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

The site was identified as important 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 List1	Season	Year(s)	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
Biological resource use	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	high
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Human intrusions and disturbance	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Not assessed	Not assessed	Not assessed	not assessed

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1975	Bhitarkanika	Sanctuary	64
1998	Bhitarkanika	National Park	18
2002	Bhitarkanika Mangroves	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	80

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Forest		-
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		-
Marine Intertidal		-

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

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

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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 22/11/2024.