Alumni Story : Sriman Delip Kumar Das, Assistant Professor, Jagannath University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Visit to France to make scientific collaboration for shorebirds with Bangladesh : Franco Bangladesh Scientific Cooperation

In France, I received training in bird catching and ringing of shorebirds that has been organized by the University of La Rochelle and the national nature reserve of Moeze-Oleron from 1-9 May 2019. My local host and collaborator Pierrick Bocher from the Laboratory of “Littoral Environment and Societies” of the University of La Rochelle, France received me at La Rochelle train station on 30th April, 2019. I visited the Laboratory and a field site of roosting and feeding shorebirds on 1 May 2019. My bird catching and ringing training started from 2nd May at the nature reserve of Moeze-Oleron. I stayed at the dormitory of Moeze-Oleron nature reserve. The bird catching happened at the night and during the day we took rest. A total of 1200 birds belonging to 14 species had been captured in three consecutive nights. I also received training on how to put satellite tag on Eurasian Curlew. Pierrick Bocher and I are collaborating to study a subspecies of Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata orientalis that winters in Bangladesh. This subspecies is least studied and not much information is known. Our objective is to capture Eurasian Curlew during the winter in Bangladesh and put Satellite tag on to know what is the international migration route they follow to and from Bangladesh? Where this subspecies breed? how they use the habitat in both wintering and breeding place? and What are the threats they face along this migratory route? Pierrick Bocher provided me instruments that are required for this scientific investigation. Telescope, binocular, mist nets and 3 satellite tag were provided to me during this visit to conduct fieldwork in Bangladesh.
8 participants were trained during this program. I got to learn about how to select sites for putting mist nets, how to extract birds from the mist net, how to process them and how to safely release them back into the nature. I presented a speech on my research work in Bangladesh to the participants and organizers of the training program.

I learned on studying breeding shorebirds in Spain; capturing and ringing shorebirds in France during this trip. This learning was indispensable to continue my research on migration and breeding of shorebirds in Bangladesh. I will implement my learning further in Bangladesh and It will help to grow the discipline of shorebird science in Bangladesh.

I am grateful to Pierrick Bocher, French embassy, Laboratory of University of La Rochelle, nature reserve personnel, Professor Alejandro Perez Hurtado and the Elvonal Shoerbird Science Project team for supporting my trip in financial and other means.