Migratory birds flock at Marnai in North Dinajpur, census in September

Raiganj: Apart from the famous Raiganj Kulik Bird Sanctuary, thousands of migratory birds are now flocking to Marnai village in Itahar of North Dinajpur district. Species such as cormorants, black-crowned night herons, Indian pond herons, egrets and cattle egrets have been visiting the village for years, building nests on trees located in private land.

Their presence has turned the village into a tourist attraction, drawing visitors daily. A bird census will be conducted in September. However, the safety of these birds remains a matter of concern. In the absence of regular Forest department monitoring, incidents of bird poaching have been reported.

Bird lovers fear the lack of protection could threaten the growing population.

Akshay Paul, a local bird enthusiast, said: “Migratory birds, mostly herons, have been arriving in Marnai in Itahar for more than 20 years. This year, over 5,000 birds have taken shelter on trees in homesteads and private forest land. The birds usually stay from May to September before flying elsewhere in October. Their presence attracts many tourists. We urge the Forest department to plant more trees to ensure their safe habitat. But two months ago, poachers from Malda killed more than 50 birds.

Forest officials later recovered the carcasses and lodged a police complaint. If poaching continues, the birds will fly away elsewhere. We want strict vigilance for bird safety and a proper bird survey here along with the Kulik sanctuary.”

Dipankar Das, a visitor of Raiganj, said: “We heard that apart from Kulik Bird Sanctuary, migratory birds visit Marnai village. We witnessed their presence on the trees in this vast area. It gave us much pleasure.”

Responding to these concerns, Bhupen Biswakarma, Divisional Forest Officer of Raiganj Social Forestry Division, said: “We are keeping strict vigil to ensure protection of the birds. We are also spreading awareness against poaching. For the first time, we will conduct a bird census in Marnai in collaboration with Kulik Bird Sanctuary this September.”