Mokokchung, 9 May (MTNews): Bird Count India will be organizing the Endemic Bird Day on 13 May 2023. It will be a whole day event for novice and experienced birdwatchers alike.
An update from the organizers received here stated that the Endemic Bird Day is an annual event that happens every year on the second Saturday of May. “This event is unique to India, with the aim of documenting the 232 species of birds that are endemic or near-endemic to our subcontinent,” it said. It was also mentioned that an endemic bird species is one that is restricted to a defined geographical area and called upon interested persons to join hundreds of birdwatchers in celebrating Endemic Bird Day.
“On last year’s Endemic Bird Day, a total of 1,078 birders went out to look for endemic (and other) species and uploaded 4,139 bird lists! In all, 835 species were recorded on this single day, of which 151 are endemic to South Asia,” it recalled.
“It’s easy to participate, and you can even take part from your own home. If you have at least 15 minutes to spare, you can report your bird sightings to the eBird website (ebird.org/india) or through the free eBird Mobile app,” said Mittal Gala of Bird Count India.
“If you have more time, watch birds as often as you can and upload more than one list of birds from more than one location. On this day, let’s celebrate the wonder of birds that are found in India and South Asia and nowhere else in the world!” she added.
How to participate?
Sign up for eBird: Create an account on eBird.org/india. Millions of birders use eBird to keep track of the birds they see around the world.
Watch birds on 13 May: It’s really that easy. You don’t have to know a lot about birds or go out all day; even 15 minutes from home counts. Endemic Bird Day runs from midnight to midnight. You can report your bird sightings from anywhere in India.
Note what you see and hear on eBird: You can upload your bird lists through the free eBird Mobile app, which makes it even easier to create and upload lists. eBird Mobile is a free resource to create and upload lists of birds on the go—even without wifi! Simply select when and where you went birding and enter the birds you encountered. You could also upload your bird lists through eBird- India’s website. Upload all your checklists by May 16 so that they can be included in Global Big Day’s first results report.
What are endemic birds?
Endemic birds are species of birds that are restricted to specific geographic regions, and can be found nowhere else in the world. Endemic birds play a crucial role in maintaining the biodiversity of their respective regions, and are often indicators of the health of local ecosystems. Unfortunately, many of these birds are threatened with extinction due to habitat loss, climate change, and other human activities.
Other events on the same day (13 May):
Himalayan Bird Count is on the same day, whereby birdwatchers in the Himalayan regions of India, Bhutan, and Nepal will be joining hands to document birds of their region.
Both Endemic Bird Day and Himalayan Bird Count coincide with the Global Big Day, in which birdwatchers all over the world try to document as many species as they can in a period of 24 hours. By participating in either of the events, your checklists uploaded on eBird get added to the Global Big Day too!
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