Balasore: A flock of around 150 common shelducks was sighted by experts near Talsari area in Balasore district during the bird census conducted here along with 15 other sites in Odisha, an official said Friday.
According to ornithologists and bird lovers, the bird of Euro-Siberian origin is hardly seen in Odisha and it is a rare sighting to spot a flock of around 150.
A couple of years back only two were seen in Bhitarkanika during the census and close to 50 in Talsari in 2017.
Although they are known as common shelduck, they are uncommon in India, particularly in Odisha, claimed Ashish Jena, a senior bureaucrat as well as ornithologist who was part of a four-member team of the bird census.
Bichitrapur (Talsari) under Bhograi block close to Digha beach of West Bengal is known for its serenity, ecological richness and biodiversity. It is a beautiful lazy beach alongside the meandering Subarnarekha river known for its tranquillity, having the second largest mangrove vegetation region in its proximity.
The conducive climate, as well as serene environment, attracted them here, Jena said.
The common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) is a waterfowl species of the shelduck genus. It is widespread and common in the Euro-Siberian region of the Palearctic, mainly breeding in temperate and wintering in subtropical regions.
The ornithologists of the sub-continent have been observing this beautiful migratory species for a long time and its sighting during winter migration is very rare in with extremely low numbers at a time.
Prominent birders say that they have seen the common shelduck very rarely and in only one or two numbers at a time.
The mid-winter waterfowl survey this year was conducted by a team led by Jena and Gahar Abedin with two others – Baranyendu Mohanty and Kranti Mahapatra.
Abedin, an academician and naturalist, said the health of the wetlands decides the health of the ecological planet and the health of the wetlands is decided by the richness of migration of birds.
Bichitrapur mangroves are emerging as a ‘birding hotspot’ for all bird watchers, ornithologists and wildlife photographers across the country and the world.
Jena further said that it went on the lines of the tagline of Odisha Tourism that Bichitrapur in Odisha was one of India’s best-kept secrets.
It may be noted that the district wildlife department has undertaken the bird census exercise in 16 sites including Chandipur, Kuldhia, Nisarg (a wetland inside the campus of the Integrated test range), Padmatola of Nilgiri in Balasore district.
UNI
