Bhopal: Nearly 30,000 birds of 155 species identified in Bhoj Wetland Winter Bird Count 2022-23

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Nearly 30, 000 birds of 155 species have been identified under the bird census conducted from December 2022 to February 2023.

It was part of the last phase of the fourth Bhoj Wetland Winter Bird Count Programme 2022-23, organised by Bhopal Birds in association with Madhya Pradesh State Wetland Authority, Van Vihar National Park and VNS Nature Savers on Sunday. The aim of the count is to identify and count the local and migratory birds found in Bhoj Tal.

Of them , migratory birds including Red Crested Pochard, Common Pochard, Black Headed Ibis, Red Naped Ibis, Northern Shoveler, Common Teal, Black Headed Bunting, Red Headed Bunting, Brahminy Shelduck, Blue Throat, Lesser White Throat, Green Sandpiper, Painted Stork, Brown Headed Gull, Black Headed Gull, Purple Heron, Large Cormorant, Siberian Stone Chat, Common Chiffchaff, Eurasian Coot, Spot Billed Duck, Lesser Whistling Duck, Black Headed Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Red Start, Common Snipe, Eurasian Wryneck, Gray Legged Goose Birds like Indian Thickney were identified.

Sarus Crane, Painted Stork, Oriental Darter, Alexandrine Parakeet, Black Headed Ibis have been identified as endangered species.

Bhoj Wetland Winter Bird Count 2022 -23 was held in five phases from December to February in which Van Vihar National Park, Bishankhedi to Bilkheda, Bamhori, Lower Lake to Bairagarh, Borwan, Nathubarkheda to Khajuri Road to Bhoj Taal were covered.

Sangeeta Rajgir, Mohammed Khalik, Vipin Dhote, Kritali Chinderkar, Ankit Malviya were present as resource persons in the fifth phase of counting.

Besides, certificates were distributed to the participants by the chief guest Arvind Purohit. A detailed report based on the calculations will be published soon.

Rare bird Fire-Capped Tit spotted

Rare bird, Fire-Capped Tit, was identified during the census. It is a small bird of 10 cm, which migrates from Himalayas to lower regions during winter. These birds make nests at an altitude of 1800 metres to 2600 metres. It has a red mark on its head due to which it is called Fire-capped tit.

210 volunteers of 9 states take part

About 210 participants of nine states participated as volunteers in the Bhoj Wetland Winter Bird Count Programme 2022-23 since December. They were Maharashtra, West Bengal, Haryana, Bihar, Kerala, Assam, Karnataka.