Dong Thap (VNA) – More than 2,000 Asian openbill storks, a rare bird species, have chosen Tram Chim National Park as their habitat, partly thanks to the improved environment in the sanctuary of the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap.
The storks (locally known as “co oc”) are one of 32 water bird species that need conserved, said Deputy Director of the park Nguyen The Hanh.
While Tram Chim recorded only tens of the birds in 2000, more and more Asian openbill storks have come to the park since 2013. They usually fly to the sanctuary from December to May, following the flood season, to find food and then leave.
Hanh said after the flood season between August and November, millions of birds, including rare ones, come to reside in Tram Chim as aquatic species grow well in a good environment, meaning there is plenty of food for the birds.
Tram Chim National Park is home to 198 bird species, including 16 rare ones.
Established in 1985, Tram Chim National Park, located in Tam Nong district, has a total area of 7,313 hectares. It became a national park in 1988 and the world’s 2000th Ramsar site, a wetland site designated of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, in 2012.-VNA