Bhubaneswar (SunstarTV Bureau): The Chilika Wildlife Division has informed about the observation during the mid-winter census of the avian species as on this month revealed the presence of 20.40 lakh birds including the migratory species, surpassing the previous year count of 16.76 lakh birds in Odisha.
According to Chilika Wildlife Division’s report, the bird population in Chilika has increased this year by over 2 lakh as compared to last year.
Meanwhile, the Wildlife Division has also revealed that around 12,42,826 birds belonging to 190 different species have taken shelter in the Chilika lagoon this season.
A total of 12,04,351 individuals of 111 water bird species and 38,475 individuals of 79 wetland species were counted from the entire lagoon. The Nalabana Island inside the lake continued to be the most favorite destination for the winged guests. As many as 4,24,788 birds from 113 species were counted in Nalabana bird sanctuary, which is 18,480 higher than the previous year, reports claimed.
Reportedly, the Red-crested Pochard population has increased by 40 percent which is the highest record in Chilika Lake from last two decades. However, the Tufted Duck population has decreased by 20 percent.
In Angul circle, a drastic fall in bird count spotted which come down to 55,913 as compared to last year’s 75,607. Similarly, the major declined was witnessed in Athgarh forest division.
As per official reports, the city forest division under Bhubaneswar Circle also posted a decline this year. With the arrival of this winter, various exotic species flocked from the remotest corners of the globe. The count is likely to rise further if the latest technologies are followed, opined experts.
