Migratory bird census starts at Hirakud Reservoir in Odisha's Sambalpur

Sambalpur: The census of migratory birds that arrived at the 700-sqkm Hirakud Reservoir from across the country and abroad this winter, began on Sunday, to gauge the reported increase in avian count.

The census in the Hirakud wildlife division spans Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Bargarh districts and the adjoining areas of Chhattisgarh. Divisional forest officer Anshupragya Das said, “Twenty-one sectors have been formed for the census that will cover nearly 550sqkm, from the Hirakud Dam up to the Chhattisgarh border.”


Around 70 forest officials, bird experts and enumerators have been engaged in the census. Around 15 college students have also been included in this year’s exercise. The participating teams set out from nine locations at 6 am, and the census will continue till 5 pm. Teams have been provided with binoculars and life jackets. A total of 32 teams are participating using 32 boats, covering areas in Sambalpur, Bargarh and Jharsuguda districts.

Every year from November, migratory birds travel thousands of kilometres through aerial routes to reach the Hirakud Reservoir and return to their native places by March. The wildlife division has taken various measures for protection of birds, including security arrangements and awareness initiatives such as the development of bird villages.

Several Indian bird species such as egrets, herons, cormorants and lapwings are commonly seen at Hirakud. Migratory birds arriving during winter include species from Siberia (Russia), Central Asia such as pintail, shoveler, teal and pochard; bar-headed geese from Mongolia, Tibet and Central Asia; godwits, sandpipers and snipes from Europe and Russia; and brown-headed gulls and whiskered terns from Europe and Central Asian countries.

Fisheries experts with experience in bird studies are also involved in the census. According to records, last year, 3,77,732 migratory birds belonging to 122 species were recorded. In 2024, the count stood at 3,42,345 birds of 113 species, while in 2023, 3,16,575 birds of 109 species were recorded. The DFO expressed hope that the number of birds would increase further this year.

Meanwhile, Sonam Sahu, a Plus-Two student taking part in the bird census for the first time, said they felt fortunate to be part of the team. “We were very excited to see so many birds in the reservoir. We got the opportunity to observe many new species from close quarters and gained valuable learning experiences from bird experts,” she said.