Even as the winged guests enhance nature’s beauty across the State during winter, the annual bird census began at various wildlife ranges and water bodies on Friday.
As many as 25 teams comprising over 1,000 officials have been engaged in the bird counting exercise at different places, including the Satkosia Wildlife Division and the Mahanadi River system.
While the census commenced at Satkosia on Friday, the counting will be held at Chilika Lake on Saturday. The census is scheduled at Bhitarkanika and Hirakud on January 6. Fishing would be prohibited in the Mahanadi system during the period. Besides, entry of tourists into Satkosia would be restricted for first two weeks during the census, said a forest official.
Meanwhile, the crocodile census is underway at the Bhitarkanika National Park by a team of 23 persons.