Khurdha: The annual bird census in Chilika lake will be carried out on January 4. As many as 126 staff of 21 teams will be employed in the counting exercise.
After a formal training on January 3, the counting will be done on next day from 6 am to 12 noon. The number of birds will be announced in the evening, DFO Amlan Nayak said at the press conference.
Fishing activities and boat operations have been restricted on the day for the bird count.
The bird lovers, ornithologists, and experts will be engaged in the exercise. DFO Nayak expected an increase in the number of birds this time due to favorable weather condition. Leaves of the staff have been cancelled for the four-month bird gathering period. They will be engaged to protect the birds from predators and poachers. Special attention will be paid to the bird’s safety. Poaching activities will be strictly dealt with.
Similarly, dolphin counting will be carried out on January 20. After the bird count, a special tower will be built for the tourists to see the migratory avian guests within the bird sanctuary in Nalabana, the DFO informed.
In 2021-22, over 10.74 lakh birds were found in the lake while in 2022-23, the number increased to 11.31 lakh were.
