Winter Bird Count Completed in Ramsar Site Bhoj Wetland

Why in News?

=> Environment Minister of Madhya Pradesh Hardeep Singh Dung concluded the bird-counting for the last 45 days at Ramsar Site Bhoj Wetland in Madhya Pradesh on World Wetland Day.

Key Points:

=> More than 200 participants from across the country participated in the eight-stage bird census under the joint aegis of State Wetland Bhopal Birds, Van Vihar National Park, State Wetland Authority and VNS Nature Saviors.

=> The participants included senior forest officials, ornithologists, ornithologists, photographers, students and bird lovers from states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Bihar etc.

=> In the autumn bird census conducted in Bhoj wetland, 207 species of birds were identified. This time in Bhopal's Van Vihar, the migratory birds also include rare birds that come after traveling thousands of kilometers.

=> Migratory birds include Bar Headed Geese, Gray Leg Geese, Red Crested Pochard, Common Pochard, Eurasian Vision, Northern Showler, Common Coot, Comb Duck, Ruddy Shelduck, Common Teal, Little Grebe, Spot-billed Duck, Cotton Teal, Gray Headed Lapwing, Common Snipe, Red-naped Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Black-headed Ibis, Painted Stork, Open Billed Stork, Blue Throat, Eurasian Rhinebeck, Black Red Start, Black Bittern, Chestnut Bittern, Long-tailed Minivet, Booted Warbler, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Black-headed Bunting, Red Headed Bunting, Brown Headed Gull, Palash Gull etc. were identified.

=> AK Jain, assistant director of Van Vihar National Park, said that Bhoj Wetland was divided into five zones for the purpose of enumeration – Vishankhedi to Bilkheda, Bamhori, Chhote Talab to Bairagarh, Borkhan and Nilbad to Khajuri.

=> This time rare species of migratory birds Gray Leg Geese, Bar Headed Geese, Black Bittern, Chestnut Bittern, Gray Headed Lep Wing, Pere Green Falcon and Long Tailed Mini Wet Birds were also seen roaming freely in Van Vihar situated on the edge of Bhoj Wetland.