Guwahati, February 7: Known for its highest-density population of one-horned Indian rhinoceros, the tiny Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) in Marigaon district of Assam is also an important habitat of both migratory as well as residential bird species found in its numerous water bodies.
The Forest Department of Assam in coordination and support from premier research-oriented biodiversity conservation organisation of the region Aaranyak (www.aaranyak.org) has been carrying out an annual water bird censure in Pobitora WLS since 2020. The exercise is also cooperated with by various other stakeholders.
The main objective of the census is to count waterbird species in order to generate data on birds and monitoring of these species for long-term conservation.
The third annual census of water bird was carried out by Assam Forest Department and Aaranyak in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary successfully on February 6.
Annual Waterbird Census, 2022 recorded 56 species of waterbirds with a total count of nearly eight thousand two hundred (8200) individuals of different species, including both migratory and residential birds.
Around 30 people including staff of the forest department, Aaranyak members and staff, and other volunteers took part in this census. Jayashree Naiding Tonk, Divisional Forest Officer of Guwahati Wildlife Division welcomed the participants and explained the importance of the census. Dr. Sonali Ghosh, Chief Conservator of Forests, Assam Forest Department welcomed the participants and explained on the importance of such exercise.
Udayan Borthakur, a senior scientist of Aaranyak and a wildlife photographer par excellence coordinated the census and briefed the participants on the methodologies to be followed for counting the birds. Nayan Jyoti Das, Range Officer of Pobitora coordinated various aspects of the census procedure.
From Aaranyak Udayan Borthakur, Dr. Bibhuti Prasad Lahkar, Naba Choudhury, Prasanna Kalita, Mridul Kumar Chakravorty and Ershadur Rahman, led different teams in conducting the water bird census.