Kolkata: Bengal is set to become the second state in India, after Kerala, to have its own bird atlas.
Under this initiative, likely to span over five years, the state will be divided into 6-km grids, each further segmented into 36 sub-grids of 1 sq km. These sub-cells will be monitored twice or thrice annually, spanning various seasons, to map the nature of habitats and record available bird species.
The intricacies of the project, including its commencement, will be unveiled at the Bengal Birders’ Meet, a collaborative effort by the Birdwatchers’ Society, eBird and Bird Count India, in the city on Monday.
Conservation biologist and spatial ecologist Arpit Deomurari, while discussing this state-wide citizen science initiative that will culminate in the creation of the Bengal Bird Atlas, emphasized that with close to 900 bird species recorded in Bengal, this endeavour will aim to map the distribution of each species with precision. “This comprehensive data will not only deepen our understanding of avian populations but also provide invaluable insights for future research,” he said.
According to Deomurari, the surveys on the sub-grids will focus on recording the species, their migratory or passage migratory status and whether they are juvenile or breeding. “Since the birds are spread over diverse habitats in Bengal — from the Hills and plains to coastal areas and mangroves — we will also map the nature of habitats,” he said.
According to a Zoological Survey of India report, of the 1,331 bird species in India, Bengal is home to nearly 900. Sujan Chatterjee, secretary of Birdwatchers’ Society, said Monday’s event will also highlight bird diversity of Bengal and the mapping of birds using eBird, an online database on bird observations.