By Abinash Chaudhari, Dhangadhi, Sept. 25: A huge number of small pratincoles, known in Nepali as Pani Gauthali, has been spotted at the Mohana riverbank in Kailari Rural Municipality-4 in Kailali, a district known for biodiversity.

Over 10,000 small pratincoles have been found here.

It is the first time that such a huge number of small pratincoles has been found outside the conservation area.

There is no record available about finding such type of birds in so big numbers even within the conservation area in the country.

"Nowhere in Nepal has been found such a big number of small pratincole till the date," said ornithologist Hiru Lal Dangaura.

Being endangered, small pratincole is categorised under red list of birds globally. This bird is found in 20 countries including Nepal.

This species of bird was recorded in Kathmandu for the first time in Nepal. Brian Houghton Hodgson, a representative of East India Company in Kathmandu, has been credited for recording small partincoles in Kathmandu in the 19^th century.

Reports had it that these birds were seen in as large number as 2,000 at Meghauli of Chitwan till 1990.

A report of the Bird Conservation Nepal (BCN), an environmental NGO, mentions that population of small pratincole was 3,467 in Chitwan in 2012.

Similarly, over 3,000 birds of this species were recorded in 2015 in the Koshi River area and over 1,000 in Bardiya.

As this type of birds like to make wetland as their habitat, they are found in the Karnali River area lying close to Bardiya National Park.

Similarly, this bird is also found in Arun stream of Nawalpur, Rapti stream and Narayani River of Chitwan National Park, the Koshi River, the Rapti River in Dang and Mohana stream in Kailali.

Small pratincoles are seen in greater number in summer season rather than in winter season in the Mohana stream, said Dangaura.

It is found that the hunting of these birds takes place in areas around the Mohana stream, he said

The destruction of habitats, extraction of sand and pebbles from riverbanks is reported to cause difficulties for this waterfowl, he added.

Likewise, due to poaching and impact of breeding these species are on the verge of extinction, said Dangaura. They are mainly found in sand, rivers with boulders and lakes, he added.

It is a big surprise even for ourselves to know that over 10,000 small pratincoles are spotted in the Mohana stream, said Krishna Bhusal, expert at BCN.

"The number of this type of bird, small pratincole, in Nepal ranges from a minimum of 3,000 to a maximum of 5, 000," he said

It is maximum in number and a big surprise for us to see 10,000 birds of this type in the Mohana stream, said Bhusal.

Bhusal viewed that the flock of this bird may have migrated here from other countries.