Bhitarkanika Gears Up for Three-Day Bird Census from August 30

Bhubaneswar: Preparations are underway for a three-day bird census at Bhitarkanika National Park, scheduled from August 30 to September 1, with a focus on assessing the population and nesting behaviour of colonial nesting birds.

The enumeration will be conducted at four major nesting sites—Matha Dia, Laxmiprasad Dia, Durgaprasad Dia, and Bali Dia—spread across the Kanika and Rajnagar ranges of the mangrove forest.

Providing details of the exercise, Varadaraj Gaonkar, Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife), Rajnagar Division, said, “This is a specialised type of estimation. The survey will be carried out across four nesting sites—three in the Kanika Range and one in the Rajnagar Range.”

Officials said the census will help determine the population size, nesting trends, and habitat conditions of these bird colonies. The findings are expected to aid future conservation and habitat management efforts, strengthening Bhitarkanika’s reputation as a crucial breeding ground for both resident and migratory birds.