Over 30 species spotted at Aravalli nature park during bird watching

The participants not only spotted different species of birds native to the Aravalli region, but also understand their importance in conserving the ecosystem

Bird enthusiasts from Delhi and Gurgaon, equipped with binoculars, cameras, lenses, books and note pads, gathered at the Aravalli Biodiversity Park near Guru Dronacharya Metro Station on Tuesday to spot birds native to the region.

Gurgaon, India- November 07: House Sparrow spotted in Bio Diversity Park, this exercise is part of the month long Aravli Utsav that launched on November 01, in Gurgaon, India, on Tuesday, 07 November 2017. (Photo by Parveen Kumar/Hindustan Times)

The bird watching was part of the month-long Aravalli Utsav, which was launched on November 1 at Indian Habitat Centre, New Delhi. The festival is aimed at conserving nature and making people aware of the importance of the ecosystem and how each organism is dependent on the other for survival.

The bird watching, which started at 7am and continued till 9am, not only presented the participants with an opportunity to spot the different species of fowls native to the region, but also get a sense of the significance that the winged wonders hold in preserving the ecosystem.

During the two-hour bird watching session, the participants learnt to differentiate between the male and female of a particular species and sense a bird’s ‘call’ and ‘song’.

Kaustabh Srikanth, programme officer, WWF-India said, “ The WWF-India eco-trail initiative, which is part of the Aravalli Utsav, aims to spread awareness about the importance of the Aravalli forest range that provides an ideal habitat to a number of birds, animals and tree species. The preservation of these vital links is integral to the conservation of the area and is only possible when people understand its importance and take positive action for change. Today, the team spotted 30 species of birds, including the Black Kite, Shrike, Drongo, Sparrow and Bulbul, among many others.”

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About 12 participants spotted different bird species at the nature park during the 2-hour session. Anup Samal, a participant, said, “This was a wonderful experience, as we learn a lot from these trails. They also give us an opportunity to find peace in the lap of nature.”

The team also spotted White Cheeked Bulbul, Silverbil and Red Vented Bulbul.

A similar bird watching event was also organised by the WWF in association with iamgurgaon, an NGO, on Sunday.

Next in the list of scheduled events under Aravalli Utsav is a tree walk from November 12-19 during which experts will educate visitors on the trees native to the Aravalli region.