• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2004 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:

Species	Red List	Season (year[s] of estimate)	Size	IBA criteria
Baer's Pochard Aythya baeri	CR	winter (2004)	present	A1
Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus	NT	resident (2004)	present	A1
Spot-billed Pelican Pelecanus philippensis	NT	resident (2004)	present	A1
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa	NT	winter (2004)	present	A4i
Indian Skimmer Rynchops albicollis	EN	non-breeding (2004)	present	A1
White-rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis	CR	non-breeding (2004)	present	A1
Indian Vulture Gyps indicus	CR	non-breeding (2004)	present	A1
Greater Spotted Eagle Clanga clanga	VU	winter (2004)	present	A1
Pallas's Fish-eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus	EN	resident (2004)	present	A1
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni	LC	passage (2004)	present	A1

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2004) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2004. The most recent assessment (2003) is shown below.

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Human intrusions and disturbance	happe­ning now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	medium
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happe­ning now	few indivi­duals/small area (<10%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Biological resource use	happe­ning now	few indivi­duals/small area (<10%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Designation	Planning	Action	Result
Not assessed	Not assessed	Not assessed	not assessed

Year	Protected Area	Designation (category)	% coverage of IBA
1975	Bhitarkanika	Sanctuary (IV)	64
1998	Bhitarkanika	National Park (II)	18

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Forest	-
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	-
Marine Intertidal	-

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	-
tourism/recreation	-

---

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park (India). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/bhitarkanika-wildlife-sanctuary-and-national-park-iba-india on 03/12/2024.