The annual bird census at Hirakud wetland (Hirakud reservoir) has concluded with the sighting of 128 species and a total count of 4.2 lakh birds.
The census, conducted on January 18 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., divided the reservoir into 21 sectors. Thirty-eight teams comprising 93 participants carried out the exercise. Each team worked under the guidance of a bird expert and received support from forest staff of Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, and Bargarh districts.
This year, observers recorded five new species not seen in previous years: Ruddy Crake, Greater Painted Snipe, Painted Stork, Little Gull, and Sanderling. Regular sightings included Tufted Ducks, Whistling Ducks, Grebes, Bar-headed Geese, Brahminy Ducks, Gadwalls, Eurasian Wigeons, Northern Pintails, Northern Shovelers, Red-crested Pochards, Sandpipers, six types of Gulls, Terns, Pratincoles, Kingfishers, Indian Skimmers, Cormorants, Egrets, Herons, and Plovers.
Sectors 7, 8, and 9—located in the upper reaches of the Mahanadi near the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border—recorded the highest congregation of birds. Experts attributed this to submerged islands, healthy aquatic vegetation, availability of sandbanks for roosting, winter habitat conditions, and reduced fishing pressure.
Birders from Sambalpur Birders Club, Jharsuguda, Balangir, Sonepur, and Bargarh led the teams. In 2025, the census had recorded 122 species and 3.77 lakh birds, marking a significant rise this year.
