SunstarTV BUREAU: Chilika Lake has recorded the highest bird count at the water lagoon with over 12 lakh migratory birds during the annual bird census.
According to the first Indian wetlands of international importance under Ramsar Convention and UNESCO world heritage site, this is the highest ever bird count in the water lagoon in last two decades.
This year, the forest officials spotted 12,04,351, to be exact, migratory birds from across 111 species during the annual bird count in the Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon, on Tuesday.
Last year, the number of birds was estimated at around 10.70 lakh and in 2019, around 10.47 lakh birds were counted at the lagoon.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Of Chilika Wildlife, Kedar Kumar Swain, informed, “As compared to the last year data, the bird population in Chilika has increased by 1.35 lakh. Similarly, Nalabana saw an increase of 18,000 migratory birds and two new species of migratory duck– Falcated teal and Mallard duck– were spotted during the census in Mangalajodi sector.”
