Challenges

Birding and eBird challenges

The appearance of monkey caps, mufflers, and thick jackets tell you that winter has arrived in full force. So does the appearance of ducks, geese, waders, and flycatchers! Millions of birds have traveled vast distances crossing oceans and mountains to spend their winter in India. A lot of small and large water bodies, coastal areas scrublands and woodlands are teeming… read more »

December 2019 eBirding Challenge

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
2
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
1
October is an exciting month for birders. Apart from general migration picking up,  a large number of young birds will be on their first migratory journey. Young (first year) birds can often be told apart from adults by their distinctive appearances; have you been seeing any?  Winter migrants are now being reported from almost every corner of India. Whether you stay… read more »

October 2019 eBirding Challenge

Challenges
August is still a rainy month in many places in India, and even through some early migrants have started appearing, we still don’t see the uptick in birding that comes with winter. Our appreciation for the birders who are out and about in this season — your documentation of birds is very valuable! Here is the breakup of eBirding in… read more »

August 2019 eBirders of the Month

Challenges
The challenge for August was to explore new hotspots where you have never birded before. We hope you enjoyed this challenge and had some adventures! We would love to hear them: do send your stories (between 500- 1000 words) to skimmer@birdcount.in Given the harsh summer this year followed by torrential rains, birding activity has been generally low in most parts… read more »

September 2019 eBirding Challenge

Challenges
July brings rain to most parts of India. This year, the rains have been particularly severe, with floods in several places. No wonder birding is at a bit of a lull this month. Here is the breakup of eBirding in the country in July 2019 (with previous month in brackets): Number of birders: 1,320 (1,430)Number of lists (all types): 11,600… read more »

July 2019 eBirders of the month

Challenges
5
While some of our resident species are in their last phase of breeding (feeding their young), the juveniles of other birds such as Pied Bushchats, Black Drongos and White-eyed Buzzards have already transitioned being independent of their parents. August is an exciting month for bird watchers from another perspective. The winter’s first migrants start arriving! Shanks and Sandpipers are already… read more »

August 2019 eBirding Challenge

Challenges
1
June is an odd month when parts of India are still reeling in the heat and other parts see heavy rain — neither very conducive to birding. Still, you can’t keep birders away from birding! Here is the breakup of eBirding in the country in June 2019 (with previous month in brackets): Number of birders: 1,430 (1,600)Number of lists (all… read more »

June 2019 eBirders of the month

Challenges
July brings the monsoon in full swing – clouds full of rain hang above, usually accompanied by thunder, lightning and strong winds. With the rains, the bare lands are transformed into lush grasslands and many species such as rain quails, bush-quails, and black & painted francolins are highly active. While some of these quails prefer grassy patches for food and… read more »

July 2019 eBirding Challenge

Challenges
Most of India reels under the hear in the month of May, and this is typically not a month in which birders are particularly active (apart from in the mountains). Still, an impressive amount of eBirding took place this May. Here is the breakup of eBirding in the country in May 2019 (with previous month in brackets): Number of birders:… read more »

May 2019 eBirders of the month

Challenges
Bird watchers may have taken refuge in the cooler interiors of their homes during the hot month of May but a number of resident birds went about their business of breeding in the heat. In many parts of India, June can still be hot but not for long. Dark clouds will start to roll in, followed by reverberating thunder announcing… read more »

June 2019 eBirding Challenge

Challenges
April is an interesting month for birding. Many remaining winter migrants are on their way back, and breeding activity is widespread among residents and summer visitors. Here is the breakup of eBirding in the country in April 2019 (with previous month in brackets): Number of birders: 1,746 (2,227)Number of lists (all types): 17,000 (24,000)Number of observations: 3.00 lakh (4.33 lakh)… read more »

April 2019 eBirders of the month

Challenges
2
Have you ever seen a female Barred Buttonquail fighting with another female, to defend her mate? Have you ever seen how babblers react in the presence of a brood parasitic cuckoo? Or how males in many species provide nutrients to a female, as pre-copulatory food offerings? If such things intrigue you then this is the time of the year where… read more »

May 2019 eBirding Challenge

Challenges
Birding activity in India usually drops from February (with the GBBC) to March, and this year was no different. Here is the breakup of eBirding in the country in March 2019 (with previous month in brackets): Number of birders: 2,227 (2,916)Number of lists (all types): 24,000 (47,800)Number of observations: 4.33 lakh (6.94 lakh) March challenge The challenge for March was… read more »

March 2019 eBirders of the month

Challenges
It’s April and that means breeding has started or will start very soon for many species in most parts of India. What better time to focus on recording the calls and songs that are all around us at this time of year! This month, the challenge focusses on both birding effort as well as sound recordings. In this way, let’s… read more »

April 2019 eBirding Challenge

Challenges
February is a month of major birding activity, partly due to the Great Backyard Bird Count. Here is the breakup of eBirding in the country in February 2019 (with previous month in brackets): Number of birders: 2,916 (2,378) Number of lists (all types): 47,800 (33,600) Number of observations: 6.94 lakh (6.04 lakh) February challenge The challenge for February was to… read more »

February 2019 eBirders of the month

Challenges