Gurgaon: A team of wildlife officials with binoculars and neck-hanging cameras reached several wetlands on Sunday to count birds.
State wetland bird census covers Sultanpur National Park and Najafgarh Lake in Gurgaon and Bhindawas and Mandhoti wetlands in Jhajjar. This is the second time that such a census has been conducted in Haryana to assess the bird population in the state’s wetlands. The first census was conducted in February 2020. Last year, due to the pandemic, the event was cancelled.
With this count, the Wildlife Department also marked the coming World Wetlands Day on February 2. 11 teams with three members covered Sultanpur National Park and Najafgarh Lake. Similar teams covered the Jhajjar wetlands.
After a day of organizing, the teams marked their observations and made a final list of birds. “It was concluded that there are a total of 28,026 birds and 124 species in Sultanpur National Park,” said Rajesh Chahal, Wildlife Inspector, Gurgaon. Major winter ducks include greylag geese, northern pintail, common pochard, northern shrew, gadwal, Eurasian coot, etc.
Numbers for other wetlands are not yet available. In the 2020 census, 214 bird species were recorded in the wetlands.
On counting the birds, Priyanka ChaudharyA member of the Delhi Zoo, who was in Sultanpur, said, “There are three methods of counting birds. The first is called ‘point count’, where the tally of all birds detected by sight and sound by an observer located at a fixed location during a specified period is recorded. the second is the ‘line transect’, where the observer must count the birds along a line; First, five meters to the left, and then to the right of the row. The third method is to count all the birds on a specific tree. It is used only when the number of birds is less.”
Some of the rare species seen in Sultanpur include Greater Spotted Eagle, Red-headed Falcon, Imperial Eagle, Common Kestrel, White-tailed Lapping and Black-tailed Godwit. The National Park is also getting ready to welcome the Union Environment Minister Bhupendra. Singh Yadav, and Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on February 2.
Sultanpur National Park and Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary were included in the Ramsar list on 10 August 2021. Haryana has about 1,441 wetlands, but only two are protected under the Ramsar treaty.
bird expert Sanjay Sharma Said that Sultanpur National Park has good winter variety and resident waterfowl. He said that after many years, a successful nest of black-necked cranes has also been built in the park.
Chahal said the survey showed that migratory birds flock to wetlands during winter, which represents a healthy sign.
In February last year, birders organized Big Bird Day in NCR- a nationwide exercise. The event was first organized on February 22, 2004, when 236 species of birds were recorded in the NCR. Then in 2020, 253 bird species were sighted, up from 247 in 2019. In 2018, 251 bird species were observed, and in 2017, 268. In 2015 and 2016, the number of birds was 239 and 228, respectively.
State wetland bird census covers Sultanpur National Park and Najafgarh Lake in Gurgaon and Bhindawas and Mandhoti wetlands in Jhajjar. This is the second time that such a census has been conducted in Haryana to assess the bird population in the state’s wetlands. The first census was conducted in February 2020. Last year, due to the pandemic, the event was cancelled.
With this count, the Wildlife Department also marked the coming World Wetlands Day on February 2. 11 teams with three members covered Sultanpur National Park and Najafgarh Lake. Similar teams covered the Jhajjar wetlands.
After a day of organizing, the teams marked their observations and made a final list of birds. “It was concluded that there are a total of 28,026 birds and 124 species in Sultanpur National Park,” said Rajesh Chahal, Wildlife Inspector, Gurgaon. Major winter ducks include greylag geese, northern pintail, common pochard, northern shrew, gadwal, Eurasian coot, etc.
Numbers for other wetlands are not yet available. In the 2020 census, 214 bird species were recorded in the wetlands.
On counting the birds, Priyanka ChaudharyA member of the Delhi Zoo, who was in Sultanpur, said, “There are three methods of counting birds. The first is called ‘point count’, where the tally of all birds detected by sight and sound by an observer located at a fixed location during a specified period is recorded. the second is the ‘line transect’, where the observer must count the birds along a line; First, five meters to the left, and then to the right of the row. The third method is to count all the birds on a specific tree. It is used only when the number of birds is less.”
Some of the rare species seen in Sultanpur include Greater Spotted Eagle, Red-headed Falcon, Imperial Eagle, Common Kestrel, White-tailed Lapping and Black-tailed Godwit. The National Park is also getting ready to welcome the Union Environment Minister Bhupendra. Singh Yadav, and Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on February 2.
Sultanpur National Park and Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary were included in the Ramsar list on 10 August 2021. Haryana has about 1,441 wetlands, but only two are protected under the Ramsar treaty.
bird expert Sanjay Sharma Said that Sultanpur National Park has good winter variety and resident waterfowl. He said that after many years, a successful nest of black-necked cranes has also been built in the park.
Chahal said the survey showed that migratory birds flock to wetlands during winter, which represents a healthy sign.
In February last year, birders organized Big Bird Day in NCR- a nationwide exercise. The event was first organized on February 22, 2004, when 236 species of birds were recorded in the NCR. Then in 2020, 253 bird species were sighted, up from 247 in 2019. In 2018, 251 bird species were observed, and in 2017, 268. In 2015 and 2016, the number of birds was 239 and 228, respectively.
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