Berhampur: The one-day annual bird census in the Berhampur forest division will be held Thursday as all preparations were completed Wednesday.
The forest authorities have set up 38 teams and have given them thorough training for the bird counting which will take place in the jungles of Digapahandi, Khallikote, Berhampur and Samantiapali forest ranges.
Every team comprising three to four forest officials will participate in the bird census armed with GPS systems and binoculars for effective enumeration of the birds. After completing the enumeration the enumerators will submit reports to senior forest officials.
The forest officials participating in the bird census hopes that this year the bird population in the forest division will go up. It had witnessed a decline last year.
Their belief stems from the fact that this year there is favourable weather which has helped in the arrival of more migratory birds. Ten teams will participate in the bird counting in Berhampur and Khallikote forest ranges, 12 in Digapahandi forest range and six in the Samantiapalli forest range.
During the 2018 bird census 9,020 birds of 36 species were counted in the forests of Berhampur forest division.
The enumerators will lay stress on birds living in hot wetlands as the migratory birds prefer to spent the winter in these regions.
The enumerators will visit Odasingi Sagar, Ghodahada, Talasagar, Khairabanka, Palaspur, Ambada pond, Kalingadala dam, Chakrabarty Sagar, Khanikhala, Madanmohan Sagar and Bagala Pond in Digapahandi forest range, Kalarabadi, Huma Salt Farm, Rushikulya Sea Mouth, Rajghai, Khairakhama, Pathurinala, Champeighai and Kenduagha in Kahllikote forest range to conduct the bird census.
Similarly, the bird census will be held in Tampara Lake, Routray Pond, Berhampur University Pond, Gobindpur Pond, Patrapur Pond, Chaitanyapada Pond, Samarjhol Pond and Antei Pond in the Berhampur forest range as well as Panda Sagar, Mukundpur Sagar and Baghalati in Samantiapali forest range.
PNN
