Pobitora records 56 bird species in annual census

Guwahati: Over 10,000 birds across 56 species were spotted at Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary located in Assam's Morigaon district, during the annual Asian water bird census. The census concluded on Saturday.
"The bird watching programme was a two-hour event, and after proper analysis and compilation of the data, the estimated bird count is 10933 across 56 species. A toral of 12 enumeration teams comprising about 22 experts, including renowned naturalist and ornithologist Anuwaruddin Choudhary and others from different parts of Assam joined the survey," said Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary range officer Pranjal Baruah.
This year's figure has shown an increased as compared to last year's counts. In 2024, the census recorded 7,225 birds, which was lesser than the 8,441 birds recorded in 2023.
Speaking to TOI, Anwaruddin Choudhary said, "Around 80% of the birds spotted are migratory, while the remaining 20% are residential. The majority of them are winter migrants that start arriving in late Oct. Their movement picks up in Feb and by Mar, the migration process begins. These migratory birds arrive here during the winter because the conditions are more favourable compared to their native habitats."
However, comprehending a broader context, Choudhary added that the trend in migratory birds are decreasing, attributed to several environmental challenges. "Due to environmental issues such as illegal hunting, industrialization, and habitat loss, the globsal population of these birds is declining, despite an occasional temporary increase. For instance, the yellow-breasted bunting, an endangered migratory bird, was once observed in large numbers in the state. However, owing to these challenges, its population has significantly decreased over the years," Choudhary added.
This year's census was carried out across 10 blocks of the sanctuary. The Baikal teal, which is found primarily in eastern Russia and travels to east Asia during winters, was found during the census. Tufted ducks, greater white-fronted goose, falcated duck, bar-headed goose, greylag goose, northern pintail, pied avocets and northern shoveler were also spotted.