Challenges

Birding and eBird challenges

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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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
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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
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
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We begin the year with a bang! The combination of the new year and the Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) meant a jump in eBirding in India. Here is the breakup of eBirding in the country in January 2020 (with previous month in brackets): Number of birders: 2,776 (2,220)Number of lists (all types): 30,000 (20,300)Number of observations: 6.04 lakh (3.89 lakh)… read more »

January 2020 eBirders of the month

Challenges
Phew! That was a lot of birding in February and we hope you enjoyed it, especially the Great Backyard Bird Count! Please remember to finish uploading all your GBBC / CBC lists by 1 March. Being a transitional period between winter and spring/summer,  March is an interesting time of the year to examine the sequence in which winter migrants leave… read more »

March 2020 eBirding Challenge

Challenges
The year 2020 started with much enthusiasm with bird watchers volunteering for the Asian Wetland Census! This enthusiasm continues in February as birders will take part in one of the largest birding events in India- the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). This year the GBBC will be held between 14-17 February. This event offers a great opportunity to bring birders… read more »

February 2020 eBirding Challenge

Challenges
The last month of the year is usually a heavily birded one, and this year is no different. Here is the breakup of eBirding in the country in December 2019 (with previous month in brackets): Number of birders: 2,220 (2,068)Number of lists (all types): 20,300 (19,300)Number of observations: 3.89 lakh (3.54 lakh) December challenge The challenge for December was to… read more »

December 2019 eBirders of the month

Challenges
2020 is just around the corner! January starts with a bang, with a boatload of birding. See here to know about the various birding related events happening across the country. Just like every year, this month is dedicated to the Asian Waterbird Census (AWC). Since 1987, birders have been going out to wetlands of all types across the country (and… read more »

January 2020 eBirding Challenge

Challenges
With the winter season hotting up (cooling down?), more and more birders are out and about. Here is the breakup of eBirding in the country in November 2019 (with previous month in brackets): Number of birders: 2,068 (1,924)Number of lists (all types): 19,300 (17,500)Number of observations: 3.54 lakh (2.94 lakh) November challenge The challenge for November was to upload at… read more »

November 2019 eBirders of the month

Challenges
October has been a busy month for bird watchers across the globe. From national events like Wildlife Week and Wild Bird Day, this month also saw global campaigns like Global Bird Rescue and World Migratory Bird Day. With this month and its eBirding challenge coming to an end, it is time to announce November’s challenge. Birders are spending more time… read more »

November 2019 eBirding Challenge

Challenges
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Many winter migrants start arriving in September, and there is corresponding increase in birding in the country — an interesting commentary on the behaviour of birdwatchers! Here is the breakup of eBirding in the country in September 2019 (with previous month in brackets): Number of birders: 1,520 (1,317)Number of lists (all types): 14,600 (11,800)Number of observations: 2.23 lakh (1.66 lakh)… read more »

September 2019 eBirders of the month

Challenges