Baripada: Even as the annual bird census to survey migratory bird species across Odisha began today, many avian guests were spotted in water bodies as part of their annual winter sojourn in Mayurbhanj district. 

Along with local birds, many migratory avian species were sighted. Among them were the red-crested pochard (netta rufina), or "Ranga Gendi". The diving duck, whose  scientific name is derived from Greek Netta "duck", and Latin rufina, "golden-red" (from rufus, "ruddy"), winters in Africa and the Indian sub-continent. Its breeding habitat in lowland marshes and lakes in southern Europe, extends from the steppe and semi-desert  areas on the Black Sea to Central Asia and Mongolia. 

Also seen was the common pochard, which is a medium-sized diving duck spread across the Palearctic. According to experts, it breeds primarily in the steppe regions of Scandinavia and Siberia, wintering further south and west.

The gadwall, a variant of the species, was also seen across various water bodies. Breeding in the northern areas of Europe and across the Palearctic and central North America,

In North America, its breeding range lies along the Saint Lawrence River through the Great Lakes, Alberta, the Dakotas, west California and along the coastal Pacific Canada and south coastal Alaska. Known as the dabbling duck, the fairly large duck is extremely migratory and winters farther south than its breeding domain, which ranges from coastal Alaska, south Central America and east into Idaho, Kansas, Ohio, Virginia and all the way into Central America

It is also sighted in South asia and southern parts of India. 

As per reports, the bird census is being carried out since 5.00 am in all 52 forest divisions with special focus will be laid on regions including Chilika Lake, Bhitarkanika National Park, and Hirakud. The counting will take place in a single day.