December 15, 2020
Three new species of Migratory Waterbirds (one species is new for Myanmar and the other two species is new for Indawgyi Lake Wildlife Sanctuary) were found in the wetland area of Indawgyi Lake, Myanmar’s largest and Southeast Asia’s third-largest inland freshwater lake, in Mohnyin Township, Kachin State, in 2019-2020, according to the Administrative Office of the Indawgyi Lake Wildlife Sanctuary.
Monthly census of Migratory Waterbirds are scientifically conducted to record when the migratory birds arrived in Indawgyi, when they went back to their places and which new species came to Indawgyi.
Indawgyi Lake Wildlife Sanctuary’ Administrator U Maung Win said, “ Previously, 110 species of Migratory Waterbirds were recorded in the wetland area of Indawgyi Lake. Three new species of Migratory Waterbirds were discovered in 2019-2020, so a total of 113 species of Waterbirds have been recorded so far.” During the winter, birds in the Northern Hemisphere flock to wetland areas in Southeast Asia, South Asia and East Asia. There are nine major flyways, and Myanmar is part of the Central Asia Flyway and East Asia Australia Flyway.
Wetland areas on the East Asia Australia Flyway formed a wetland-group to conserve Migratory Waterbirds, and Myanmar’s five areas are included in the wetland-group. Indawgyi Lake Wildlife Sanctuary was declared a sanctuary in 2004. —Panezaloat Thein Nyunt (Translated by Maung Maung Swe)
