Hirakud reservoir sees record 4.21 lakh migratory birds

Over 4.21 lakh birds visited Hirakud reservoir in Odisha’s Sambalpur district this winter, registering a significant increase from last year. During the bird census at the reservoir covering 5.72 sq km of the power channel area upto the Chhattisgarh border, a total of 4,21,763 birds belonging to 128 species, including five new ones, were recorded, Hirakud Wildlife Division’s DFO Anshu Pragyan Das said on Tuesday.

The three most numerous bird species were Tufted Duck (71,273), Lesser Whistling Duck (60,987) and Common Coot (51,665), she said. The five new species sighted during the census were Ruddy Crake, Greater painted-snipe, Painted stork, Little Gull and Sanderling.