Odisha: Monsoon Bird Census Begins In Bhitarkanika National Park

Kendrapara, Sep 9: The Bhitarkanika National Park authorities on Monday began the annual census of monsoon birds, which throng the wetland sites for nesting in large numbers every year, officials said.

According to sources, as many as four teams comprising ornithologists and wildlife personnel of the park are on the job to conduct the headcount of the avian species.

Besides the core area of the national park, peripheral wetland sites like Satabhaya and Barunei are also being taken up for the census programme.

Lack of human interference, ideal climatic conditions, cool breeze and the river system here have emerged to the liking of these delicate chirpy-winged species.

Over a dozen types of local residential birds congregate at the heronries in and around the national park for nesting and breeding every year.

The species are open bill stork, little cormorant, intermediary egret, large egret, little egret, purple heron, grey heron, night heron, darter, white ibis and cattle egret, the forest officials said.

According to official sources, an estimated 1,23,867 monsoon birds were sighted, and 26,118 nests were recorded by the forest teams during the last year's census, which took place from September 3 to 8 in four locations in and around Bhitarkanika National Park.