84,839 birds in Assam's Kaziranga, new census finds

Guwahati: Birds have made it to the list of attractions in Kaziranga in Assam.

Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) is known for the "BIG FIVE" mammals: one-horned rhinos, tigers, elephants, asiatic wild buffalos, and eastern swamp deer. A new bird Census carried out in and around Kaziranga recorded 84,839 birds, pushing the 1,302 sqkm National Park among the country's top five tourist destinations for birds.

The number of birds counted during the 5th bird census conducted in and around Kaziranga on January 9 and 10 was 27 per cent more birds than the number counted in 2022. About 80 per cent of the birds are migratory, director of the park, Sonali Ghosh told DH on Friday.

Odisha's Chilika Lake tops the list with over 10.74 lakh birds, followed by Kaziranga, Rajasthan's Bharatpur (25,000), Najafgarh jheel in Delhi (10,239) and Gujarat's Nalsarovar (7,099).

"Data is scattered, but in terms of size and number, Kaziranga is second to Chilika. Species-wise, however, Bharatpur tops the list," Ghosh said.

"Now we can proudly say that Kaziranga is famous for the big six as the Census pushed it to among the top five tourist destinations for birds," Ghosh further said.

Ghosh said some of the "unique, rare and endangered" species reported in the new census includes Baer’s Pochard, Baikal Teal, Greater Scaup, Gull-billed Tern, Greater-white Fronted Goose, Great-crested Grebe, Pallas’s Gull, Black Stork , Black-Headed Gull and Cotton Pygmy Goose, among others. "Bengal Florican, Swamp Francolin, and various species of raptors, vultures, and waterfowls are some of the notable avian inhabitants of KNPTR," she said.

Kaziranga attracts thousands of tourists every year, mainly because of the one-horned rhinos. The park is the biggest abode for the prized one-horned rhinos (2,613 according to 2023 Census). However, the park authorities are trying to protect its other attractions, including the birds.

There are nearly 200 wetlands in and around Kaziranga and the bird census was conducted in 115 of them falling under three divisions, the Eastern Assam Wildlife Division, the Nagaon Wildlife Division and the Biswanath Wildlife Division. The Eastern Assam division, comprising mostly of the Kaziranga National Park area, recorded 37,606 birds. A total of 108 enumerators and 354 volunteers and forest personnel were engaged for the census this time, said a statement issued by the park authority.

The recent e-Bird database found 603 bird species in and around Kaziranga, said the statement.