During the four days between 18 and 21 February, more than a thousand birdwatchers throughout India will come together to document as many birds in as many locations across the country as possible.
Globally known as the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), this event is coordinated by Bird Count, India, an umbrella group of a large number of birding, nature and conservation organisations.
Over one lakh birdwatchers globally participate in the annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), and last year India ranked second in the world in the number of species documented!
The three most common birds reported in India were Common Myna, Red-vented Bulbul and Rose-ringed Parakeet.
So if you’re wondering who can participate and how – anyone is welcome to participate in the GBBC, further details of which are available at birdcount.in. The basic activity is to list all bird species seen at a particular location over a period of 15 minutes or more, at any time during the four days, and upload the list to the bird recording platform eBird www.ebird.org/india. This can be repeated as often as possible.
There is a serious side to GBBC as well, with the power of citizens helping to answer questions about whether birds in India are doing well or declining.
So what are you waiting for? Make a plan with your friends and family and head out on your very own birdwatching walk.
