Odisha: Bhitarkanika National Park Reports Increase In Bird Population

Kendrapada: The population of nesting birds has registered an increase in Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha’s Kendrapara district in this monsoon season, forest officials said on Monday.

According to official bird census, there are 1,30,123 birds in ten species at Bhitarakanika. As a result, there have been 6,265 more monsoon bird sightings in 2023 than there were in the previous census (1,23,867 birds), according to forest officials.

As many as 27,282 nests atop 1,300 mangrove trees were counted this season. The census report reflects the results only from the direct count method.

The census teams monitored all the water bodies and mangrove forest areas of Mathadia, Laxmiprasaddia, Durgaprasaddia and Balidia heronries in and around the Bhitarkanika national park, said sources.

The increase in the number of birds visiting Bhitarkanika is a good sign for bird conservation programmes in the state, said Sudarshan Gopinath Yadav, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Bhitarkanika National Park.

Abundant fish in the river and creeks and distance from human habitation has made it a suitable congenial breeding place for thousands of birds, sources added.