KENDRAPARA: The forest department kicked off a three-day monsoon bird census at Bhitarkanika National Park on Saturday, aiming to create a scientific database of the park’s bird population.
Assistant conservator of forests (ACF) of Bhitarkanika Manas Kumar Das said, “We want to identify the bird species, their preferred nesting season during the monsoon, and the types of vegetation they favour.”
In 2024, forest officials recorded 1,30,123 monsoon birds from 10 species, nesting in 27,282 nests across 1,300 trees. This year, around 21 personnel, will monitor all water bodies and mangrove areas of Bhitarkanika in three groups during the survey. Tourists are allowed to visit the park during the census, added Das.
Conducting the avian census in Bhitarkanika, the second largest mangrove forest after the Sundarbans, is challenging and risky due to the presence of crocodiles in water bodies and dense mangroves. Despite this, forest staff are meticulously navigating the area to count birds, he added.
The monsoon marks the breeding period for many local birds in the park. Key nesting species include the open-billed stork, little cormorant, median egret, large egret, little egret, purple heron, grey heron, darter, white ibis, and cattle egret.
Monsoon showers have revitalised Bhitarkanika, attracting myriad birds to the mangroves for nesting.