Delhi zoo starts bird-watching walks

Delhi's National Zoological Park launched Sunday bird-watching walks to raise biodiversity awareness, led by ornithologists, starting June 14.

New Delhi: The National Zoological Park in Delhi launched weekly Sunday bird-watching walks on June 14 to promote public awareness about biodiversity conservation and avian documentation, officials said.

A zoo official said the inaugural walk held last Sunday was attended by 23 people. (Hindustan Times)

A zoo official, requesting anonymity, said the inaugural walk held last Sunday was attended by 23 people.

“The long-term duration of the walks will depend on the response received. We are holding these walks for passionate birders. Each walk will be guided by an ornithologist (a bird expert). We are compiling a list of ornithologists who have worked with the Delhi Zoo for this,” said the official.

“During the walk, participants documented 33 bird species and observed over 100 individual birds across the zoo premises. The initiative enables participants to contribute to documenting avian diversity within the zoo landscape while learning scientific methods of bird observation, identification, and data recording,” said zoo director Dr Sanjeet Kumar.

Paritosh Ahmad, who teaches environmental sciences at Delhi University, led the June 14 walk and will also guide this weekend’s walk. “The objective is to promote awareness about nature and the common birds which live around the zoo. During the walk, I taught visitors the basics of birdwatching, such as not wearing bright colours, since they distract the birds,” Ahmad said.

“We saw around 35 species, including water birds, and only I logged the bird count to avoid double-counting. The group of participants was very diverse, ranging from students and beginners to experts. I like this initiative, as it is a good way to learn about nature. I have conducted a similar exercise for my university students eariler,” Ahmad added.

The walk is held every Sunday from 6:30am to 8:30am and requires no additional charge beyond the standard zoo ticket price. However, registration is mandatory and available on a first-come, first-served basis from Monday through Friday. Participants can register via the Delhi Zoo’s website or the NZP Sathi mobile application.