BNHS has also provided detailed instructions regarding the counting mechanism on its website, as well as information about the two species of flamingos. (Representational)In the first, pan-India flamingo census, residents of Mumbai will join the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) this weekend to count the number of greater and lesser flamingos across the country. This census will be undertaken in two phases — first on February 22 and 23 and the second one in April.
The BNHS has shortlisted sites across India with flamingo congregations.
More than 50 shortlisted sites from Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Telangana have been listed. Nine sites are listed in Maharashtra.
BNHS has also invited participants to add and suggest sites that are not covered in the list. Besides bird enthusiasts, the BNHS has invited government institutions, members of the Indian Bird Conservation network, NGOs, researchers and academicians from across India to participate in the census.
BNHS has also provided detailed instructions regarding the counting mechanism on its website, as well as information about the two species of flamingos.
Participants can send information to the BNHS every day. The count should ideally start at 7 am for inland sites and sites where flamingo movement depends on the tides.
The BNHS in January also released the result of the first comprehensive study on flamingos around Mumbai, which revealed 1,21,000 flamingos inhabited Mumbai in January this year. The study is a part of the BNHS’ 10-year-long ecological study on flamingos and other waders at the eastern seafront of Mumbai (Sewri-Nhava sea-scape).
(sanjana.bhalerao@expressindia.com)
