NAWALPARASI: A census of birds has begun at the wetlands near Narayani and Rapti River banks today. The counting is aimed at determining the number of birds available in the wetlands and their present status among others, organisers said. Two teams were deployed for taking census in the areas, said Dhan Bahadur Chaudhary central member at the Nepal Bird Preservation Association. The census of the bird is taken annually in the same season under the management of Tharu Village Resort. The census is expected to help come up with a new strategy for the protection of birds and preserving the wetlands. The counting began at the joint initiative of Chitwan National Park, Mid-land Area Preservation Committee, Poaching Control Youth Awareness Campaign, Nepal Birds Preservation Association, Bird Education Society (Sauraha), Himalayan Nature (Kathmandu), WWF Pond Project and National Trust for Nature Conservation among others. The counting started from near the banks of the Narayani and Rapti Rivers, and around the Devi, Kamal and Lame ponds as well. Only 47 species of birds out of 111 species available in the Chitwan National Park were found at the area last year. Around 33 per cent birds available here were listed in the endangered list of birds. Similarly, 26 endangered species of birds were found in Chitwan National Park itself and 11 species rely on the wetlands for survival.