KENDRAPADA: With the onset of monsoon, a large number of resident birds have started nesting in Bhitarkanika National Park. These birds from neighbouring areas arrived by mid-June.
“The early arrival of avian species indicates a good monsoon ahead. During the nesting of birds, many visitors throng the sites for a glimpse of different species. But after the pandemic, bird watchers are forced to stay away due to the restrictions and lockdowns,” said J D Pati, the divisional forest officer of the park.
“Each year during the monsoon we visit Bhitarkanika to watch the nesting activities of birds. Watching birds descending on the mangrove forests, making and mending nests, laying and incubating eggs, feeding fledglings, guarding them against predators, covering them with wings to protect them from the scorching heat and heavy downpour is an amazing site. But this year, we have missed it all,” said Swadhin Tripathy of Kendrapada.
Birds have started laying eggs at Mathadia, the main heronry. More than a dozen bird species are now in Bhitarkanika for nesting and going by past records, the list is likely to increase by next month.
“Bhitarkanika is known as a bird’s paradise because of the rich avifaunal assemblage it supports. Its water bodies are rich in fishes, planktons, snails, etc. The conditions are ideal for the survival of birds. When assured of enough food, hundreds of birds get busy in courting and mating,” added the forest officer.
The most important nesting birds are the open-billed stork, little cormorant, median egret, large egret, little egret, purple heron, grey heron, darter, white ibis and cattle egret.
In the past, a large number of birds used to nest in Bagagahana forest within the park during the monsoon. But in 2019 many birds shifted their nesting area to the nearby Mathadia forest block, said the forest officer.
