GUWAHATI
The Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, better known as the safest address of the greater one-horned rhinoceros, has recorded a 27% increase in the number of resident and winter migratory waterbirds.
The fifth waterbird census conducted through the citizen scientist initiative from January 9-10 across the 1,302 sq. km wildlife preserve revealed the presence of 84,839 birds, which was 18,063 more than the number recorded during a similar exercise in 2021-22.
This, park officials said, places Kaziranga among the top five habitats of waterbirds in the country.
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The bird census was conducted simultaneously across 115 waterbodies in three divisions of the Kaziranga Tiger Reserve. The divisions are Eastern Assam Wildlife, Nagaon Wildlife, and Biswanath Wildlife.
The exercise was ceremonially launched by Environment and Forest Minister, Chandra Mohan Patowary on January 9.
Forest officials said 108 enumerators and 354 volunteers and Forest officials and staff were engaged in conducting the survey. While 37,606 birds across 155 species were recorded in the Eastern Assam Wildlife Division, 12,002 birds across 82 species were spotted in the Biswanath Wildlife Division during the survey.
Survey significance
With its unique terrestrial and aquatic habitats, Kaziranga is one of the best-protected areas in the world.
Apart from being the home of the Big Five mammals — rhino, tiger, elephant, Asiatic water buffalo, and eastern swamp deer — the park is a popular destination for birders as it sustains more than 500 avian species.
More than 50% of its landmass under grasslands is dotted with waterbodies, locally known as bells. These, along with the Brahmaputra River bisecting the park and tributaries such as Dhansiri, Difloo, and Laokhowa Suti, provide an ideal habitat for resident and migratory birds.
The park’s ecological significance made the Bombay Natural History Society and BirdLife International list Kaziranga as an Important Bird Area a few years ago.
“This time, we decided to carry out the bird census in major wetlands adjoining the tiger reserve along with the water bodies within the reserve. The Kaziranga-Hukuma Beel in Biswanath recorded 3,049 birds while the Joysagar Doloni in Kaliabor recorded 1,765 birds, highlighting their conservation and protection,” Kaziranga’s field director, Sonali Ghosh said.
Other notable wetlands adjoining the tiger reserve that recorded significant bird presence were Gonak Beel (973 individuals), Sahala Beel (424), and Sisubari Beel (348).
Key species
The notable avian inhabitants of Kaziranga include the Bengal florican, swamp francolin, and various species of raptors, vultures, and waterfowl. The park, a UN World Heritage Site, has the highest concentration of the Bengal florican after Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve and Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve.
Some of the unique, rare, and endangered species reported during the latest census were Baer’s pochard, Baikal teal, greater scaup, gull-billed tern, greater white-fronted goose, great crested grebe, Pallas’s gull, black stork, black-headed gull, and cotton pygmy goose.
A total of 10,412 waterfowl belonging to 80 different species were recorded in Kaziranga during the first census conducted in 2018. The second count in 2020 yielded a total of 34,284 birds belonging to 98 species while 93,491 birds belonging to 112 species were recorded.
