Latest Update (June 2025): Phase 2 –Â Bhagalpur Bird Atlas Begins
Following the successful completion of the first phase, the Second Phase of the Bhagalpur Bird Atlas was launched on June 1, 2025, by the Bhagalpur Forest Division, with technical support from the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS).
The Bhagalpur Bird Atlas is Bihar’s first citizen science bird survey focused on systematically documenting the distribution and abundance of bird species across Bhagalpur city. The initiative not only promotes public participation in biodiversity monitoring but also plays a crucial role in informing future bird conservation and urban planning efforts.
Now, in the second phase, the focus is on the non-migratory season. This will help expand our understanding of seasonal changes in bird presence, breeding activity, and habitat usage across Bhagalpur.
We invite citizens, students, nature enthusiasts, and birders to participate in this important documentation process. Your contributions will directly support data-driven conservation in the Bhagalpur landscape.
Join us in making Bhagalpur a model for citizen-led bird conservation in Bihar!
Phase 1 – Non Migratory Survey for Bhagalpur City starts from 1 June 2024.
About the Bhagalpur Bird Atlas (BBA)
The Bhagalpur Bird Ringing and Monitoring Station (BRMS), a collaborative effort between the Bhagalpur Forest Division and the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), is proud to announce the Bhagalpur Bird Atlas (BBA) initiative. This first-of-its-kind citizen science project in Bihar aims to create a comprehensive understanding of bird distribution and abundance within Bhagalpur through systematic surveys. The BBA follows the successful models of the Coimbatore City Bird Atlas and Kerala Bird Atlas.
Vision
The Bhagalpur Bird Atlas aspires to support informed bird conservation and management strategies in the Bhagalpur landscape. This will be achieved by gathering a wide range of data, including the spatial distribution of bird species, population trends, behaviors, and migration patterns.
Objectives
- To systematically collect bird data within Bhagalpur City to understand bird distribution, population dynamics, behaviors, and migration patterns.
- To utilize the collected data to develop effective conservation and management plans for Bhagalpur’s bird species, ensuring the protection and sustainability of their habitats and populations.
Survey Design
The Bhagalpur Bird Atlas is a three-year project divided into two phases:
- Phase 1: Non-migratory Bird Survey
- Phase 2: Migratory Bird Survey
Phase 1: Non-migratory Bird Survey
Phase 1 will focus on Bhagalpur City starting from 1 June 2024. The city will be divided into grids, each containing sub-cells. Birding teams will compile bird lists within these sub-cells.
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Survey Method:
- Four 15-minute bird checklists will be created in each sub-cell.
- eBird, a global bird citizen science platform, will be used to upload the checklists and build the Bhagalpur Bird Atlas database.
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Grid and Sub-cell Details:
- Bhagalpur City is divided into 14 grids (3.3 km x 3.3 km each).
- Each grid is further divided into 9 sub-cells (1.1 km x 1.1 km each).
- Three sub-cells will be randomly selected for surveys within each grid.
- A total of 42 sub-cells were selected for this survey.
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Bird Checklist Details:
- Each sub-cell will be surveyed by a team of 2-5 birders, including at least one expert birder selected by the coordinators.
- Birders will use the eBird Mobile App to create bird lists.
- All birds observed within the sub-cell, along with their counts, will be included in the checklist.
- The distance covered during the checklist should be between 250 meters and 900 meters.
- The following information must be included in the checklist comments for each survey:
- Sub-cell number
- Checklist number
- Team number
- Names of all team members
- Locality/area name
- Habitat type
- Any other relevant details
- After completing the checklist, share the list with other team members using their eBird usernames and the Bhagalpur Bird Atlas eBird group ID: bhagalpurbirdatlas.
- Teams should strive to cover the maximum area and all habitat types within the sub-cell.
- Surveys are generally expected to occur between 6:00 AM and 9:00 AM, with a possible extension to 10:00 AM under exceptional circumstances.
- Sub-cells may need to be resampled if unforeseen conditions (rain, disturbances, extreme weather) compromise data quality. The coordinator and lead birder will decide on resampling together. Such incidents must be mentioned in the checklist comments.
Join the Project!
We invite you to be a part of this exciting citizen science initiative!
- Register using this link: https://forms.gle/SgwArtkZbWf7Xmu3A
- For more information, contact us at: bhagalpurbirdatlas@gmail.com
Project Contacts
- Dr. P. Sathiyaselvam, Deputy Director, BNHS (Mobile: 7989880381/ 9677505525, Email: bnhs.sathiyaselvam@bnhs.org)
- Abilash. R, Researcher, BNHS (Mobile: 7094078267, Email: abilash.r@bnhs.org)
- Ms. Shweta Kumari, DFO Bhagalpur (Mobile: 9430891925, Email: dfobhagalpur@gmail.com)
Address:
Bird Ringing and Monitoring Station,
Sundarvan,
Opp. Mount Carmel School,
Bhagalpur,
Bihar 812003.
Brochure
- Hindi: https://shorturl.at/lAP4V
- English: https://shorturl.at/HBDCk
Header Image: Black-hooded Oriole Oriolus xanthornus by Abhishek Das/ Macaulay Library
