Bhubaneswar/Angul: The annual bird counting has begun in Odisha today. The winged guests to Odisha are delightful to watch. Odisha truly is a bird watchers paradise.
As many as 25 teams comprising over 1000 officials have been engaged in the counting exercise of the birds at different places including Satkosia Wildlife Division and Mahanadi River system.
Experts will impart training programme on census methodology at Wetland Research Centre, Chandraput on January 4. The bird census is scheduled to begin at Bhitarkanika and Hirakud on January 6
“The census includes two techniques, total count and sample count. Total count method is used primarily to count the number which can be counted exactly. Sample count is done when there is exceptionally high congregation of birds and enumerator fails to find the exact number. The entire population is divided in to samples,” said a forest official.
Chilika Lake receives migrants from a wide range of breeding grounds extending from north, central and east Siberia, China and Mongolia, and west Asian countries such as Kazakhstan.
The fishing will be prohibited in Mahanadi River system during the period.
There will be a restriction on the entry of tourists into Satkosia first two weeks of the census, informed an official.
Prasanta Patnaik