With several states extending travel restrictions, and the monsoons ramping up as well, it will be difficult for birders to travel in July. However, for many of our breeding birds, July is an important time of the year as young birds and fledglings have begun to move about on their own, trying to be independent and making their own decisions. From… read more »

July 2020 eBirding Challenge

Challenges
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Full lockdown in most parts of India ended partway through May. The earlier April challenge and the Lockdown Birding Challenge both had the target as uploading exactly 15 min lists, which caused a fair bit of confusion. So this month we are going back to our usual target of lists with a duration of at least 15 min. Here is… read more »

May 2020 eBirders of the month

Challenges
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Please tell us a bit about yourself. What do you do and where do you live?  My name is Renju. I live in Alappuzha, Kerala, in a place called Ezhupunna and work in a private hospital in Kochi. When and how did you get interested in birding?  Since my childhood, I was interested in nature and wildlife. I seriously started bird… read more »

Birder Profile: Renju TR

Bird Count India
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The Lockdown Birding Challenge ran from 27 March to 16 May 2020. The idea was to try and turn a difficult time into a positive contribution towards understanding India’s birds. The basic idea was to watch birds every day, twice a day (morning and evening) in a standardised manner so that the information generated could be compared over time and… read more »

Lockdown Birding Challenge Results

Challenges
The usual onset of southwest monsoon starts in June bringing some respite from the heat. Be it finding a suitable nest site or incubating eggs, or carrying food to young chicks – the breeding of our resident birds continues in June. A flurry of movement- one minute it’s here and the next gone… keep an eye out for the many… read more »

June 2020 eBirding Challenge

Challenges
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The all-India lockdown began towards the end of March, but people had already begun restricting their movements some days before. Despite this, there was a lot of birding in March. It isn’t straightforward to compare birding with the previous months, though, because February has higher-than-average birding due to the Great Backyard Bird Count. Here is the breakup of eBirding in… read more »

March 2020 eBirders of the Month

Challenges
A Black Drongo swings to and fro mobbing a perched kite, a noisy Ashy Prinia visits a certain undergrowth repeatedly, a Purple Sunbird in his brilliant metallic blue plumage sings loudly from its favorite wire perch while turning its head side to side. All these, indicate that our birds have started breeding! From defending their nests by mobbing larger birds… read more »

May 2020 eBirding Challenge

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Please tell us a bit about yourself. What do you do and where do you live? My name is Ezra Rynjah. I am currently a Research Affiliate with an NGO called Conservation Initiatives, wherein we work in different parts of Northeast India, collaborating with communities to implement evidence-based conservation. I am currently based in Shillong, where I also pursue projects in… read more »

Birder Profile: Ezra Rynjah

Bird Count India
Birding can be uplifting in such difficult times. Birders crave opportunities to spend time in a quiet place with their favourite distractions: birds! We might be forced to stay in one place — but that still gives plenty of opportunities to observe the birds around us. The lockdown birding challenge has generated tremendous response amongst bird watchers across the country.… read more »

April 2020 eBirding Challenge

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The Lockdown Birding Challenge ran from 27 March to 16 May 2020. See here for a summary of results. While the country is under lockdown, what better way to turn this into a positive contribution than to record the birds around your home? Do you see species you haven’t recorded before? Which species are found where in your city? What… read more »

Lockdown Birding Challenge

Challenges
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This year’s Great Backyard Bird Count and Campus Bird Count in India, saw a participation of more than 2000 people. Birders across the country were busy organizing and conducting bird talks and walks, introducing new people to birds and bird watching. Here are some of the stories by people across the country who participated in this year’s GBBC/ CBC. See here to… read more »

GBBC 2020: Stories from the field

Bird Count India
If it’s February, then it’s the Great Backyard Bird Count that’s occupying everyone’s minds. The GBBC usually results in a spike in birding, and this year was no different. Here is the breakup of eBirding in the country in February 2020 (with previous month in brackets): Number of birders: 3,405 (2,776)Number of lists (all types): 51,800 (30,000)Number of observations: 7.62… read more »

February 2020 eBirders of the Month

Challenges
Please tell us a bit about yourself. What do you do and where do you live? My name is Virender Sharma and I have been working with the Wildlife Wing of Himachal Pradesh Forest Department (HPFD ) since October 2007. I am currently posted as a Wildlife Guard. Being a forester, I regularly rescue various birds, mammals, and reptiles, and,… read more »

Birder Profile: Virender Sharma

Birder Profile
Tadoba’s Women Birding Squad Written by Pooja Pawar “Oh, this bird appears so close”; “such bright colours and so clearly visible through this binocular!” exclaimed the first-time bird-watching group of ladies from Moharli Village, looking at the Indian Roller. This was in September when I met seven women who were keen on learning about birds and birdwatching. It is hard… read more »

Tadoba’s Women Birding Squad

Bird Count India