As monsoon retreats and the sky gets clear, migratory birds from as far away as China, Mongolia and Siberia have started arriving in the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve in eastern Nepal, one of the best bird habitats in the region, to spend the upcoming winter season.

Unlike in previous years, the birds’ arrival to the KTWR was delayed this year due to rainy days in late September and early October.

Improved weather in the last few days facilitated the flight of the migratory birds that come mainly for breeding, ornithologists say. Of the total 879 bird species found in Nepal, over 500 are in the KTWR alone. On an average, 400 tourists from home and abroad visit Koshi Tappu for bird watching.

“With the improvement in local weather, the movement of birds from different parts of the globe to Nepal for breeding and in search of favourable habitats has started,” said Hem Sagar Baral, a senior ornithologist and Nepal manager for the Zoological Society of London.

The birds start coming between mid-September and mid-October in protected areas, forests and wetlands in Nepal. Major bird habitats including Jagdishpur Lake in Kapilvastu district, Barju Lake in Sunsari and the jungles of Chitwan National Park have seen an inflow of birds from across the borders and regions.

The migration of birds has also raised hopes for tourism activities in Koshi Tappu and the surrounding areas, said Kurban Masuri, director of the Koshi Tappu Bird Watching Camp.