COVID-19: Lockdown for us, freedom for birds

“It is lockdown for people, but freedom for birds and animals,” said Shylajesha Raja, an environmentalist and an avid bird watcher.

He said air and noise pollution has decreased due to the check on the movement of both people and vehicles. “As people are mostly confined to their homes, there is less interference of human beings. I think birds and wild animals must be feeling relaxed. I read once that the birds communicate more when there is less noise. The subject is not explored much. There is no substantial research on this subject. But, since a week, I have been hearing more singing, chirping and chattering of birds. It can be because there is less noise in the environment due to the lockdown. The subject needs more research,” he said.

Priyanka Nagaraj, a student, said she has observed an increase in the number of birds on trees in her locality in Railway Layout, Vijayanagar, in the city. “I have the habit of watching birds on trees near my house in the morning. I am happy since the last few days because I see more numbers and also newer species of birds,” she said.

Connect to nature, wildlife from your home

Even eBird, an online database of bird observations, has launched a calendar of events, ‘Things to Do’, from March 27 to April 10. It has also launched ‘Enjoying wildlife from home: some self-isolation tips’.

“When it comes to Covid-19, everything can seem somewhat confusing and alarming. Settling into self-isolation may seem like a challenge. In recent days, many have been continuing to immerse themselves in nature and green spaces. However, if you are in a higher-risk group or simply want to self-isolate, or are under lockdown, there are many things you can do from the comfort of your own home and remain connected to nature. I'll outline a few ways you can remain connected to nature and wildlife from your own home and garden,” the literature reads.

eBird provides scientists, researchers and amateur naturalists with real-time data about bird distribution and abundance. Originally restricted to sightings from the Western Hemisphere, the project expanded to include New Zealand in 2008, and further expanded to cover the whole world in June 2010.

eBird is described as an ambitious example of enlisting amateurs to gather data on biodiversity for use in science. eBird was launched in 2002 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.