Kendrapara: As monsoon plays truant in the coastal Kendrapara district, the residential birds have thronged to Bhitarkanika.
According to Subrat Kumar Patra, the ACF-cum-Ranger in-charge of Kanika Forest Range, the number of monsoon birds arriving in Matha-adia within Bhitarkanika for nesting and breeding is less than last year till date. Their number was about 40,000 at this time last year.
An estimated 91,224 monsoon bird species, including 51,444 chicks, were spotted whereas 19,890 nests were sighted during last year’s monsoon bird census at Matha-adia heronry. It was carried out for a week from 23rd August to 30th August, but this time the exercise is yet to be started. However, it is expected to begin between last week of July or first week of August.
Generally, the residential birds start their nesting process when the monsoon rain continues. But as the monsoon is playing hide and seek, the number of bird species arrivals is expected to be less.
Last year, though a less number of monsoon bird species was spotted in Bagagahan heronry, they had skipped nesting due to water shortage.
This time, not a single nest has been sighted at Bagagahan. As the water bodies have dried up and silted at Bagagahan, the birds have skipped their favourite nesting place and congregated at Matha-adia, said Patra, the ACF.
With the onset of monsoon, these birds come in large numbers to Bhitarkanika National Park and the nesting process gets over by mid-November.
Basically, 11 types of residential birds throng Bhitarkanika every year for nesting and breeding during the rainy season. These include: 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 building nests in the trees of guan, sundari , sinduka, bani and jagula.
Darter, grey heron and purple heron start breeding early and often chicks are seen in August, whereas open bill stork and white ibis are among the late breeders with young seen during September.
Open bill stork generally forms 60 percent of the total nesting population every year and it prefers the guan tree for nesting. Other specie set up their nests on the top canopy whereas the lower most branches are preferred by smaller birds like little cormorants, said Patra.
PNN
