Carcasses of 29 birds of five different species were recovered from a field under the Chilika wildlife division in Odisha on Saturday.

Police suspect the poachers might have dumped the carcasses at Ratamati near Bhusandpur in Tangi range, fearing arrest as the cops patrol the area in the early morning.

The carcasses of the birds were identified as northern pintail, large whistling duck, each three of gadwall and lesser whistling duck and one spot billed duck, an official said.

Officials suspect the poachers might have hunted the birds as the high demand of the meat in the nearby towns, especially on the eve of Christmas and New Year.

With this the wildlife officials have registered six bird poaching cases and arrested seven hunters during the current migrating season and seized 56 bird carcasses, sources said.

After the incident, the wildlife authorities in the Chilika have decided to intensify patrolling in the night hours in the shore area along with the lake.

“We will intensify the patrolling in the shore areas, especially during night hour,” assistant conservator of forest (ACF) Sarat Kumar Mishra.

As many as 20 temporary anti-poaching camps have been set up in the lake at present, while a vehicle was conducting patrol in the shore areas of the lake.

An estimated eight to nine lakh winged guests have been swooped down in the blue lagoon this winter so far. Most of them settled in the Nalabana, the bird sanctuary inside the blue lagoon, sources said.