The annual Asian Waterbird Count (AWC) is set to begin from the Yamuna floodplains on Saturday. The exercise is being conducted by Wetlands International in collaboration with eBird and will focus on four locations along the floodplains, said officials.
The exercise is likely to be carried out till at least January 18 and will be possibly extended if required. Other wetlands in north Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) will be surveyed later this month, they added.
Over the weekend, four teams will cover a 20-kilometre stretch from Cullak Pur to the Wazirabad Barrage and be assigned a five-kilometre segment.
“We earlier covered only one or two locations. This time we will expand the number of sites for better coverage,” said Pankaj Gupta, AWC eBird project coordinator for Delhi-NCR.
The wetland sites to be covered include Sultanpur, Chandu, Jhanjrola, Bhindawas, Dhigal, Mandothi, Okhla Bird Sanctuary, Surajpur, Dhanauri and Dadri.
Gupta added that a key aspect of the census not only allows birders to track population changes, but also give feedback.
Birders say that while over 200 bird species are spotted in the region annually, the AWC will help put systematic numbers to these sightings. “For nearly 80 years, this area was not surveyed in a scientific and structured manner for ornithological records. It is a difficult terrain with no proper roads, largely sand and agricultural fields. This is the first long-term attempt to create a baseline,” said Akash Gulalia, Amaltas Nature Walks director, adding that the count is crucial for wetland conservation.
{{/usCountry}}Birders say that while over 200 bird species are spotted in the region annually, the AWC will help put systematic numbers to these sightings. “For nearly 80 years, this area was not surveyed in a scientific and structured manner for ornithological records. It is a difficult terrain with no proper roads, largely sand and agricultural fields. This is the first long-term attempt to create a baseline,” said Akash Gulalia, Amaltas Nature Walks director, adding that the count is crucial for wetland conservation.
{{/usCountry}}Gulalia added that the survey will generate a database for the Yamuna and other wetlands, helping conservation efforts by tracking trends in species population over time.
As per Wetlands International, the census allows researchers to obtain annual data on waterbird populations during the non-breeding period, typically in January. It also helps monitor the status and condition of wetlands and encourages greater public interest in wetland ecosystems, it said.
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