Odisha’s Chilika Lake receives over a million migratory birds

Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon Chilika Lake, located in India’s Odisha state, witnessed over 10.74 lakh birds.
The birds include an uncommon Mongolian gull, visiting the waterbody in Odisha this winter, according to a census report released recently. Spread over Puri, Ganjam and Khorda districts, Chilika Lake covers an area of around 1,100 sq km. However, compared to around 11.40 lakh birds of 190 species last year, this year 10,74,173 winged guests of 183 species to the lake were counted during the exercise.According to CDA chief executive Susanta Nanda, the Mongolian gulls were observed this year, which is indeed uncommon.Among the pintail species of ducks, the Northern pintail, gadwall, Eurasian wigeon accounted for over one lakh each. The count of visiting gadwall and Eurasian wigeon was less than that of last year. A decrease in the number of species such as northern shoveler, tufted duck, and red-crested pochard was observed this year. An increase in the population of pintail, northern coot and common pochard was also noticed.