Bhubaneswar, Ap 25: For the first time in Odisha, Sparrow Census has been conducted by the Bhubaneswar-based Wildlife Foundation, which works on wildlife conservation. During the 2025–26 survey, a total of 83,576 Sparrows were recorded across the state, with the highest concentration of around 30,000 in Sonepur.

The survey revealed that Sparrow populations are significantly lower in the coastal districts of Odisha. Pramod Dhal, founder of the Wildlife Foundation, noted that western Odisha hosts relatively more Sparrow.

The survey was conducted across multiple districts, including Mayurbhanj, Ganjam, Khordha, Koraput, Sambalpur, Bolangir, Jharsuguda, Cuttack, Puri, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, and Balasore.

Local experts participated in the census: Dr. Sthitadhi Rath, Sagar Kumar Patra (Ganjam), Debashish Mahant (Mayurbhanj), Sushant Kumar Panda (Koraput), Shubham Raut (Jharsuguda), Ranjan Patra (Khordha), Subrat Kumar Nath (Sambalpur), Shubhranshu Mishra, Shyama Nayak, Arindam Parichha, Sudhir Mishra, and Vicky Nag (Bolangir), Jyotiraditya Pichani Panda, Ainjeebi Shyamaprasad Mishra, Dinesh Mishra (Sonepur), and Debashish Subudhi (Binika) assisted with survey operations.