Greylag goose, called Swetamatha Kalhans in Nepali, has been sighted in Kailali, west of Chitwan, for the first time.
Scientifically called Anser Anser, greylag goose has been spotted at the meeting point of the Karnali and Mohana rivers known as Sri Lanka Island in Tikapur Municipality.
A few days ago, six Greylag geese were recorded on the island, said Hirulal Dangaura, an ornithologist, who is also a bird conservationist.
The number of birds seen here is the highest ever in Nepal, Dhangaura said. Earlier, in 2018, Greylag geese were recorded at the Rapti River in Chitwan and that was the highest number recorded in Nepal.
The number of the species seen this time was for the first time, he added.
Considered a migratory species for Nepal, this bird is a normal species on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). However, for Nepal, it is seen in a very few places and in small numbers, Dangaura informed.
Greylag geese were first recorded in Nepal on March 24, 2004, at Koshi Tappu area. At that time, only a Greylag goose was seen. Then again the bird was seen in 2005 also in the same area.
On December 9, 2017, Rishi Baram recorded the same bird species in Pokhara.
This bird species is found in various countries of the world including China, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Myanmar, India, Korea, Japan, France, Germany, Israel and Romania.
Greylag goose is a migratory bird species in Nepal. With the onset of winter, the number of bird species migrating from hundreds of miles away has increased in wetlands and rivers of Kailali.
Source : TRN,
