Daily bird walks at Asola Bhatti Sanctuary for Wildlife Week celebrations

Expert birders will guide participants on spotting species; walks also include butterfly park visits as part of Wildlife Week outreach.

Delhi’s forest and wildlife department will host daily bird walks from October 3 to 8 at the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, where students, NGOs and nature enthusiasts will be guided by expert birders on identifying different species. The walks, free of cost, are part of the Wildlife Week celebrations, officials said.

Forest dept invites citizens to explore biodiversity through expert-led birding sessions, open to students, NGOs and enthusiasts without charge. (HT Archive)

The first walk begins Friday at 7am and will last 2 to 2.5 hours. “The goal is to create awareness about the bird species found in the city and how to identify them. Interested participants can contact us directly and will be taken on guided tours in groups,” said Lakhan Kohli, a naturalist at the sanctuary and part of the forest department team.

In addition to bird watching, visitors will also be taken through the butterfly park inside the sanctuary to learn about the species there and their ecological importance. Those wishing to register can reach Ajeet Josh at 8081063351 or Kohli at 9910830760.

A senior forest department official said Wildlife Week activities began on October 1 with a sapling plantation drive, and the upcoming walks are designed to engage citizens, particularly young people, in conservation. “Various bird experts will host these walks, giving students and individuals hands-on experience in learning about biodiversity,” the official said.

The Asola sanctuary, located on the Delhi-Haryana border along the Aravallis, is home to hundreds of bird species and serves as an important biodiversity hotspot in NCR.