First Sundarban Bird Festival:
145 different bird species were sighted during the first Sundarban Bird Festival.
- The first-ever festival was organised by the Sundarban Tiger Reserve (STR) division of the West Bengal Forest Department, where several teams visited different areas inside the Sundarban Biosphere Reserve.
- The Bird Festival provides baseline data on Sundarbans’ bird species diversity.
- The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) in 2021, had recorded 428 bird species in the Sundarbans which is one-third of all the avian species (derived from birds) found in the country.
Sundarban Biosphere Reserve:
- The Sundarbans is located on the delta of the Ganga, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers in the Bay of Bengal.
- This Biosphere Reserve includes Sundarban Tiger Reserve, Sundarban National Park (core area), Halliday Island and Lothian Island Wildlife Sanctuaries with Sajnakhali Wildlife Sanctuary forming its buffer area.
- It is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
- Flora: The vegetation of the area is moist tropical forests and tidal forests.
- Fauna: It is home to Royal Bengal Tiger, Estuarine Crocodile, Gangetic Dolphin, Water Monitor Lizard etc.
