Tweet-tweet! 309 species of birds found in mana Telangana!
The findings of Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) 2018 have brought cheer to birders and ornithologists of Telangana. a whopping 309 species of birds were recorded during the survey conducted between February 16 and 19. “The best part is we have recorded 59 more species when compared to last year, where the count was 250. With this, Telangana now stands sixth in the country. The overall figure of bird species spotted this year in India is 832,” informs Abhishek Ravindra of Hyderabad Birding Pals.
Hyderabadi emerges top Ebirder of India and second in Asia
Adding yet another feather to the hat of the Hyderabad birding community, Fareed Mohmed from the city, emerged the ‘Top Ebirder of India’ by recording a cool 226 bird species. He also bagged the 2nd position in Asia and 14th position in world with his feat, according to the ebird data. What’s more, seven out of the top 15 ‘Ebirders’ in India are all from Hyderabad! Talking about his feat, an elated Fareed says, “This is the first time I came across such a huge number of fascinating bird species.”
“I covered places like the Nallamala forest, Manjeera Wildlife sanctuary, Qutb Shahi Tombs complex and KBR Park and spotted all those 226 bird species individually, in just four days of the mammoth survey. But, it was at Nallamala forest that we stumbled upon the most amazing varieties of forest birds — for the first time. Since I knew the region very well and used to frequent the area at least once in a month, it came as a big surprise to me!” adds Fareed.
Telangana a treasure trove of rare, exotic and native birds
The highlight of this year’s survey is the presence of some rare Ghat birds in the forests of Telangana which are endemic to the Western Ghats and mountain terrains of North East alone. Some really elusive birds such as Malabar trogon, Malabar Whistling Thrush, heart-spotted Woodpecker were some of the major highlights of the recent survey. Also, birds such as Fulvous Whistling Duck, Indian Chat, Black Stork, Forest Wagtail, Indian Vulture, Green Billed Malkoha, Western Reef Egret, Lesser Kestrel and Thisck Billed Warbler, were also spotted by the birders.
“Our seven-member team were able to spot 203 birds on Big Bird Day, which was observed on February 18.This was the highest number of species recorded in India this year. We also spotted some very rare birds like Black Eagle and Spot Bellied Eagle owl at the forest after trekking to various places like Uma Maheswaram, Amrabad Tiger Reserve, Mallelatheertham waterfalls and Rasoolcheruvu,” says Fareed.
“It is heartening to see the rise in number of birds’ species spotted this year in Telangana. We hope this will motivate people to take birding as a serious hobby, and we also expect more participation from people from other states so that we can improve the data in future,” adds Abhishek.
What went into one of the largest bird surveys ever!
The Great Backyard Bird Count is one of the most extensive bird surveys organised in the country. The global survey, conducted every year with the help of Cornell Lab of Ornithology of Cornell University, New York and the National Audubon Society of United States, saw over 50 birders participating from Telangana alone. “The birders were divided into10 teams which surveyed the length and breadth of the state in one of the largest-ever bird surveys conducted in the state. The team surveyed the forests, fields, wetlands and lakes from February 16 to February 19 and the findings were given to Cornell Universityat the end of February. These findings were subsequently uploaded on their website, ebird.org/ so that it is accessible for birders and scientists from all over the world,” says Abhishek Ravindra.
Source : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/tweet-tweet-309-species-of-birds-found-in-mana-telangana/articleshow/63232102.cms
