Kaziranga's 2026 Waterbird Count Breaks Records with 105,540 Birds

Field Director of Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve Dr Sonali Ghosh said, "This year the synchronized survey (undertaken from January 4 to 11) spanned 166 wetlands across 10 ranges in the Eastern Assam Wildlife Division, Biswanath Wildlife Division, and Nagaon Wildlife Division, recording 105,540 individual waterbirds of 107 species. These included ducks/geese, waders, herons/egrets, marsh birds and others, with the top abundant species like Bar-headed Goose, Northern Pintail, and Lesser Whistling Duck leading the counts. The report highlighted targeted conservation needs with 1 Critically endangered species, 1 endangered species, 2 vulnerable species and 14 near-threatened species under IUCN watchlists."

Top 5 wetlands by count are Rowmari Beel (Laokhowa: 15,661 birds), Donduwa Beel (14,469), Katakhal (4,979), Sohola Combined (3,612), Khalihamari (3,463) and top 5 wetlands by Diversity are Rowmari (77 spp.), Donduwa (71), Sohola (69), Kawoimari-Bhoisamari-Diffulo (57), Ververy (53).

Kaziranga, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in central Assam, India, has a conservation legacy of over 119 years. With its unique terrestrial and aquatic habitats, it is one of the finest Protected Areas in the world, and the Tiger Reserve is home to the Big Five mammals and is a popular destination for birders owing to a very high diversity of over 500 bird species.

The waterbird count was first initiated in the year 2018-19 by the management authority of Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve. For the last 3 years, NRL (Numaligarh Refinery Limited) has come forward with their CSR support to organize the waterbird count as a citizen science initiative by involving a large number of ornithologists, college students and photographers.

This year's survey was conducted in phases from January 4 to 11 with standardized protocols by over 120 enumerators and 50 volunteers, staff, and enthusiasts, highlighting the need to safeguard the full floodplain network against floods, siltation, invasives, and climate threats and thereby continuing to be one of the largest Citizen Science Movement of the country since the recent years.

"The report of the 7th Kaziranga Waterbird Count, 2026, was released on February 22, 2026, at JDSG College, Bokakhat. The report compiled by Kaizranga Park Authority in collaboration with Assam Bird Monitoring Network team led by Dr Nilutpal Mahanta, Dr Smarajit Ojah and Dr Bishwajit Chakdar was released by Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, MP Kaziranga LS, Vivek Menon, Chair IUCN SSC; Shivani Jerngal, IAS (CDC-Bokakhat and other dignitaries," Ghosh said.

Over the years, Kaziranga's waterbird count exercise has evolved into an important tool for the management of wetlands of one of India's most premier Tiger Reserves.

Large perennial wetlands hosted high counts, while seasonal ones enriched diversity, stressing holistic river-beel conservation amid hydrological shifts. This tally affirmed Kaziranga's key role on the Central Asian Flyway for migrants from Siberia and Central Asia, plus residents.

As per Dr Nilutpal Mahanta, ornithologist, "Smew signals wetland health in India--its vagrant status flags climate-driven range shifts and the need to protect refuelling stops amid hunting/oil pollution threats.''

"In Kaziranga's IBAs, it underscores floodplain resilience for flyway migrants, guiding anti-encroachment efforts," added Dr Smarajit Ojah, another bird conservationist.

Assam Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary wrote on his X handle - "Thrilled by the 7th Kaziranga Waterbird Count! First-ever sighting of Smew steals the spotlight in a record-breaking census of 105,540 birds! This spectacular debut reaffirms Assam's wetlands as vital biodiversity hotspots."

- ANI