Kendrapara: As many as 1,39,959 birds belonging to 140 species thronged Bhitarkanika National Park (BNP) during the ongoing winter as per the report of mid-winter waterfall bird status survey -2023. Rajnagar Mangrove Forest Division (Wildlife) DFO Gopinath Sudarshan Yadav said the survey was carried out in five forest and wildlife ranges under the BNP January 6 under the guidance of ornithologists. The DFO said compared to last year, this year the number of species visiting the park was less, but the number of birds was more.
As many as 144 species of birds with a population of an estimated 1,38,107 thronged Bhitarkanika National Park last winter, as per the status survey report. This year, 1,852 more birds have been spotted by the enumerators at the swampy, water bodies of the national park compared to last year. This year, the number of geese and ducks was more than the other bird species.
Around 15 types of geese and ducks numbering 81,930 were spotted during the status survey followed by 15,686 birds of eight types of Gulls, terns and skimmer species. As many as 14,786 sore birdswaders, 6,753 herons, egret and bitterns too have visited the park this winter.
However, not a single species of pelicans, cranes and flamingos have been spotted at the park. While one type of grebes with a population of 375, four species of cormorants and darters with a population of 3588, along with three types of storks with a population of 4163, three species of Ibises and spoonbill with a population of 1559 and two species of finfoot and Jacanas with a population of 503 along with 63 additional species of waterbirds with a population of 3760 visited the park area this time.
According to official sources, migratory birds fly thousands of miles to Bhitarakanika to escape the harsh winter in Siberia, Afghanistan, Iraq, northern Asia and some central European countries. The migratory birds return when the waterbodies near the Bhitarkanika National Park dry up, informed Yadav
