May 13, 2023, is Global Bird Day, which is also celebrated as Endemic Bird Day in many parts of the world. Bird watchers observe the day by organising birding activities and urging non-birders to appreciate the beauty and variety of birds. Towards this end, birder Sriram Reddy is conducting a walk in Kandlakoya Oxygen Park in Hyderabad.
Explaining the significance of Global Bird Day, Sriram says, “In colder countries, this is the season when birds breed. A lot of resident birds return to their natural habitat and build nests. Bird watchers take this opportunity to spot local birds, their habitat, and do a bird count.”
In warmer countries like India, it is Endemic Bird Day, a day to spot birds in one’s area. Endemic birds are species that are restricted to specific geographic regions. These endemic birds play a crucial role in maintaining the biodiversity of their respective regions and are often indicators of the health of local ecosystems.
“We encourage non-bird watchers to take part in Endemic Bird Day so that they can begin to spot the birds in their area. It is like an initiation process to create awareness about local birds, their habitat, and the conditions that could affect them,” adds Sriram.
Sriram, along with Hyderabad birding pals, will be taking participants on a walk and helping them spot birds and identify them. “After this, we upload the information on eBird.org/india, a free site that millions of people use to keep track of the birds they see around the world. The data can help researchers and environmentalists study more about our avian friends,” adds Sriram.
People who cannot join the walk or cannot click good photographs need not worry; they can do their bit by entering the name of the bird they spotted on the website. “If a person takes a photo but cannot identify the bird, they can upload the picture of the bird to Merlin, an app that helps in identifying the bird within a few seconds,” he adds.
What if a person interested in birds cannot take a photo and also cannot identify the bird? “To identify a bird, there are three major pointers: size, colour and special features. The first guideline to follow about size: bigger or smaller than a sparrow, mynah and a pigeon. Colour is associated with the colour of the feather(s) on the head, tail, wings etc. When such detailed information is entered into Merlin, it will show up the exact features of the bird and its name,” he elaborates.
Sriram mentions some endemic birds of Telangana such as the Painted Stork, Grey Heron, Purple Heron and Little Grebes.
