Bhitarkanika national park - A bird paradise

Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha’s Kendrapara district continues to thrive as a safe haven for resident water birds, maintaining a healthy and stable population, forest officials say. According to the latest annual colonial bird census, the park is home to 1,30,796 birds across ten species. This is a slight increase from last year’s count of 1,30,123, showing that the monsoon birds are doing well.

“The consistent presence of such diverse water bird species highlights the ecological importance of Bhitarkanika Mangroves, one of the largest heronries in Asia,” said Varadaraj Gaonkar, Divisional Forest Officer of Rajnagar Mangrove Wildlife Division. He added that the annual nesting season not only enriches the mangrove ecosystem but also provides valuable information on the health and conservation status of these birds.

Census teams carefully monitored all water bodies and mangrove areas, including the heronries at Mathadia, Laxmiprasaddia, Durgaprasaddia, and Balidia. Among the birds, the Asian Open-billed Stork led the way with 15,919 nests. Other common species include Black-headed Ibis, Purple Heron, Large Egret, Intermediate Egret, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Little Cormorant, Black-crowned Night Heron, and Darter.

Laxmiprasad-Dia and Matha-Adia emerged as the main nesting hubs, with over 13,000 nests each. The birds prefer nesting on Bani trees (Avicennia officinalis), as well as Guan, Kerauan, Oruan, Sinduka, and Sundari trees. A plentiful supply of fish in the rivers and creeks, along with the park’s distance from human habitation, has made Bhitarkanika a peaceful breeding ground. With little human disturbance, birds can build and repair nests, lay eggs, incubate them, and raise their young safely.

Interestingly, the park’s significance as a bird habitat was first noticed by the famous ornithologist Dr. Salim Ali during a casual visit in 1981. Today, Bhitarkanika continues to be a vibrant sanctuary, ensuring that thousands of water birds can thrive in its rich mangrove ecosystem.