Citizens team up to develop Hyderabad’s Bird Atlas

The training session on the basics of bird identification for the inexperienced in bird watching will be conducted from December first week. This is towards developing Hyderabad Bird Atlas - a first of its kind for the city. Besides experienced bird watchers, those who do not have any experience could apply to be a citizen scientist to contribute to the atlas. Deadline to apply is November 30, 2024. For registration, use the link https://forms.gle/Ycp83GCXxTqpxmof6.

The project will be conducted by various bird watching clubs, individuals, over a period of three years. Each bird would have its distribution map in the atlas. Pune, Mysore, Coimbatore already have their atlases.

Purposes for developing a bird atlas:

Understanding Bird Distribution
Monitoring Changes in bird populations and distributions.
Identifying Important Bird Areas
Informing Land Use Planning
Conservation planning
Engaging citizen scientists

Crucial to document biodiversity

The project aims to systematically map the distribution and abundance of bird species across Hyderabad, capturing seasonal variations and habitat-specific data. As one of the fastest-growing urban centers in India, Hyderabad’s green spaces and wetlands are increasingly under pressure, making this project crucial for documenting biodiversity and informing conservation strategies, as per a communication pertaining to the Hyderabad Bird Atlas.  The atlas will serve as a comprehensive baseline for current bird populations, helping to track changes in the avian community in response to urbanization, climate change, and conservation efforts.,

 The survey will be conducted in February (Winter) and July (Summer). “While we get to see the migratory birds in winters, we will know which are the resident birds in summers,” said Sriram Reddy, core member of Hyderabad Birding Pals - which is collaborating in developing the atlas.

Birds exist only if environment is conserved

Aasheesh Pittie, an avid bird watcher, said that non-human life forms live in suitable conditions. Developing the atlas is a way of assessing how rich our environment is. It is also to make people realize that diverse birds exist in Hyderabad. “And they exist only if the environment is conserved and that it is not a commodity that we can use and discard,” said Mr. Aasheesh.

Farida Tampal, State director, WWF-India Hyderabad office said that people will get to know if any species is not visiting, and understand what is happening to our climate. WWF too is collaborating in developing the atlas. 

Published - November 22, 2024 02:25 pm IST