About the Pulicat Bird Atlas

The Pulicat Bird Atlas, or Pulicat Lake Bird Atlas (PLBA), is a citizen science initiative dedicated to systematically documenting bird species in and around the Pulicat Lake and the nearby industrial hub of Sri City. This project draws inspiration from the successful methodologies of the Tirupati Bird Atlas and aims to create a comprehensive database of avian diversity in the area.

For the first time in Pulicat’s history, birding communities and birdwatchers from across India are coming together in a unified effort to conduct this long-term bird atlas project. This collaborative approach highlights the significance of community-driven science in understanding and conserving biodiversity.

The surveys will be conducted biannually, in December (winter) and August (summer), ensuring coverage of both migratory and resident bird populations. This effort is planned to span a minimum period of 10 years, offering long-term insights into avian trends and habitat use. A wide range of habitats will be surveyed, including woodlands, grasslands, wetlands, natural open areas, and urban landscapes, with locations chosen randomly to ensure unbiased and representative data collection. 

The PLBA is poised to serve as a critical resource for conservation planning, environmental education, and fostering a deeper appreciation of the region’s rich birdlife.

Note: The dates for this phase are 21-23 December 2024; however, registrations are now full.

Instructions for grid surveys

The atlas surveys are aimed at creating baseline data on the distribution and abundance of birdlife in different habitats of this landscape.

The current survey area constitutes 74 grids (squares) of 1.1X1.1 Sq. Km each. 

Survey team: 2-5 members constitute a survey team, and each team will comprise of

• an expert birder (Team Leader) 

• amateur/novice birder 

• volunteer and a forest guard/watcher (wherever required)

Data recording requirement: Smartphones with the following applications installed

Kindly ensure that the eBird and Locus map applications are installed on your smartphone. 

Recording Birds: Walking at a slow and orderly pace, record all birds you see and hear in the grid. A total of 60 minutes of birding effort is required in each grid, i.e., four eBird checklists of 15 minutes each are to be logged. Diverse habitats covering the maximum possible area of the grid are to be explored.       

In the image above, Grid 1 is surveyed enough with Tracks 1, 2, 3 and  4 covering the maximum area of the grid, whereas the maximum area in Grid 2 is not surveyed, which is not an acceptable practice. 

Saving Grid Information: While adding grid information to your eBird checklists and Locusmap tracks, follow this naming convention: 

SQ “Gridnumber”. “Tracknumber” (Note the full stop between the grid number and track number).

Example: SQ04.3

• SQ: Standard prefix
• 04: Grid number (provided to you)
• 3: Track number within the grid

eBird Checklists: All bird observations must be added to an eBird checklist and shared with the eBird ID “pulicatbirdatlas”. Birds seen and heard are to be recorded, and wherever possible, photographs of the birds are to be added to the checklists. Additional notes describing any interesting behaviour of the observed birds may also be added to the eBird checklist. 

Recording Tracks: eBird automatically records your track. However, track recording might not work in locations with poor or no mobile network. For recording tracks, the Locusmap application is to be used, and all post-survey recorded tracks are to be shared with the Atlas coordination team. 

Please ensure that the recording profile in Locus is set to walking when recording the track and always allow permissions for the Locusmap application to record your tracks. After 15 minutes, the track can be stopped using the stop button and saved.

Saving Tracks: The metadata of the track automatically includes the date, time (of saving), duration of the track, and the distance covered. Add the Grid Info as a prefix to the metadata (ex: SQ03.01)

Best Practices:

• Whilst in your track, feel free to pause briefly to observe and record birds at any point, but do not stay too long at a single point

• Please avoid walking back on the same track unless and until there is an obstruction. If walking back, avoid counting the species that are already recorded 

• In case of a bird song or call heard from the same direction multiple times, please do not count it as multiple individuals unless they are a duetting pair or visually distinct individuals

• Share the data recording responsibilities within the team, While one team member is making an eBird list, other members of the team can do track recording

• If you are accompanied by a local forest guard or a watcher, please discuss the grid location and plan your survey upfront

• Ensure that your tracks are not overlapping within the grid. If required, take a break to travel

• Depending upon the access, walkability, habitat and bird activity walk in your trail at a reasonable pace, covering most of the trail and all the habitats

• When flocks or colonies of birds are encountered please be conservative in your count. For more information on how to count birds, please visit: https://support.eBird.org/en/support/solutions/articles/48000838845-how-to-count-birds

• Always ensure that the Grid info entered in the Locus map track matches the grid info in the eBird checklist

• Minor intrusions into adjacent grids are acceptable, but always keep an eye on your grid map on the Locus map application to ensure that you are within your grid 

• Please do not stop too long for recording butterflies and other taxa, as it might impact the detection rates in a grid
•  If you have any medical condition, please discuss it with your team leader or inform us upfront. Ensure that you are carrying any emergency medication

Partners/collaborators

IISER-Tirupati
IIT-Tirupati
Krea University
Tirupati Nature Society
IIIT Sri City
Station-S
Bird Count India

Local Schools Involvement:

Sricity Chinmaya Vidyalaya
Accord School
ZPH School – Tada
ZPH School – Irugulam

Funded By: Pulicat Bird Atlas 2024 winter survey is funded by the Sri City Foundation

The dates for this phase are 21-23 December 2024! Registrations for this phase are now full. For any queries or further details, please contact:

Hareesha AS
Citizen Science Coordinator, Atlas Coordinator at IISER Tirupati
Phone: +91 97392 01339
Email: [email protected]

Header Image: Plain Prinia Prinia inornata © Vivek Saggar / Macaulay Library