Delhi summer bird count on Saturday to study habitat, breeding and species diversity

A total of 15 teams from Delhi-NCR will participate in the exercise, which is aimed at gaining an understanding about the distribution of birds in the region.

Get ready to go bird spotting for the second edition of ‘Delhi Summer Bird Count’ on Saturday. More than 70 participants, equipped with binoculars, tripods and cameras, will be on the lookout for birds in the region as part of the annual avian census.

The participants will spot birds in Mangar, Aravalli Biodiversity Park, Basai, Najafgarh and other parts of Delhi. (Above) an Indian pitta that was spotted during last year’s summer bird count.

As the day also coincides with ‘Endemic Bird Day’ and ‘Global Big Day’, the event hopes to highlight the need for conservation and saving endemic species. The bird counting will start at 5am and will end with setting of the sun.

A total of 15 teams from Delhi-NCR will participate in the exercise, which is aimed at gaining an understanding about the distribution of birds in the region. The participants will spot birds in Mangar, Aravalli Biodiversity Park, Basai, Najafgarh and other parts of Delhi.

Lesser golden back woodpecker

“We also hope to gain information about the locations where birds are breeding in Delhi-NCR and contribute our records to the eBird website,” Pankaj Gupta, a member of the Delhi bird group, said.

Bird enthusiasts can spot birds during the day and submit their list on eBird. People who are not experts in the field too are welcome to participate.

A common babbler.

“Even a simple checklist from anyone’s backyard will help. These contributions help derive a more complete picture about the birds’ habitat and changes in the environment,” Surajit Gaushal, another member, said.

Over 440 species of birds have been recorded in Delhi/NCR in the last 20 years. These include resident birds, local migrants and summer breeding visitors as well as winter migrants that arrive with the onset of the cold season and return in spring, explained birders.

As the region does not have much data available on summer birds, which are endemic to the region, the event is being organised in the month of May.

“This is the phase in when most of our resident birds are breeding. Therefore, even though the total species count in our region is lower now, as compared to winter months, this event will generate important data regarding species diversity of resident birds, important local habitats, breeding sites and the state of these sites,” birder Soma Ateesh said.

The birders were also of the opinion that such bird counting events help in sensitising people about the importance of the food chain and the rich diversity of birds and the wildlife.