CHILIKA LAKE

Feb. 28, 2019

Migratory birds have started arriving at the wetlands of Odisha’s Chilika Lake — one of the largest wintering grounds in Asia, but in fewer numbers this year.

About:

Chilika Lake is a brackish water lagoon, spread over the Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts of Odisha.
It is located at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal.
It is the largest coastal lagoon in India and the second largest lagoon in the world after The New Caledonian barrier reef in New Caledonia.
In 1981, Chilika Lake was designated the first Indian wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
Close to one million birds congregate on the mudflats of the lake during winter. The lake is home to 230 bird species, out of which 97 are intercontinental migrants from the Artic and Eurasian regions.
One of the reasons behind the low turnout of migratory birds this year is the flooding after rain triggered by cyclone Titli that hit the Odisha coast in the second week of October.