Small wonders: The migratory birds that come to visit Dhaka

There are not many places in Dhaka for bird photography. The few that exist are not exactly bird havens, but when you catch a glimpse of a bird early in the morning or get some exceptional shots after waiting  for a whole day, that feeling is priceless. 

 The few areas in and around Dhaka where you can locate birds include North Keraniganj, South Keraniganj, Diabari, Purbachal and Aftabnagar. Sometimes you can see birds in the shaal forest in Gazipur as well. 

 For some of us, looking for birds with a camera in hand on a cold, foggy morning might be meaningless. 

 However, for those who end up spotting some beautiful migratory birds on such winter mornings near Diabari or Keraniganj, only they understand the thrill and magic behind it all.  

 I like bird photography, perhaps because I too feel like flying and wandering off into nature like birds! 

 From a very young age, I used to love nature and when the opportunity came to capture nature's moments on camera, I just grabbed it. I started doing photography at the end of 2015. 

 Every winter, quite a few species of migratory birds in a variety of sizes and colours come to Bangladesh. I personally am amazed by the really small sized ones. How do these little birds embark on such long journeys to visit our country? 

 Today, I will introduce you to some of these small wonders. 

The Eurasian wryneck is the only European woodpecker to undertake long-distance migrations. Photo: Mohiul Islam

Taiga Flycatcher or Red-throated Flycatcher. Its natural habitat is taiga forest. Photo: Mohiul Islam

Siberian Blue-throat. It breeds in wet birch wood or bushy swamp in Europe and across the Palearctic with a foothold in western Alaska. Photo: Mohiul Islam

Siberian Rubythroat. It nests near the ground. Photo: Mohiul Islam

Black Redstart. It usually nests in crevices or holes in buildings. Photo: Mohiul Islam