CHITWAN: Migratory birds are travelling to Nepal from around the globe searching for suitable weather and food during the period between August and December.

The national parks, forests and wetlands are occupied by them. Chitwan National Park is also currently sheltering these foreign guest birds, said spokesperson of the national park Gopal Ghimire.

Ornithologist Hem Sagar Baral noted that birds from across 6,000 kilometres come to Nepal to avoid winter chills and also for food. He added that different species of birds arrive here from the southern border with approximately 45 days of travel.

They enter Nepal from over the mountains and most of them come primarily from China, then from Mongolia, Siberia of Russia, Korea, and other countries from mid-Asia, informed Baral.

He also noted that Nepal has rivers and wetlands that are apt for water birds, and preeminent grassland, Chure hill, mid-regional forests for other birds.

During the winter, above 150 species of birds enter Nepal, while approximately 120 of them come to Chitwan only, said Baral, however, they are not found laying eggs during the migration but travel back to their native place for it.

The former chief of Bird Education Society, Chitwan, Basu Bidaari said there are 888 species of birds currently living in Nepal, 640 of which are in Chitwan.

Bidaari informed that birds related to the duck family have been occupying Rapti River, Narayani River, Riu River, Nani Lake, Garud Lake, Bis Hazari Lake, among others.

In addition, these birds also attract many tourists during this time, popularly in Chitwan National Park, among other places.