A total of 69 teams comprising over 300 participants submitted over 130 Checklist reports during the WINGS 2025 – Mumbai & Pan-Maharashtra birdwatching and data documentation event held on February 16. Enthusiastic birders from various parts of the city gathered to participate in the annual birdwatching activity.
According to organizers, a regional and peninsular Indian rarity was observed at a wetland site near Pune. “Almost every year, some uncommon and seldom-sighted bird species appear on this exciting day for birds. This year, too, a regional and peninsular Indian rarity was observed at a wetland site near Pune by the team covering that expanse. It was one of the species of White-fronted Goose, most likely the Greater White-fronted,” stated an organizer.
Among the other uncommon and infrequently reported bird species sighted during the event were Imperial Eagle, Bar-headed Goose, Knob-billed Duck, Common Pochard, Brown Crake, Pied Avocet, Bar-tailed Godwit, White Stork, Black Eagle, and Indian Blue Robin.
A total of 271 bird species were recorded during the event, slightly lower than the previous year’s count. However, the species tally for the Mumbai region was around 215 species, a drop from 237 species last year.
Formerly known as India BirdRaces, the program has evolved into one of the most popular birding activities in 14 cities across India. Teams covered a wide range of locations, including Mumbai, Thane, Akola, Amravati, Nagpur, Wardha, Baramati, Yavatmal, Mahabaleshwar, Raigad, and Pune. “This exciting activity has been held non-stop across the Mumbai region since 2005 when it first began and has expanded across parts of Maharashtra state in the past three years,” said an organiser.
The documented bird sightings were uploaded and linked to the program’s dedicated page on the eBird platform for data documentation. “Almost every kind of habitat was covered, from the plains to hilly zones, and included varied types of forests, scrublands, grasslands, coastal and inland wetlands, as well as numerous urban sites,” an organizer added.
