Balugaon: The annual bird census began in Chilika Lake on Tuesday morning. As per reports, as many as 21 teams comprising 105 forest department officials have been engaged in the enumeration of both the domestic and migratory birds which kick started from 6 am and will continue till 12 pm today.
The surveyor teams will also include officials of Chilika Development Authority (CDA), experts from Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), Wild Odisha, Frow With Nature, Elephant Trust and members of various social organisations.
The census is underway at five ranges namely Satapada, Rambha, Balugaon, Tangi and Chilika. As many as 18 teams are undertaking the survey work in terrestrial areas and rest are engaged in aquatic areas.
The Chilika Lake, spread over the Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts of Odisha, is the largest brackish water lagoon of Asia.
Notably, the practice of counting birds has been exercised every year in Chilika. As many as 48,728 birds of 106 species were counted at the lake during the annual summer survey held in May last year.
Migratory birds mostly come to Chilika from beyond the Himalayas every winter — from northern Eurasia, the Caspian region, Siberia, Kazakhstan, Lake Baikal and remote areas of Russia and neighbouring countries. They start their homeward journey before the onset of summer.
