TV
The annual census of migratory birds in the Hirakud Reservoir of Odisha will begin on January 18, 2025, informed Anshu Pragyan Das, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Hirakud Wildlife Division, adding that elaborate arrangements have been taken in this regard.
Spread across Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, and Bargarh districts of the state, the census will account for the wide variety of migratory birds that have flocked the over 550 sq. km reservoir since October.
Notably, the headcount of these migratory birds has been increasing steadily over the last 5 years with approximately more than 3.42 lakh birds of at least 112 species having arrived last year. Experts hope that the trend will continue upward and be observed during this census as well.
“Bird census will be done under direct counting method on January 18 in the Hirakud reservoir. As of now, various varieties of gadwalls, tufted ducks, whistling ducks, and pochards, among several others have flocked to the expansive water body,” stated the DFO.
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She also added that adequate security measures have been taken so as to not disturb the nesting and resting sites of migratory birds. “We have sensitized the local communities and are ensuring every possible security measure for the birds,” added Das.
With abundant food and favorable temperatures, migratory birds arrive in large numbers at the Hirakud Reservoir every autumn and stay until early spring.
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For the 2024 census, which was carried out on January 8, more than 70 officials, including forest department personnel and bird experts, participated in a massive exercise that stretched from dawn to dusk.
