Birds of a feather …

The director of the Satun Office of Natural Resources and Environment, Pornchai Pechpimpun said on Monday (November 25) that the birds fled from cold weather in Siberia and northern China to find a warm place to live.
“The benefit we obtain from them is they will eat shrimps, clams, crabs, and fish, especially golden apple snails which are one of the main rice field pests,” he said.

“Groups of 70 to 300 openbill storks are living in many districts, namely Mueang, Tha Phae, La-ngu, and Manang. Satun province has plenty of food and the people are friendly to the birds,” he said.
He added that openbill storks are considered as reserved wildlife under the Wild Animal Reservation and Protection Act, B.E. 2562 (2019) which took effect on November 25 this year. 

“The staff will follow up these birds in order to monitor various diseases which may infect people. The birds will migrate back to the North in June,” he added.