Odisha’s Chilika To Host Third National Bird Festival In Jan 2021

Bhubaneswar: Good news for bird lovers and photographers. The third National Chilika Bird Festival will be held at Mangalajodi in Khurda district on January 2021.

The festival will be held for three days from January 8 to 10, according to sources in Odisha Tourism.

Every year, Chilika receives a record number of different species of birds. The state Forest and Environment Department along with Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) and Chilika Development Authority have been organising the National Chilika Bird Festival at Mangalajodi in Khurda district for the past two years.

Notably, Mangalajodi, which is located at the northen edge of Chilika lake, is known as the ‘Birds’ Paradise of Asia’. Especially in winter, lakh of Purple Heron, Blackwinged Stilt, Brahminy Shelduck, Grey Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail and many others arrive at Mangalajodi.

Similarly, different species of winged guests can be spotted at Nalabana — identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) — in Chilika. This area is especially famous for Great Flamingos.