Birding enthusiasts count rare species in wetlands

Vadodara: From professionals and ornithologists to businessmen, and housewives to academicians, dozens of Barodians were out at the wetlands in and around Vadodara on Sunday morning. The enthusiastic birders were recording rare species of migratory birds and counting them too. The idea behind the exercise was to identify not just birds but also the wetlands in the urban localities where these birds roost.

Conducted by Pranidhi, this exercise was named ‘Wings – Birds of India' and it involved common citizens who are bird enthusiasts. "We have some wetlands that are conserved and well looked after. But there are many other small and big wetlands that are located in urban areas or outside the city. These wetlands too are important and they host a lot of migratory birds," said Anika Tere, an ornithologist who was one of the volunteers in the bird watching programme today.

"This birding exercise helps us understand the birds, their habitats, and how to conserve them with the help of the govt and local bodies. It also brings people from different walks of life together. Like in Vadodara, this exercise was conducted in the other cities of Gujarat too on Sunday," Tere told TOI.

Dozens of Barodians spread out in 12 wetlands in and around Vadodara along with Wadhwana where they spotted some rare species of birds too.

From black necked stork, Ferruginous duck, Short toed snake eagle and White eye buzzard to Painted Storks, Desert Whetear, Lesser Whistling Teals and Peregrine Falcon, the birders spotted a variety of species at these wetlands. In Padra, a huge colony of hundreds of painted storks was recorded.

Tere added that Uday Vora and Dr Jayendra Bhalodiya coordinated the entire exercise and now a report will be prepared on the basis of the bird and species count done by the volunteers across the state.