MYANMAR’S rare birds are under threat from the expansion of the human population and from climate change, say conservationists.

Hunters, who eat the birds or sell them to pet shops, and the destruction of natural habitats by climate change, have brought some species to near-endangered status, says U That Zaw Naing, secretary of Myanmar Birds and Nature Society. The society organises lectures on conservation and the threat to birds in Myanmar, which is home to some of the world’s rarest species, he said.

Deforestation and the silting-up of rivers have brought extinction to some wetlands birds, and hunters in Ayeyarwady Division eat wetlands and steppe birds.

There are 144 very rare species in Myanmar, of which only six can be found in other countries. The rarest species live mostly in Kachin State and upper Sagaing Division. The society works with the Forestry Department to protect birds and deter violations of forestry law.

“In some regions, people catch birds by stirring poison into water and putting it out for the birds to drink. If they catch a dead bird, they freeze it and send it to a restaurant. If they catch a live bird they sell it to the cage bird trade, or to someone who will set it free for [Buddhist] merit,” said U That Zaw Naing.

At the same time, Myanmar’s wealth of rare bird species is attracting increasing numbers of foreign “twitchers” – bird-watching enthusiasts, say tourism experts.

“In ecotourism, watching rare bird species has come into vogue – and it’s cheap,” said a spokesperson for SST ecotourism.

U That Zaw Naing said rare bird species in other countries are also threatened with extinction. In 2004, the Birdlife International organisation named 2293 important bird habitats, of which it said 976, or 43 percent, were unprotected.

As the human population of Asia increases, conversion of land to farmland and deforestation advance. According to UK-based World Birdwatch, 30pc of all birds face challenges in their habitat and possible extinction.

After habitat loss, the second-largest threat to birds is exploitation by humans, who either eat them or sell them to the cage bird trade, according to WBO.