Migratory birds have begun arriving at Indawgyi Lake in Kachin State’s Mohnyin Township, but ongoing armed conflict and environmental degradation are severely hampering conservation and census efforts, according to local conservationists.

Over 20 species have arrived since late October, with numbers expected to grow. Each winter, Myanmar’s largest freshwater lake hosts more than 20,000 migratory birds across 40 species, including gulls, cormorants, and wild ducks. However, field teams report that armed clashes and military checkpoints have displaced local communities and made conducting bird counts increasingly dangerous.

The lake’s fragile ecosystem also faces intensifying environmental pressures. Conservationists warn that nearly two decades of rampant gold mining have destroyed nearby forests and farmland while depleting native fish stocks. Seasonal logging, firewood collection, and agricultural encroachment continue to degrade critical feeding grounds.

Designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2017, the 314-square-mile Indawgyi Wildlife Sanctuary is home to over 350 bird species and rich aquatic biodiversity, as well as the historic Shwe Myitzu Pagoda. Despite its international significance, conservationists fear that the compounding impacts of conflict and habitat destruction will leave the sanctuary's winter visitors increasingly unprotected.