The birds died after eating food laced with poison by poachers at a wetland in Habiganj and nearby Sylhet district, some 190 kilometers (120 miles) northeast of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka.

The Prothom Alo Bengali-language daily said the figure was based on a report by a local nature group, which alleged that the killing spree was carried out in the past week.

Local officials could not be reached immediately for comment.

For decades, Bangladesh has been hosting thousands of ducks and other birds fleeing the chill.

Experts earlier this month told AFP that poaching and loss of wetlands due to construction of houses and factories due the increasing human population, which is currently estimated at 130 million, was impacting on birdlife.

The birds are trapped by poachers who sell them in cities where they are considered a delicacy. Hunting or trapping of "guest birds" is banned in Bangladesh.

"The number of birds as well as species has fallen," said Enam ul-Haque, a Bangladeshi bird expert.

Some 500,000 birds, mainly ducks, travel to Bangladesh each winter from Europe, Siberia and the Himalayas, he said.

In Dhaka, a pair can sell for up to 2,500 Taka (43 dollars), but a number of vendors have gone out of business since authorities started enforcing a law banning the capture and sale of the birds.

TERRA.WIRE