As many as 10,773 more residential birds have thronged Bhitarkanika National the Park for nesting this monsoon season than last year as per a recent bird census.
An estimated 1,08,639 monsoon bird species, including 45,656 adult birds and 62,983 chicks were sighted by the enumerators. Similarly, 22, 828 nests were spotted by the forest enumeration teams during the current year census ,that was carried out for a week from August 23 to 30 at three places, within the Bhitarkanika National Park, informed Rajnagar Mangrove Forest and Wildlife Division DFO Dr Jangyadatta Pati. Notably, 97,866 monsoon bird species, including 47,915 chicks, were spotted by the enumerators last year. Besides, 21,185 nests were sighted by forest enumeration teams. Similarly, 88,614 monsoon bird species, including 50,022 chicks, along with 19,296 nests, were sighted during the 2019 monsoon bird census.
This year not a single nest was spotted at Bagagahan heronry, which was proved over the years to be a favourite nesting place for the monsoon bird species. Like last year, the monsoon birds have preferred to form nests at Laxmiprasad dia , Matha adia and Durgaprasad-dia heronries, instead. As many as 10 out of 11 types of species, which generally throng Bhitarkanika every monsoon, came this time too to the Matha-adia, Laxmiprasad Dia and Durgaprasad Dia areas within Bhitarkanika.
The bird species are Asian open billed stork, Large egret, Intermediate egret, Little egret, purple heron, Grey heron, Little cormorant, Black crowned night heron, Black headed ibis and Darter, informed DFO Pati.