Bhubaneswar: The 5th National Chilika Bird Festival 2025 concluded on a high note, delivering a strong conservation message through a series of engaging events. The closing day featured a bird walk at Nandankanan Zoological Park, capping a week-long celebration of Odisha’s avian biodiversity. The festival, inaugurated January 6 at the Lok Seva Bhawan Convention Hall by Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, attracted over 1,500 birders, nature enthusiasts, and naturalists. Key attractions included well-curated birding trips to Chilika January 7 and 8, offering participants stunning views of the birdlife at Nalabana and Mangalajodi wetlands.
Bird walks across Bhubaneswar at Forest Park, MPKC, and Anandabana were widely praised, with participants calling for more regular events to foster public interest in bird conservation. The Regional Museum of Natural History hosted interactive activities such as photo and painting exhibitions, wildlife documentary screenings, and guided gallery walks. These events drew over 600 students and wildlife enthusiasts, creating opportunities to appreciate Odisha’s rich birdlife. The Odisha Birders Conclave, held January 10 and 11 at Barkul, emerged as a festival highlight.
Read More: National Chilika Bird Festival from Jan 6
Expert-led discussions, field excursions, and Chilika birding trips deepened participants’ understanding of conservation challenges and solutions. The festival also offered NRIs visiting for Pravasi Bharatiya Divas guided tours to Chilika, Satapada, Barkul, and Mangalajodi, leaving them impressed by Odisha’s efforts to preserve its natural heritage. A milestone achievement was the tagging of two Greater Flamingos with solar-powered GSM-GPS transmitters by Odisha Wildlife officials and the Wildlife Institute of India. This initiative will aid in tracking migratory patterns and enhancing conservation strategies. The festival reaffirmed Chilika’s global significance as a haven for birdlife and a model for ecological conservation.