Assam: Bird count dips in Pobitora sanctuary, two new species spotted

Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary has recorded a decline in the number of individual birds, but two new species were spotted during the waterbird census, according to a forest official. 

The census, which was conducted on Friday, recorded 7,225 birds compared to 8,441 in the previous count in 2022-23. The number of species identified this year was 72, an increase from 70 in the last count, said sanctuary ranger Nayan Jyoti Das. 

The two new species spotted for the first time in the sanctuary are the greater white-fronted goose and the Baikal teal, he added.

A team of 45 experts, including professors, research scholars, local birders and forest staff, carried out the survey. 

This year, the waterbodies of the sanctuary were divided into seven blocks. No cases of avian flu have been reported in the sanctuary so far, officials said.