Chilika: As more winged visitors are arriving this year to keep their annual tryst with Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon, new feathered species of birds have been sighted in the Mangalajodi on the banks of Chilika, reports said.
Birds like ‘Gloshy Ibis’ were found moving freely in the backwards of the lake spreading cheer among the bird lovers. The shiny little birds were spotted by enumerators inside the lake. Moreover, birds like ‘Eurasian Bittern’, ‘Goliath Heron’ and ‘Eastern Curlew’ were also sighted in the lake.
Though birds have not come in large numbers, but number of species is increasing every year. Birds start arriving at Mangalajodi by the middle of October. By now, one can see ‘Brahminy Shelduck’, ‘Whiskered Tern’, ‘Purple Moorhen’, ‘Large Egret’ and ‘Black Winged Stilit’.
Every year, about a million migratory birds come to the lake in October and return in March. Mid December to February is the best time the birds will come in maximum number. It is common to see over 50 species of birds, although in peak season as many as 170 varieties come to Chilika every year and start departing by March.
The new species are turning to Mangalajodi as their feed and nest is available in abundance.
The birds prefer Chilika as they find feed in very shallow water and nest in freshwater or brackish wetland with all dense stands of emergent vegetation such as reed, rushes or bushes. They also show preference for marshes as the margins of lake. However, their preferred roosting sites are normally in large trees which may be distant from the feeding areas, wildlife officials said.
On the other hand, the Chilika Development Authority (CDA) has been taking steps to protect the birds from poachers.
“A lot of infrastructure is taking place and soon there will be more facilities for the visitor. Guides are provided with binoculars and bird book which consists every details and it is handy to know a bird after seeing it,” an employee said.
PNN