KENDRAPARA,October 30: With the onset of winter, chirping of migratory birds from different parts of the globe has livened up the marshy wetlands in Bhitarkanika National Park here. The feathered guests from Central Asia and Europe visit the National Park year after year as its marshy and swampy wetland spots provide a congenial winter habitat.
The migratory birds started arriving in Bhitarkanika towards the third week of October as the park presents them a comparatively hospitable alternate habitat compared to the extreme freezing conditions in their natural habitats in Siberia, China, Japan and other countries in the northern hemisphere.
The unbearable cold during winter months forces these migrant species to temporarily leave their original habitat and visit Bagagahan, a heronry of avian species within the park besides Hukitola, Satabhaya, Agaranashi and six tiny islands near Bhitarkanika. The birds often frequent open wetlands adjoining the mangrove forest which has enough fish, prawns, frogs, snakes and molluscs. Due to abundant availability of fish in the river and creeks and its distance from human habitats, the national park provides an extensive feeding ground for the creatures, said Amaresh Nath Pradhan, Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) of the park on Monday.
Last winter, forest officials recorded 1,12,937 birds of 83 species during the annual avian census, he added.
Prominent among the species spotted so far are, Whistle duck, Gadwall, pin-tail, lesser whistling duck, teal, geese, stork, geese, swans, grebes, rails, coots, sandpipers, plovers, skimmers and other water birds, said forest officials. What makes the area special for the birds is that its water bodies are regulated by tides. The tides rise and recede every quarter part of the day and tidal amplitude here varies frequently. High tides followed by ebb tides ensure ample fish supply for the birds, added the forest officer.
Prasanta Patnaik