World’s largest bird counting exercise to kick off in national capital on January 5

NEW DELHI:  The Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) - 2019, the largest  water  bird  census in Asia which records the status of important wetland habitats and water bird diversity, will begin on January 5 in the national capital region.  A part of the global international water bird census, the yearly survey will cover seven wetlands in Delhi-NCR. These are Okhla Bird Sanctuary, Surajpur Wetland, Najafgarh Jheel and drain, River Yamuna, Sanjay Lake, National Zoological Park and Sultanpur National Park.

The census, organised by Wetlands International South Asia, is the largest volunteer-based exercise to track and count international fowl species. It will be carried out simultaneously in 27 countries, including India, across Asia and Australasia from January 5 to January 20. The primary objective of the exercise is to record the status of important wetland habitats in the national capital and water birds diversity, with population estimates as per international standard protocol and methodology.

The information collated through this exercise will help identify and protect new sites of importance for water birds, TK Roy, noted ecologist and AWC State Coordinator, Delhi, said. “The result of the census will help in promoting the designation and management of internationally important sites, national wetland and water birds conservation and international cooperation,” he said.  

The findings, last year, had revealed that while the bird count had doubled at Okhla Bird Sanctuary, Surajpur wetland in Greater Noida recorded a 38 per cent dip in bird population.  The population and diversity at Delhi Zoo had also gone down significantly as compared to 2016, with only 639 birds recorded.

In India, AWC will be carrying out a bird count at few hundred listed wetlands, including state and national wetlands, Ramsar sites, protected areas, western or central Asian site networks, East Asian-Australasian Flyway network sites, important bird and biodiversity areas and conservation reserves by national network of volunteers, in coordination with AWC state coordinators and a national coordinator.
The citizen-science programme supports conservation and management of wetlands and water birds worldwide.

Wetlands International shares the compiled AWC data or reports with global conservation organisations like IUCN, Ramsar Convention, Convention on Biodiversity, Convention of Migratory Species of Wild Animals for World Wetland & Water Birds Conservation Policy.