Khordha (Odisha): The annual bird counting exercise has commenced in Chilika lake, which is the largest brackish water lagoon in Asia, on Tuesday. The state forest department started counting from 6 am and will continue to do so till 12 pm in the afternoon.
21 teams have been engaged in counting the birds in Satpada, Rambha, Balugaon, Tangi, Mangalajodi, Nalban and Nuapada areas. The teams include the forest department, OUAT students, bird protection committee members and social workers.
Notably, the practice of counting birds in Chilika has been exercised every year. Migratory birds from northern Eurasia, the Caspian region, Siberia, Kazakhstan, Lake Baikal and remote areas of Russia and neighbouring countries visit the lake every year and return home before the onset of summer.