Migratory birds begin their annual journey to Chilika

This year, migratory birds have begun their yearly voyage to Chilika, the largest waterbird habitat in India, located in the state of Odisha.

On October 7, 2023, 50 migratory birds, including duck and wigeon species, were reportedly sighted by wildlife officials in the state in the Nalabana bird sanctuary area of the blue lagoon.

The officials were on surveillance throughout the 1,100 square kilometer lake when they noticed numerous birds flying in the air near Chilika without touching down in the lake.

When the wetland’s water level drops, they might swim into the lake, according to Amlan Nayak, a divisional forest officer (DFO) from the government of Odisha’s Chilika Wildlife Division.

Ornithologists say that this year’s migratory bird arrival in Chilika is not particularly early. In the second week of October of the previous year, when the temperature was above 30 degrees Celsius, the first group of migratory birds was observed. However, this year they arrived in the first week of October, when the area and its surrounds were experiencing temperatures between 33°C and 35°C.

The birds may have flown millions of miles to land in Chilika despite the fact that the state has not yet experienced cooler temperatures because winter had already begun in the birds’ original habitats, according to the DFO.

Every winter, migratory birds, predominantly from Northern Eurasia beyond the Himalayas, the Caspian Sea, Siberia, Kazakhstan, Lake Baikal, and the remote regions of Russia and its neighbors visit the Chilika and begin their trek home before the start of summer.

According to Jitshatru Mohanty, a former senior forest officer, the recent natural calamities in the Himalayan regions, such as the flash floods in Sikkim and Uttarakhand, may have encouraged them to fly to Chilika.

An further element that affects bird migration is food availability. According to retired senior forest officer and naturalist Sudhakar Mohapatra, these birds’ need for food may have driven them to travel great distances in search of suitable wetlands, with Chilika being one of their favored stops.

He said that even with the temperature in the second week of October climbing beyond 30°C, the first group of migratory birds arrived at the lake in 2022.

The migratory birds that come to Chilika are used to the prevailing weather. An ornithologist from the Bombay Natural History Society noted that they start their return trip as the temperature approaches 40°C.

Up to 1,131,929 birds from 184 different species made their way to Chilika during the previous winter. This contained 38,859 resident birds from 79 species and 1,093,049 migratory birds from 105 different species.

Wildlife experts anticipate a significant influx of birds this season despite the strict protective measures in place.