Bhubaneswar: The second day of the 6th National Chilika Bird Festival on Wednesday featured guided birdwatching programmes, community engagement activities and traditional boat racing while celebrating Odisha’s rich biodiversity and cultural heritage.
Organised jointly by the Odisha Department of Tourism and the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department, the event underscored the state’s commitment to sustainable, conservation-driven tourism at Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon.
Birdwatching trails were conducted at Mangalajodi, often called the ‘Birds’ Paradise of Asia’, and Nalabana Bird Sanctuary. Experts, wildlife photographers, students, and eco-tourists explored these sites, spotting flocks of migratory birds that flock to Chilika each winter. A highlight was the Bird Race, organized in collaboration with the eBird team, allowing attendees to document and compete in identifying species amid the lagoon’s serene wetlands.
Excitement peaked at OTDC’s Barkul facility with the Chilika Country Boat Race, featuring 74 teams of local fisherfolk showcasing traditional rowing skills. After intense heats, 42 teams advanced to the semi-finals and finals, drawing large crowds and highlighting the lagoon’s deep-rooted boating culture.
The Day-3 of the festival will feature further birding activities, capacity-building sessions for boatmen, expert panel discussions and cultural performances including Odissi dance and an award ceremony, an official release said.
Chilika Lake, a Ramsar site on the Central Asian Flyway, hosts nearly 10 lakh migratory birds from over 200 species annually, including those traveling thousands of kilometers from the Arctic and Siberia. Mangalajodi stands out as a global model for community-led conservation, where former poachers now serve as guides, turning eco-tourism into sustainable livelihoods.
