Bengaluru Bird Day returns to the city on Saturday with a host of activities.
The annual Bengaluru Bird Day returns to the city on Saturday with a host of activities.
Bengaluru Bird Day is observed in the first week of October in memory of Dr Joseph George, who is hailed as the pioneer of group birdwatching efforts in India. It is an endeavour to celebrate the joys of birdwatching.
Bengaluru has a vibrating community of birders. Saul Kere, Lalbagh, Jakkur Lake, and The Valley School are some prime spots for birdwatching here.
The day-long celebration will begin with a workshop on nature journaling by painter Shilpashree. This will be followed by a presentation by the team of PFA Wildlife Hospital. They will cover trends in bird rescues, changing avian behaviour, and key insights about local and migratory birds. A quiz called ‘Bird Brain’ will be held later. Interested people can apply for the quiz on the spot.
The launch of naturalhistory.in is one of the highlights. Longtime birdwatcher Ulhas Anand, who is part of the organising team, says, “It is a website for bird enthusiasts to record their bird observations and to connect with the community. It has been developed over three months and is free to access.”
The event will come to a close with the memorial speech ‘'The ways of the sarus cranes’. Conservation biologist K S Gopi Sundar will deliver the speech, which is essentially about why north Indian farmlands are great habitats for birds.
It was in 1972 when Dr Joseph and Zafar Futehally established the first chapter of the Birdwatchers’ Field Club of India in Bengaluru. Dr Joseph was a polymer chemist by profession and Zafar Futehally was a renowned naturalist and conservationist. “If Dr Joseph were alive today, he would have been happy to witness the remarkable growth of the birdwatchers' club, which has united bird lovers of all ages,” says Ulhas.
On October 7, at B V Jagadeesh Science Centre, National College, Jayanagar. Find the schedule and registration details on birdday.in