BHUBANESWAR: In a major boost to Odisha’s conservation plan in Ansupa lake, as many as 3,372 birds of 46 species were counted during the waterbird census, the highest in the last three years.
As per the census carried out by Chilika Development Authority (CDA) and Odisha Biodiversity Board, 18 of these bird species are winter migrants while the rest 28 are residents. While 1,271 birds were counted during census in 2020, 1,101 were enumerated in 2021.
Apart from the number of birds, the number of species recorded during the latest census is also highest in the last three years.
Officials said for the first time, over 1,000 birds of red-crested pochard rhodonessa rufina species were spotted in the lake.
Similarly, species like cotton teal (NettapusCoromandelianus) and lesser whistling duck (Dendrocygna javanica) were spotted in good numbers.
The lake is a home to several globally threatened waterbirds. As many as five species of threatened birds such as black-bellied tern, river tern, river lapwing, black-tailed godwit limosa and black-headed ibis threskiornis were spotted during the enumeration this year.
“Some of the threatened species usually prefer clean water with good depth for foraging. After removal of hyacinth from the lake, they got a suitable habitat for foraging,” CDA officials said.
The survey was carried out between 6 am and 12 pm on February 8. A total of four teams, equipped with telephoto lenses and GPS were deployed for the exercise.
Apart from Ansupa, other small wetlands near by the lake including Kantapahara, Ostia, Bishnupur, Anandpur, Kadalibadi and Mahanadi river area near Jatamundia were also surveyed intensively, the officials said.