With the advent of winter, migratory birds of different species have started to flock to evergreen Jahangirnagar University (JU) campus amid the government's instruction to its livestock officials to be on strict vigil to prevent killing of these birds that have the potential of transmitting avian flu virus to the local poultry.

More than two lakh small and medium scale poultry farms are operating across the country that employ five million people directly. The industry added nearly Tk 8,000 crore to the GDP during the last fiscal.

The World Organisation for Animal Health reported that the avian influenza virus has already affected Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, and Japan in Asia.

Leaders of the Citizens' Committee on Bird Flu Prevention in Bangladesh through a news conference claimed that a low level of pathogenic bird flu virus had been detected in the poultry industry of India. The committee urged the government to continue its ban on poultry import from India.

Prof Mustafa Feeroz, chairman of the zoology department of JU however said, "There is hardly any possibility of bird flu being transmitted from the migratory birds as most of them are local and direct physical contact is required for the flu to be transmitted."

Though the number of migratory birds this year seems smaller than the previous year's, a considerable number of them have already taken shelter on the campus. This year the birds arrived a month later than expected due to excessive rainfall at the end of the monsoon that had delayed the coming of winter. As conditions of most of the lakes have become unfriendly to the birds due to unplanned and uncontrolled fishing, they can be seen floating only on two lakes. The lakes in front of the administrative building and behind Pritilota Hall are the most preferred resting grounds of the guest birds. The birds use the lakes during daytime and wander into the paddy fields near the river at night in search of food.

About 31 species of guest birds usually visit the campus every winter and another 100 species are seen all through the year on the lakes and in the bushes. The 31 migratory species include 28 local ones from different parts of the country such as Hakaluki and Hyle haors (lakes) and Tangaor beel (swamp) in Sylhet, and the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The other three species come from Siberia and the mountains of the Himalayas. Only seven to ten species of the guest birds are likely to float on the lakes while the others are known as migratory tree-birds.

Desi Khanjana, Pintail, Lanja Duck, Tufted Duck, Spoonbill and Moorhen are some of the endangered species among the local migratory birds that visit the campus. Though Siberian Ducks usually come in November they are yet to show up this year. Last year a new rare species of migratory birds named Yellow-Legged-Green-Pigeon was spotted on the campus which also has not showed up yet. Shovellers were last seen in 1992 and have not made any appearance since.

The university authorities have not taken any step to preserve friendly habitat for the birds on the campus. Experts fear that in a few years no guest bird will visit the campus if the situation does not improve immediately. The zoology department every year arranges a bird fair on the campus where a large number of city dwellers throng to learn about the verities of birds and to enjoy the panoramic view from the campus.

Disclaimer: All information shown here are from different sources. The SDNP is not responsible for any inaccuracy in them.