Bangladesh is home to a diverse array of bird species. The country’s varied landscapes, including forests, wetlands, coastlines, and urban areas, provide habitats for both resident and migratory birds. Determining the exact number of bird species in Bangladesh is an ongoing effort by ornithologists as new species continue to be identified.
Overview of Birds in Bangladesh
Bangladesh has over 700 recorded species of birds according to recent estimates. The number was closer to 670 species according to a 2015 checklist of the birds of Bangladesh published by the Zoological Society of Bangladesh. However, new species continue to be added as ornithological research and birdwatching activities expand in the country. Bangladesh provides important habitats for both endemic resident birds as well as migratory birds that pass through on the Central Asian Flyway migratory route.
Resident birds in Bangladesh include waterbirds, raptors, kingfishers, woodpeckers, parakeets, cuckoos, owls, nightjars, swifts, hornbills, hoopoes, shrikes, magpie robins, thrushes, drongos, babblers, bulbuls, warblers, swallows, wagtails, pipits, finches, buntings, and weavers. Many of these bird families are represented by multiple species. For example, there are nearly 30 species of warblers and over 60 species of wading birds in the country.
During the winter months, Bangladesh hosts large populations of migratory waterbirds that breed further north in Central Asia and Siberia and stop to overwinter in the country’s wetlands and coastal areas. Some key migratory species include ducks, geese, shorebirds, gulls, terns, raptors such as the eastern imperial eagle, and a variety of songbirds such as flycatchers, thrushes, and warblers.
Major Bird Habitats
Some of the major habitats and hotspots for birds in Bangladesh include:
- Freshwater wetlands – These include large wetland complexes like Hakaluki Haor and Tanguar Haor in the northeast and Chalan Beel in the west. They attract huge numbers of resident and migratory waterbirds.
- Mangrove forests – The Sundarbans mangrove forest in southwest Bangladesh hosts highly specialized bird species like the masked finfoot and mangrove whistler.
- Tropical evergreen and deciduous forests – Remnant forests in the Chittagong Hill Tracts harbor broadbill species, hornbills, and other forest birds.
- Coastal mudflats and estuaries – Intertidal zones of the Bay of Bengal coast provide stopover and wintering grounds for shorebirds and other waterbirds.
- Urban wetlands – Smaller wetlands even within major cities like Dhaka attract many wetland birds.
- tea estates and gardens – Provide habitat for forest edge species, babblers, leafbirds, laughingthrushes, and parakeets.
- Rural villages and countryside – Support common resident species like mynas, doves, parakeets, kingfishers, and munias.
- Rivers and lakes – Host kingfishers, storks, herons, gulls, terns, and sandpipers.
Noteworthy and Threatened Birds
While Bangladesh has a large diversity of bird species, some particularly noteworthy ones include:
- Oriental darter – Widespread resident waterbird that is the national bird of Bangladesh
- Masked finfoot – Elusive and endangered wetland bird largely restricted to the Sundarbans mangroves
- White-rumped vulture – Critically endangered vulture species that has declined precipitously on the Indian subcontinent
- Great hornbill – Large forest hornbill struggling due to deforestation
- Bengal florican – Critically endangered bustard now restricted to small pockets of grassland
- Spoon-billed sandpiper – Globally endangered shorebird that passes through Bangladesh on migration
- Asian dowitcher – Rare vagrant wader seen occasionally during migration
- Black-necked stork – Widespread yet vulnerable stork species
- Pallas’s fish-eagle – Endangered fish eagle wintering in wetlands
Bangladesh also hosts several threatened endemic birds that are found nowhere else including the Bangladesh olive ibis and the Bangladesh bush lark.
Recent Additions to the Checklist
In recent years, ornithologists have continued to add newly recorded species to the checklist of birds known from Bangladesh. Some first-time records for the country include:
- Asian stubtail (2017) – skulking snipe species recorded in northeast wetlands
- Pied cuckoo (2016) – first record of this cuckoo from southeastern hills
- Grey-necked bunting (2016) – first winter record of this finch
- Red-necked phalarope (2016) – rare migratory wader sighted
- Cinereous vulture (2013) – uncommon Eurasian vulture spotted
- Ferruginous pochard (2012) – small diving duck recorded during winter
Discovery of new species has added to the overall count of birds known from Bangladesh even as some species like the pink-headed duck have not been seen for decades and may be extinct.
Challenges for Birds
Major conservation challenges that threaten birdlife in Bangladesh include:
- Wetland drainage – Draining wetlands for agriculture and construction destroys essential bird habitats.
- Overexploitation – Excessive hunting and trapping of birds for food, pets, and sport.
- Deforestation – Clearing of natural forests eliminates habitats and food sources.
- Urbanization – Development encroaches on wetlands and other bird habitats near cities.
- Pollution – Contaminants in waterways poison birds and their food sources.
- Climate change – Rising sea levels degrade coastal wetlands used by migratory shorebirds.
Concerted conservation efforts are needed to protect essential bird habitats and restrict overexploitation if Bangladesh’s diverse avifauna is to thrive.
Birdwatching in Bangladesh
Bangladesh offers excellent birdwatching opportunities. Some top birding sites include:
- Hakaluki Haor – vast wetland complex in Sylhet for waterbirds
- Lawachara National Park – mixed forest with great hornbills and warblers
- Sundarbans – mangrove forest home to masked finfoots, brown-winged kingfishers, and other specialties
- Tanguar Haor – large wetland in the northeasthern region
- Chalan Beel – huge seasonal wetland for ducks, geese, and shorebirds
- Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary – evergreen forest with woodpeckers, nuthatches, and thrushes
- Bayeshaher Lake near Dhaka – urban wetland with many migratory waterbirds
- University of Jahangirnagar campus – semi-urban area with still-intact woodlands
- Coastal areas like Cox’s Bazar – wintering shorebirds, gulls, terns
Basic birdwatching infrastructure like trails, hides, towers, guides, and lodging facilities are available at some sites but still developing. Birdwatching and ecotourism have great potential for growth in Bangladesh.
Conclusion
Bangladesh hosts an impressive diversity of birdlife thanks to its different habitats and location along a major migratory flyway. Over 700 species have been recorded so far, but new additions continue as ornithological exploration expands. While many spectacular birds can be found across the country, expanded conservation efforts are essential to protect species and ecosystems in the face of widespread threats. As habitat loss and overexploitation are curbed, Bangladesh’s bird diversity should be preserved for future generations. Ongoing research, monitoring, and ecotourism promotion will be key to ensure the birds of Bangladesh can thrive.