United News of Bangladesh

Dozens of birdwatchers gathered before dawn at a reservoir in Pennsylvania to witness a striking natural spectacle as thousands of migrating snow geese suddenly took flight during their annual journey north. About an hour after sunrise, the birds which had been honking and grooming on the water — burst into the air in a dramatic swirl. They circled briefly before heading toward nearby farm fields to feed on leftover grains as they continued their long spring migration toward breeding grounds in the Arctic, passing through New York and Quebec. The reservoir, created about 50 years ago to attract waterfowl, has gradually become a major stopover for migrating birds. Payton Miller, an environmental education specialist with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, described the moment when the flock lifts off the water as a loud “bird tornado.” “It only takes one beautiful morning with a big flight to remind you how incredible it is to see so many of these birds together,” Miller said, adding that the sight never gets old. Among the spectators was Adrian Binns, a safari guide from Paoli, Pennsylvania, who visited the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area to experience something unique. Snow geese have been arriving at the 6,300-acre Middle Creek site in increasing numbers since the late 1990s. Before reaching the area, many spend the winter along the Atlantic coast, from New Jersey to the Carolinas, with large groups staying on the Delmarva Peninsula near the Chesapeake Bay. Although the geese stay at Middle Creek only briefly, the site attracts around 150,000 visitors each year, including about 1,000 hunters. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, about 100,000 snow geese gathered there on the busiest day last year, though the single-day record remains around 200,000 birds recorded on Feb. 21, 2018. Snow goose populations have grown sharply over the past century. A 2017 study published by Springer Nature found that greater snow geese increased from about 3,000 in the early 1900s to roughly 700,000 by the 1990s. Today, their population is estimated at around one million, while the smaller lesser snow geese may number about 10 million. The number of migrating tundra swans visiting Middle Creek has also risen, from only about a dozen in the mid-1970s to more than 5,000 in recent years. Birdwatchers have identified over 280 bird species at the site, including bald eagles, northern harriers, ospreys and owls. However, the rapid growth of snow goose populations has created environmental concerns. Wildlife officials in the United States and Canada have been adjusting hunting rules while also addressing crop damage, migration changes and habitat destruction in the Arctic caused by the birds’ feeding habits. David M. Bird, a wildlife biology professor at McGill University, said the growing population may be one of the biggest conservation challenges facing wildlife experts in North America. Snow geese often pull plants out by the roots while feeding, damaging fragile habitats used by other wildlife. Meanwhile, the Pennsylvania Game Commission reported that avian influenza, present in the state since 2022, continues to circulate among wild birds. Authorities recently removed around 2,000 bird carcasses mostly snow geese  from a quarry north of Bethlehem during December and January. Bird noted that while nature lovers admire snow geese, farmers often see them as pests, hunters value them as food and animal rights advocates want them protected — making wildlife management a complex task.  

A mobile court in Rajshahi sentenced two poachers to one year in jail for killing at least 600  birds in Charghat upazila of Rajshahi. Police arrested them with 600 slaughtered birds of different species from the Kakramari Patir Bil area on Wednesday. The convicted poachers are Abu Bakar Siddiki, 55, and Firoz Hossain, 32. Tipped off, a team from Charghat police station raided that area and arrested them, said UNO Sohrab Hossain.  Also Read: Two poachers held with venison, animal hides in Bagerhat According to police, the poachers killed the birds to sell in local hotels and restaurants. “They were sentenced to one year and fined TK 1 thousand as per the ‘Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act- 2012’. They were sent to jail,” said the UNO. The dead birds were sent to a local orphanage.  

A daylong bird fair will be held at Jahangirnagar University (JU) on Friday, aiming to create mass awareness about wildlife conservation and preserving birds.The Zoology Department in association with WildLife Rescue Centre, Bangladesh Bird Club, Aronnyok Foundation, Prokriti O Jibon Foundation, Bangladesh Zoological Society and International Union for Conservation of Nature will organise the fair, said a press release.JU vice-chancellor professor Nurul Alam will inaugurate the programme in the morning on Zahir Raihan auditorium premises of the university. Read more: 6th convocation of Jahangirnagar University on February 25Convener of the fair professor Md Kamrul Hasan said, ‘We are expecting a successful fair as the previous years. Moreover, the fair will bring more hype this year as we could not organise the fair last two years due to the Covid pandemic.’The daylong fair will include an inaugural session, competition of bird identification through audio and video, debate on environment and bird painting competition for children, award giving session and others.Besides, a total of 7 bird conservationists will be awarded under three categories - Big Bird Bangladesh Award, Conservation Media Award and Scientific Publication Award.

A BG-10 aircraft of Biman Bangladesh Airlines got hit by a bird at the Sylhet MAG Osmani International Airport on Sunday, forcing the cancellation of a Sylhet to London flight. The aircraft's engine stopped operating after getting hit. The glitch in the engine was identified before the plane was supposed to leave for London’s Heathrow Airport at 10 am, said Hafiz Ahmed, manager of the airport. Read:Mahbub hopes for direct international flights from Sylhet soon Some 256 passengers with tickets had to suffer as the flight got delayed till Monday. “Though some engineers from Dhaka and Sylhet managed to repair the technical problems in the engine by Sunday evening, the plane couldn’t fly as flight operation at the London airport was closed at night” said the airport authority. The flight will now leave for London at 10 am Monday, Hafiz added.

Washington, Oct 23 (AP/UNB) — After 34 years on the endangered species list, a tiny Midwestern bird is ready to fly free of federal protection.

Bangkok, Oct 11 (AP/UNB) — Time is running out for Thailand's dwindling population of helmeted hornbills thanks to poaching of the exotic birds for the ivory-like casques atop their big red and yellow beaks.

Beijing, Oct. 6 (Xinhua/ UNB) -- The feeding behavior of birds is closely related to a single gene that simultaneously regulates bad-tasting molecules and attractive volatiles, according to a new study paper published in the journal Molecular Plant.