Assam’s Kaziranga National Park records 27% increase in waterbirds

The Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, better known as the safest address of the greater one-horned rhinoceros, has recorded a 27% increase in the number of resident and winter migratory waterbirds.

GUWAHATI

The Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, better known as the safest address of the greater one-horned rhinoceros, has recorded a 27% increase in the number of resident and winter migratory waterbirds.

The fifth waterbird census conducted through the citizen scientist initiative from January 9-10 across the 1,302 sq. km wildlife preserve revealed the presence of 84,839 birds, which was 18,063 more than the number recorded during a similar exercise in 2021-22.

This, park officials said, places Kaziranga among the top five habitats of waterbirds in the country.

The bird census was conducted simultaneously across 115 waterbodies in three divisions of the Kaziranga Tiger Reserve. The divisions are Eastern Assam Wildlife, Nagaon Wildlife, and Biswanath Wildlife.

The exercise was ceremonially launched by Environment and Forest Minister, Chandra Mohan Patowary on January 9.

Forest officials said 108 enumerators and 354 volunteers and Forest officials and staff were engaged in conducting the survey. While 37,606 birds across 155 species were recorded in the Eastern Assam Wildlife Division, 12,002 birds across 82 species were spotted in the Biswanath Wildlife Division during the survey.