Logo

Logo

Annual census of monsoon birds begins in Bhitarkanika

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 added the forest official.

Annual census of monsoon birds begins in Bhitarkanika

Photo: SNS

Bhitarkanika National Park authorities have launched a weeklong census of seasonal monsoon birds, who throng the wetland sites for nesting every year in large numbers.

Four teams comprising ten ornithologists besides wildlife personnel of the national park are on the job to conduct the headcount of these avian species.

The onset of monsoon had triggered chirpy cacophony along with the marshy wetland spots in Bhitarkanika national park. As the spell of rain was not uniform, their arrival was delayed this time. Still, we have spotted an impressive congregation of monsoon birds along with the mangrove covers of the park, said the park officials.

Advertisement

The enumerators would cover all the major congregation zones both in and outside the national park. Besides the core area of the national park, peripheral wetland sites are also being taken up for the census programme, said Manas Das, Forest Range Officer of Kanika range.

Lack of human interference, ideal climatic conditions, cool breeze, and the river system here all 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 added the forest official.

Advertisement