Monsoon birds census begins at Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha

 Kendrapara, August 23

The Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha on Monday launched a week-long census of seasonal monsoon birds which throng the wetland sites for nesting every year, an official said.

Four teams comprising 10 ornithologists and wildlife personnel of the national park in Kendrapara district are conducting the headcount of these avian species.

Over a dozen types of local residential birds congregate at the heronries, in and around the national park, for nesting, and breeding every year, Forest Range Officer Manas Das said.

The species are open bill stork, little cormorant, intermediate egret, purple heron, darters, white ibis and others, he said.

Their arrival at the marshy wetland spots in Bhitarkanika National Park got delayed this year as the rainfall was not uniform during the monsoon. Still, an impressive congregation of monsoon birds has been spotted.

The enumerators will cover all the major congregation zones, both in and outside the national park, Das said.

Besides the core area, peripheral wetland sites are also being taken up for the census programme. PTI