Long known as a bird colony, Ramnagar’s nesting trees support thousands of birds, but recent tree cutting has destroyed nests and raised concerns over habitat protection.
A series of trees cut in a village in northern Bangladesh has destroyed dozens of nests of Asian openbill storks, breaking more than 100 eggs and killing many chicks, according to local residents.
The incident occurred in Ramnagar village of Garidaha union in Sherpur upazila of Bogura district, where battery-powered hydraulic saws were used to cut large trees along the Karatoya River from Saturday morning.
The trees were home to around 70 to 80 nests of Asian openbills. As branches were cut and the trees brought down, the nests fell to the ground. More than 100 eggs were broken and many chicks died, residents said.
The trees included pitraj and olive trees among several other species. Seven large trees have been cut since Saturday, according to local residents.
When the area was visited on Monday afternoon, several large trees were being cut on the right bank of the Karatoya River. Branches lay scattered beneath the felled trees, with fragments of bird nests visible among them. Eggshells could be seen in some places, while small dead chicks lay on the ground.
Residents said the treetops had provided nesting sites not only for Asian openbills but also for several other bird species. The nests fell as the trees were cut, breaking many eggs and killing chicks.
According to villagers, local resident Azahar Ali and his siblings sold seven large trees standing on 16 decimals of land. A timber trader began cutting the trees on Saturday morning.
A village known as a ‘bird colony’
The trees in Ramnagar village had long served as a habitat for birds and have been locally known as a ‘bird colony’ since 2014.
According to the environmental organisation Poribesh Protirodh Sangstha, birds have built nests in around 500 trees in the village. The trees provide a habitat for around 1,500 to 2,000 birds. Besides Asian openbills, at least 15 to 20 species of birds live there.
“The chirping of the chicks wakes us up,” local farmer Kazem Ali Akand said. “The village is different because of the birds. People come from different areas to see the birds.”
Laws protect bird habitats
There are legal provisions under Bangladesh’s wildlife law for punishing the inhumane cutting of trees that serve as bird habitats or contain birds, said Sohag Roy, president of Poribesh Protirodh Sangstha.
However, he said there is currently no effective regulation providing compensation for preserving trees in bird colonies.
Sherpur Forest Department Range Officer Salauddin Parvez said he had heard that Asian openbill eggs had been broken and chicks had died because of the tree cutting.
He said the forest department did not have the legal authority to directly prevent trees from being cut on privately owned land.
Sherpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Saiduzzaman Himu said necessary legal action would be taken if anyone filed a written complaint over the incident.
This post is republished from The Daily Prothom Alo.
