[ Prem Chetry ]
BOMDILA, 10 May: Cherishing the incredible avian diversity of the Himalayan region, the Arunachal Pradesh Birding Club (APBC) celebrated the Himalayan Bird Count (HBC) Day at three places in the state on Saturday.
In Singchung in West Kameng district, Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary (EWS) RFO Yachang Kani said that the objective of the HBC is to “document avian diversity and raise awareness about the threatened habitats of this unique ecosystem through citizen science across the Himalayan region, including Bhutan and Nepal.”
“Year after year, the number of passionate bird enthusiasts and researchers is increasing, which is a good sign, contributing towards promotion, conservation and habitat preservation,” he added.
The event is held annually on the second Saturday of May, led by Bird Count India, Bird Conservation Nepal, and the Royal Society for Protection of Nature, Bhutan. It encourages birdwatchers to observe and record birds, upload data to eBird to track species trends, and support conservation efforts.
The initiative fosters collaboration among birding communities, promotes nature appreciation, and generates baseline data to monitor the health of Himalayan avifauna amidst challenges like climate change and habitat loss. It further, aims to track bird populations across the Himalayan region, contributing crucial data for long-term conservation planning.
The coordinated effort across the Himalayas strengthens the bond between citizen science and biodiversity monitoring.
A bird walk was conducted at the EWS – one of India’s premier birding hotspots. The walk, held from 6 to 10:30 am, covered the route from Ramalingam through Glowbari to Lama Camp.
The bird walk was led by RFO Kani, Wildlife Institute of India researcher Ahmed Omar, and experienced bird guide Bhukey Rai, who shared their expertise with the participants and helped identify 49 bird species during the walk.
The event was organised in collaboration with the EWS, the Singchun Bugun Village Community Reserve, and the Singchung Birding Club, and witnessed enthusiastic participation from forest staffers and conservationists.
The participants were rewarded with thrilling sightings of some of the region’s most charismatic species, including the Himalayan cutia, the rare and endemic Bugun liocichla, and the colourful silver-eared mesia.
HBC state coordinator Koj Mama informed that the APBC and the Ziro Birding Club, in association with the Hari Youth Organisation, celebrated the day and organised a bird walk from 7 to 11 am in the forest area near the Yachi-Yatt Rivers’ confluence in Lower Subansiri district. The walk was led by birder Millo Tako.
The team recorded 35 different species. Some were remarkable sightings, including the snowy-browed flycatcher, Mrs Gould’s sunbird and the ferruginous flycatcher.
Meanwhile, in Lower Dibang Valley district, a bird walk team was led by birder Ravi Mekola. On the other hand, the Epum Sirum Welfare Society and the Arunachal Wildlife Exploratory team, led by Okit Sitek and Gagam Jamoh, conducted a bird walk in Gobuk village in Upper Siang district, during which 18 species were recorded.
To complement the field observations, the participants were also invited to an interactive ‘Himalayan bird ID webinar’, where seasoned birders helped tackle tricky identification challenges unique to the Himalayan avifauna.
Such collaborative efforts underscore the importance of community-driven conservation and the growing interest in preserving the fragile ecosystem of the Himalayas through citizen science.