As Chitwan’s wetlands shrink, migratory birds are vanishing

Migratory birds prefer fresh, flowing water and therefore avoid stagnant lakes, experts say.

The grandeur of Debital, the largest lake inside Chitwan National Park, and the fame of Nandabhauju Lake are inseparable from any discussion of the country’s first protected area. Nandabhauju is often cited in birding quizzes, a symbol of wetlands that once teemed with life. Each winter, aquatic birds crossing the Himalayas traditionally cluster along the Narayani, Rapti and Riu rivers flowing through the park. But how many of those birds still survive in the lakes inside the protected area itself?