Pelicans and painted storks have been found dead in Hemmanahalli lake near here under mysterious circumstances.

Ever wondered how many different kinds of winged friends share the city with us? Better still, how many species can one spot in a single day

Moulvibazar district is in high risk of avian influenza (bird flue) as haors in the area are favourite places of migratory birds that are potential carriers of the virus. Every winter lakhs of birds from the cold region in the north come here and their number has recently increased in Hakaluki and Hail haors following environment-friendly steps taken by the Department of Environment (DoE). Migratory birds are one of the carriers of bird flue virus but there is no laboratory in Moulvibazar district to conduct tests for detection of the bird flu virus, experts said. Following detection of bird flue virus in a poultry farm in Kulaura upazila in January, people of the district are in panic of the virus. Hakaluki Haor, one of the largest haors of the country, covers 20 thousand hectares of land in three upazilas of Moulvibazar and two upazilas of Sylhet district. Another big haor, Hail haor comprises areas in two upazilas of Moulvibazar and one upazila of Habiganj district. So the area sees large gathering of migratory birds in winter. Dr Nurul Islam, upazila livestock officer of Juri upazila in Moulvibazar, said a laboratory to examine bird flue virus should be urgently set up at a place in eastern part of Moulvibazar district.

The district administration has taken steps to prevent spread of Avian Influenza (bird flue) among migratory birds in Hakaluki haor. Samples taken from different species of birds in the Haor have been tested but no germ of the disease was found, sources said. Entry of fowls into the district from other districts have been restricted and spraying of anti-septic medicines on vehicles carrying fowls and eggs within the district has been made compulsory. The measures were taken after bird flue virus was detected in a poultry farm at Kulaura last month.

A 10-km stretch around the Nal Sarovar bird sanctuary has been declared as an Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) as per the Supreme Court guidelines for conserving wildlife. Nal Sarovar sanctuary is spread over 120 sq km and thus a total of 197 sq km on its periphery will be declared as eco-sensitive, which means all activity that could harm the sanctuary will be prevented.

N. Gopal Raj Concern over the possibility that wild birds might transport the bird flu virus known as H5N1 has led to greater interest in studying bird migration. A flock of flamingoes over the Pulicat Lake in Andhra Pradesh. One day in December last year, Niranjan M., a 29-year-old engineer and avid bird-watcher living in Bangalore, drove some 125 km to a lake near Somnathpur in Karnataka. The lake was awash with a couple of hundred migratory birds, mostly bar-headed geese and, in the warm glow of the evening sun, he took over two dozen photographs.