Lumbini, Jan. 4 -- A nationwide water bird census began on Saturday in lakes, rivers and wetland areas across the country. The count aims to assess the mid-winter status of the aquatic birds increasingly threatened by habitat loss and climate change. The annual count, conducted every January, helps track population trends, distribution and emerging risks to water birds while engaging local communities in conservation.

"This census is crucial to understand what is happening to birds that depend on wetlands," said senior ornithologist Hem Sagar Baral. "Counts are being carried out across the country according to local feasibility."

This year's census runs from January 3 to January 18. It is coordinated by Wetlands International in collabo...