The 2022 Flora and Fauna Survey in Chilika Lake earlier this month confirmed that this lagoon hosts over 10 lakh birds from more than 100 species. These include first-time visitors. There’s more good news! The endangered Irrawaddy dolphins are colonising new areas in the region, sparking hope for their survival.
All about Chilika
- Chilika Lake in Odisha is a hotspot of biodiversity and shelters a number of endangered species listed in the IUCN red list of threatened species.
- The lake is a unique assemblage of marine, brackish, and freshwater ecosystems with estuarine characteristics.
- The lagoon houses about 165 dolphins and 10.5 lakh water birds, representing 105 different species. Irrawaddy dolphins in India are protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.
- The recent survey report says that for the first time, near-threatened ferruginous ducks and a group of Eurasian otters were spotted in the lagoon. About a thousand of those ducks were sighted. In addition, 2,000 greater flamingoes, and two uncommon species the red-necked stint and the woolly-necked stork – too were spotted.
- The most common migratory ducks found in Chilika are northern pintail, gadwall, and Eurasian wigeons, each being more than 1.5 lakh.
- The mudflats in certain regions of Chilika now house more than 1.2 lakh shorebirds such as the black-tailed godwit, little stint, ruff, curlew sandpiper, and lesser sand plover.
Picture Credit : Google
