KENDRAPARA: The population of monsoon birds has increased in Bhitarkanika National Park this nesting season. Forest officials on Monday released the bird census report which pegged their population at 1,23,867 belonging to 10 species.
In the last census in 2022, at least 1,16,070 birds were sighted in the park. Bhitarkanika DFO Sudarshan Gopinath Yadav said the increase in the number of birds visiting the park is a good sign for avian conservation programmes in the state.
He further informed that this year’s report reflects the results only from the direct count method.
“We monitored all the water bodies and mangrove forest areas of Matha Dia, Laxmiprasad Dia, Durgaprasad Dia and Bali Dia in Bhitarkanika from September 3 to 8. Four teams comprising 20 persons including senior forest officials were engaged in the census work,” he said.
A large number of monsoon birds found a new nesting site in the mangrove forest at Bali Dia within the park this season, he added.