Bird census begins at Pong Dam wetland today
Dharamsala, January 30
The annual census of migratory birds in the Pong Dam wetland in Kangra disrict is scheduled for January 31 and the teams have arrived there. Around 120 people from the Forest Department of Himachal Pradesh, along with the experts from Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), will count the number of birds that have actually arrived at the lake this year. Since the area is vast, the teams would have to be quick to figure out the exact number of avians scattered around the lake.
In all, 25 sections have been created to simultaneously count the birds in flocks in the Pong sanctuary area. Last year around 1.1 lakh birds of nearly 100 species were noticed, but this year it is feared that there is a sharp decline in their number.
According to the Divisional Forest Officer (wildlife), Hamirpur, owing to the extremely dry conditions, there is a considerable decline in migration this year. The birds did not leave their homes for warmer places as they are still in their comfort zone.
