Odisha: Chilika registers a spike in the number of migratory birds this year

Bhubaneswar: In what can be considered to be a very good news, Chilika lake saw a huge inflow of feathery friends this season. With 1,09,348 migratory birds arriving in Chilika this year, the brackish water lagoon saw a significant rise in the number as compared to last year. Not just migratory birds, but the number of local birds has also seen a rise this year.

This year’s arrivals were over 57,000 higher as compared to last year.

Among the migratory birds are northern pintail, gadwall, shovellers, and common coot, etc.

This year, the scenic lake saw 11,31,929 birds belonging to 184 different species. In 2022, the lagoon had welcomed 10,74,173 birds that belonged to 183 species.

This year, the number of migratory birds in Chilika was determined to be 10,93,049. These birds belonged to 105 species. This number is significantly higher than 10,36,220 birds that were seen last year.

As many as 21 teams comprising over 100 staff carried out the annual head counting exercise in Chilika on Wednesday. It was held between 6 AM and 12 PM. The census was carried out in the five ranges under Chilika Wildlife Division: Balugaon, Tangi, Nuapada, Rambha and Satapada.

Chilika is Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon. It is host to a large number of migratory birds, and is a paradise for bird watchers. According to the official website of Odisha tourism, millions of migratory birds from different parts of world like Siberia, Russia etc. flock to the lake as winter sets in. This makes Chilika the largest wintering ground for birds in the subcontinent.