, entered the water area of ​​Gorgan Bay as the precursors of wintering birds, and other water habitats of the province will witness the presence of these birds in the coming days.

The landing of hundreds of waterfowl and waterside birds in the Gorgan Bay at the same time as the first week of the last month of summer shows that the harvest table of the dying water habitats of Golestan, in addition to the surrounding human communities, is wide for wildlife and birds until the last moments.

Bird watching is a field of natural tourism and healthy recreation that polishes the soul and soul in today’s car life and creates indescribable peace. The area is not used.

Wetlands, lakes, dams, dams and other water resources of Golestan, due to suitable weather conditions and sufficient food resources, host thousands of migratory and native birds every year in the autumn and winter seasons, and in these months, many tourists visit to enjoy Among the natural attractions of the province are the Hyrcanian forests and its water sources, some of them spend hours watching birds next to wetlands and other water sources.

The effect of drought on the presence of migratory birds

According to experts, in the last one or two years due to the noticeable decrease in rainfall and the significant decrease in water level and drought, fish farming, the presence of hunters and the increase in people’s use of the edges of wetlands and lakes as recreation areas, the population of migratory birds has decreased.

According to Mahmoud Shakiba, head of the Department of Wildlife Affairs of Golestan Environmental Protection Directorate, last year 165 thousand pieces of aquatic and coastal migratory birds were counted in the province, which shows a decrease of about 50% compared to 302 thousand pieces in 2019. The most important reason was the high temperature in the cold northern regions and the decrease in the water resources of the province.

Examining the condition of Alagol, Ajigol, Almagol, Gamishan and Gorgan Bay wetlands indicates that the volume of water in these water resources has decreased to the lowest level due to climate change and decreased rainfall along with various human factors such as indiscriminate harvesting and not allocating water rights on time. It has reached and the continuation of this process will lead to a widespread drought followed by the spread of the dust phenomenon in the north of this province.

The people of Golestan, especially the residents on the edge of wetlands and water resources, who are suffering from drought these days, hope that the weather conditions will improve in the autumn and winter seasons, as in previous years, and with the occurrence of proper rainfall, a large population of migratory birds will visit this province for the winter. to be

According to the official censuses, in some months of the year, about 300,000 birds live in these areas in the water habitats of Golestan, birds that are very numerous in terms of the variety of species and gender.

Acquainting people with the world of birds is the most important goal of birdwatching site

The development of bird watching in Golestan, in addition to the many advantages it can bring to the tourism industry, will play an important role in introducing people to the beautiful and delicate world of birds and spreading the culture of preserving wildlife and the environment.

According to Mehdi Rajabi, an environmental wildlife expert, one of the important potentials of wetlands is investment for the development of ecotourism. The development of nature tourism and birdwatching in the province requires the creation of infrastructure such as local and rural residences and the increase of environmental checkpoints.

He listed the creation of hiking trails and the training of local guides among the basic infrastructures for the launch and development of birdwatching tourism in Golestan and stated: unlike other branches of nature tourism, people with less physical and physical abilities can easily participate in birdwatching programs and Touch the flow of life in nature closely.

Seyed Reza Hashemnejad, the leader of Golestan tourism tours, also considered the establishment of short-term bird watching tours as a source of income for the communities around bird habitats and said: By creating bird watching sites, sources of income such as accommodation, transportation, feeding, the entry of travelers to the region and the sale of handicrafts are also available. It turns out that it is not possible to provide any of these incomes by hunting birds.

The presence of aquatic and coastal migratory birds and the wintering of dozens of rare bird species in the water area around Ashurade Island and Gorgan Bay has provided the opportunity to carry out bird watching tours as a green and profitable industry in this province.

According to the head of the Department of Wildlife Affairs of Golestan Environmental Protection Department, if more people join in protecting nature and avoid destruction and unauthorized use of existing resources, birding sites can be established by establishing facilities such as telescopes and special cameras and suitable locations. Itraq created several hours or days of tourists to observe birds in the water habitats, plains of the northern belt and the highlands of the province.

Mahmoud Shakiba added: Compared to other tourists, bird-watching tourists do not need much tourism infrastructure and spend most of their time in the heart of wild nature, but it is necessary to create a suitable environment and install a camera along with an expert to provide the necessary explanations about the use and type of birds. It can be seen to attract ordinary tourists to this part of natural attractions.

He continued: In addition to providing financial resources for the purchase of special equipment, the most important of which is a telescope with a price of at least 50 million tomans and a camera with a price of at least five million tomans, the creation of birdwatching sites is an invitation to experts active in this field to use the experiences of similar sites. It is needed in other provinces and other countries to be able to take more advantage of this opportunity for the prosperity of this type of tourism.

Currently, bird watching as an industry has flourished in some countries and people go to watch birds for free time, and if they are more professional, they also take pictures of them. Accordingly, in many big cities, although perhaps from the plant and animal environment, may be far away, but they build managed places for birding and watching and taking advantage of their potential capacity in research, education and leisure.

Shakiba stated: It is necessary to follow the example of these megacities, in Golestan, as the second province after Mazandaran, with this volume of migratory birds, the necessary facilities for the establishment of tourists and bird watching should be created.

He added: Out of the total of 304 bird species identified in Golestan, 107 native species of the province, 97 wintering species, 81 breeding species and 19 species were seen by chance.

All kinds of ducks, swans, pelicans, herons, terns, swallows, terns, geese, flamingos, cormorants and white-tailed sea eagles are among the migratory bird species that live in the water habitats of Golestan for half of the year, and all kinds of sparrows, salims, terns and Kakais breed as native birds in the province.

Golestan province hosts hundreds of thousands of waterfowl every year due to its Almagol, Alagol, Ajigol, Inche, Daneshmand, Bibi Shirvan, Gamishan coastal wetlands and Gorgan Bay wetlands.