Pakshi Saptah

Pakshi Saptah (Bird Week)

The Maharashtra Pakshi Mitra (MPM) is back with celebrating Pakshi Saptah. The dates of the event are 5–12 Nov 2023. This event also coincides with the Sálim Ali Bird Count.

In 2017, MPM- one of the largest birding communities in India, proposed a week-long birding event–Pakshi Saptah to commemorate the birth anniversaries of Shri. Maruti Chitampalli (5 Nov 1932–) and Dr. Sálim Ali (12 November 1896–20 June 1987). The idea of this event was to bring birdwatchers, and nature enthusiasts from all walks of life together to celebrate the joy of birds. Thanks to the efforts of MPM, in 2020,  the Maharashtra government declared Pakshi Saptah to be celebrated as a state birding event, every year from 5–12 November.

Here are some ideas on how to celebrate Pakshi Saptah:

• Conduct a public birding event
• Talk about birds at a school or college or eco clubs
• Participate in the Salim Ali Bird Count – a nationwide event that coincides with Pakshi Saptah.

If you are conducting any bird walk, talk, webinar, or any other birding-related activities for Pakshi Saptah please contact members of Maharashtra Pakshi Mitra to have your event listed at 7030101981/ 98228 75773

See here for Pakshi Saptah 2020 birding events
See here for Pakshi Saptah 2019 birding events

Those interested in documenting birds of Maharashtra during Pakshi Saptah  can go through the following guidelines on uploading checklists to eBird-India:

Guidelines:

• Watch and count birds from anywhere you are in Maharashtra for 8 days, from 5–12 November 2023
• Upload your sightings to the eBird mobile app
• Upload at least two lists each day from 5 -12 Nov.  Each list should be of at least 15 minutes or more
• Each list should be a complete list with counts of all birds that you could identify by sight and/ or sound to the best of your ability.

Please upload all your lists by 30 November 2023

General Instructions:

If you are birdwatching inside a residential society or a campus (university, institute, or organization), please check if your location is already marked as a ‘hotspot’ in eBird. If it is, then please upload your lists to that hotspot. If it is not, then kindly suggest the location as a hotspot. Here is a short video on how to suggest a hotspot. More about eBird locations and hotspots is here.

Counts will be more productive early in the morning, with birds generally becoming quiet and inactive during the middle of the day.

You could also upload as many counts as you can from a single site or from different sites.

If you are uploading your lists to eBird then the eBird mobile App is one of the easiest ways to upload your sightings. See the webinar recording to know how.

About Dr. Sálim Ali and Shri Maruti Chitampalli:

Dr. Sálim Ali, the “Birdman of India”, was a naturalist and scientist who contributed enormously to Indian ornithology. He was the first Indian to carry out comprehensive bird surveys around the country, and he also penned several books on birds that helped ornithology gain popularity in India. Shri Maruti Chitampalli was an IFS officer from Maharashtra. Not only is he an ornithologist and naturalist but also a popular nature writer in Marathi. These two ornithologists have devoted their lives to birds and are inspirations for many. In their honour, 5 to 12 November is celebrated as Salim Ali Bird Count (India-wide event) and Pakshi Saptah (state-wide event). This 8-day event celebrates their immense contribution to Indian ornithology by spreading the joy of birding and awareness among all.

Header Image: Greater Spotted Eagle Clanga clanga by Tejas Mehendale/ Macaulay Library