SHILLONG, Feb 14: The World’s Biggest Bird-a-thon is set to take place in India from February 16 to 19, bringing together over a thousand birdwatchers across the country to document a wide array of bird species in diverse locations.
The annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) attracts over one lakh birdwatchers globally, with India ranking as the second-highest contributing country last year.
In the year 2023, India secured the third position globally for the number of reported species, closely following Colombia and Ecuador.
Additionally, it claimed the second spot for the number of uploaded bird lists, trailing after the United States.
Noteworthy bird species observed in India during the GBBC include the Himalayan Bulbul, House Crow, Red-vented Bulbul, Feral Pigeon, and Plume-toed Swift, among others.
GBBC serves not only as an enjoyable event for bird enthusiasts but also contributes to citizen science, aiding in understanding the status of avian populations in India.
GBBC in India is coordinated by Bird Count India, which encourages participants to list all bird species seen at a particular location over 15 minutes or more and upload the list to the bird recording platform eBird.
In addition to GBBC, campuses across India participate in the sister event “Campus Bird Count,” aimed at monitoring bird populations in educational and institutional campuses.
