Nahan, Feb. 26 -- Native and foreign migratory birds that arrived at the Asan Barrage on the Himachal Pradesh-Uttarakhand border during winter have begun departing earlier than usual this year, with forest officials attributing the shift to a mild winter and rising temperatures.
Traditionally, migratory birds remain at the wetland from October to March. However, warmer conditions and fluctuating day-night temperatures have prompted several species to start their return journey by mid-February.
According to the Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) conducted on January 18, 2026, a total of 5,806 birds belonging to 126 species were recorded at the barrage. While the overall bird count increased by around 581 compared to last year, the number of spec...