July often gets overlooked by many birders, yet it’s one of the most magical months to be out in the field. The monsoon transforms the landscape, and young birds emerge like tiny explorers between rain showers. Birds venture into unexpected places during this season, giving you unique spotting opportunities right in your neighbourhood.
Your July sightings—whether from a neighborhood park, your building’s terrace, or that nearby lake—paint a crucial picture of where our birds go and when they move.
The challenge for July is to upload at least 31 or more eligible checklists*.
* Eligible checklists are those that report ALL species seen/heard (and are therefore marked ‘complete’), includes counts for all species numbers (no ‘X’ entries) and are of at least 15 minutes or longer in duration.
Please upload all your lists by 10 August 2025 so that we can announce the results soon after that.
Note: Always prioritise safety during monsoon birding. Avoid areas prone to landslides or flash floods, and check weather conditions before heading out.
Important:
Maintain a respectful distance from nesting birds to avoid disturbing them during this sensitive breeding period. Whenever you see birds showing any signs of breeding, choose the breeding behaviour codes. To do this in the eBird App, tap the species name, tap on ‘Add breeding code‘, and select the appropriate purple circle that is closest to your observation.
Here are the general rules of our monthly challenges. And check out the yearlong challenges for 2025 as well! You can keep track of fresh lists coming in from India on this page.
Header Image: Pheasant-tailed Jacana Hydrophasianus chirurgus © Parthasarathi Chakrabarti/ Macaulay Library
