Post News Network
Kendrapara, August 25: More nests of the residential birds were sighted in Bhitarkanika National Park in this monsoon season than in last year, said ranger of Kanika forest range Akhaya Kumar Nayak.
This year the forest officials sighted 20,507 nests against 19,784 nests last year. Of the 20,507 nests, 8,041 were sighted in Mathadia and 12,466 in Bagagahan, added Nayak.
According to the monsoon bird census report of 2015, which was carried out by the Bhitarkanika National Park from August 16 to August- 23, 96,437 birds including 41,014 adult birds thronged Bagagahan and Mathadia forests this monsoon. The winged choose more than 5,000 mangrove trees for nesting and breeding.
This year 4,892 more birds have been sighted than last year, said Nayak. Similarly, 91,545 monsoon bird species visited Bagagahan and Mathadia forests as per the census report of 2013.
This year, nine out of 11 bird species, which usually throng the park every monsoon, visited the park. They are- asian open bill stork , grey heron, great egret, intermediate egret, lesser adjutant stork , night heron, darter, cormorant and ibis, informed official sources .
The census was carried out through individual counting of the nests by going near the trees.
This time the birds have laid eggs in mangrove species of guan, sundari, sinduka, bani and jagula. However, most of the nests were sighted in guan and bani trees. These birds gather with the onset of monsoon in the last week of June and their process of nesting ends by November. Darter, grey heron and purple heron start breeding early and their chicks are seen during the month of August whereas open bill stork is among the late breeders, official sources stated.
This year, open bill stork population was more than 60 per cent. These birds prefer to form their nest on guan tree. They form their nests on the top canopy whereas the lower most branches are preferred by smaller birds like cormorants.