Assam: Kaziranga Tiger Reserve records highest migratory bird count ever with 500 bird species

Assam: Kaziranga Tiger Reserve records highest migratory bird count ever with 500 bird species

The waterbird count conducted in Kaziranga Tiger Reserve (KTR) on January 11 and 12, 2025, have underscored this theme. 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. The Tiger Reserve is home to the Big Five mammals and is popular destination for birders owing to a very high diversity of over 500 bird species.

The Tiger Reserve extends over 1,302 square kilometers with a significant area of over 50 per cent of the landmass under grasslands interspersed with water bodies, locally known as beels.

These, along with the main channel of the river Brahmaputra, Dhansiri, Difloo and Laokhowa Suti rivers provide a unique habitat for both resident and migratory birds. The wetlands of central Assam, including KTR are particularly important for these migratory birds. KTR boasts several wetlands and comprises of two Important Bird Areas (IBAs) recognized for their importance to waterbirds - Kaziranga National Park (IBA Code: IN-AS-03) and Laokhowa and Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuaries.

 India hosts approximately 370 migratory bird species from three major flyways, with 310 predominantly using wetland habitats. The country’s diverse wetlands, spanning 15.26 million hectares, provide critical habitats for over 200 waterbird species.

The birds typically follow the Central Asian Flyway and East African-Eurasian Flyway, using India’s wetlands as important refueling stations during their long journeys. These sites are critical for the birds’ annual migration cycles, offering suitable wintering grounds and essential resources. Kaziranga and other wetlands in NE India are important as they serve as wintering grounds for both the CAF and the EAAF flyways. 

The 6th Kaziranga Waterbird Count exercise this year saw the participation of 5 observers, 4 coordinators and 93 enumerators, belonging to various institutions and government and non-government organizations, 62 volunteers from nearby local colleges and forest staff, thereby continuing to be one of the largest Citizen Science Movement of the country since the recent years.

The exercise not only aimed to gather valuable data on waterbird populations but also fostered community involvement and awareness regarding the importance of wetland conservation. The collaboration among various stakeholders highlighted the collective effort needed for effective wildlife conservation in Kaziranga.