Four lakh migratory birds flock to Chilika

Bhubaneswar: At least four lakh migratory birds have so far thronged to Odisha`s Chilika Lake - India`s largest brackish water lagoon, an official said Friday.

Three lakh birds have been sighted on the lake`s Nalabana Island, while another one lakh birds were spotted on the other area of the lake, divisional forest officer B.P. Acharya told. The 1,000 sq km lake, about 100 km from here, is spread over the districts of Puri, Khordha and Ganjam along the eastern coast and is home to some of the largest congregations of migratory birds in the country. Every year, about a million migratory birds come to the lake from places as far as Siberia, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan in October and return in March. Acharya said more birds are expected to arrive at the lake in the coming days and the number may peak in January. IANS