Rajesh Kumar Behera in Kendrapara, Orissa
The Bhitarkanika forest & Wildlife Division is going to organize the annual bird census of winter avian species at Bhitarkanika National park, one of the favourite abode of winter birds, this year on coming 11th December, said DFO of Rajnagar , Prasanna Kumar. Behera,on Friday.
According to Behera,the DFO, the Bhitarkanika forest officials along with the renowned ornithologist, bird experts and researchers will conduct bird census at Satabhaya, Raitapatia and Bagagahan under Bhitarkanika National park . The Bhitarkanika Forest officials have formed 10 teams in order to count the annual census of birds within the Bhitarkanika National Park. The annual census of birds is going to be carried out under the guidance of the DFO of Rajnagar forest ( Mangrove ) and Wildlife Division.
It may be noted here that as many as 1,01,293 birds, including migratory and residential avian species, were sighted at the Bhitarkanika National Park during the annual bird census 2008 which was carried out last year by the park authorities in the water bodies of the park and its nearby areas. Last year 79 types of water birds thronged to the Park as per the census record .
The wildlife researchers and ornithologists on last census used mapping tools such as Global Positioning System (GPS) to arrive at a near-accurate estimate of the birds.
During the census time ,the forest officials had last year sighted 7 types of winter migratory birds species which are listed in the Red Data book of the International Union Conservation (IUCN) .
Avocet, which comes from cool places like Siberia and bar-headed geese from Ladakh were sighted near Raitapatia and Chataka, respectively, whereas a horde of 206 Indian skimmers were sighted at Barunei. A flock of Brahmin ducks was spotted at Raitapatia. After three years of gap , the census team last year sighted an endangered ruddy king fisher in the Park area, added DFO.
This year , it is expected that the numbers of birds are going to be less than last year as the winter is comparatively less than last year due to global warming and climate changes going on in the world,informed official sources .
