Kendrapara: Migratory birds have started arriving at Bhitarkanika National Park (BNP) with the onset of winter.
The park is slowly turning colourful with the arrival of birds. The birds have started arriving at Satabhaya, Chataka, Habelikhati, Ekakula and Raipatia water bodies and creeks inside BNP, official sources said.
Every year during the winter, migratory birds as well as residential birds come to BNP for nesting. The swampy wetlands inside BNP are an ideal, human-free winter habitat for the feathered guests from the chilly northern hemisphere.
Birds fly thousands of miles to BNP to escape the harsh winter in Siberia, Afghanistan, Iraq, north Asia and central Europe. They generally stay here for around three to four months and leave after breeding.
As per the Mid-Winter Waterfall Migratory Bird Status Survey Report-2018, an estimated 1,12,937 birds belonging to 83 species were spotted by enumerators last year.
The Bhitarkanika National Park is a major sanctuary for migratory birds. The birds go back when the water bodies in the park dry up in summer.
PNN