Kolkata: More than 30,986 birds were recorded during the 4th Sundarban Bird Festival (SBF), held from January 23 to 27, 2026, at the Sundarban Biosphere Reserve (SBR), reaffirming the region’s status as a major avian habitat.
A total of 168 bird species were sighted during the festival, including 111 resident and 57 migratory species, according to the official report released at Sajnekhali by State Forest minister Birbaha Hansda in the presence of senior Forest department officials.
The survey involved 24 participants from across the country and abroad, divided into six teams, who covered nearly 4,000 sq km through boat transects and bird trails within the Sundarban Tiger Reserve and the South 24 Parganas Forest Division, assisted by resource persons and forest staff.
The sightings included 14 threatened bird species, namely the Eurasian Curlew, Brown-winged Kingfisher, Black-capped Kingfisher, Grey Plover, Lesser Sand Plover, Terek Sandpiper, Common Redshank, Brown-headed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Common Tern, Lesser Adjutant, Osprey, White-rumped Vulture, and the Great Knot.
Division-wise data showed that Basirhat Forest Division recorded the highest diversity with 105 species, followed by Kalas (85), Matla (76), National Park West (75), Sajnekhali (71), and National Park East (70). Of the total species sighted, 97 were recorded in the core area, 119 in the buffer zone, and 102 outside protected areas.
The Sundarbans also emerged as a stronghold for kingfishers, with seven different species recorded during the festival.
In terms of habitat classification, the sightings included 99 species of forest birds, 45 mudflat, wader and shorebird species, 11 raptors, six waterfowl species, and seven others.
“The SBF aims to promote awareness about bird conservation in the Sundarbans, which is of high ecological significance as it lies at the junction of the Central Asian and East Eurasian avian flyways, playing a crucial role in the winter foraging and breeding of migratory birds,” a senior Forest department official said.
The previous edition of the festival had recorded 31,927 birds belonging to 154 species.