The Bhitarkanika Forest and Wildlife personnel started a five-day-long monsoon bird census at the Kanika Forest Range on Sunday. Four teams have been deployed for the purpose at three places within the Kanika forest range under Rajnagar Mangrove Forest and Wildlife Division, said Kanika Ranger Manas Kumar Das.
Basically, 11 types of local birds, that throng Bhitarknaika for nesting and breeding during the monsoon are open bill stork, little cormorant, intermediate egret, large egret, little egret, purple heron, grey heron, night heron, darter, white ibis and cattle egret. The avian species selectively use species of mangroves for constructing nests in Guan, Bani, Choranda, Kerauan and Oruan trees. The census teams have found 10 types of monsoon birds this year.
Also, this year, the monsoon birds have skipped the Bagagahan heronry, that used to be a favourite nesting place for the residential birds for years. While two teams were engaged for the bird count at Mathadia, one team each was engaged at Laxmiprasad dia and Durgaprasad dia for carrying out the drive. Each team consists of five members, informed official sources.
An estimated 1,16, 070 monsoon bird species, including 48,928 adult birds and 67,142 chicks, were sighted in Bhitarkanika last year.