371 species of birds sighted in Karnataka during all India exercise

The highest number of bird species in South India were sighted in Karnataka, where birders clicked 371 species during the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) held across the country between February 17 and 20.

Bird Count India on Friday released the preliminary results which showed that the number of checklists (unique submissions of bird sightings) across the country jumped to 46,600, about 5,000 more than last year. Globally, India stood second only to America in terms of participation.

A total of 1,067 species of birds were observed across the country. West Bengal led the country with the highest number of species sighted (489), followed by Uttarakhand (426), Arunachal Pradesh (407), Assam (397), Karnataka (371). Gujarat (361), Maharashtra (358), Tamil Nadu (349), Kerala (325) and Rajasthan (322).

Also Read | Indian-American wins National Geographic 'Pictures of the Year' award

Interestingly, the number of submissions from Karnataka (3,797) were significantly lower compared with Kerala (9,780), Maharashtra (7,422) and Tamil Nadu (6,098). There was a marked decline in submissions from Tamil Nadu compared to last year.

GBBC Karnataka coordinator Deepa Mohan said there was a rise in the number of participants as well as a marked improvement in the skills of the existing ones. "There was no major surprise sighting during the four-day exercise. However, the participation was encouraging," she added.

The GBBC aims to understand the status of birds, including how birds are distributed across the country and how they are affected by changes in weather. The data will also help understand changes in migration patterns. The final report, likely to come out in April, is expected to update the numbers further.

Though Lesser White-Fronted Goose, classified as a vulnerable species by the IUCN, was sighted in Hadinaru Kere near Nanjangud, it has not been counted as part of the GBBC as the sighting took place before the exercise.