123456 Kolkata: The third edition of Poila Baisakh Bird Count ended with participants recording 500 species during the 4-day exercise that started on April 12. Seven-fifty-seven checklists, too, were submitted during this period as per the initial outcome.
Some key species recorded include chestnut-breasted partridge in Kalimpong, green cochoa in Jhandi, Amur falcon in Jhargram, slender-billed gull at Kargil beach, Baikal bush warbler at Sodepur and beautiful nuthatch at Mouchuki.
Darjeeling has emerged as the top district with the most numbers of both species and checklists at 238 and 117, respectively. Darjeeling is followed by Kalimpong with 185 species and 106 checklists. While birders recorded 137 species with 102 checklists in South 24 Parganas, Birbhum has thrown up figures of 166 species and 57 checklists. North 24 Parganas recorded 117 species with 92 checklists.
Sources said 78, 106, 63 and 55 observers took part on days 1, 2, 3 and 4.
A citizen science initiative by the Birdwatchers' Society (BWS) to celebrate nature during Bengali New Year, the event is also seen as an effort to record and observe presence of summer birds anywhere in Bengal.
"Poila Baisakh marks the start of the Bengali New Year and welcomes the onset of summer. To celebrate, BWS, in collaboration with Bird Count India, invites birdwatchers across Bengal to join this annual summer birding event," said Sujan Chatterjee of BWS.
"April is a fascinating time for birds in the region — many species are already singing and breeding, while others are still on their way to northern breeding grounds. By participating in this count, one can help track both breeding birds and migrating species during this critical period. Over time, these summer birding records can provide insights into how climate change may be influencing migration patterns and breeding behaviour," said Kanad Baidya of BWS.