More than 55 odd teams of birdwatching enthusiasts will wander through the Mumbai region to observe different types of birds seen in the city. The WINGS Mumbai event – coming together for birds and environment is to be held on February 16.
What began as a coming together of over 100 bird enthusiasts in Mumbai in December 2005, and became hugely popular pan-India as the India Bird Races over the years, now comes in its new avatar renamed as WINGS – Birds of India (a Nature Awareness Program). In the Mumbai region, the activity area spans from Manor – Vikramgadh – Wada – Murbad in the North/north-east to Murud-Janjira – Phansad Sanctuary in the south and the base of the Sahyadri hills to the east.
“Besides, participants are free to cover numerous urban sites across this vast region. The teams then upload the checklists onto the eBird birding app which helps in compiling the data. The support of online platforms e-Bird and Bird Count India has helped document the data in a simple and systematic manner,” said the event coordinator Sunjoy Monga .
Following the activity, the teams will gather for sharing their birding experiences with other teams and guests and a presentation by one or more subject experts.
“ We have invited speakers from the fields of ornithology, nature conservation, as well as local departments. This time we have speakers sharing their views on the avifauna of the IIT campus site and on the Lokhandwala Lake. WINGS– Birds of India is intended to bring into focus the cause of birds in the context of the urban environment, and contribute to data documentation and sharing,” said Monga.
Since the past three years, this popular birding event has expanded into a pan-Maharashtra event. A pan-State format in Gujarat and Kerala too was conducted earlier and has received tremendous response. “This season, besides participants from Mumbai area , we have about a dozen teams from across too participating, from Akola, Amravati, Wardha, Nagpur, Yavatmal, Pune, Mahabaleshwar and Baramati areas, passionately showing their support for the cause,” said the coordinator.
Participants will be forming a group of three to five birders lead by an expert/senior birdwatcher and explore a wide range of sites in and around every venue.
