The Rajamahendravaram Wildlife Management Division of the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department will conduct a two-day waterbird census in the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary and adjoining areas in the Godavari estuary, Kolleru Lake including Atapaka Bird Sanctuary and Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary in Krishna estuary in the State on January 5 and 6.
The annual census will be done by the Forest Department with technical support from the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and Wetland International as part of the Asian Waterbird Census-2021, that is aimed at monitoring the wetlands and waterbirds in the designated areas.
The census will also be covering Important Bird Areas (IBA) adjoining the three sanctuaries in the State. P. Sathiyaselvam from BNHS is the leading expert of the census and Kakinada-based ornithologist K. Mrutyunjaya Rao will lead a team of birdwatchers during the exercise.
“The waterbird census will be conducted simultaneously at Kolleru Lake, with focus on Atapaka Bird Sanctuary, and Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary in Krishna district on January 5 and 6. Forest Department staff, amateur ornithologists and birdwatchers will participate in the census,” Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife-Rajamahendravaram) C. Selvam told The Hindu.
The prime objective of the census is to assess the status of the wetlands and water birds, apart from documenting the migratory birds and its habitats. The documentation of the water birds will be useful to design the conservation plans by the Forest Department in addition to help assess the threats.