Migratory birds flock to Indawgyi Lake near Shwemyinzu Midwater Pagoda, Kachin State

According to U Tin Win, a member of the Shwemyinzu (Indawgyi) Midwater Pagoda Board of Trustees, migratory birds roost at Indawgyi Lake near Shwemyinzu (Indawgyi) Midwater Pagoda in Mohnyin Township, Kachin State every year. Hibernating birds and local waterfowl roam around Indawgyi Lake in Kachin State during the winter. According to the records, there are 12,447 hibernating birds of 29 species and 7,170 local waterfowls of 18 species, totalling 19,617, around Indawgyi Lake and along the Indaw Creek in November.
“In Tibet, a cold region of the world, when winter arrives and ice forms, birds migrate to Indawgyi Lake every year starting from the last week of October. More than 20,000 hibernating birds arrive here annually. About 19,617 birds have arrived to date,” said U Tin Win.
Many pilgrims visit the Shwemyinzu Waterside Pagoda in Indawgyi Lake daily, taking memorable photos of hibernating waterfowl. In 2004, Indawgyi Lake and the surrounding area were established as the Indawgyi Wildlife Sanctuary. The region received international recognition as an ASEAN Heritage Park in 2003. In 2016, the Ramsar Site designation was conferred, and in 2017 Indawgyi was designated as a human and biosphere. — ASH/KZW