CHITWAN: A census of water birds has begun from Chitwan on Sunday.

The counting is aimed at finding the number of water birds available in the country and their present status, according to Bird Education Society Chairman Tek Bahadur Gurung.

Water birds found in the protected areas, parks and wildlife reserves will be monitored during the 15-day campaign.

The census has begun in the entire Asia continent simultaneously and Nepal has started it from the Chitwan National Park, Jagadishpur Lake and Koshitappu Wildlife Reserve, Sunsari.

Over 300 enumerators have been deputed in the census.

The census is expected to help come up with a new strategy for the conservation of water birds.

Nepal has been conducting the annual census of water birds for the past three decades.

Nepal is home to 875 species of birds. Of them, 629 species have been found in Chitwan alone.

There are around 200 varieties of bird living in watershed areas across the country.