Post News Network
Sambalpur, Jan 10: The number of migratory birds that thronged the Hirakud reservoir this year has shown an upward trend despite bad climatic condition and high temperature this winter, said Hirakud divisional forest officer (wildlife) Sudip Kumar Nayak.
A record 95,912 foreign birds of over 50 species were sigheted in the reservoir this year and this is the highest number in past five years, as per a census conducted Saturday. There is a 39.5 per cent increase in the number of birds compared to 58,097 birds that had visited the dam last year.
Over 70 officials including four specialists, three rangers, 14 foresters and 28 forest guards took part in the census using binoculars and GPS devices in 14 sectors of the reservoir spreading across Jharsuguda, Bargarh and Sambalpur districts.
Thirteen boats and nine four-wheelers were used for the enumeration.
In four sectors under Jharsuguda district, 21,830 birds were sighted while the number in 10 sectors of Sambalpur district was 74,082. As many as 5,550 were spotted in three sectors in the power channel area.
The bird species includes little grebes, great grebes, little egret, great egret, sea eagle, Northern shoveler, black headed gull, common teal, gull-billed tern, bar-headed goose, little cormorant, great cormorant, greater flamingo, little gull, crested grebe, tufted duck, lesser whistling duck, jacana, pintail, spot billed duck, tern, gadwall and lapwing.
By the first week of December, Hirakud, the largest earthen dam of Asia, gets crowded with a variety of avian species that flock here from Mongolia and several European countries. The winged guests return to their native places by January end or February first week.
According to official records, 63,892 birds had visited the dam in 2014 which came down to 58,097 in 2015.
In 2012-13, 79,138 birds of 59 species arrived while the previous year 15,774 birds of 34 species came for their winter sojourn. An estimated 21,160 birds had thronged the reservoir in 2010-11 while the number was 24,681 in 2009-10, official records said.