Sambalpur: This winter, more than 4.21 lakh birds visited the Hirakud Reservoir in Odisha’s Sambalpur district, a significant increase from last year.
A total of 4,21,763 birds belonging to 128 species were recorded during a bird count at the reservoir, spread over 5.72 sq km of the power channel area up to the Chhattisgarh border, including five new birds, said Anshu Pragyan Das, DFO of the Hirakud Wildlife Division, on Tuesday. She said the three most abundant bird species were the Tufted Duck (71,273), Lesser Whistling Duck (60,987), and Common Coot (51,665).
Das said the five new species spotted during the count were the Ruddy Crake, Greater Painted-Snipe, Painted Stork, Little Gull, and Sanderling.
The Hirakud Wildlife Division conducted the annual Mid-Winter Waterfowl Census-2026 in the Hirakud Reservoir area on January 18. A total of 93 people, including birding experts, forest officials, NGOs, and school students, participated in the survey.
Every year, thousands of feathered visitors from the Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal, the Aral Sea, Mongolia, Central and Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas make the Hirakud Reservoir their home from November to March.
Officials said that last winter, more than 3.77 lakh birds from 122 species visited the reservoir. Similarly, in 2024, more than 3.42 lakh birds from 113 species were sighted.
