SAMBALPUR : At a new high, over 3.42 lakh migratory birds and 20 new species were recorded in the Hirakud Dam Reservoir during the Mid-winter Waterfowl Census by Hirakud Wildlife Division this year. The census was conducted this year on January 8.
For the census, Hirakud Reservoir was covered up to Odisha-Chhattisgarh border covering 500 sq. km. Divisional forest officer (DFO), Hirakud Widllife Division, Anshu Pragyan Das said, “The reservoir was divided into 21 sectors from Hirakud Dam up to Odisha Chhattisgarh border. Each sector varied from 10 sqkm to 60 sqkm area. A total of 32 teams were engaged while the local community was also involved.”
The 32 teams comprising of forest officials and around 78 participants including 33 bird experts conducted the census from 6 am to 5 pm in three districts including Sambalpur, Bargarh and Jharsuguda on boats.
The census recorded a total of 3,42,345 birds. This is for the fourth consecutive year that a higher number of migratory birds have been recorded compared to previous years. While last year 3,26,676 birds were recorded, in 2022, the count was 2,08,634. Likewise the figures were 1,24,864 in 2021 and 97,899 in 2020.
The 113 species recorded this year include 20 new ones including Glossy Ibis, Black Bittern, Green Sandpiper, Common Snipe, Red -rumped Swallow, White Wagtail, Siberian Stonechat,Palm Swift, Common Kestrel, Chestnut Bittern, Brown Crake, Watercock Gallicrex, Blyths Reed Warbler, Indian Thick knee, Short toed snake eagle, Indian Bushlark, Knob billed duck, Common green shank, Zitting cisticola.
Notably, the sectors in the Hirakud Reservoir towards the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border witnessed a higher congregation of birds than the other sectors. The Sector 7 and Sector 8 which were towards the border recorded 48,036 birds of 65 species and 44,818 birds of 61 species. Sector 7 including Jharpada in Jharsuguda district was the third sector which recorded the highest congregation of 34,251 birds of 68 species.