National Chilika Bird Festival Highlights Conservation, Community and Culture on Day Two

Bhubaneswar: The second day of the 6th National Chilika Bird Festival showcased a vibrant blend of conservation-focused tourism, community participation and cultural traditions, further strengthening Odisha’s model of eco-sensitive tourism. The festival is being jointly organised by the Department of Tourism and the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department, Government of Odisha.

Guided birdwatching programmes were held at Mangalajodi and Nalabana Bird Sanctuary, drawing birding experts, photographers, students and nature enthusiasts from across the country. A special Bird Race, facilitated by the eBird team, added an interactive and competitive dimension to the birding trails, encouraging participants to document and identify diverse avian species of the Chilika ecosystem.

Community engagement remained a key focus of the day’s events. At OTDC Barkul, the Chilika Country Boat Race emerged as a major attraction, celebrating traditional skills and local livelihoods. As many as 74 teams participated in the race, with 42 teams qualifying for the semi-finals and finals, generating enthusiastic participation and spectator interest.

The festival will continue on Day Three with additional birding activities, capacity-building sessions for boatmen, expert panel discussions and cultural performances. The concluding events will include Odissi dance presentations and an award ceremony, marking a fitting close to the multi-day celebration of biodiversity, culture and sustainable tourism at Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon.