Kendrapara: With the arrival of monsoon, thousands of residential birds have started arriving at Bagagahan and Mathadiha in Bhitarkanika National Park in this district for breeding and nesting, a report said.
According to Kanika forest ranger Akhaya Kumar Nayak, Bagagahan and Mathadiha are the favourite nesting and breeding places for these monsoon birds.
The dense mangrove vegetation and serene pollution free atmosphere have once again proved alluring for thousands of residential winged visitors, Nayak said.
Every year, with the onset of monsoon, these birds come in large numbers to Bhitarkanika and their nesting process gets over by the end of November.
Eleven types of residential birds that usually throng Bhitarkanika every year during monsoon are Open Bill Stork, Little Cormorant, Intermediate Egret, Large Egret, Little Egret, Purple Heron, Grey Heron, Night Heron, Darter, White Ibis and Cattle Egret, Nayak said.
Nearly 30,000 birds have so far visited the national park, according to forest officials.
Forest officials in the last monsoon had spotted 21,920 nests in Bagagahan and Mathadia. An estimated 1,07,268 monsoon birds, including 42,911 adult birds, had thronged the two forests then. Of the 1,07,268 birds about 70 per cent were Open Bill Stork, Nayak said. PNN
