Sambalpur: The annual census of migratory birds at Hirakud reservoir was conducted Sunday from 6.00 am to 5.00 pm. A total of 30 teams were engaged in the enumeration process which was carried out throughout the entire reservoir spread over Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, and Bargarh districts. More than 60 enumerators, including 30 Forest department officials and some ornithologists participated in the census.
A total of 35 fishermen who are experts in identifying birds’ nests were engaged in the annual exercise. Tourists and fishermen were prohibited to enter the area for a day. All team members were equipped with binoculars, life jackets, and other essential gadgets and articles to carry out the exercise, a senior Forest official said. Around 104 species of birds visited the Hirakud reservoir as per the annual migratory bird census in 2022. A total of 2.08 lakh birds arrived at the reservoir while there were 19 species of migratory birds.