Waterfowl Day is celebrated annually on the second weekend of January. This date has been celebrated since 1967 at the initiative of the International Bureau of Wetlands and Waterfowl.

The Waterfowl Research and Conservation Project, directly related to wetlands, takes place each year in mid-January on the eve of World Wetland Day. The history of this date is connected with the Convention on Wetlands and Habitats of Waterfowl of International Importance, signed in 1971 in Ramsar (Iran), located on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea.

      To date, 168 countries are parties to the Ramsar Convention. Uzbekistan joined this convention in 2001. Today in Uzbekistan there are wetlands of international importance, the main part of which is Dengizkol with an area of 31.3 thousand hectares, the Aidar-Arnasoy system of lakes with an area of 527.1 thousand hectares, Todakol and Kuymozor reservoirs.

      About 130 species of birds live in the rivers, lakes, reservoirs and irrigation systems of Uzbekistan, more than 20 of which are listed in the International and National Red Books.

      Today, 17% of waterfowl are endangered worldwide. Every year more than 4 million water birds migrate from the territory of our republic to other regions.

      The Republican non-profit organization “Society for the Protection of Birds of Uzbekistan”, established in 2007, has been conducting autumn, spring and winter monitoring of waterfowl in 14 important ornithological habitats in various regions of the country for 9 years. The areas being studied by the company include the Tuyabogiz, Kattakorgon, Todakol, Kuymozor, Chimkorgon reservoirs, Khadicha and Zekri lakes, as well as the Dengizkol and Aidar-Arnasoy lake systems.

      In Uzbekistan, this date is planned to be celebrated by counting waterfowl, interesting meetings and educational activities. So, on the weekend of the second week of January, ornithologists, members of the Society for the Protection of Birds and student clubs will conduct a census of waterfowl in the republic. In this regard, it is planned to conduct expeditions in Tashkent, Samarkand, Karshi and Bukhara regions.

      The event will also be attended by members of the student ornithological club "Flamingo", operating at the Faculty of Geography and Ecology of Samarkand State University, as well as experienced ornithologists and qualified teachers of the Faculty of Biology.

      On January 15 this year, students will register wintering waterfowl in the Kattakurgan and Chimkurgan reservoirs. On this day, more than 15,000 volunteers from different parts of the world take part in the registration of waterfowl. Information obtained from research is used to assess waterfowl resources, improve conservation of endangered species, and for educational purposes.

      Information on the number of birds determined as a result of the experiments will be included in the international database and will serve for further planning of measures for the protection of birds.

Leila Belialova,
Associate Professor of the Department of Ecology and Life Safety of
Samarkand State University.