Bengal goes birdwatching under global event, logs 289 species so far
Times of India | 14 February 2026
Kolkata: Bengal has gone bird-spotting from Friday as part of the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) that is being held across the globe between Feb 13 and 16.
From hills to grasslands and swamp, teams will fan out in search of birds and record not only their count, but also their calls, habitat and behaviour.
Birdwatchers' Society's Santanu Manna, the Bengal coordinator of the event, said that till Saturday, among the key sightings from Bengal are that of lesser yellownape, common starling and the scops owl (rufous morph). Around 180 participated till the end of day 1.
Last year, more than 5,000 participated from India, including 300+ from Bengal.
Till 9 am on Saturday, Bengal was at the 6th position on India species list with 289 species. Uttarakhand (358) was at the top. Last year, Bengal topped the list with 577 species.
At the end of day 1, India has topped the species list with 837 species, followed by China (561) and Australia (493).
GBBC is an annual global event that engages bird enthusiasts of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of bird populations. The global GBBC is organised by Cornell University and the Audubon Society in the USA. In India, it is coordinated by Bird Count India, a consortium of 70+ birding, nature and conservation organisations.
Under this project, Campus Bird Count — a sister event of GBBC, unique to India — is organised by Bird Count India in collaboration with WWF India and Foundation for Ecological Security. Some zones being scanned under this are informal patches — courtyards, heritage groves, and tree-lined pathways — that have emerged as vital habitats beyond protected areas.
How to Participate
Watch birds anywhere on your campus — courtyards, gardens, pathways, or near water bodies — for at least 15 minutes
When | During Feb 13-16
Identify all birds seen or heard and share your sightings using the eBird app