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Holding on to cameras, binoculars and a checklist, birders across Delhi-NCR set out at 5am on Sunday to record the species found in the region as part of the fourth Delhi Summer Bird Count.
This year, 177 species were initially recorded between all teams, a slight increase from the 175 species spotted last year. The birders said an increase in rainfall could be an important factor for this change. The numbers may change after the final results are declared.
Over 450 species have been spotted in the NCR in the last 20 years. According to birder and organiser of the event, Kanwar B Singh, the 200 species recorded on Sunday is a significant number.
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“This is an impressive figure considering that our winter event typically has an average day’s tally of around 250 species. The species count in our region is high in the winter months due to augmentation of our birdlife by migrants that arrive from September onwards and begin to depart after March,” said Singh.
This year, 12 teams of birders, each led by an experienced captain, set out at 5am towards popular haunts like the Yamuna floodplain, Okhla bird sanctuary, Najafgarh drain, Basai wetlands, Sultanpur and the forested habitats of the Ridge, including Asola, Sanjay Van, Delhi Cantonment, Rajokri, Mangar, Damdama and Bhondsi.
Singh said 15 rare and uncommon species were sighted this year, including the white-bellied minivet, Marshall’s iora, Indian pitta, red-necked falcon, white-bellied drongo, crested bunting, painted sandgrouse, Oriental pratincoles, Indian courser and white-tailed stonechat.
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“These were mainly made in the Ridge area or on the Yamuna floodplain, once again highlighting their importance as good birding habitats. The resident species included 35 endemic species of India, meaning they are found nowhere else in the world except our country,” said Singh.
In addition, 100 resident species were recorded by most teams. “This is a huge positive insight emerging from the summer bird count that in spite of growing urban pressures, the NCR continues to support a very good resident birdlife,” Singh said.
In the Yamuna region up to Okhla, the important species sighted included white-tailed stonechat, striated grassbird, striated babbler, lesser whistling ducks and Bengal bushlark, among others.
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In the Najafgarh drain region up to Basai and Sultanpur, the important sightings included a large number of greater flamingos, Oriental pratincoles, grey-bellied cuckoo, cinnamon, yellow and black bitterns. The teams covering this vast area led by Brig Arvind Yadav recorded over 125 species.
Meanwhile, the Ridge and forested habitats in Delhi and Haryana, like Asola, Sanjay Van, Mangar and Bhondsi, recorded species like painted sandgrouse, Marshall’s iora and crested bunting, among others.
