Kendrapara: The number of nests of residential birds and adult birds has declined at the Bhitarkanika National Park in this monsoon season, as per a census report.
Surprisingly, this year not a single nest has been spotted at Bagagahan heronry, which was over the years a favourite nesting place for monsoon birds, said Bimal Prasanna Acharya, DFO of Rajnagar mangrove forest and wildlife division.
Official sources said 91,224 monsoon birds, including 51,444 chicks, were spotted and 19,890 nests were sighted during the census at the Mathaadia heronry. The census was carried out for a week from August 23 to 30.
The number of nests has decreased by 2,066 compared to last year and the number of birds by 13,266 compared to last monsoon. The birds have selected 1911 mangrove trees for nesting this time.
An estimated 1,04,490 monsoon birds including 43,912 adults and 60,578 chicks, were sighted at Bagagahana and Mathadia during last monsoon bird census. The birds had selected 3413 mangrove trees for nesting and breeding.
Ten out of 11 species, which generally throng Bhitarkanika every monsoon, came this time too to Mathaadia heronry. The residential bird species that visited Bhitarkanika this monsoon are the Asian Open Bill Stork, Large Egret, Intermediate Egret, Little Egret, Purple Heron, Grey Heron, Little Cormorant, Black Crowned Night Heron, Black Headed Ibis and Darter.
This year, only a small number of Little Egret came to Bhitarkanika whereas Asian Open Bill Stork once again came in large numbers.
A total of 81,254 Asian Open Bill Storks, including 33,856 adults, had thronged Mathadia and Bagagahan last year, but this time only 65,451, including 28,458 adults and 36,995 chicks, were spotted during the census, said Acharya.
The forest personnel sighted an estimated 14,229 nests built by Asian Open Bill Stork. This time, 136 adult Little Egrets came and they set up 68 nests from which 170 chicks have emerged, said forest officials.
The residential species have set up nests in Bani, Guan and Choranda trees which are mangrove species. The birds formed nests in 1543 Bani trees, 367 Guan trees, and in one Choranda tree, this monsoon.
The encouraging fact this time is that the Mathaadia heronry has turned into a favourite nesting place for monsoon birds as the number of nests and birds are increasing each year.
In Mathadia, forest personnel sighted 91,224 birds, including 39,780 adults of 10 types, whereas the number of chicks were 51,444 in 19,890 nests.
Last year, forest personnel had spotted 57,643 birds, including 24,390 adults of 10 types, whereas the number of chicks was 33,253 in 12,195 nests.
Last year 46,847 birds, including 19,522 adult birds of three types, were sighted at Bagagahan heronry, but this time not a single nest was found by the enumerators.
Forest personnel said about a month back, the forest personnel sighted about 3,000 monsoon birds, but during census there was not even a single bird. The forest personnel opined that as the water bodies had dried up at Bagagahan birds might have gone to Mathaadia where there was enough food and water for feeding the chicks.
This year, three teams, consisting of four forest personnel in each, were engaged for monsoon bird census.
Forest officials carry out the census through individual counting method by going near the trees. With the onset of monsoon in the last week of June these birds congregate in large numbers and the nesting process gets over by the end of November.
PNN