Maiden Himalayan Bird Count event to coincide with Global Big Day 2022

The first-ever Himalayan Bird Count, focusing on the avian population of the Himalayan region will be held on May 14. Birdwatchers in the mountain areas of India, Nepal and Bhutan have been encouraged to participate in the event.

Bird Count India, Bird Conservation Nepal and the Royal Society for Protection of Nature, Bhutan, will be working together to bring the Himalayan birding fraternity together for a common good, read a press statement released on Tuesday.

The Himalayan Bird Count, which will run midnight to midnight on May 14, coincides with Global Big Day 2022 as well as Endemic Bird Day India.

Ornithologists, avid bird watchers and birding enthusiasts from the Indian states and Union Territories of Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, northern West Bengal, and Arunachal Pradesh—as well as Nepal and Bhutan—will be participating in the Himalayan Bird Count.

“The Himalaya, the tallest mountain range in the world, has fascinated millions with their sheer might and beauty (sic). The snow-capped mountains, the cold deserts, the lush green forests and grasslands, and the white waters of the rivers are home to several unique birds. But these fragile ecosystems and their inhabitants are threatened by climate change and rampant infrastructure development,” said Mittal Gala, Project Coordinator at Bird Count India.

“Himalayan Bird Count can provide consistent, snapshot information of bird diversity in a region that is increasingly threatened by climate change. This kind of information, across years, can help us understand what is happening to our country’s birds,” remarked Dr Ghazala Shahabuddin, Senior Fellow at the Centre for Ecology, Development and Research (CEDAR), working in Kumaon Hills, Uttarakhand.

“Himalayan Bird Count is an exciting event that brings scientists and experts together with regular citizens to understand what is happening to birds in one of the planet’s most iconic mountains. It will give us a glimpse of the status of birds across the Himalayas—an important indicator of the health of this fragile ecosystem on which millions of people depend,” said Dr Sahil Nijhawan, Scientist at Nature Conservation Foundation, who has worked extensively in Arunachal Pradesh.

During the event, bird watchers are to watch and count birds for at least 15 minutes—from anywhere in the listed regions—following which, they must upload their bird-related observations to ebird.org.