Kendrapada, Sep 3 : A 5-day long monsoon bird census kick started at Kanika Forest Range under Bhitarkanika National Park from Sunday.
The forest officials started the census by forming four teams at three places within Kanika forest range under Rajnagar Mangrove forest and wildlife Division.
The census is being carried out at Laxmiprasad dia, Durgaprasad dia and Matha-adia heronry , .Manas Kumar Das , Ranger of Kanika Forest Range said.
He said this year 10 out of 11 types of monsoon birds have thronged Bhitarkanika national park and formed nests .
Basically, 11 types of local birds, throng Bhitarknaika National park for nesting and breeding during the monsoon .
Open bill stork, Little cormorant, Intermediate Egret, Large Egret, Little Egret, Purple Heron, Grey Heron, Night Heron, Darter, White Ibis and Cattle Egret use mangroves for constructing nests in the trees of Guan, Bani . Choranda, Kerauan and Oruan trees.
Matha-dia heronry seems to be the favourite nesting and breeding place for these monsoon birds for the last couple of years next to Laxmiprasad dia and Durgaprasad dia .
This year the birds skipped Bagagahan heronry, the favourite nesting place for these residential birds.
While two teams were engaged for carrying out census at Mathadia, one team each engaged at Laxmiprasad dia and Durgaprasad dia for carrying out the census drive. Each team consists of 5 forest personnel,informed official sources .
An estimated 1,16.070 monsoon bird species, including 48,928 adult birds and 67,142 chicks , were sighted by the enumerators.
In Laxmiprasad Dia ,the forest personnel had sighted 44,985 birds,including 19,484 adult species and 25,501 chicks in 9742 nests.
Similarly, the forest personnel team had also spotted 64,358 birds ,including 26,452 adults and 37,906 chicks , in 13,226 nests at Matha-adia, whereas ,the enumeration team came across as many as 6727 monsoon birds,including 2992 adults and 3735 chicks ,in 1496 nests at Durgaprasad-dia during last year census.
