Kaziranga's Record Bird Count: Over 1 Lakh Migratory Birds of 107 Species

KNPTR Director Sonali Ghosh said that the 7th Kaziranga Waterbird Count documented 1,05,540 water and wetland-dependent birds representing 107 species.

She said that the synchronised survey, conducted from January 4 to 11, 2026, covered 166 wetlands across 10 ranges under the Eastern Assam Wildlife Division, Biswanath Wildlife Division, and Nagaon Wildlife Division.

The birds recorded included ducks and geese, waders, herons and egrets, marsh birds and other wetland-dependent species, with the Bar-headed Goose, the Northern Pintail, and the Lesser Whistling Duck emerging as the most abundant species.

According to Ghosh, the survey report highlighted targeted conservation priorities, recording one critically endangered species, one endangered species, two vulnerable species, and 14 near-threatened species under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List categories.

The KNPTR Director said that the water bird count was first initiated in 2018-19 by the park management.

For the past three years, government-owned Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) has extended Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) support to organise the exercise as a citizen science initiative involving a large number of ornithologists, college students and wildlife photographers.

Assam's Forests, Environment and Climate Change Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary, in a social media post, said: "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."

Senior Indian Forest Service (IFS) official Ghosh noted that over the years, Kaziranga's waterbird count exercise has evolved into an important management tool for wetland conservation in one of India's premier tiger reserves.

She said that large perennial wetlands recorded high bird congregations, while seasonal wetlands enhanced species diversity, underscoring the need for holistic river-beel conservation amid changing hydrological patterns.

The survey reaffirmed Kaziranga's crucial role along the Central Asian Flyway, serving as an important habitat for migratory birds from Siberia and Central Asia, in addition to resident species, Ghosh added.

India's seventh UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the fourth to be inscribed for its natural values, the KNPTR in central Assam has a conservation legacy of over 119 years.

With its unique mix of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, it is considered one of the finest protected areas in the world.

The Tiger Reserve is home to the 'Big Five' mammals and remains a favoured destination for birdwatchers, owing to its exceptionally high avian diversity of over 500 bird species. As per the latest official estimates, the park supports 2,613 greater one-horned rhinoceroses (2022 census), 104 Bengal tigers (2022), 1,228 Asian elephants (2024), 2,565 wild water buffaloes (2022), and 1,129 eastern swamp deer (2022).

Spread across the districts of Golaghat, Nagaon, Sonitpur and Biswanath, the park generated revenue of over Rs 10.90 crore in 2024-25 and more than Rs 8.81 crore in 2023-24. The KNPTR comprises three forest divisions -- Eastern Assam Wildlife Division (Bokakhat), Biswanath Wildlife Division (Biswanath Chariali), and Nagaon Wildlife Division (Nagaon).

- IANS