E-Paper
Corbett landscape preps for bird census from Feb 16 after 13 years
Twenty-one teams of five members each will carry out the bird census from February 16 to 18 in 12 ranges of Kalagarh tiger reserve and Ramnagar forest division under Corbett Tiger Reserve landscape.
The Uttarakhand forest department will carry out a bird census after 13 years in the Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) landscape from February 16, officials said.
Kalyani (who goes by her first name), deputy director CTR said, "Bird counting will start from February 16 to 18 in 12 ranges of Kalagarh tiger reserve and Ramnagar forest division under CTR landscape. Twenty-one teams of five members each will count birds by sighting method."
"By this counting method, the estimate of the bird numbers in CTR as well as the migratory birds coming from outside in this area, will be known" she said.
According to forest officials there is possibility of more than 600 species of birds in the CTR landscape.
"The CTR administration has decided to count the birds to know the number of species and number of birds" she said.
She said the bird count will help in conservation efforts as it will help them in understanding the status of different avian species.
Kalyani further said, “Migratory birds also visit CTR landscape every year in the winter season. During the census CTR administration will find out the number of migratory birds and their species also. After counting, we will know the numbers of native and migratory birds, so that we can plan better regarding their conservation and protection."
"River, water reservoirs and ponds have also been identified for the bird count. It has been decided to focus on Kosi river, Kosi barrage, Ramganga river and other ponds adjacent to CTR. Birds can also be counted with the help of drones in some areas if needed" she added.
AG Ansari, avid birdwatcher said "Bird counting is a very important step of CTR administration. After climate change, many species of migratory birds which were not found before in Uttarakhand have also been spotted here. So it is important to carry out a bird census."
"Counting of birds may also reveal new species or their spotting for the first time in some areas " he said.
Corbett Tiger Reserve which is spread across 1,288.31 square kms, is one of the top tourist destinations in the state. The gates of Corbett open on November 15 every year for six months till mid June. Corbett witnesses a footfall of around 3 lakh tourists every year across its six eco-tourism zones, with Dhikala and Bijrani being the most popular ones.
There are 231 tigers inside CTR and 266 using the reserve according to the latest report on tigers. This is the highest number of tigers in 50 tiger reserves in India.
Corbett has a rich biodiversity including around 110 tree species, 50 species of mammals, 580 bird species, 33 species of reptiles, seven species of amphibians and so on. CTR is spread over three districts of Uttarakhand namely Pauri Garhwal, Nainital and Almora.
