Bombay's Sanjay Gandhi National Park adds two new bird species to family

Mumbai: Two new species of birds have been added to the checklist of Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mumbai during the Bird Court organised by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS).

The February Bird Count added the two additional new bird species. White-cheeked Barbet which is an endemic bird to the Western Ghats was spotted at the Jambulmaal (SGNP highest point transect) Transect in the SGNP. The biological name of this bird is Psilopogon viridis.

The Indian Yellow Tit or Machlolophus aplonotus is the second specie added to the SGNP bird family. It was spotted and heard chirping on the Bhoot Bangla Transect. The Indian Yellow Tit is a small yellow and black bird which is native to India.

The bird monitoring programme is supported by the staff of SGNP, led by the SGNP Director and Chief Conservator of Forests, G Mallikarjuna Assistant Conservator of Forests, Sudhir Sonawale.

With support from the BNHS Director Kishore Rithe, the count is coordinated by Dr Raju Kasambe, Assistant Director of Conservation, BNHS, Shardul Bajikar, Kiran Thumma, Priyadarshani Supekar from the BNHS CEC-Mumbai Team and Asif N Khan from BNHS Programmes Department.

“In the realm of conservation, every new species recorded signifies a step forward in our understanding and protection of biodiversity. The recent sightings of the White-cheeked Barbet and Indian Yellow Tit during our February Bird Count at Sanjay Gandhi National Park are emblematic of this progress,” said Rithe.

BNHS, began monitoring the birds in Sanjay Gandhi National Park and Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary in February 2021, through a citizen science programme called the 'SGNP Bird Monitoring Programme'. Under this program, BNHS conducts a Bird Count every month at various locations of the SGNP and Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary. The count takes place every month with the help of BNHS members, bird watchers and other volunteers.