Delhi Bird Atlas summer survey flagged off at Lodhi Garden

The state forest and wildlife department on Sunday flagged-off the summer survey of the Delhi Bird Atlas at Lodhi Garden. The month-long survey will formally commence next week and will continue till early June.

The flagging off took place among 100 birdwatchers, volunteers, students, wildlife experts, and conservationists. The survey, officials said, will see over 100 teams across the Capital and aims to provide data on the habitat and locations where bird species are recorded in Delhi. A comprehensive book, based on the survey, is expected to be prepared by the forest department. The Bird Atlas will likely be released by December, officials said.

The inauguration was honoured by Shyam Sunder Kandpal, Delhi’s chief wildlife warden and Dr Dipankar Ghose, senior director, biodiversity conservation of World Wide Fund-India.

“This unique effort by Delhi’s birding community will actually bring out the ecological health of the city...It is a unique initiative by Delhi bird watchers and nature lovers, and it will go a long way in furthering the environmental issues of Delhi,” Kandpal said on Sunday.

The first census for the Bird Atlas – the winter survey – was carried out between January 1 and February’s first week and revealed 200 different bird species in the Capital. Roughly 10% of Delhi’s total geographical area — 1,483sqkm — was covered in the first census, which involved dividing Delhi into grids of 6.6sqkm each. The census was carried out by a team comprising birders from the Delhi Bird Foundation and Bird Count India, in collaboration with volunteers from NGOs.

The forest department said the same methodology will be adapted this time, as in the winter survey. The Bird Atlas is prepared with the help of birders who are part of the Bird Count India, Delhi Bird Foundation and organisations and agencies such as WWF-India, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), Asian Adventures and Wildlife SOS among others.

Forest officials said training sessions were conducted throughout April to prepare volunteers and now teams been formed across Delhi for coverage.

One of the cluster heads, birder Rajesh Kalra said, “Merlin and eBird are incredible resources that make birdwatching and data collection so much easier. But beyond that, it’s about passing on our passion for birds to the next generation of birders. It’s exciting to see young people getting involved and learning to appreciate the wonders of nature.”

Ghose said such initiatives help in strengthening scientific knowledge and fostering environmental stewardship among citizens. “Creating an Atlas like this is no small task. It requires dedication, patience, and a shared love for nature. The Delhi Bird Atlas is a much-needed and truly unique effort to map the rich biodiversity of our capital city,” he said, stating the findings and data will also be featured in the annual ‘State of the Birds’ report.

In the first census, the 200 species recorded included the red-crested pochard, the paddyfield warbler, the Eurasian kestrel, and the oriental darter among others. The most common species in Delhi was the rock pigeon, with 14,127 individuals, followed by the common myna (6,411) and the black kite (6,082). The house sparrow had emerged as the ninth most commonly spotted species, with 1,364 individuals recorded.