BHUBANESWAR: The Athagarh Forest Division has deployed staff to protect nesting sites of Indian Skimmers at sandbars of river Mahanadi.
Athagarh Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sasmita Lenka said around 105 Indian Skimmers, found in South Asia, mostly in India and Pakistan, are nesting at sandbars dotting Kakhadi and Munduli in Mahanadi. Their number will increase further as the breeding season of this bird species is from February to May, Lenka said.
Categorised as vulnerable by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), these birds are found in colonies associated with terns and cormorants and breed once a year. Lenka said it is important to protect the breeding grounds of these birds as it takes 21 to 30 days days for an egg to hatch. The eggs had been destroyed last year due to cyclone Fani on May 3.
She said measures have been taken to ensure that there is no pollution or human interference in the nesting sites till May. "We are creating awareness among people of nearby villages not to allow their cattle in this area,” the DFO said.
The Wildlife wing has requested Water Resources department to ensure that water level at Naraj is also maintained at a constant level.