BALURGHAT: South Dinajpur district witnessed the commencement of a waterbird census on Tuesday, spearheaded by the state Forest Department. The survey began along the banks of the Atreyee River, covering regions such as Dangi and Chak Bhatshala.
The census identified a variety of bird species, including Grey-throated Martin, Little Ringed Plover, Temminck’s Stint, White Wagtail, Green Sandpiper, Common Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Asian Openbill Stork, Little Egret, River Lapwing, Common Kite and Asian Palm Swift.
The survey team comprised bird enthusiasts Suman Ghosh, Tuhinshubhra Mandal, Tushar Dev and Biswajit Basak, along with Forest Department representatives such as Beat Officer Sourav Sen and forest guard Mithun Bala.
While conducting the survey, special attention was given to monitoring the birds’ habitats. After surveying the Atreyee River, the team proceeded to Gophanagar. Over the coming days, similar surveys will be conducted across the district, including locations like Tapan Dighi, Gurail Forest, Arenda Forest, Kaldighi, Dhaldighi, Mahipal Dighi, Gar Dighi and Malian Dighi.
Tuhinshubhra Mandal, a team member, highlighted concerns about the declining waterbird habitats.
“The degradation of ecosystems is alarming. We conducted a similar survey last year and observed a worrying trend. The findings will be submitted to the Forest Department,” he said.
Biswajit Basak, secretary of Angina Birds and Environment Protection Society, remarked: “The arrival of migratory birds this winter reflects the region’s rich biodiversity. This year, we are witnessing even more species, which is encouraging.”
The census will continue for another two to three days, covering both Balurghat and Gangarampur subdivisions.