Balasore: The mid-winter waterfowl census conducted in all forest ranges in Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts revealed mixed results as a few places had more winged quests than the last year while at other places lesser number of birds were spotted.
The census was carried out on January 3 near all the water bodies, wet and marshy lands, where avian species flock during the winter under Balasore, Baripada, Rairangpur and Karanjia territorial forest divisions.
In Baripada division, there has been a marginal decrease in the number of birds while in Balasore, Karanjia and Rairangpur divisions the increase in numbers in aquatic animals was prominent.
Baripada divisional forest officer Swayam Malik said this year lesser birds were spotted than the previous year.
"Last year, 6537 birds were seen while this year the figure is 6,080. Ecological changes, including disturbances due to mining activities could be the reason why lesser birds were seen," Malik said.
The maximum number of winged guests (1,481) were seen under the Betnati range in the Baripada division followed by Dukura (1,125) and Kaptipada (1,005).
The least number of birds (98) were seen under Udala range. The figures for other ranges - Deuli, Bangiriposhi, Rasgobindapur and Pithabata - are 823, 758, 663 and 127 respectively, said an official source.
"No new species of birds were sighted this year and all were resident birds," Malik further said.
Balasore divisional forest officer Biswaraj Panda said this year the number of winged guests was higher in comparison to the previous year. He said: "The number this year is 17,409 and the figure was 16,100 last year. Last year, 61 species of birds were seen and this year the figure stands at 66."
At Chandipur range which includes the Nisarg, a wetland in the Integrated Test Range, a large number of birds were seen," he said.
Karanjia divisional forest officer Prasanna Kumar Behera and his Rairangpur counterpart Kalunge Gorakh Waman said more birds were seen in their divisions as compared to the previous year.
