Kathmandu, June 23 The Urban Bird count 2017 has recorded a total of 13,644 individual birds in Kathmandu Valley. According to Bird Conservation Nepal, 7,008 birds were recorded in winter, whereas 6,636 birds were recorded in summer this year. BCN made public the result of urban bird count 2017 today. As per the data, 105 birds have disappeared from the Valley in a year. Last year, a total of 13,749 individual birds were recorded in Kathmandu Valley. But this year it decreased to 13,644. Conservation Officer at BCN Krishna Prasad Bhusal said habitat loss and food unavailability were the causes behind the decrease in the number of birds. In comparison to last year, 388 individual birds have disappeared from sub-urban areas of the Valley in a year. Last year, a total of 4,683 birds were recorded in the sub-urban areas, whereas this year the number fell down to 4,295. In case of rural areas, the number of birds has increased by 574 in a year. A total of 2,901 individual birds were recorded this year whereas there were 2,327 birds in 2016. The count has shown that house crow, barn swallow, black bulbul, black kite, cattle egret, common myna, common pigeon, Eurasian tree sparrow, Himalayan greenfinch, house sparrow, jungle myna, oriental magpie-robin, red-vented bulbul, black drongo, common tailor bird, Eurasian cuckoo, house swift, large-billed crow and spotted dove as the most common bird in the Valley throughout the year. According to coordinator of the count Jyotendra Thakuri, urban habitats can be monitored using birds as an ecological indicator. Different habitat enrichment, like presence of exotic plants, high human density, road, industry and buildings make urban habitats more complex. There is a strong need for conservation activities to protect the existing biodiversity in urban areas. Kathmandu is the most urbanised city in Nepal with a population of around four million people.