Migratory birds arrive in Odisha’s Mangalajodi in large numbers

A flock of Godwits in flight at Mangalajodi on the northeastern shore of Chilka Lake in Odisha. , photo credit: KR Deepak

The fluttering of a group of northern pintails breaks the morning mist at Mangalajodi, on the northeastern shore of Chilka Lake, Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon, in Orissa. Cutting across the calm waters, a boatman leads a group of photographers toward the birds.

Purna Chandra Behera, a local fisherman and bird-watching guide, focuses his binoculars on a purple heron. “Zoom the lens to your right. It’s about to catch a snake,” he whispers to the photographers in the boat. In a fraction of a second, the camera shutter clicks to capture the bird in flight against the red morning sun. Click for

Photographers can spot a small number of long-distance migrants flying thousands of kilometers across the Arctic to holiday at Mangalajodi at this time of year.

A flock of deities take flight at Mangalajodi, the northeastern end of Chilika Lake in Orissa. , photo credit: KR Deepak

Northern shovelers, ruffs, godwits, plovers, gadwalls and a variety of birds flock to Mangalajodi from across the continents during the winter months. Migratory birds have arrived in Chilka Lagoon in large numbers this year. In winter this year, the latest census reported about 11.31 lakh birds from Chilka, which is 1.57 lakh more than the previous year. It included 10.93 migratory birds of more than 100 species and native birds of more than 70 species.

A purple heron flies in to feast on a snake at Mangalajodi, the northeastern end of Chilka Lake in Orissa. , photo credit: KR Deepak

A protected ecosystem, better habitat and abundant food are some of the factors that have made this place a paradise for birds. More than 130 enumerators including bird experts, forest officials and wildlife workers were involved in the census.

The most commonly recorded species were the gadwall and northern pintail, followed by the Eurasian wingian. Northern shoveller, tufted duck and red crested pochard have also come into the lagoon in greater numbers than last year. Bringing more joy to the quaint village of Mangalajodi, a pair of river lapwings were sighted, which was recorded after more than a decade.

Photographers walk past a group of migratory birds from Siberia at Mangalajodi, the northeastern end of Chilika Lake in Odisha. , photo credit: KR Deepak

Attracting ornithologists and photographers from across the country, Mangalajodi’s flourishing ecosystem is a complete contrast to what it was a few years back. It’s hard to imagine that the place wasn’t always the bird paradise that it is now.

Back in 2000, only a few thousand birds nested here. The local people were not aware of their importance. They poisoned or shot them in order to sell the meat to local eateries and in neighboring towns. “We didn’t know about the importance of birds or the need to protect the ecosystem,” says Poorna, who was jailed for two months for poaching birds. Today, hardy hunters like him have contributed to conservation and developed an exemplary community-based ecotourism model around Asia’s largest saltwater lake. In the process, many allied small businesses have opened up, people’s skills have increased, and they effortlessly blend in with a cosmopolitan visitors who come in large batches during the winter bird season.

A magical power as the sun sets over Mangalajodi, the north-eastern end of Chilka Lake in Orissa. , photo credit: KR Deepak

Poorna, a local, is one of the stakeholders in the Mangalajodi Ecotourism Trust (MET), which runs lodging facilities, boats and deploys guides during the birding season from October to March. Trained by the Bombay Natural History Society and the Chilka Development Authority, many villagers like him have become bird experts. During the off-season, they indulge in fishing and animal husbandry every month to stay one step ahead of poachers.

Like the MET, there are two more organizations run by groups of villagers, each with 15 boats and managing home-stays and cottages. With the tourism industry returning after a gap of two years due to the pandemic, the people of Mangalajodi are once again busy catering to a steady stream of visitors. “We are yet to get back to pre-pandemic levels of business. Last year there was a 50 per cent drop in tourism. Things have started looking up since January this year, and we are hoping to recover,” says Reena Sahoo, a member of the Mangalajodi Ecotourism Trust. Reena manages the accommodation facility with four rooms and one hostel. The tourist package includes accommodation, home-style food and morning and evening boat ride. As such, the Mangalajodi Ecotourism Trust supports around 40 families in the village, many of whom run home-stays for tourists where one gets a taste of the local culture.

Northern Pintails and Northern Shovels from Siberia and Central Asia in the waters of Mangalajodi on the northeastern shore of Chilka Lake in Odisha. photo credit: KR Deepak

Mangalajodi’s extraordinary community-based success story was recognized on a global platform, when Mangalajodi Ecotourism Trust won the prestigious UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organisation) Award for Innovation in Tourism Enterprise in 2018 in Madrid, Spain.

Today the entire village fiercely protects the Mangalajodi ecosystem and villagers like Poorna are its vocal advocates. There is also a 40-member monitoring team of the three trusts, which is attached to the fishermen to keep a close watch on any incidents of poaching.